§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what calculations she has made about the impact on special school budgets of the introduction of the(a) upper pay spine and (b) management pay spine. [65535]
§ Mr. Miliband[holding answer 1 July 2002]: The threshold constitutes point 1 of the upper pay scale and all threshold payments made to teachers by maintained schools are fully reimbursed by the Department. The rate of subsequent progression along the upper pay scale is for schools to determine in the light of teacher performance and in accordance with the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document. The Department is contributing a grant of £90 million to schools in 2002–03, largely to support such progression.
Progress along the leadership group pay scale in maintained schools is also by performance points awarded at the discretion of the governing body. Here, the Department is contributing a further grant worth 60 per cent. of the cost in 2002–03 and schools are contributing 40 per cent.
The grants will support special schools in the same way that they do other maintained schools. The impact on their budgets will depend on the decisions taken by individual schools.