IN AWARDING performancerelated payments to those teachers who reach point 9 of on the pay scale (and satisfy the criteria) the Government has ignored or forgotten the effect this will have on the pay differentials of the other staff.
Consider:
Staff at a lower point on the scale but who have manager responsibility (+1, +2 etc.) - their pay may now be eclipsed by main-scale staff. Where is the reward for responsibility?
Staff at the top of the pay spine with management responsibility awards (+1, +2 and so on): these staff can and should apply for threshold payments. However, headteachers and deputy headteachers cannot - the pay differentials (especially senior managementdeputies) will be severely rduced or in some cases wiped out.
Senior management staff will now be paid more than some deputies and therefore there is less incentive to apply for deputies’ posts paying less.
In order to maintain the pay-responsibility differentials, schools will have to award pay rises to headteachers and deputy headteachers (neither of which is funded by the Government)
As a consequence, schools will be locked into setting grouping pay levels to reflect the increased costs.
So Mr Blunkett, why instead of this ridiculous system didn’t you give all staff a deserved pound;2,000 pay award (after tax!)
C Watson
Goldenhill primary school
Broadfield Road
Goldenhill
Stoke-on-Trent
