The STPCD 2015 was published last week and will become effective on 1 September 2015.
There are no changes other than the implementation of the September 2015 teachers’ pay award, which was set out in our previous newsflash:
- 1% uplift to the statutory minima and maxima of all pay ranges, including allowances, with two exceptions
- 2% increase to the maxima of the main pay range, and
- No increase to the maxima of the eight Headteacher group pay ranges.
- Where a classroom teacher or leader is paid on the minimum of their pay range, their salary, excluding any allowances, must be uplifted to the new minimum.
- For all other classroom teachers and leaders, schools must determine – in accordance with their own pay policy – how to apply the uplift to individual salaries and pay ranges.
Teachers and leaders should not automatically receive a pay increase (either pay progression or a 1% or 2% uplift) unless this is justified by their performance, or they are on the minimum of their pay range. Schools must decide how or whether to apply the increases; and academies have an even broader discretion as they are not automatically required to follow the STPCD.
New DfE Guidance
The DfE has issued further guidance regarding the implementation of pay policies. This states that schools must make their own arrangements for assessing performance and making pay decisions on the basis of performance, and must set out the details of how this will be achieved in their pay policies. Schools must also take care to comply with equality legislation and avoid creating unnecessary bureaucracy. The guidance provides more detailed examples of how this could be achieved.
All schools and academies should review their pay and appraisal policies on an annual basis and we strongly recommend that leaders and governors who are responsible for performance appraisals and pay decisions consider the DfE guidance as part of this review.
Policy Review
Pay, appraisal and capability processes are closely linked and it is advisable to review them together to ensure that they are consistent. Judicium Education compliance clients receive full support with such reviews as part of their compliance service.
Under the new Ofsted regime, inspectors have apparently been advised to review the processes and outcomes for performance appraisals and pay decisions as part of their assessment of leadership and management, so schools who are expecting a visit from Ofsted this year may wish to give this particular priority.
Please contact Judicium Education to discuss our service in more detail.
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