Threshold application...

[ooopsupsideyourhead]

... am I being excessively thick? My HT told me to go ahead and make my case - and asked for half a side of A4. That's all the guidance I got. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

You have to demonstrate how you are consistently meeting the standards at a high level and say how you contribute to wider school. These contributions have to be substantial and sustained. So any policy changes, inset you have done for staff and the like.

Can you tell I'm writing mine?!

Lesson obs and performance management are evidence of the standards.

I've put in things like team teaching, planning support, inset I have run, student teachers I have mentored if that helps.

Gotta love your HT!

Poor teachers in my school are producing file after file - unecessary, but they're doing it.

The onus used to be on governors to prove if you didn't deserve it, I thought.

Now iyou don't need to prove anything. Your performance management is sufficient and it should be automatic. You no longer merc to 'apply'

From NASUWT website:

"The School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 2014 sets out the statutory provisions governing pay progression for teachers. School Pay Policies must set out the specific arrangements governing pay progression for all teachers (including the headteacher), including progression of teachers on the Main and Upper Pay Ranges and progression from the Main Pay Range to the Upper Pay Range"

Paragraph 15 of current (2015) STPCD (www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-teachers-pay-and-conditions-2015) says that you can apply once a year and the application process should be set out in your school's pay policy.

Have you seen your school's policy? I'd ask your HT for it. He seems a little cavalier in his attitude to your request.

Bloody hell belinda, nightmare! Yes that used to be the case I think, not sure if it's better it's the head's decision?

In our LA there's a form to complete. You have to make reference to how you're currently meeting the post-threshold standards.

Thanks everyone. I haven't seen my school's pay policy. One to ask for tomorrow.

I have taken on a whole school role in the last year, delivered inset and have outstanding results for the last few years etc. So I think HT must just think it's an easy one - forgetting that I haven't actually ever been through this before and that teaching in a small school I haven't seen anyone else go through it either!

I think the thing I'm struggling with is the actual format - Half a side of A4 could mean anything! Does he want a letter? Does he want me to fill in a form? Does he want me to use a proforma!? So many questions... so little time until the 31st!

Our school has a proforma. It basically takes each of the teaching standards in turn and asks you to give evidence about how you meet each one. It is much longer than half a page of A4 though! In your situation, I'd take a quick look at the standards (unless you already know them off by heart) and then do 2-3 paragraphs explaining how you meet them. Laying it out like a letter may make it easier as it will give you a 'shape'.

Sounds to me like he's already decided to put you through so you don't need to worry too much

I'm a dinosaur who was teaching when threshold started. As we were Guinea pigs, so to speak, I produced a very full A4 file of evidence for each of the standards.

At my school you have to produce the big fat file of evidence of meeting the teacher standards. I think since schools can set their own perfomance management criteria these days anything goes.

If the head says half a page, I'd fill it with results and stuff that you are doing above and beyond.