It's is that time of year again when the Support Staff receive their "pay awards".
Teachers receive theirs in September. It's quite bizarre the way these things work. A teacher starts on main scale 1 (M1) and progresses annually up the scale to M6 - whether they deserve a pay rise or not, this pay rise is not performance based. Once they get to M6 they apply to go through the 'Threshold' on to the Upper Pay Spine. Once on UPS1 they stay there for two years and then apply to go to UPS 2 and so on until UPS3. The Upper Pay Scale is the only pay increase that is performance based - so they are assessed bi-annually, otherwise it's too much for the little darlings. At that stage they move up to the Leadership Scale, and on that they start going up yearly again. So after 12 years teaching they are expected (if they have been successful in getting through the Upper Pay Scales - and believe me if the Headteacher wants to keep his teaching staff, they will be successful) to be on Leadership grades. Not bad really.
Support staff are employed on banded scales - so if you are employed on Scale 4 that might run from £12K to £17K - so Scale 4 Point 1 is £12K etc. You move up a point each year and also get the cost of living rise as well. Once you reach the top of your scale that's it - you are stuck there forever more just receiving the 2-3% inflationary rise (which, when you are earning £12K per annum is not worth having). The only way to move up is to be re-graded, which means taking on more work - and why would anyone want to do that I ask you.
If anyone out there ever goes for a job in a school, check the grades. If they offer you a salary and it's near the top of a scale, ask for the same money but in the next scale (they tend to overlap) - that way you'll be good for decent pay rises for the next 8 years.
Or become a teacher - they get paid more, work less and get all the school holiday off.
4 comments:
I did think about training as a teacher but I'm not a fan of kids!
I do on occasion moonlight, though, teaching the little beggars to ride!
Dear Secretary,
A friend of mine recently took a headship and I was shocked to hear earns 65K plus!!! I genuinely thought the scales were similar to nurses. If I had known how lucrative teaching could be I would have done it myself - although obviously it is terribly hard work.
It sounds as though when they are dishing out "pay awards" they are giving you some kind of wonderful supplementary bag of cash. It all seems really unfair, I thought you would at least have the long holidays off too.
No - there are six support staff who work holidays - it's called a 52 week contract. We get 27 days holiday a year.
Some one has to keep the place running whilst all the teachers are off in Ibiza!
Secretary - this is doubly unfair - not only do you lose out on the salary and holiday structure, but you don't get any of the shiny red apples the teachers get!
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