1-3 St Colme Street Edinburgh EH3 6AA Information Sheet Teaching in Scotland A guide to conditions of service > TEL 0131 220 8241 > FAX 0131 220 8350 > EMAIL scotland@voicetheunion.org.uk > WEB www.voicetheunion.org.uk Introduction The purpose of this Information Sheet is to provide an easy reference for teachers who are looking for key information relating to teaching in Scotland, together with the main conditions of service in one document. This Information Sheet also provides links to the various professional bodies/organisations that teachers may need to access as part of their job. Background As education is a devolved matter, it is the Scottish Government which is responsible for educational policy. Education Scotland In July 2011, a new executive agency, known as Education Scotland became operational. Education Scotland brought together HMiE and Teaching and Learning Scotland and also incorporated the national CPD Team and Positive Behaviour Team. To find out more about the responsibilities of Education Scotland look on their website: www.educationscotland.gov.uk The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) It is a requirement that every teacher working in a local authority school in Scotland is registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland. Teachers pay an annual registration fee, which is normally deducted from a teacher’s salary in March. It is, however, the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that the fee is paid and to remain registered and eligible to teach in local authority schools. The vast majority of private schools in Scotland also require their teachers to be registered with the GTCS, although it is not mandatory in all of them at present – this is a matter currently being consulted at national level. Published by Voice £1 © VOICE SCOTLAND One of the main functions of the GTCS is to regulate entry to the profession and ensure that those who teach in local authority schools are properly qualified. Those who have trained/ qualified outwith Scotland should ascertain their registration status directly from the GTCS. Another function of the GTCS is to advise Scottish Ministers on such matters as Initial Teacher Education and student intake. The GTCS also plays a very important part in the overseeing and monitoring of new teachers during their training and probationary year. As a result of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Act, 2007, a new registration system replaces and improves upon the previous disclosure arrangements by removing the need for multiple disclosures. Newly qualified teachers who have trained in Scotland are automatically registered. The Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act, 2000, empowers the GTCS to address not only teacher misconduct but also competence issues. Together with a requirement to promote good teaching and learning, the Council must take public interest into account in the conduct of its statutory functions. Professional Update came into effect from August 2014 and engagement in the process was a requirement for GTCS registration from that date. The key aims of Professional Update are as follows: 1. To maintain and improve the quality of teachers as outlined in the Professional Standards and enhance the impact they have on the pupils; and 2. To support, enhance and maintain teachers' continued professionalism and the reputation of Scotland's teaching profession. For more information on the role and functions of the GTCS you can visit their website: www.gtcs.org.uk or phone them on 0131 314 6000. 2 The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) This is the national body which offers the qualifications available to pupils in Scottish schools following the Scottish Curriculum. The courses and assessments undertaken in Scottish schools are in the process of change under the umbrella of the Curriculum for Excellence. To obtain more information about these you should visit the SQA website: www.sqa.org.uk Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) The SNCT is a tri-partite negotiating body whose constituent members are drawn from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), the Scottish Government and the recognised trade unions representing teachers in Scotland. The principal purpose of the SNCT is to negotiate collective agreements on salaries and conditions of service for teachers. Conditions of Service Full details of these are contained in the SNCT Handbook which is available on the SNCT website: www.snct.org.uk Below is a summary of the main terms affecting teachers as they stand at the time of this publication: 1. The Working Year The working year for teachers is 195 days, of which 190 will be pupil contact days, and 5 will be in-service days. Teachers are required to complete an additional 35 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) per year. Teachers on part-time contracts have to complete CPD per annum on a pro-rata basis. 2. The Working Week The working week has three components: class contact time; guaranteed preparation / correction time; and remaining time. (a) Class Contact Time A maximum of 22.5 hours are devoted to class contact except for those on the National Teacher Induction Scheme - whose maximum is 18.5 hours. (b) Preparation/Correction Time An allowance of no less than one-third of the teacher’s actual class contact commitment is provided for preparation and correction. (c) Remaining Time This time is subject to agreement at school level within local guidelines and may include such activities as additional preparation/ correction time, parents’ evenings, staff meetings etc. The allocation of this time must be agreed with the staff of each school on an annual basis and is known as the The Working Time Agreement. From 1 August 2014, there has been a degree of scope for establishments to agree, as part of Working Time Agreements, the planning of teacher hours over a longer period than a week. This is subject to agreement by school staff, the school meeting criteria set by the SNCT and the LNCTs having an overview of agreements. 3. Teachers’ Pay The salary scales and salary spines are set out in Appendix 2.1 of the SNCT Handbook and are subject to change by decision of the SNCT. The method and frequency of payment of salaries is determined by the local Council following consultation in the Local Negotiating Committee for teachers (LNCT). All permanent employees should be paid their annual salary in equal instalments. Temporary employees should, where practicable, also be paid in equal instalments. The annual salary of part-time and job-share employees should be pro-rata to the salary of the full-time equivalent. The salary year for teachers and music instructors shall run from 1 August in any year until 31 July of the following year. Short-Term Supply Teachers All periods of cover teaching of 2 days or less will be defined as short-term supply. Each separate period of engagement of less than 2 days will be treated as a separate contract. Supply teachers will be paid on point 1 (point 0 if not fully registered) of the Main Grade Scale for each period of short-term supply work. Pay will be calculated on the daily rate of 1/235 (1) of the annual rate of salary. The hourly rate will be calculated on the basis of 1/1645(2) of the annual rate of salary. Where a short term supply teacher has been engaged on a single, continuous period of supply cover of 2 days which is subsequently extended beyond the initial 2 day period, the rate of pay for the extension period will be the incremental point on the Main Grade Scale for which the teacher qualifies. There is no cap on the maximum class contact time for short-term supply teachers. There is also an automatic 10% pay uplift for preparation and correction time for all shortterm supply teachers. 3 Fixed Term Appointments Where it is known at the outset that the period of engagement is to be more than 2 days the teacher should be issued with a fixed term contract. Payment, working hours and duties will be in accordance with the SNCT Handbook. Conservation for Promoted Post Holders Appointed Before 1 April 2001 From 1 April 2011 promoted post holders who were in receipt of lifetime conservation were instead to receive a period of cash conservation until 31 March 2016 after which the conservation arrangements cease to apply. From 1 April 2011 until 31 March 2013, a promoted post holder appointed to a post before 1 April 2001 and: (a) whose post is re-sized during that period and the salary downgraded; or (b) who is transferred during that period, for reasons other than inefficiency or indiscipline, to another post which has a lower salary; shall receive a period of cash conservation until 31 March 2016 after which the conservation arrangements will cease to apply. From 1 April 2013, any promoted post holder who is affected as at (a) or (b) is entitled to a period of three years cash conservation. 4. Teachers’ Main Duties The duties of teachers, Chartered Teachers, Principal Teachers, Depute Head Teachers and Head Teachers are outlined in Part 2 Section 2 of the SNCT Handbook. 5. Annual Leave From the leave year commencing 1 September 2011, the annual leave entitlement of teachers and music instructors shall be 40 days per annum. The balance, up to the current entitlement of 68 days, (28 days) has been redefined as 'school closure'. In addition, the daily and hourly rates of pay have been changed and now are 1/235 and 1/1645 respectively. The rate of accrual of paid leave is now 0.2051. 4 From 1 September 2011 employees who return from maternity or adoption leave and who wish to take the balance of statutory annual leave that has accrued during that leave, will, in the first instance, normally take this leave during the leave year to which the employee is returning. Any balance of annual leave in excess shall be taken following the maternity leve period and can be directed to be taken during the days of school closure. Part 2 Section 7 outlines the provisions in full, including arrangements for Shared Parental Leave. Further, employees who have accrued statutory leave during sickness absence will, in the first instance, be directed to take any such leave which they have accrued and not taken during sickness absence, during school closure periods. Chartered Teachers The Chartered Teachers Scheme has been discontinued. The SNCT has agreed that pay will be protected at the current point on the Chartered Teacher pay spine for those who are fully chartered and for those who have partially completed the Standard for Chartered Teacher. In return those teachers will make an enhanced contribution to the school or wider educational community. There will be no further progression for those on points 1-5 of the Chartered Teacher Pay Scale. Sickness Absence All employees must accrue a total of 18 weeks continuous qualifying Council service before being entitled to sickness allowance. This allowance is complementary to the statutory provisions, and employees with less than 18 weeks continuous qualifying service may be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). A teacher absent from duty due to sickness or injury will receive, in any one period of 12 months, sickness allowance as follows, depending on length of service (see below): Service at Commencement of Absence from Duty Full Salary for a period of Half Salary for a period of Less than 18 weeks nil nil 18 weeks but less than 1 year 1 month 1 month 1 year but less than 2 years 2 months 2 months 2 years but less than 3 years 4 months 4 months 3 years but less than 5 years 5 months 5 months 5 years or more 6 months 6 months Notice Class Size Maxima The minimum notice to be given by a teacher to terminate employment is usually: Primary Number of pupils P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 Composite classes 25* 30** 30** 33 33 33 33 25 > 4 weeks for unpromoted staff > 8 weeks for promoted staff Teachers should consult their individual contracts of employment for further details. Probationer Teachers All probationer teachers are guaranteed a oneyear probationary contract, with a maximum class contact of 0.8 Full Time Equivalent for those entering the Induction Scheme at the start of the school year in August. Thereafter they will have to apply for posts in the normal way. Obtaining a Teaching Post in Scotland Posts are advertised in the Herald, the Scotsman and the Times Educational Supplement Scotland. Local Authorities also post vacancies on their own websites. Notes: *The provisions set out are drawn from the Education (Lower Primary Class Sizes) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2010. ** The provisions set out are drawn from the Education (Lower Primary Class Sizes) (Scotland) Regulations 1999. The Schedule to Regulation 4, Excepted Pupils, and the ‘Explanatory Note’ to the Regulations are provided in Annex A to Appendix 2.9 of the SNCT Handbook. Annex A sets out the circumstances in which class sizes may exceed the stated maximum. 5 Secondary Number of Pupils S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 Practical classes 33 33 30 30 30 30 20 Practical Classes Practical classes are those in which the following subjects are taught: Administration, Art and Design, Biology, Chemistry, Craft and Design, Engineering, General Science, Graphic Communication, Home Economics, Land and Environment, Managing Environmental Resources, Physics, Practical Craft Skills, Product Design and Technological Studies. Class Sizes for Special Schools and Units Additional Support Needs arising from: Number of pupils Moderate learning difficulties 10 Profound learning difficulties 10 ** Severe physical impairment 8 Severe learning difficulties 8 Significant hearing impairment 6 Significant visual impairment 6 Language and communication difficulties 6 Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties 6 Note: ** This figure applies where teachers are complemented by support staff and councils are recommended to apply an adult/ pupil ratio of 1:2.5. 6 Voice in Scotland Voice in Scotland seeks to influence decision makers at national and local level with representation on the SNCT and working parties, and through its own Scottish Executive Committee (SEC). Voice is also represented on most Local Negotiating Committees for Teachers (LNCTs), lending input to members’ interests at local level. Voice has regular meetings with Scottish Government Ministers and is invited to make responses to the Scottish Government, SQA, GTCS, SPPA and other national and local bodies. Our official responses are made available on the Voice website: www.voicetheunion.org.uk/policy. The SEC has representatives from different parts of Scotland. Voice’s Edinburgh headquarters has professional and support staff to assist members. Voice is well placed to provide an effective service and support to its members with an established local Field Officer network to support the staff based in Edinburgh. 7 Revised August 2015