Trusts are already deviating from national pay and conditions to more “fairly” reward part-time teachers for extra leadership and management responsibilities, as the government considers a shake-up.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson this week commissioned a review of teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) payments, which can add up to £16,000 to teachers’ pay for taking on extra roles.
She asked the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) for a recommendation on whether changes to the pro rating of TLR payments should be made to enable “greater flexibility”.
The school teachers’ pay and conditions document (STPCD), which must be followed by maintained schools and is observed by many academies, states that certain TLR payments “must be paid pro rata” for part-time staff.
Unions have lobbied for that to change, warning the arrangements are “unfair, unethical and potentially unlawful”.
And, while many leaders stick rigidly to TLR conditions, Schools Week has spoken to trusts that already make exceptions to correct “unhealthy flexible working arrangements” and boost retention.
Saving thousands
Rebecca Cramer, CEO of Reach Schools in London, said her trust made decisions on TLR payments on a “case-by-case basis”. It offers part-time staff full amounts for their extra roles or the chance to share responsibilities with another teacher.
There are, however, “some roles you can’t split out”.
“I do think there’s a tipping point – if you’re working two days a week, for example, you possibly can’t fulfil all your TLR responsibilities. It’s important there’s nuance around it.
“Ultimately, we’re not talking about huge amounts of money [for schools] here – a day a week of a TLR can be worth anything from hundreds to a couple of thousand pounds a year.”
Cramer believes this helps the trust to retain staff and saves “thousands” a year in recruitment costs.
‘Unhealthy arrangements’
Another chief executive, who did not want to be named, believes the STPCD restrictions have contributed to “unhealthy flexible working arrangements where people haven’t been fairly remunerated for the job they’re doing”.
Their trust asks staff if they want to job-share the TLR with somebody else or fulfil all the role. Up to 20 staff have been paid based on these arrangements in recent years.
Despite this, Red Kite Learning Trust boss Richard Sheriff believes many leaders are sticking rigidly to the STPCD as “people are frightened about trusts doing their own thing over employment”.
“We’re all in a marketplace for scarce teachers. Many teachers will look at an institution and see if they still honour teachers’ pay and conditions…[because] without that protection [they won’t] be willing to take that job on.”
One part-timer at Red Kite is paid in full for their extra responsibilities, he said.
‘Discriminatory’
Vivienne Porritt, co-founder of WomenED, said: “To us it’s discriminatory because the majority of people who work part-time are women. They are less likely to stay in the profession because of [the pro rating of TLR pay].”
In its evidence to the STRB for this year’s pay award, the National Education Union said denying teachers the full cash “could be in breach” of the part-time workers regulations 2000 or the equality act 2010, as most of those affected are women.
“Where a part-time teacher undertakes the full additional responsibilities of a promoted post, it would be unfair, unethical and potentially unlawful if they did not receive the full value of the TLR payment for those responsibilities simply because they are employed on a part-time contract.”
The union said its own survey of members suggested 60 per cent of part-timers with a TLR were only paid a pro-rated fee, despite performing the roles in their entirety.
It called for the STRB to recommend changes enabling staff “to receive the full value of a TLR payment where appropriate”.
‘Negative views’ of flexible working
A government survey, released last week, found the proportion of teachers working flexibly had risen, from 40 per cent in 2022 to 46 per cent last year.
Despite this, “views on the compatibility and acceptability of flexible working had become more negative since 2022”.
The DfE said its request for a review of TLR payments “comes as a result of feedback from the sector, including previous STRB consultees”. It added that flexible working opportunities “can help to recruit, retain and motivate teachers and leaders”.
The department will give its own views on any potential changes in its written evidence to the STRB in “due course”.
