I qualified as a teacher in 1998. I then spent two and a half years working in a school before leaving to do supply work. Over the past three years I have worked in numerous schools. The education authority which has now offered me a full-time post has decided that, because of the time that I left teaching in August 2000, it cannot put me on M3, instead it has put me on M1, the same as a newly qualified teacher.
Surely this can’t be right?
The problem may have arisen because when you last worked for a local authority the main pay spine had nine points. During the intervening period this was reduced to six points. If you left with two years of service this would translate from the old M2 to M1 on the current pay spine. The local authority has discretion to award extra points for work “other than as a classroom teacher”, but not apparently for such work. It seems that you might indeed be better off going back to supply work unless you can find a way for the exercise of some discretion about your work over the past three years.
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