Herefordshire teachers to receive pay increase

Employment chiefs at Herefordshire Council have recommended a pay rise for the teachers across the county.

The council’s employment panel considered the proposals on October 18 which aim to ensure that all teachers are treated equally and receive a cost of living increase with effect from September 2018.

The panel agreed a 3.5% increase for teachers on all scale points (except minima and maxima points as part of national agreement) within the unqualified and main pay ranges.

They also agreed to a 2% increase for teachers on all scale points (except minima and maxima points as part of the national agreement) within the upper pay range and a 1.5% increase for teachers on all scale points (except minima and maxima points of each school size group as part of the national agreement) within the leadership range.

Julie Davies, council HR Services manager, said: “The government introduced in September 2015 a points-related pay model wanting schools to move away from traditional reference points within each of the four pay ranges for teachers and introduce just minimum and maximum points.

“So when they agree a national pay award it only goes onto the minimum and maximum points of the pay ranges.

“The purpose of this report is to seek approval from the panel for the respective percentage increase to the different pay ranges across all pay reference points so that all teachers, regardless of their pay range, receive the same percentage increase as everyone else within the individual pay ranges.

“The vast majority of teachers don’t sit on the minimum and maximum pay points.”

Councillor Roger Phillips said that the council could afford the rise thanks to financial prudence.

He added: “However, we need to place on record that the pendulum could swing the other way at some time.”

Ms Davies explained that senior finance manager schools Malcolm Green had wisely recommended the county’s schools to budget for a two per cent increase.

She said: “Schools have budgeted for two per cent across the basic salary and across the allowances.

“Any school that is between 40 to 99 pupils will be funded as if they are a hundred pupil strong school so for Herefordshire that means we are going to receive a bonus of just under £18,000 for pupils that don’t actually exist in the system.

“Based on the two per cent that schools had offered across all pay points and the funding that we are going to receive, it works out on average as a 1.61 per cent increase and schools have budgeted for 2 per cent so you could argue that they’ve made a saving.”