Mainscale or ups?

[Beansandcheesearegood]

Wondering the difference between responsibility of a main scale teacher compared to ups ? I'm M6 and looking at UPS but HT talking about responsibilities etc but very vague. I thought it was supposed to recognise experience?

UPS is not about responsibility; it's about experience. UPS teachers might be asked to use that experience to support others in a light touch way but it should not be used as a means to stop progression.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/634839ea8fa8f534627a6e15/2022_STPCD.pdf

Additional specific responsibilities would normally be paid for via a TLR, not UPS.

Does your school have a pay policy and what does it say about progression to UPS?

In schools where I have worked there is usually an expectation that the ‘substantial and sustained contribution to an educational setting’ is ongoing for a teacher on UPS, so they might for example be expected to be a mentor for a trainee or an ECT. This is in secondary, however, where people are not usually asked to co-ordinate whole subjects without a TLR and I know the same is not true in primary. You need to look at the pay policy, OP.

In my school (primary) a couple of teachers are on UPS and lead core subjects (no TLR). All the other teachers are on m6, have been for years, and are told there's no budget for any more UPS teachers.

Primary pay is crap compared to secondary.

when I got ups I had to evidence my impact, I am an sen teacher and wrote about advice I give to teachers and support staff, how is improved processes in my department, led on whole school training and worked with outside professionals to support children across the school.

I was lucky in that my head recognised I was having impact and encouraged me to apply and my deputy offered advice on getting my application right. I didn’t take on any specific responsibility but was, by virtue of experience, leading in some areas that didn’t have a TLR. I’m now in leadership and have TLR and UPS.

UPS = experience
TLR = additional responsibility

Check your pay policy, ours prohibits holding back progression, so budget is irrelevant.