Teachers’ Pay & Performance guidance for Governors
Jan 2014
This guidance is intended to assist Pay Committees in fulfilling their responsibilities for monitoring
teachers’ pay and performance and for making pay decisions. The Guidance should be discussed
with the headteacher and protocols agreed. The data sheets in the Appendices are examples and
therefore should be amended according to the needs/practices of the school. In some schools,
relevant data may already be available in alternative formats, from existing systems. Governors
should be particularly mindful of not imposing additional or onerous administrative or reporting
burdens upon the headteacher and other staff.
Establishment of the Committee and terms of reference
Governing Bodies can establish alternative committees that include determination of pay within their
terms of reference e.g. Pay and Performance Committee, Personnel Committee. The Pay Policy
must be amended and agreed accordingly and cross-referenced with the terms of reference for the
committee. There should also be a separate Pay Appeals Committee.
Meetings of the Pay Committee(s) must be quorate (a minimum of three committee members, or
otherwise as determined by the terms of reference) and must be clerked. This may be by the Clerk
to the Governors, or another person who may be a governor, but not the headteacher. The role of
the Clerk is to minute the meeting, including recording decisions and actions agreed, but not to
advise the governors on HR decisions.
Minutes of the Pay Committee will be regarded as confidential (and may be produced on pink paper
or with a confidential watermark, depending on the Governing Body’s preferred style) and should be
circulated to Pay Committee members and stored securely. Although the School Governance
Regulations do not generally prevent the circulation of Committee Minutes to the full Governing
Body, the Performance Management Regulations require that the circulation of information relating
to the performance of individual staff should be limited to those who need such information to make
pay decisions. It is therefore recommended that the Pay Committee minutes are not circulated to
the Full Governing Body. There is however a requirement for the Pay Committee to report its
decisions and actions to the full Governing Body and such reports may contain anonymous data, for
example as in Appendices A&B of this Guidance.
Introduction
The Governing Body (through appropriate committees) is responsible for setting and ensuring the
effective operation of the Pay Policy. There are two main functions:
1.
To monitor the annual pattern of pay progression at each level having regard to:
 the correlation between pay, quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils;
 the expectation of differentiated pay;
 the need to reward good performance and also to ensure underperformance is dealt with
robustly.
2.
To ratify pay decisions for individual teachers as required by the Pay Policy, taking into
account the recommendations contained on Performance Management Review Statements
and to deal with Pay Appeals.
1.
1.1
Monitoring
The Pay Committee should receive and review sample Performance Management (PM)
objectives at the beginning of the PM cycle (Autumn Term)
 Samples should be anonymous where possible, but should still be provided even where it
may be known to which individual they relate (eg there is only one teacher in a particular
category). The samples need not include any personal development objectives.
 The Committee should have examples of objectives (where relevant) for:
o Teachers on the Main Pay Range
o Teachers on the Upper Pay Range

o Teachers on the Leadership Scale
o Leading Practitioners
The Committee may seek, where possible, to have examples of objectives for staff at the
top and bottom of the main and upper pay ranges
1.1.1 The Pay Committee should satisfy themselves that the objectives:
 are sufficiently differentiated between the different pay ranges and where appropriate
within pay ranges
 relate to the priorities and plans of the school in terms of school improvement
 are SMART objectives (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) and that
there are clear success criteria.
1.1.2 It is not for the Pay Committee to set or revise objectives. Where there are concerns that the
elements of 1.1.1 are not satisfied, the Pay Committee should discuss these concerns with
the headteacher. Any revisions to PM objectives should be made by the PM Reviewer in
discussion with the employee.
1.2
Mid-year monitoring
The Pay Committee should receive, mid-year, information about the overall performance of
all teachers. The overall performance of teachers includes:
 Progress against objectives
 Performance against the teaching standards (including eg classroom observations)
 Performance in the job role
 Personal responsibility for Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
1.2.1 The information the Committee receives at this stage need not be very detailed, but should
give an indication, by pay level, of whether teachers are on track to meet overall performance
expectations or are above or below this level. See Appendix A for sample format.
 The information should again be anonymous (where possible) and should be an
indication of the progress of teachers at different levels.
1.2.2 The information should be examined and compared to information about the overall quality of
teaching and pupil progress/attainment. Any disparity should be discussed with the
headteacher. Any revisions to PM objectives should be made by the PM Reviewer in
discussion with the employee.
1.3
End of year monitoring
1.3.1 The Pay Committee has a role in ratifying/making pay decisions at the end of each year for
individual teachers and this is dealt with in Section 2. Alongside looking at individual
decisions, the Pay Committee has a responsibility to monitor the overall picture of
performance and pay progression each year to ensure consistency of pay decisions between
teachers, and between pay decisions and overall school performance. It is recommended
that the Pay Committee review the overall picture prior to making individual pay decisions.
This moderation allows the Committee to challenge any inconsistencies between the data
and affords the headteacher the opportunity to review any pay recommendations, prior to
consideration by the Pay Committee.
1.3.2 The Pay Committee should receive, at the end of the PM year, information about the overall
performance of all teachers (as set out in 1.2 above) and any pay recommendations. See
Appendix B for example format.
 The information should again be anonymous (where possible) and should be an
indication of the progress of teachers at different levels.
1.3.3 The information should be examined and compared to information about the overall quality of
teaching and pupil progress/attainment and any disparity discussed with the headteacher.
2
2.1
Pay Decisions
The Pay Policy will determine who has responsibility for making pay decisions. In some
cases this may be the headteacher (who will then simply report decisions to the Pay
Committee) and in others, the Pay Committee will make/ratify decisions, based on
recommendations from the headteacher or performance management reviewer(s).
2.1.1 All Performance Management Review Statements should, where applicable, contain a
recommendation on Pay Progression. Where the teacher disagrees with the
recommendation this should have been discussed at the Review meeting and should be
recorded on the Statement. The Pay Committee should receive a copy of the teachers’ PM
Review Statement where they are required to make/ratify a pay decision in respect of that
individual. It is recommended that Committee members consider this statement at the
meeting, but do not retain a copy of the review statement.
2.1.2 The Pay Committee should already have been satisfied, through their monitoring activities
set out in Section 1, that the PM process is robust, fair and consistent. It is not the role of the
Pay Committee to assess the performance of individual teachers. It is the Committee’s role
to ensure that a proper and fair process has been followed in respect of the individual teacher
and that all relevant information has been taken into account in assessing their performance
and making a pay recommendation.
2.1.3 Governors should refer to their own Pay Policy. In the Essex Education HR Model Policy
(Sept 2013) the criteria for Performance Pay Progression are as set out at Appendix C.
2.2
Progression to the Upper Pay Range
As set out in their Pay Policy, the Pay Committee may be responsible for approving
applications to progress to the Upper Pay Range.
2.2.1 Governors should refer to their own Pay Policy. In the Essex Education HR Model Policy
(Sept 2013) the criteria for Progression to the Upper Pay Range are as set out at Appendix
C.
2.3
Determination of Headteacher’s Pay
The Headteacher’s Performance Review Panel will assess the headteacher’s overall
performance and make a recommendation on pay progression to the Pay Committee. The
Pay Committee will make a decision on pay progression accordingly and will also decide any
additional allowances for the headteacher, where applicable, in accordance with the
Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. The criteria for leadership pay progression are as
set out in Appendix C.
2.4
Other pay decisions
The Pay Committee may have responsibility, as set out in their Pay Policy for approving
other pay related decisions e.g. the award of Recruitment & Retention benefits and/or the
allocation of TLRs. The Committee should ensure that such decisions are made in line with
the terms of their Pay Policy and the Teachers’ Pay & Conditions Document, and that such
decisions are made in a fair and consistent manner.
3.
Pay Appeals
1.1.2 Any appeals should be heard by the Pay Appeals Committee. The role of the Appeal’s
Committee, as the Pay Committee is to examine whether a proper and fair process has been
followed and that all relevant information has been taken into account in reaching the Pay
Decision. It is not the role of the Appeals Committee to assess the individual teacher’s
performance.
Performance
Against
Teaching
Standards
No. meeting
Outstanding
Classroom observation
assessments
Good
No. below
expectations
No. of
staff
in
group
No. above
expectations
Pay Level
No. on track
Performance against
objectives
Requires
improvement
Appendix A – Sample Format - Mid Year Teacher Performance Report for the Pay Committee
Meeting
job role
CPD
Comments
No. on track
Main Pay
Range
MPR + TLR
Upper Pay
Range
UPR + TLR
Leadership
Scale
Leading
Practitioner
The Pay Committee should cross check this to ensure correlation between the elements and should consider this data alongside data on pupil
progress/attainment and discuss any disparity with the headteacher.
Appendix B – Sample Format – End of Year Teacher Performance Report for the Pay Committee
No. not met
Performance
Against
Teaching
Standards
No Met
Outstanding
Good
Classroom observation
assessments
Requires
improvement
No. in
group
No. of staff
who did not
meet
Pay Level
No. of staff
who Met
Performance
against
objectives
Meeting
job role
CPD
No. Met
Pay
Progression
Recommended
No. Approved
Comments
Main Pay
Range
MPR + TLR
Upper Pay
Range
UPR + TLR
Leadership
Scale
Leading
Practitioner
Year 1/7
Year 2/8
Year 3/9
Year 4/10
Year 5/11
Year 6/12
The Pay Committee should cross check this to ensure correlation between the elements and should consider this data alongside data on pupil
progress/attainment and discuss any disparity with the headteacher.
Appendix C – Performance Pay Progression Criteria
Teachers
“A teacher will be eligible for annual performance pay progression where they:
1) have been assessed as meeting all of the teaching standards, throughout the assessment
period;
2) have had their teaching assessed as at least good overall during the assessment period;
2a) Upper Pay Range teachers will be expected to demonstrate increasing levels of
outstanding teaching overall
2b) Leading Practitioners will be expected to demonstrate outstanding teaching overall
3) have been assessed as meeting the requirements of their job description/job role;
4) meet their individual performance management objectives;
Consideration will be given where factors beyond the
teacher’s control have impacted on their ability to meet
objectives;
5) have demonstrated a personal responsibility for identifying
and meeting their CPD needs.
The evidence which will be considered in assessing performance will include:
 pupil progress data;
 quality of teaching against the Teaching Standards, including observed practice;
 self-assessment;
 professional dialogue;
 received feedback;
 performance management statements;
 CPD records.
And in the case of Upper Pay Range teacher and Lead Practitioners, evidence of their
contribution beyond their own classroom and their impact on the wider school.
Where a teacher has been absent for some or all of the assessment period, an assessment will
be based on performance during any periods of attendance and/or prior performance.”
(Essex Education HR Model Pay Policy Sept 2013)
Leadership
In addition to any assessment related to teaching, the performance criteria for those on the
leadership scale are that:
 they have demonstrated sustained high quality performance;
 the individual has grown professionally by developing their leadership expertise.
(Teachers’ Pay & Conditions Document)
Progression to the Upper Pay Range
An application will be successful, if the Headteacher and the Pay Committee are satisfied that:
 the teacher is highly competent in all elements of the teaching standards; and,
 the teacher’s achievements and contribution to the school are substantial and sustained.
In this school, this means that the teacher has consistently
 demonstrated that they meet all teaching standards, both in terms of teaching and personal
and professional conduct, over a sustained period:
 been assessed as meeting their performance management objectives over a sustained
period;
and in addition that;
 teaching has been rated as good overall, with some outstanding, over a sustained period;



the teacher has demonstrated over a sustained period an ability to support some pupils to
exceed expected levels of progress/achievement;
the teacher has consistently taken responsibility for identifying and meeting their own
professional development needs and used their learning to improve their own practice and
pupils’ learning;
the teacher has demonstrated that they have made an impact on the school beyond their own
class/group(s) over a sustained period. This may include
o demonstrating an ability to coach, mentor, advise and demonstrate best practice to,
other teachers to enable them to improve their teaching practice;
o contributing to policy and practice which has improved teaching and learning across
the school;
Sustained means maintained continuously over a period of at least 3 school years (a year being
defined as at least 26 weeks work in any academic year). It is normally expected that this will
include at least one year at this school, although discretion will be exercised where there is clear
and compelling evidence of consistent performance against the criteria at the teacher’s previous
school.
Only 2 years’ worth of evidence will be required from teachers who are on the equivalent
of old points M4, M5 or M6 on 1 September 2013, so that they are not disadvantaged in
comparison to the previous Threshold criteria.
The school will exercise its discretion to consider performance over a lesser period where a
teacher has been absent for some of the relevant period.
(Essex Education HR Model Pay Policy Sept 2013)
Appendix D – glossary
CPD – Continuous Professional Development
HR – Human Resources
LS – Leadership Scale
LP – Leading Practitioners
M – Mainscale (old range)
MPR – Main Pay Range
PM – Performance Management
PMR – Performance Management Review
TPCD – School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document
TLR – Teaching and Learning Responsibility award
UPR – Upper Pay Range