Academies Enterprise Trust
Pay policy for AET Central Services
Staff
1. The AET employment philosophy
As an organisation, we aspire to be the ‘employer of choice’ for all staff. To achieve
this aspiration, we will develop reward strategies and practices which will enable us
to:
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Recruit and retain highly-skilled and trained staff.
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Provide world-class continuous professional development opportunities for all
staff.
2.
Key principles underpinning the pay policy for AET
Central Services Staff
The AET Remuneration Committee have agreed a set of key principles which
underpin the pay policy for all AET Central Services Staff. These are:
It will be based on an analytical job evaluation framework
All jobs in AET will be evaluated using the HayGroup Chart and Job Profile
method of job evaluation which has been used in the UK for over 30 years.
Over this period, the method has been applied to several million jobs in public
and private sector organisations (including schools). This method measures
the “size of jobs” by analysing the inter-relationship of three factors which are
present in all jobs – Know-How, Problem Solving and Accountability.
It is the degree to which the jobs are seen to require Know-How and Problem
Solving and to discharge Accountability which tends to influence views on the
size of various jobs.
The job evaluation framework enables the AET to compare jobs across
different functions and to create groups of different jobs which are of a similar
job size. A pay framework has been created which incorporates six groups.
It also enables the AET to use this analysis in order to compare our salary
levels for different jobs with similar-sized jobs in other organisations (which
have been evaluated using the HayGroup method).
Based on pay ranges
The job sizes derived from the job evaluation process have enabled us to
create pay ranges for each discrete group of jobs. These six job groups and
pay ranges are set out in Appendix 1. The midpoint of each pay range is
aligned to the median position of similar size jobs in the HayGroup Industrial
and Service Sector survey. Each pay range has 7 increments, providing a
pay range which spans 15% either side of the midpoint.
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Linked to external pay markets
Our aim is to be able to recruit and retain high quality staff to the AET. We
need to be able to offer salary packages which are competitive in those labour
markets from which most of our staff will come. For this reason our pay policy
will be aligned to the median position in HayGroup’s Industrial and Service
Sector survey (National/April). This is built up from pay data collected from a
wide range of public and private organisations in the UK. This is an annual
survey and salary ranges will be reviewed in regard to this market in April
each year.
Performance-related progression
The AET aims to be a high-performing organisation. We will incentivise
individuals to perform at the highest possible level by linking individual
contribution to movement through the pay ranges. Your performance will
determine how quickly and how far you will progress up the pay range.
Specifically, the rates of progression are:
o If you are placed below the midpoint of the range, to progress by 1
increment you have to achieve a ‘Fully Acceptable’ rating in your annual
performance review. A performance rating of ‘Outstanding’ will entitle you
to a ‘two increment’ rise.
o Once you are at or above the midpoint progression is possible only if you
achieve an Outstanding rating.
Growth-related pay ranges
The pay structure has been designed to accommodate the growth of the AET
and its impact on individual roles. The structure which is set out in Appendix
1 is based on a ‘ten academy’ organisation – which should be achieved by
2011. We will re-assess the impact of any growth on individual roles. We
expect the next review point to be at 20 academies. It may be that some roles
- but not all - will move into a higher pay range as a result of this reassessment.
Market supplements
Whilst we have aligned our pay policy against the median position in
HayGroup’s Industrial and Service Sector survey (National / April), it may be
necessary from time to time to use market supplements for those roles to
which it is particularly difficult to recruit because the ‘market rate’ for these
roles is above the median position. Where there is a proven case for a
supplement, based on a market analysis, the Remuneration Committee will
determine the size of the supplement and its duration. Our expectation is that
market supplements will vary in value and will not be a permanent addition to
the pay package for any particular role.
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Fair Assimilation
Individuals will be assimilated into the new pay ranges with effect from 1
September 2010. The ‘rules of assimilation’ are set out below:
o Your current pay will be safeguarded as a result of assimilation into the new
ranges.
o Individuals will be assimilated across to the nearest increment in the new pay
range above current salary level, up to and including the midpoint of the
range.
o If your current salary is above the midpoint of the new range, you will be
assimilated to the nearest higher increment on the new range. However, your
new salary level will be frozen at that level until such time as it represents the
midpoint of the pay range.
o If you are assimilated at a level which is outside the new pay range to which
your role has been slotted, your current salary level will be frozen until such
time as it fits into the appropriate pay range.
Built on an effective Performance Management process
Because we are designing a strong link between progression up the pay
ranges, we have introduced a Performance Management process to underpin
these pay arrangements. We envisage that the process will help individuals,
with the agreement of their line managers, to identify those key performance
objectives and leadership styles that will help them achieve a high level of
performance in their role and to maximise their contribution to AET strategic
objectives. Also individuals will be given objective feedback about their
contribution and will discuss their performance rating with their line managers.
A defensible pay policy
We have to demonstrate that our pay policy is fair, transparent, equitable and
justifiable in the context of tighter scrutiny of public sector spending. We are
confident that the key features which underpin our pay policy – namely the
use of an analytical job evaluation process, the link to external pay markets
and regular advice from an external, reputable reward consultancy – will
provide a sound defence for any potential criticism of our pay policy.
3. Implementation and maintenance of the new pay policy
The new pay policy will be implemented with effect from 1 September 2010
with all staff notified of their new pay range and salary level. Individuals will
be entitled to request a review of any pay decision on their grade or pay level.
Such requests should be address to the Director of HR.
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The Remuneration Committee will keep the pay policy under review and
annually will determine the adjustment of the pay ranges to the HayGroup
Industrial and Service Sector market.
4. The role of the Remuneration Committee
The Remuneration Committee is the body which sets the pay policy and it has
the responsibility to ensure that it is implemented in a fair and equitable way.
It also has to ensure that it is helping the AET to recruit, retain and motivate
high quality staff. The pay policy will be kept under review and will play a
leading role in monitoring the Company’s effectiveness.
The Committee will determine any movements in the pay ranges on an annual
basis by reference to movements in the market rates through the HayGroup
Industrial and Service Sector survey (which is supplied each year in April).
It will also monitor the effectiveness of the Performance Management
process, particularly the outcome of annual performance reviews. It is
essential that meetings with line managers are held prior to performance
reviews in order to create a consistent framework for performance reviews
across the AET. All ‘Outstanding’ ratings of individual performance will be
subject to the approval of the Remuneration Committee.
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Appendix 1: The AET pay structure, with effect from 1
September 2012
AET Grade
1a)
Roles
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Chief Executive
1b)
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NDE – Secondary
NDE – Special
Group Secretary & General Counsel
2a)
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Regional Directors – Secondary
National Director of Academy programmes
Group Finance Director
COO
NDE - Primary
Director of Intervention
Director of Teaching School Alliance
3a)
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Group Facilities Director
Primary Intervention Manager
Deputy Director of Teaching School Alliance
3b)
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Group HR Director
Head of Capital Programmes
Head of School Self-Evaluation
Maths/Numeracy Leader
English/Literacy Leader
Head of CPD & HR Operations
Northern Regional Manager/national trainer
Capital Programmes Education Manager
Director of ICT Strategy
3c)
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Executive PA
Partnership Leader
Employability Pathways Programme Manager
CPD Managers
English/Literacy Specialists
Maths/Numeracy Specialists
Financial Controller
4a)
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Director of Data Intelligence
Senior Project Manager
Commercial Sales Director (AET Solutions)
Learning Technologies Manager
Community Sports Development Manager
Community Sports Support
Regional Facilities Managers
ICT Infrastructure Manager
Data Managers
Recruitment & Retention Manager
Area Finance Managers
2b)
4b)
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5a)
5b)
6a)
6b)
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Payroll Manager
Teaching School Alliance Administrator
Assistant Project Managers
HR Advisors
Central Service Office Manager
PA/Office Manager – northern office.
Facilities & H & S Manager
Recruiters
Academy Improvement Resource Manager
IT Services Delivery Manager
Video Tech/E-Production Asst.
Finance Assistants
Learning Technology Assistant
Web Developer
Web Assistants
PA to NDEs
PA to Executive Assistant & Team
HR/Recruitment Administrator
Payroll Assistant
Project Co-ordinator
Facilities Administrative Assistant
Building Manager
HR Systems Officer
E-Development Specialist
PA & Admin Assistant to Education Team
Central Services Receptionist
Facilities Administrator
IT technicians
The Group Operating Officer will initially be a two-day per week post and will be
paid pro-rata.
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