Teachers" Pay (Hansard, 29 March 1995)

§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard

I am today confirming that I am accepting the School Teachers Review Body's recommendation to increase school teachers' pay by 2.7 per cent. I will make an order which will increase all points on the teachers' pay spines by 2.7 per cent. with effect from 1 April.

I am writing to the teacher unions, the National Employers Organisation for School Teachers, bodies representing school governors and to the head teachers and chairmen of governors of all schools in England and Wales. Teachers are making the key contribution to raising standards in education. They deserve their pay award, at the level recommended by the independent School Teachers Review Body, without undue delay.

I have received many representations about the funding of the teachers' pay award and considered them carefully. I believe the local government funding settlement is tough but manageable, and I have concluded that it would be right to implement the recommendation in full. It is for local authorities to give priority to front-line services such as schools. School governors in turn should ensure the efficient management of staff and resources.

I can also confirm my decisions to bring into force from 1 September 1995 the following proposals by means of revisions to the school teachers pay and conditions document:

i. relevant bodies should be able, at their discretion, to reward teachers for work on initial teacher training;
ii. relevant bodies should be able, at their discretion, to compensate teachers for in-service training at weekends and in school holidays, the compensation to be paid from savings on supply cover that would otherwise be necessary were the in-service training to be undertaken during the school day;
iii. the STPCD should recognise the employment status of teachers in Education Associations and GM clusters.

I can also confirm my decisions to accept the following conclusions and recommendations of the School Teachers Review Body, not all of which will require changes to be made to the STPD:

i. there should be no change to the structure of the classroom teachers' pay spine, but the STRB will produce a consultative document on this subject;
ii. the current transitional arrangements for safeguarding the inner London Supplement should remain in place;
iii. returners to the profession should retain their entitlement to their accumulated experience points;
iv. there should be no change in the employment status of teachers at Pupil Referral Units. Such teachers will continue to be "unattached";
v. there should be no separate performance related pay scheme for heads and deputies, but the Secretary of State should issue guidance on the assessment of performance, drawing on the four essential performance indicators set out in the STRB's consultative document, which should be taken into account by relevant bodies when reviewing salaries for these staff;
vi. there should be no direct funding of excellence points through GEST, but the Department should consider other direct funding mechanisms; and
vii. the Teachers' Pension Agency should distribute copies of a poster and a leaflet about the benefits of the Teachers' Superannuation Scheme.