Pay scales

[rainyinnovember]

They don't exist any more, do they?

A HT I used to work for called me to ask if I was available for a two term contract.

I said I was, but also indicated I was looking for something permanent.

He said that 'honestly, I was a bit too expensive.'

Sigh. Is this common for experienced teachers applying for jobs?

No, no pay portability. So that heads have the freedom to pay good staff more, except they don't have the money and what happens is the freedom to go as cheap as you can get away with.

No. I think this was the final straw for experienced teachers.

But then why aren't heads appointing experienced teachers at a lower pay scale? Or are they?

They are which is squeezing the NQs out

It's only squeezing the NQTs out to the same extent that experienced staff were squeezed out when HTs employed cheaper NQTs for positions they were filling. Which was always the case even though all applications are supposed to be taken on merit.

Not that I agree that's it's moral to ask experienced teachers to take a pay cut, but at least they aren't immediately discounted for being too expensive.

Is this actually the case? In other words, heads can, but are they actually appointing teachers and not paying them to scale?

They can but would you have accepted a job on lower pay? Most of the time job is advertised at a salary now and up to applicant to apply if they are willing to accept pay terms...

I'll have a look. I would accept a permanent job on a lower pay scale TBH.

I've only done bits of supply for five years.

I've changed jobs twice in the last year and both times I was put on the same pay point I had been on previously (UPS1). I don't think anyone considered moving me back down the payscale. I'm well aware that I'm not "cheap"...but the heads, who have appointed me, needed someone experienced (and I'd like to think that I'm actually worth at least that much... ).
I haven't heard of anyone moving schools and having been put on a lower pay point. However, there tend to be quite a few jobs round here...and not all of them are suitable for NQTs.

I think it does depend on the schools; my previous school was cost cutting via staff salaries- more Inexperienced staff, lots of training on the job staff and harder to get through threshold and not always honouring UPS for new staff but my new school honoured ny UPS 3 which was a huge (welcome) surprise and employment a larger number of experienced staff.

I had to accept a much lower salary to get back into teaching after mat leave (and moving area). The most annoying thing is that you don't stop being as good as you used to be, just because your pay is lower, so you end up doing more for less pay.

School Governing Bodies had to decide whether to offer pay portability or not so you will find it could vary from school to school.
In my experience most schools chose not to because it gave them the option to hopefully save some money.