I’m no good at maths here - have I been underpaid?

[Snowflakewater]

Left my last school. Rate of pay was £25k per annum took home around 1550 a month. Here I’m meant to be on £29k and I’ve literally been paid just the exact same. Surely this is an error? It doesn’t look like we have anyone who can help onsite or at least I have no idea if we do. I’m thinking of running it past my manager tomorrow but obviously I don’t want to say pay is the issue

Can anyone advise. Also for reference contract started aug 31st

Hi, I don't have the answer but just wanted to say I'm in the same position.
I was on MPS1 last year (approx £25k). Should be on MPS2 this year + the increase to teachers' wages (now approx £29k). I know my school backdate pay in October for moving up the pay scale but that doesn't account for the increase in pay. I was expecting to be getting at least (£28k - new MPS1).
I asked one other teacher but they hadn't check so I'm not sure what's going on!

Do you think we go up next month?

Possibly, but wouldn't like to say for definite. I think it's definitely work asking, either other teachers or office staff may know.

You're unlikely to get a pay rise until the end of the appraisal cycle. It'll be backdated assuming you move up.

I'm not convinced the pay has been agreed as the union are balloting to strike about it (please vote yes - if for nothing else- the rise should be funded)

Usually the pay increase doesn't actually kick in until later this term but it gets back dated to the start of academic year (or in your case, contract). Does it say what MPS level you'll be paid in your contract?

The NEU ballot that pp mentioned is in October so sometime after that.

Wait so the contract I signed stating my pay increases was incorrect? They’re just paying me the same rate as last year?

MPs 2 so I assumed that’s what I’d be on?

That's not what I said.
The school appraisal cycle finishes in October. In my experience, that's when all pay rises happen.

If you're concerned, speak to your bursar or the HR person. Your line manager won't know the answer.

I agree that this is the case for existing staff but in my experience new starters are paid on their agreed salary point from the start. OP, you need to check with payroll.

Yeah I’m asking today as the agreed salary is as above and I’m being paid below that so would rather clarify than leave it. Do I need to tell my manager what it’s about? Or can I just say I want to speak to payroll?

Have you put the numbers into a salary calculator? Could it be student loan repayments?

I’m new so the appraisal cycle for existing staff wouldn’t apply to me.

If you don’t want to involve your line manager you don’t have to. Just talk directly to payroll.

No clue where they are in the building!

So stick your head in the office and ask! Payroll is often outsourced, esp in small schools, so they might give you a phone number.

My daughter is an NQT so has just had her very first pay statement. Her pay for this month has been based on last year's salary scales rather than this year's. We thought it was a bit odd given that she wasn't employed at all last year, but the school has confirmed that it will change in November and the increase will be backdated to September.

This seems to be standard practice. See the thread called something like "are you getting the 5% rise this month?"

That’s slightly different @Fifthtimelucky. The 22-23 payscales don’t exist yet as they haven’t been agreed. OP has seemingly moved salary points (from M1 to M3?) and would usually be paid at her new point from the start of the year as a new starter.

You might be right. I was assuming that she was moving from M1 to M2, so was expecting to move from £25,714 last year to £29,800 this year.

Ah - you might be on to something here. If OP was looking at the draft pay scales she might have been expecting M2 to be £29,800. Her school are likely still using the 21-22 scale, where M2 is £27,600. With increased deductions for tax, pension, and student loan, the take-home could well be the same.

Talk to payroll, OP!

You need to compare pay slips. If you are on over £29188, you are paying an extra 1.2% in pension contributions. So each £ extra you earn, 20p goes on income tax, 13.25p goes on national insurance, 8.6p in pension, so 41.31p per £. With approx £4000 per year pay rise, roughly an extra £333 per month pre deductions. Roughly £138 deductions plus an added approx £16 student loan as over threshold, £154 deductions, so at most £180 extra take home, you may have union membership payments depending on union.

I wouldn't bank on this. When moving school, you often 'start' where you would have stayed in September and then an increase is applied when applied to any other staff, after performance management reviews.

Ours is next week, and new staff are meeting with their new reviewers to show how they would have met their previous school's targets by now (with results, evidence from last academic year) largely in line with existing staff.

Until these meetings are conducted, no increments will be adjusted. If we're lucky it will be processed in time to be in November pay (with back pay), but can be December.

When moving school, you often 'start' where you would have stayed in September and then an increase is applied when applied to any other staff, after performance management reviews.

I have never known this to be the norm.

It's possible though. I moved twice while on the main pay scale and this is how both new schools applied their pay policies.