I’m an NQT in a small school. I’ve been given two foundation subjects to co-ordinate. I like my school and don’t want to cause friction. Should I receive extra pay?I am still on salary spine point 2 for having an honours degree.

I would politely refuse to co-ordinate thesubjects. You’re on firm ground so it shouldn’t cause friction. Your headteacher is in the wrong by asking you to take these roles. The induction circular says you should have a jobdescription that does not make unreasonable demands or involve additional non-teaching responsibilities without the provision of appropriate preparation and support (DfES 5822001; para 28e).

Co-ordinating two subjects is an unreasonable additionalresponsibility and you are unlikely to be given enough preparation and support to do these jobs as an NQT. I would point this out to your head and say that you’d be happy to co-ordinate them in your second year, or shadow the present co-ordinator towards the end of your induction when you feel confident in your skills in the classroom.

Your focus as an NQT must be to be a good teacher - that’s what the induction standards require. Other responsibilities distract you from work in the classroom, and this is a risk you cannot afford to take. Remember that if you fail to meet the induction standards, you can’t teach in a state school ever again. As for extra pay, this is at the discretion of your governing body. They will have a pay structure that gives extra salary points for certain responsibilities. But in smallprimary schools, these are rarely awarded for foundation subjects so it’s unlikely that you’ll get any pay increase for subject co-ordination.

Even so, there’s no harm in asking. Once you’ve completed your induction period, there’s nothing to stop the headteacher directing you to certain responsibilities. So you might as well take advantage of the protection that being an NQT gives - and just say no.

E-mail questions to susan.young@newsint.co.uk. Sara Bubb cannot enter into personal correspondence. More questions answered at www.tes.co.uk. Sara Bubb’s ‘A Newly-Qualified Teachers’ Manual: how to meet the induction standards’ is published by David Fulton, pound;15.