NON-TEACHING STAFF PAY AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT 1. INTRODUCTION PART 4 The salary scale for non-teaching staff is composed of an incremental scale, divided into a number of grades. For non-teaching staff in Community schools the County Council has developed a grading structure (or scale of grades) for both Primary and Secondary staff. Individual grades are then selected from a number of points on the scale (e.g. Scale 2 is points 11 to 13 inclusive). The grades and salaries are shown in full at Appendix E. Grades have been set by the County Council in the past by comparison of jobs, i.e. the responsibility and duties as described in the job description determine the grade. This evaluation in respect of clerical, secretarial and technical staff has been carried out by a small specialist team at County Hall whose advice can be sought through Education Personnel Services. However, for technician jobs in schools, there is a national agreement on a grading structure and posts in schools must be graded in accordance with this. In fact, the LEA s recommended grading structure exceeds this minimum. (Details of the technicians national agreement can be obtained from Education Personnel Services). This information will be useful guidance to Foundation schools and their Governing Bodies although it is framed as advice for Community schools. 2. GRADING 2.1 Governing Bodies have responsibility for deciding both the grade and the incremental point at which new staff will be appointed and regradings of existing staff. 3. REGRADING 2.1.1 Model job descriptions have been drawn up by the County Council which are amended from time to time to reflect developments within schools. 2.1.2 The LEA s recommended scale of grades are given at paragraph 4 for Primary Schools and at paragraph 5 for Secondary Schools. Governing Bodies are advised to adhere to this framework wherever appropriate in order to avoid recruitment difficulties and equal pay claims. 2.1.3 A further point to bear in mind when setting grades and incremental points for newly appointed staff is the need to avoid leap frogging claims between schools, which occur when one school in an area recruits at higher grades than the norm, thus forcing up grades in the other schools to enable them to compete for staff. When the duties of a post do change significantly, or trends over a period of time have resulted in gradual but prolonged change, Governors will need to consider a method of determining whether regrading is necessary. One such method might be for the Staffing Sub-Committee to draw up a revised job description and make a recommendation on an appropriate grade and send this to Education Personnel Services who will be pleased to give prompt advice before Governors formally adopt a grade for the post. 1/2000 1.13
PRIMARY NON-TEACHING STAFF 4. GRADING STRUCTURE The Local Education Authority uses a scale of grades which was determined by the Personnel Sub-Committee in November 1991 and is as follows:- School Secretary Scale 3 or 4 Spinal points 14-21 inclusive. Classroom Assistant Scale 1/2 or 3 Spinal points 1-17 inclusive (minimum point 6 at age 21). Specialist Teacher Scale 4 Spinal points 18-21 inclusive Assistant Classroom Assistants were previously entitled Welfare Assistant and paid on the Nursery Nurse grade. There are still a number of employees in schools who were employed as such and are personally protected on the Nursery Nurse grade. Although new appointments are no longer made to this grade, the details are as follows for costing purposes. Nursery Nurse Grade Spinal points 6-15 inclusive (minimum point 10 at age 21 and qualification bar at point 13). (There are important differences in the working week and year which affect the Nursery Nurse grade. These are shown at paragraph 10 overleaf). SECONDARY NON-TEACHING STAFF 5. GRADING STRUCTURE The scale of grades in use by the Authority was determined by the Personnel Sub-Committee in June 1991 and is as follows: GRADE ACCORDING TO SCHOOL SIZE POST TITLE Up to 600 pupils 601-900 900+ with Sixth Form School Administrator/ - - Support Manager SO2/3 School Administrator - - 6 or SO1/2 Administrative Officer 4/5 4/5 4/5 Finance Assistant 3/4 3/4 3/4 School Secretary 3/4 3/4 3/4 Secretarial Assistant - 2/3 2/3 Clerk/Typist 1/2 1/2 1/2 General Assistant - 1 1 Library/Resources Assistant 2/3 2/3 2/3 Sen Technician (Science) - - 4/5 or 5 Technician (Science) 2/3 or 4 2/3 or 2/3 or 4 Assist Technician (Science) 1/2 1/2 1/2 Technician (Resources) 2/3 2/3 2/3 Technician (CDT) 2/3 2/3 2/3 1.14 1/2000
5.1 School Administrator post The scheme allows for the appointment of a School Administrator in larger schools who could absorb some of the work undertaken by senior members of the teaching staff and contribute to more complex managerial, financial and administrative tasks involving analysis, policy options and externals links with the community. The normal grade for this post is Scale 6 but SO1/2 or SO2/3 may be used where there are significant responsibilities, including financial analysis, policy development and management. 5.2 Science Technician posts The national conditions of service prescribe minimum grades for certain staff (e.g. technicians). As this is a national agreement incorporated into the contract of employment, Governors should not grade posts below these minima. 5.2.1 Senior Technician Where a Senior Science Technician supervises one or more technicians on Scale 4, it is recommended that the post be graded at Scale 5. 5.2.2 Technician posts - Scale 2/3 or 4 To reflect the variety of ways that schools use this post, a more flexible grade has been applied, Scale 2/3 or 4. Contrary to the other posts, this is not a linked scale and consequently progression to Scale 4 would need to be considered by the Governing Body. Scale 4 should be applied if the Science Technician meets one or more of the following criteria:- Sole Technician in a school with a substantial breadth of duties and responsibilities; and/or Substantial contribution to assisting pupils with projects/practical work; and/or Undertaking complex and specialised responsibilities as adjudged by the Head. (For example substantial responsibilities for A level work.) 5.2.3 Craft, Design and Technology Technicians work undertaken in this curriculum area has broadened in many schools and where this is so the grade would commence at Scale 3. 5.2.4 Library/Resources There is a choice in the scheme of a technician post to cover resources, or some of the resources work combining with tasks in the library in a Library/Resources Assistant post. 1/2000 1.15
5.2.5 Technician Qualification Allowances At present a technician possessing qualifications receives:- City & Guilds Science Laboratory Technicians Certificate 138 per annum; and City & Guilds Laboratory Technician Advanced Certificate Allowance 105 per annum 6. CARETAKERS (or alternative equivalents). 5.2.6 Where a post is regraded under these provisions then the separate qualification allowance should be included within the new salary but one or two increments within the grade can be paid by the Governors to recognise these qualifications. 6.1 The rates of pay were initially dependent on grades determined by job evaluation and reflect the standard job description tasks circulated to all schools and the size of the school. These were incorporated into a single pay spine applicable to all non-teaching staff with effect from April 1997. They represent the scale of grades used by the Authority. 6.2 Bonus payments for caretakers ceased with effect from 1 st April, 1999. Those caretakers receiving a bonus payment at that time receive a monthly bonus protection allowance. 6.3 There are separate schemes for payment for lettings and maintenance of swimming pools. Although these are normally undertaken by caretakers, they are not contractual requirements of that job. Accordingly, they are paid separately and could, if required, be undertaken by employees other than caretakers. 7. HOURS OF WORK 7.1 The standard maximum number of hours that all non-teaching staff can be employed in a week is 37. Hours worked above this attract overtime payments at 1 1/2 times hourly rate (2 times hourly rate on a Sunday or Bank Holiday only if on scale point 11 or below). 7.2 The contract of employment should specify the number of hours to be worked each week. The attendance times should be clarified and if flexibility is sought, this should be clearly discussed and accepted by candidates before appointment. Otherwise there may be difficulties in varying working hours at a later date. For staff appointed since September 1989, arrangements can be made within the school to increase (subject to the 37 hours maximum) and decrease the normal hours to take account of peaks and troughs of work. Similar arrangements for staff appointed before September 1989 will have to be made by mutual agreement. 1.16 1/2000
7.3 The contracted hours will, however, be paid in equal monthly instalments in accordance with the working year (see paragraph 8 below). 8. WORKING YEAR AND LEAVE 8.1 Non-teaching staff are entitled to 22 days annual leave (27 after 5 years continuous service) and Bank and extra statutory holidays, pro-rata. 8.2 Since 1989 standard appointments for secretarial/clerical staff have been for 39 weeks each year to reflect the cover for the teaching weeks and the Staff Development Days (38 weeks term time and 1 week in school holidays/staff development days). The annual and Bank Holiday entitlements are added to the 39 working weeks to give a payment equivalent to 44.1 (or 45.1 after 5 years service) weeks pay, calculated as follows:- Working weeks in term time 38 weeks outside term time 1 week Total 39 weeks Holiday pay based on 22 days 5.1 weeks annual leave plus 12 extra statutory days (pro-rata for 39 weeks) Total weeks pay 44.1 weeks Annual salary = Spinal point salary x 44.1 x weekly hours 52.143 37 8.3 The 44.1 or 45.1 weeks pay is paid in 12 equal monthly instalments to avoid big gaps in payment during long school closures. Staff leaving at the end of the Summer Term, who have worked the full school year, should remain on the payroll until 31st August, in order that they receive all of the salary to which they are entitled. 8.4 Part-time caretakers and cleaners-in-charge are normally required to work half their normal weekly hours during the weeks they work when the school is closed. Accordingly, they are paid for 48 weeks spread out in equal monthly payments. There is flexibility in this scheme for a cleaner-in-charge to vary the hours worked in those weeks as long as the total target hours are achieved. 8.5 Staff are normally required to take holidays during school closures, but this is at the discretion of the Governing Body. 9. PROTECTED STAFF (WORKING YEAR AND LEAVE) There are a number of previous methods of calculating pay for school secretaries and classroom assistants which have been discontinued. There are, however, a number of staff originally contracted on these schemes and who are personally protected. They are briefly described as follows. 1/2000 1.17
Term time only 9.1 School secretaries or classroom assistants who were employed to work for 38 weeks only. After adding annual leave entitlement staff are paid for 43 or 44 weeks. Term time plus 2 weeks 9.2 Mainly School Secretaries who were employed to work for 40 weeks, two of which were when schools were closed. After adding annual leave entitlement staff are paid for 45.2 or 46.2 weeks. All year round 9.3 Work and paid for 52 weeks minus annual leave of 22 days or 27 days and Bank and statutory holidays - balance of leave and work during school closures by agreement with the Headteacher. 9.4 Although it is the standard procedure to appoint for 39 weeks, it is still technically possible to have arrangements as at 9.1, 9.2 and 9.3 above. The main problems which led to their discontinuation were the relationship of term time only appointments to staff development days, and the access and supervision of term time plus 2 weeks and all year round appointments when schools were closed. 9.5 The largest group on personal protection are former Welfare Assistants on Nursery Nurse conditions - see paragraph 12 below. The LEA does not appoint any new staff to these conditions of service. 10. CLASSROOM ASSISTANTS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS PUPILS Where a temporary Classroom Assistant is appointed to assist pupils with Statements of Special Needs, their rates of pay and conditions of service are the same as Classroom Assistants. 11. CLASSROOM ASSISTANTS IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS Weekly Working Hours from 1 st September, 1999 11.1 Classroom assistants employed in Special schools are employed on the same basis as classroom assistants with a full-time working week of 37 hours and working commitment throughout the year based on all year round, term-time only, term-time plus one week, etc. Grading 11.2 The grading for classroom assistants in Special schools is: Scale 3/4 plus Special Schools Allowance This is a linked scale incorporating a threshold assessment against competencies upon attaining the top of Scale 3. Progress on to the full Scale 4 is dependent upon a successful assessment against these competencies by the Headteacher. 1.18 1/2000
The Competency Framework and assessment criteria are shown in full at Appendix L to this section. 12. NURSERY NURSES The conditions of service of nursery staff are shown overleaf:- Weekly Working Hours 12.1 Nursery Nurses appointed from 1 st September, 1999 are employed on the same basis as Classroom Assistants with a full-time working week of 37 hours and working commitment throughout the year based upon all year round, term-time only, term-time plus one week, etc. Grading Structure 12.2 Scale 1/2 - Nursery Assistant (unqualified) Scale 3 - Nursery Nurse (Qualified). 13. SCHOOL MIDDAY SUPERVISION 13.1 Senior Midday Supervisors are employed solely to cover the midday supervision session. Accordingly, they receive a sessional payment based on rates for Senior Supervisors. The sessional rate is standard regardless of the actual length of the session. 13.2 Midday Supervisory Assistants (MSA s) are also employed to cover supervision of children during the midday supervision session. However, MSA s are paid an hourly rate, rather than a sessional rate, based on point 5 of the Local Government Pay Spine. 13.3 Midday Supervisors are entitled to be paid for 3.2 weeks holiday each year. This entitlement is built into the annual salary. 14. ROAD CROSSING PATROLS These staff are employees of the County Council, not of the Governing Body, and are subject to nationally agreed rates of pay and conditions of service. 15. STAFF CONSULTATION It is expected that individual grade and salary matters will be dealt with by the Head under arrangements agreed by the Governors. Consequently, any member of staff wishing to discuss their individual position should approach the Head or a senior member of staff nominated by the Head. Should such informal discussions fail to resolve an issue, then the member of staff can use the school s grievance procedure to raise the matter with Governors. 16. SALARY SCALE This is set out in Appendix E to this Section. 1/2000 1.19
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