science teacher subject lead payment

[lstedham]

Hi, looking for any advice from teachers in a department (e.g. science) but also with their own subject within (e.g. physics, biology, chemistry) Do you get a TLR for subject lead at all?

I'm sure some schools do, but wondering if its due to the size of the school why we don't?

Any advice/different situations would be gratefully appreciated! :)

My (small) school doesn’t, but that’s a relatively new thing. The previous science lead was paid, but when they left the school had someone else take over for no extra pay, and have gotten away with it ever since!

It all really depends on how desperate the school are for staff and how big the school is.

In my current school there are no subject leads, just a HOD and DHOD. In my previous school, everyone had a TLR and we ended up with two Lead Pracs because no one wanted to work there without an incentive.

Subject leaders get a tlr at ours

Seems all schools do it differently! The thing is, I'm not even sure if I am technically a subject lead or not as I don't manage any other staff, but if I left noone else there would be able to teach GCSE physics?
Seems there's a very fine line between teaching responsibilities and subject lead responsibilities!

I have a TLR for chemistry lead but my role is almost all A level focused - we have 30 - 45 A level chemists each year. The science HoD has very little involvement in A levels at our school.

We have a non physics specialist teaching one of our two single physics top sets - if you left and they couldn't recruit a physics specialist I imagine that's what would happen!

I think you can only be a subject lead if you have been appointed as such, I don’t think you can assume you are the subject lead, and get a tlr, because you are the only physicist.

It depends on your school. Previously there were TLR’s allocated to some teaching staff.
When school joined academy trust, the structures changed so each department would have 1 x HoD and then at least 1 x Deputy HoD. English, Maths and Science as these are large depts, they had 2 x Deps and receive the equivalent of a TLR payment.

Doesn’t really answer your question I know…

Yeah, this is basically exactly what I'm trying to clear up. I mean what is a 'subject lead'?
If I am the only physicist it means I am the one who is planning what is taught and how in physics, the head of department can't assist me with this as she isn't a physicist, so what else does a 'subject lead' entail?

I think if you are planning physics lessons for others to deliver, and monitoring their delivery, you have a much stronger claim than if you are just planning your own lessons.

My daughter has a small TLR as subject lead for PSHE. In her school PSHE is delivered by form tutors, but my daughter plans all the lessons and produces the resources. She doesn't have any line management responsibilities, but she does the occasional learning walk to check how lessons are going.

In our school, the subject leads line manage other teachers, and sometimes the technicians. They do the exam entries ( with the exam officer ) they set the mocks, and other tests in their subject, sort out the mark scheme, they sort out the schedule of what is being taught when, they would be answerable to ofsted in terms of those progression maps and so forth. They don’t plan all the lessons, we do it collaboratively as a team.
So if you are doing at least some of those things then I would suggest it will strengthen your claim.

You need to have a look at your staffing structure. It sounds like you've got a HoD and perhaps a second, many schools do this. Others choose to have a HoD and then subject leads sitting underneath that but it's quite naive to think that all that comes with that is to be the only one teaching the subject. You don't get a TLR for that, unfortunately.

However, as a solo physicist there is potentially a conversation to be had about progression and retention IF you are ready for taking on some L&M (not just being the only bod teaching something)