Newsflash - Welsh School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document 2020 published

The Welsh School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) 2020 has been published.

Main changes

There are significant changes to this year’s STPCD. It not only makes provision for the 2020 pay award but it removes performance based pay progression for teachers and reintroducing national statutory pay scales. The STPCD 2020 will have retrospective effect from 1 September 2020. From 1 September 2020, the pay awards are as follows:

• 8.48% uplift to the minimum of the teacher Main Pay Scale;
• 3.75% uplift to the statutory maxima of the Main Pay Scale;
• 2.75% uplift has been applied to the statutory minima and maxima of the Upper Pay Scale
• 2.75% uplift has been applied to the statutory minima and maxima of the Leading Practitioner Pay Range, the Unqualified Teachers’ Pay Scale, the Leadership Pay Scale (including Headteacher Groups) and all allowances across all pay ranges.

In addition, statutory national pay scales have been reintroduced for all pay points on the teacher Main Pay Scale, Upper Pay Scale, Unqualified Teachers’ Pay Scale and Leadership Pay Scales. In accordance with your own pay policy, schools should ensure a 2.75% uplift across interim pay points of the leading practitioner pay range and teacher allowances to match the uplift to the national framework in making individual pay progression decisions.

The detail

New details at paragraph 4.4 have been added. The requisite pay spines which members of the Leadership Group must be paid on are now set out in Part 2, paragraph 4(d). Within this section, the revised uplifted pay ranges to the Headteacher Group can be seen.

This section provides that relevant bodies can decide how progression within the Leadership Pay Range will be decided, subject to certain restrictions/rules set out in paragraph 11.2. It discusses how to assimilate discretionary salary points onto the 2019 advisory scales for existing staff. From 1 September 2020, there should now be an assumption of progression unless an individual’s service was unsatisfactory. It provides that an additional point can be awarded for excellent performance in line with the pay policy. Where an individual is subject to capability proceedings, a decision not to award progression can be made.

The Main Pay Scale, Upper Pay Scale, Leadership Pay Scale and Unqualified Teacher Pay Scale have been revised at set out in paragraphs 13, 14, 16 and 17 respectively.

Paragraph 19 should be considered when determining assimilation onto the relevant 2019 pay point for these groups and explains when an upgrade to the next point is required. It also sets out the factors to take into account in determining pay progression for those on these pay scales. It should be assumed that a teacher will progress unless their performance is unsatisfactory. An additional point can be awarded to those on the main pay scale if their performance was excellent in regards to classroom teaching, as allowed for in the pay policy, and where an individual is subject to capability proceedings, a decision not to award progression can be made.

In addition, progression up the Upper Pay Scale is now limited to every two years (although applications can still be made once a year to move onto the Upper Pay Scale).

Next steps

Your pay policy will need to be revised to reflect these changes to the STPCD 2020 and your appraisal policy is also likely to need to be reviewed. If you would like assistance with this or require any advice, please do not hesitate to contact us.