Pitfalls of moving to UPS

[Fossie]

Back in teaching after a lengthy career break and now in my second year. I returned at the top of the Main Professional grade as I had taught for 11 years previously. I’ve now been asked to apply for UPS. I would be on less than £2000 more a year and as I’m part time this would be reduced further. Am I missing something? Why did this 2 tier system come in? Does the school expect more from you or is this just some admin hoop to jump through? Sorry I’ve been out of the system so long I can’t get my head around this. Are there any disadvantages for applying. I can’t understand the form either but one step at a time.

For ups you will have to have a responsibility that impacts upon whole school outcomes (so more responsibility for not much financial gain) also you cannot apply to increase increments year on year - targets have to be proved over 2 years for another pay increase.

This may just be where I am but this is my understanding.

If you have some kind of responsibility UPS is easy to demonstrate and maintain.

It is harder if you are a mainscale teacher, so I would consider that. If you are a mainscale teacher I would clarify what is expected . As a union rep I would say that you should be able to get onto UPS without taking on extra responsibility- that is what TLR is for - but the wording in STPCD is vague - something like a substantial and sustained contribution. There is also an expectation that you are highly competent across the board.

Ask your union rep to see your school's pay policy - especially if you are am academy

I haven't noticed any pitfalls, just go for it.

You're lucky you're in a school that still acknowledges the existence of UPS - some schools simply won't pay it.

I’m on UPS1 at the mo for various reasons with no extra responsibility. Afaik, it’s at UPS3 things hot up in terms of whole school stuff. I could be wrong tho.

Many thanks.

I think it varies from school to school. The whole idea of UPS is that it rewards teachers for NOT taking responsibilities but staying in the classroom. That said, expectations are higher and you may be asked to supervise/mentor/support less experienced colleagues, run trips etc.

In some schools, more could be expected.

In some schools UPS seems to be a back door TLR.

In others who are more sensible. It's about having impact beyond your classroom e.g. leading some CPD, being an ITT or NQT mentor, if your school does coaching then being a coach, getting involved in writing schemes of learning, running enrichment trips within the department etc. Essentially common sense of more pay and experience should be doing a bit more.

I'm part time and could apply for UPS 2. However the application is massive (has to be done in summer hols when I have my kids to mind all day) and the payout isn't much. I worry that if I wanted to move schools they might not want to pay UPS2 for a teacher but maybe I'm being naive. And more likely, I won't move!

rath you have to apply?

We get it automatically as long as we have enough evidence to show and discuss during our performance management.

You shouldn't have to apply. 2 successful performance management cycles is all that's needed. Contact your union!

We have to apply, takes ages and ages, and then a long wait to find out if successful. I still don’t know the outcome of my UPS 3 application that had to be completed before the end of October. No idea this wasn’t standard practice

Thats ridiculous. I'm with leccy.
If your performance management has been done properly and you've evidenced your 'beyond your own classroom' stuff (which is usually how substantial and sustaiend is interpreted) then that should be enough as your PM should demonstrate you're doing enough.

The NEU has a document outlining things to do with UPS

Wow! I didn't know some of you got it automatically. That used to be the case but now it's all tied in the perf management. Its an one with the Head, following a hideously lengthy form in which you document everything leadership, extra curric etc you've run in the past year or two. Hence why I can't face it!

There should not be any additional paperwork, forms to fill in etc.
Does your school have union backing?

Does this apply to academies? Tempted to take it up, but tbh that will probably just result in a massive black mark against me and a forced job move within the year. I still don’t know the result of mu application but it is a lot of additional work and forms to fill in. My pm has always been fine. Unions very weak/virtually non existent in our place.