Teachers’ Pay – 1st September 2015
West Berkshire Council advice to schools
Urgent and important information for governing bodies of all
maintained schools (community, foundation, voluntary
controlled and voluntary aided)
School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document
2015 – how to apply the national uplift to pay
ranges
CONTENTS
page
1. Summary of proposed actions by WBC Payroll effective Sept
2015
2. Why are we doing this?
2
3. Classroom teachers’ pay to be uplifted by 1% unless Payroll
instructed otherwise
4. Leadership pay will not be uplifted unless the school notifies
Payroll
5. Note on performance-related increases effective from September
2015
6. Advice on how to manage the ‘cost of living’ increase for the
leadership group, with examples
7. Extract from the STPCD 2015 – Part 1 (August 2015)
3
8. Extract from Local Government Association advice to local
authorities issued July 2015
9. Appendix A – discretionary reference points from 1st September
2015
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4
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Teachers’ Pay – 1st September 2015
West Berkshire Council advice to schools
At the end of this advice note you will find extracts from the School Teachers’ Pay and
Conditions Document (STPCD) 2015 and from the Local Government Association (LGA)
advice to Local Authorities. This is taken into account in the advice from WBC HR and
Payroll.
Training for school governors on developing, maintaining and applying their school pay
policy will be available in spring 2016. Further advice on teachers’ pay and leadership
pay is available from WBC HR on SLA Online, and on the gov.uk website.
1. Summary of proposed actions by WBC Payroll
1.1. In order to reduce administration time and minimise the risk of delays in
implementing pay increases, the Council plans to do the following to address
the changes to pay ranges included in the 2015 Document.
1.2. Classroom teachers – all teachers on main, upper, unqualified and leading
practitioner pay ranges:

With effect from 1st September 2015, the Council will implement a 1%
increase in all salaries and all SEN and TLR allowances in payment,
unless the school specifically instructs Payroll otherwise by 10th
September 2015.

No other allowances in payment (e.g. recruitment and retention) will be
uplifted automatically.

Following teacher appraisals, schools should notify Payroll of any
additional increases in pay awarded as a result of performance. These will
be backdated to 1st September 2015.
1.3. Leadership group – all headteachers, deputy headteachers and assistant
headteachers

No changes to salary will be made except by explicit instruction to Payroll
from the school/governing body. This includes increases to pay arising
from the national uplift to the minimum of the leadership pay range, and
any increases awarded as a result of performance, following appraisal.

The only exception to this will be for deputy or assistant heads who are
paid on the minimum of the Leadership pay range – their pay will be
automatically uplifted to the new statutory minimum.
1.4. SUMMARY OF ACTIONS FOR SCHOOL GOVERNING BODIES
1.4.1. Inform Payroll Services if you do not wish a 1% uplift to be applied,
across the board from 1st September 2015, to all salaries and TLR/SEN
allowances for classroom teachers on the main, upper, unqualified and
leading practitioner ranges.
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Teachers’ Pay – 1st September 2015
West Berkshire Council advice to schools
1.4.2. Inform Payroll using ED11 forms of;

Any increases in pay agreed for members of the leadership group
(headteachers, and assistant and deputy headteachers)

Any performance-related increases in pay for classroom teachers
2. Why are we doing this?
2.1. The following paragraphs set out the reasons for this approach and the
issues that governing bodies should consider in relation to pay increases for
teachers effective from 1st September 2015.
2.2. The STPCD 2015 includes an ‘uplift to pay’ which would in previous years
have been referred to as a ‘cost of living’ increase. The DfE makes it clear
that governing bodies should consider incorporating this uplift into
performance-related pay. In the past the cost of living increase and the
performance-related element were kept separate.
2.3. In September 2014, when a 1% ‘across the board’ uplift was awarded, the
DfE published ‘reference points’ on its teacher pay ranges to assist those
schools that wanted to continue to use fixed pay points; it will not do so in
2015. The nature of the uplift (see below) means that it is more difficult to
apply a simple percentage increase to all teacher pay points. However, this
does not preclude governing bodies from continuing to use fixed points in
their own pay policies should they wish to do so.
2.4. School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document 2015 – uplift to be applied
to pay ranges from 1st September 2015;
Range
Main
Upper, Leading Practitioner, Unqualified
SEN allowance
TLR allowance
Leadership (overall range)
Leadership (each of the 8 HT group ranges)
Minimum of
range
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
Maximum of
range
2%
1%
1%
1%
0%
0%
2.5. WBC has taken account of the very limited time that governing bodies have
had to consider the new pay structures (the consultation draft STPCD was
not published until July) and has decided to offer a simple way of dealing with
the 2015 pay uplift, which will then allow schools to take a more considered
approach to whether they wish to incorporate cost of living increases into
performance related pay in future pay policies.
3. Classroom teachers’ pay to be uplifted by 1% unless Payroll instructed
otherwise
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Teachers’ Pay – 1st September 2015
West Berkshire Council advice to schools
3.1. For classroom teachers, we will uplift all salary points and allowances by 1%
and publish these as reference points for schools to use. This ignores the
potential for teachers on the maximum of the Main scale to increase by 2%.
We feel that this would be inequitable; governing bodies are, however, free to
decide to implement a 2% increase for these teachers on the basis of
performance.
3.2. It is important that governing bodies are aware that they do not have to
accept this advice from the authority and may choose to opt out of the
blanket 1% increase (apart from for those on the minima of the relevant
ranges). We anticipate that the majority of schools will choose to apply the
1% uplift across the board this year, so it will reduce the amount of
paperwork as schools have to opt out rather than in.
4. Leadership pay will not be uplifted unless the school notifies Payroll
4.1. The situation for leadership pay is more complicated, because of the decision
by the DfE not to uplift the maxima for the overall range and for each of the
headteacher group ranges. This differentially affects headteachers when
compared to deputies and assistant heads (because there are no statutory
maxima for their pay ranges). We will therefore not make any changes to
pay for this group for 1st September 2015 unless instructed by the school or
governing body to do so.
4.2. Governing bodies should therefore decide how they wish to implement the
‘uplift’ for this group of staff – either as a ‘cost of living’ increase for all to
whom it applies, or incorporated into performance-related pay decisions.
4.3. We have published revised reference points for leadership pay at the end of
this guidance. However, these are complicated by the lack of a statutory
uplift to the maxima of the headteacher pay ranges.
5. Note on performance-related increases effective from September 2015
5.1. Governing bodies should note that any performance-related increases
awarded to teachers (including members of the leadership group) for
September 2015 should be based on achievements against the objectives
set last year. This means that the school pay policy that was in effect in 2014
should be used to determine the level of increase, if any.
5.2. If the governing body decides to change its pay policy in 2015 and have a
different approach to performance pay increases, then it needs to make sure
this is in place before objectives are set against which performance will be
measured at the next appraisal.
6. Advice on how to manage the ‘cost of living’ increase for the leadership
group, with examples
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Teachers’ Pay – 1st September 2015
West Berkshire Council advice to schools
Assistant and deputy headteachers
6.1. Deputy and assistant headteachers are paid on pay ranges drawn from the
overall leadership range. There are no statutory ranges for these roles, with
each school determining the appropriate range depending on the
responsibilities of the job in the context of the school. Most will still be paid
on a five point range, set before the changes to the STPCD in 2014.
6.2. The minimum of the leadership range has been uplifted by 1%. This means
that any assistant or deputy headteacher who is paid on that minimum
(previously point L1) is entitled to an automatic increase in pay of 1%. In
these circumstances only, Payroll will apply this increase to a member of the
leadership group from 1st September 2015.
6.3. Governing bodies may decide to uplift the salary of all assistant and deputy
headteachers by 1%, independent of any performance related increase within
the range for the job. They can use the reference points published by WBC
to both determine the 1% increase and then to award any performance points
that are payable under their existing pay policies.
6.4. If the governing body decides to implement a 1% increase effective from 1st
September for an assistant or deputy headteacher, it should notify Payroll
using an ED11 form.
6.5. Example: Deputy headteacher A has a salary range of reference point 9 to
reference point 13 (£46,555 - £51,372). She is paid on point 11 (£48,991) as
at 31st August 2015. The governing body decides to uplift the pay of all
leadership group members on 1st September by 1%, where applicable. She
then has her appraisal in October and her performance merits an increase of
one reference point on her salary range. The school completes a single
ED11 in October with the consolidated increase to £50,620 (1% uplift and
performance-related point) backdated to 1st September.
6.6. Example: Assistant headteacher B has a salary range of point 3 to point 7
(£40,150 - £44,397). He is paid on point 7 (£44,397) as at 31st August 2015.
The governing body decides to uplift the pay of all leadership group members
on 1st September by 1%, where applicable. It completes an ED11 form in
September to notify Payroll of this increase to £44,841. No further increase
is possible based on performance as he is at the top of his pay range.
Headteachers
6.7. Headteachers are paid on a pay range drawn from the leadership range.
Unlike assistant and deputy headteachers, there are broad limits set by the
STPCD according to the size of the school (headteacher group ranges) from
within which the individual pay range should normally be drawn.
6.8. Most headteachers will still be paid on a seven point range set before the
changes to the STPCD in 2014. Some headteachers will be paid on
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West Berkshire Council advice to schools
individual pay ranges whose maximum exceeds the headteacher group
range, because governing bodies have the discretion to set a headteacher
pay range with a maximum above the group size (of up to 25%) if they
believe that circumstances warrant it.
6.9. The 1% pay uplift applies to the minimum point on each headteacher group
range, but it does not apply to either the maximum of each group range, nor
to the overall maximum of the leadership pay range. The impact of this is set
out in the examples below.
6.10.
It should be noted, in the examples below, that the DfE decision not to
uplift the maximum of the headteacher group ranges results in some
apparently inequitable arrangements, depending on whether the headteacher
is currently paid on the maximum for the headteacher range, or above or
below it.
6.11.
As always, headteachers should not receive performance-related pay
increases if they have already reached the maximum of the individual pay
range set by the governing body for the post. The only way such a
headteacher could receive an increase would be if the governing body
decided to review the individual pay range for the post in line with the STPCD
2015, and taking account of the DfE advice on developing the school’s
approach to pay.
6.12.
Example: Headteacher C leads a group 2 school and has an individual
pay range of reference points 15-21 (£53,963 - £62,521). The maximum for
a group 2 school is £62,521. He is paid on point 21 as at 31st August 2015.
On 1st September he is not entitled to a1% uplift in his pay because he is
paid at the maximum for his headteacher group size. He is not eligible for an
increase in pay on the basis of performance because he is at the maximum
of his individual pay range and the maximum of the group size range. He
remains on reference point 21* (£62,521) (see appendix A for further details).
6.13.
Example: Headteacher D leads a group 3 school and has an individual
pay range of reference points 21-27 (£62,521 - £72,419). The maximum for
a group 3 school is £67,290; the governing body has chosen to set a pay
range above the maximum because of recruitment and retention difficulties.
He is on point 26 (£70,668) as at 31st August 2015. The governing body
decides to apply the 1% uplift to his salary and, after his appraisal, to award
him a performance-related pay increase of one point. The school completes
an ED11 form to notify Payroll of the increase in pay to £72,419 (i.e.
reference point 27 including the 1% increase).
6.14.
Example: Headteacher E leads a group 4 school and has an individual
pay range of reference points19-25 (£59,535 - £68,962). The maximum for a
group 4 school is 27 £72,419). She is paid on reference point 25 (£68,962)
as at 31st August 2015. The governing body decides to apply the uplift of 1%
to her salary (to £69,562) and notifies Payroll using an ED11 form. She is not
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West Berkshire Council advice to schools
eligible for a performance-related increase in pay because she is already at
the top of her individual pay range.
6.15.
Example: Headteacher F leads a group 3 school and has an individual
pay range of reference points 16-22 (£55,397 - £64,074). The maximum for
a group 3 school is 24 (£67,290). She is paid on point 19 (£59,535) as at 31st
August 2015. The governing body decides to apply the 1% uplift to her
salary and, after her appraisal, to award her a performance-related pay
increase of one point. The school completes an ED11 form to notify Payroll
of the increase in pay to £61,623 (i.e. point 20 including the 1% increase).
7. Extract from the STPCD 2015 – Part 1 (August 2015)
September 2015 pay award
In line with the recommendations in the STRB’s 25th Report, from 1 September
2015:
i.
A 1% uplift has been applied to the statutory minima and maxima of all pay
ranges in the national pay framework, including allowances, with two
exceptions – a 2% increase to the maximum of the main pay range and no
increase to the maxima of the eight headteacher pay group ranges. This
Document reflects these new ranges.
ii.
Where a classroom teacher/leadership group member is paid on the minimum
of their pay range/band, their salary – excluding any allowances – must be
uplifted to the new minimum.
iii.
For all other classroom teachers/leadership group members, schools must
determine – in accordance with their own pay policy – how to apply the uplift
to individual salaries and pay ranges and how to take account of the uplift to
the national framework in making individual pay progression decisions.
8. Extract from Local Government Association advice to local authorities issued July
2015
In September 2015 it will be a statutory requirement to uplift the salary of
teachers paid on the minima of the ranges by 1%, i.e. to ensure no teacher is
paid below the national range. Other than this, whilst schools are not obliged to
do so, they may decide to set their own pay points within a pay range in their
local policies, if they judge it appropriate to their needs. One option is to continue
to use the previous pay scale points (uprated as appropriate) as the basis for an
annual pay award.
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Teachers’ Pay – 1st September 2015
West Berkshire Council advice to schools
Appendix A – discretionary reference points from 1st September 2015
Leadership Group Pay Range – discretionary reference points
Reference
point
L1
1 Sept 2014 1 Sept 2015 Reference
£
£
point
38,215
L25
38,598
1 Sept 2014 1 Sept 2015
£
£
68,962
69,652
L2
39,172
39,564
70,668
71,375
L3
40,150
40,552
72419
72,419
L4
41,150
41,562
L27
72,419
73,144
L5
42,175
42,597
L28
74,215
74,958
L6
43,232
43,665
L29
76,053
76,814
L7
44,397
44,841
L30
77,946
78,726
L8
45,421
45,876
79,872
79,872
L9
46,555
47,021
L31
79872
80,671
L10
47,750
48,228
L32
81,857
82676
L11
48,991
49,481
L33
83,892
84,731
L12
50,118
50,620
L34
85,965
86,825
L13
51,372
51,886
88,102
88,102
L14
52653
53,180
L35
88,102
88,984
L15
53,963
54,503
L36
90,284
91,187
L16
55,397
55,951
L37
92,528
93,454
L17
56670
57,237
L38
94817
95,766
58,096
58,096
97128
97,128
L18
58,096
58,677
L39
97128
98,100
L19
59,535
60,131
L40
99,552
100,548
L20
61,012
61,623
L41
102,039
103,060
62,521
62,521
L42
104,596
105,642
L21
62,521
63,147
L43
107,210
107,210
L22
64,074
64,715
L23
65,661
66,318
67,290
67,290
67,290
67,963
L18*
L21*
L24*
L24
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L26
L27*
L31*
L35*
L39*
*Scale points to be applied only to
headteachers at the top of the school
range in the academic year 2014/15,
indicating no uplift for 2015/16.
Teachers’ Pay – 1st September 2015
West Berkshire Council advice to schools
Pay ranges for headteachers from 1st September 2015 (from STPCD 2015)
Headteacher
group size
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
Group 7
Group 8
Reference points
6 – 18*
8 – 21*
11 – 24*
15 – 27*
18 – 31*
21 – 35*
24 – 39*
28 – 43
Minimum £
Maximum £
43,665
45,876
49,481
53,180
58,677
63,147
67,963
74,958
58,096
62,521
67,290
72,419
79,872
88,102
97,128
107,210
Discretionary reference points for classroom teachers 1st September 2015
Reference
point
M1
M2
M3
M4
M5
M6
M6b
U1
U2
U3
1 Sept 2014
£
22,023
23,764
25,675
27,650
29,829
32,187
1 Sept 2015 Reference
£
point
UQ1
22,244
24,002
UQ2
25,932
UQ3
27,927
UQ4
30,128
UQ5
32,509
UQ6
1 Sept 2014
£
16,136
18,013
19,889
21,766
23.644
25,520
1 Sept 2015
£
16,298
18,194
20,088
21,984
23,881
25,776
32,831
34,869
36,161
37,496
35,218
36,523
37,871
Pay range for leading practitioners
Minimum
£
1 Sept 2014
1 Sept 2015
38,215
38,598
Maximum
£
58,096
58,677
Note: the minimum of the Leading Practitioners range equates to the minimum of the
Leadership Range and the maximum equates to Leadership Range point L18. Schools
wishing to use pay points within the Leading Practitioners range might therefore decide to
use values equal to L1 to L18
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