AIBU to ask for a TLR ? (Teachers only please)

[MrsPandigital]

Hi everyone. Just looking for some advice really.

I have worked as a teacher at a secondary school for 4.5 years now. I am on M4 payscale wise. I teach y7 up to y13, including AS / A level maths and Core Maths.

I lead the Core Maths course within my department, sorting the SoW, assessments, planning lessons, organising the 4 members of staff that teach this qualification.

However, I have no extra pay for this responsibility. Have I got grounds to ask for a TLR or moving up the payscale?

Any of your own stories would be amazing and help me out.

I would, on the basis of "if you don't ask, you don't get" - no school is going to just offer you extra money, you'll have to push for it

The worst thing they can do is say no, unless you have one of those psycho heads who writes your name in his little black book if you question anything and then starts a relentless campaign to force you to resign. I've worked for one of those Heads, but most Heads I've worked for would reasonably consider the request, even if they did eventually say no. Some Heads I've worked for would agree to it.

How did you end up doing it without having this conversation first? Were you the first person to teach the course and it just ended up ballooning in numbers?

At my school, this would come under the KS5 maths coordinator’s TLR. If they say no, are you prepared to keep doing it?

That's a lot of responsibility! Definitely a TLR role, but I think the problem may be that you're already doing it....

If the school wants to create a new TLR (assuming they ask and you agree) it would have to go through an application and interview process after being approved by the governors. Seeing as the budgets will have just been set for this academic year I can't see them suddenly deciding they are doing more than a normal classroom teacher.

The age and ability range that you are teaching isn't relevant as it's quite normal.
'Leading' core maths is what the HoD or KS4 coordinator should be doing and the staff teaching it should be planning their own lessons (I understand what you're saying about coordinating an SoW, which is a post-holder job, but staff should be using the SoW to plan for their groups and 'organise' themselves whatever that means).
I think what's happened here is that you are relatively new to it, assuming from your pay grade, and you are getting mugged off a bit but only in terms of doing work that other people should already be doing, which isn't TLR-worthy I'm afraid.
If there isn't a KS4 coordinator in post then yes there is an argument to stay one is needed but you'll be doing FAR more than organising an SoW for one course and organising a few people for your (likely) £4500 a year. I've done the job for 10 years in science so sorry to be brutal and there's nothing wrong in having the conversation about what you're doing and where might lead, but I do think someone is taking advantage of your inexperience at the moment. You clearly have potential and you are a maths teacher so as rare as a unicorn, don't be afraid to look at taking the next step in a different school of this one is going to continue taking advantage.

Oh I didn't realise core maths was KS5 sorry just re-read, was thinking old core science as was KS4. But I think what I said mostly still applies

@noblegiraffe
There is one other person other than the HoD that has a TLR for second in department. They don't teach core maths or have a clue about it. No other TLRs for head of KS3 or KS4, all teachers expected to fumble their way through.

I've ended up in the position because in my RQT year I was asked to and I probably naively was keen to get involved....

If no one else has a TLR, then it’s very unlikely that they’re going to hand one out because the floodgates would open.

If no one else has a TLR, then it’s very unlikely that they’re going to hand one out because the floodgates would open.

This

So the issue there then is more that your HoD and second aren't carving stuff up effectively between them and you (and perhaps others) are filling the void.
Only having two TLR posts isn't much for an 11-19 core subject either, maybe before you go in for your conversation research the TLR structures for similar sized schools' maths departments.
But I'd also be researching TLR posts on other schools as well unless you're set on staying there, it sounds like you'll (perfectly reasonably) get frustrated in that setup.

If you want more money and you’ve got experience of running a qualification, you could easily get a promotion by moving schools.

@HeyHa
Thank you for your reply. 😊 Really appreciate your feedback.

The HoD and 2nd in dept have never taught Core Maths and don't know it at all. We are also going from a 2 year course to 1 year course as of September and I will need to adjust the Schedule and assessments for this.

@Noblegiraffe @Holidayshopping

The other departments in the school have many TLRs within the departments... Everyone in PE has a TLR of some form...

HoD and 2nd in department are in charge of the timetable, they could easily timetable themselves to teach Core Maths if they needed to teach it to run it.

Easier to timetable themselves onto cushier, more established courses and get you to do the hard work though, eh?

@HeyHa I agree it's not a lot of TLR posts considering we are a department of 12 and a school of 1700 students ... Maybe I need to consider moving schools 🤷🏻‍♀️

What the hell is going on at your school that the management structure favours PE over maths?

Well, you don't need to do it if it isn't your job- this is what I mean about people taking advantage of you cracking on. The more you do quietly behind the scenes for people the harder it is to get others to see that the status quo isn't working, I've found that out the hard way.

I'm not convinced you'll get a TLR for running one course within a subject, you might be better looking at suggesting a KS5 coordinator role to take the pressure off the HoD and second- that could be attractive as it limits the floodgates to only core subjects that also have a reasonable number of KS5.

@noblegiraffe honestly, no idea. I think because as a department we're all great teachers and just get on with it... and most my department are on UPS3... No one asks for TLRs as they're on comfortable money.

Having read all your other replies I've changed my mind, get yourself on TES jobs and get out of there 😂

@Heyha hahaha! Another teacher in the department started when I did and is also a great teacher...also goes above and beyond for KS3, she's actually got an interview elsewhere because of the lack of progression for us young-ens!

First, you need information. Get the pay policy. Read it. Then you need to put a case together (accepting you've almost certainly missed the budget setting cycle for next year). Then, you need to apply for other jobs as 'I won't do it any more' is hardly a credible threat if you've nowhere to go. Besides, researching other jobs is a good way to be sure of the going rate.

Please, everyone, read your pay policy. I can assure you male colleagues will have done.

@Phineyj thank you. When you say read the pay policy, is that for my school in particular? Thanks for all your advice x

@Phineyj found my school's pay policy. Just reading through it now!

Oooh, I didn’t realise other schools were still paying TLRs! Primary here; on mat leave but normally am English leader, responsible for improving data initiatives, curriculum planning etc. May ask once I’m back....

There is no rule about TLRs. If it is not in the structure they should not just hand one out - unless it is one of those newish temp TLRs but that wouldn't fit this. Itis not out of the ordinaryin a secondary school for a teacher to take on responsibility for a course - it is considered professional development. Do you have any additional non-contact time to do any of the work?

@Lulujakey1

Nope, no extra contact time to do extra work.

I have spoke to other experienced teachers and I'm just going to ask to go up the pay scale rather than go down the TLR route. 😊 We're an academy so there is more flexibility with the pay scale now x