I have been teaching for nearly six years and have a good honours allowance and one responsibility point. I’m a key stage 2 manager and I enjoy the experience of leading a team. I am currently taking a masters course in education management, and will soon be looking for a deputy headship. I haven’t got enough experience points, however, to qualify for a threshold application. Is advanced skills status an appropriate option for me, and do I still need nine responsibility and experience points to apply?
The answer to your second question is no - but you have to provide evidence that you are a highly effective teacher who can advise and support other teachers. Your head has to provide supporting evidence, and you have to undergo a one-day assessment by an external assessor. After this you can apply for (or in some cases be appointed to) an AST post and move on to the AST pay sale.
Is this the right route for you, however? The AST ladder is for teachers who want to stay close to the classroom. Such teachers will play an important role in the management of teaching and learning, and they will certainly participate in the training and mentoring of newly qualified teachers. Some deputy heads will be drawn from their number. But a great deal will depend on the precise duties that governors allocate to newly created AST posts.
At this stage it is not clear that such posts will necessarily involve the wider responsibilities that the best qualified candidates for deputy headship are likely to have taken on. The picture will be clearer in 12 months’ time - when you can apply for threshold status.
Michael Duffy
E-mail your questions on pay to: friday@tes.co.ukMichael Duffy regrets that he cannot enter into personalcorrespondence
