Need advice about how to approach Head

[Jojotodd]

Hi all,

I recently took on an assistant head role at school (1 form entry). I’m also Year 6 teacher.
As AH, I am responsible for assessment, science, writing, educational visits, students, social media, playground leaders, leading staff meetings, assemblies etc. I have started on leadership scale 2 and, as this is my second year in the role, I was wondering if I should progress up the scale at all? They have also given me a couple of new responsibilities that I did not have the first year of the job - does this mean I can ask to move up on the scale?
Thanks

Considering that you are a class teacher - your barrels are definitely loaded with responsibilities - just out of interest - do you teach 5 days a week because unless you’re working out of school hours and at weekends, it’d be impossible to do all this!!

Given the extra responsibilities then yes, as a secondary HT, I do think you should move up the scale. How often do you meet with them?

Have you done your appraisal? Met your targets for pay progression?

This is what you need to be asking.

I'd be expecting to go up on point a year until the top of the the advertised pay spine given achievements. And now you need to ask what do I need to achieve for pay progression in 2025.

Although to take on all that on anything less than 0.6 teaching is a bit a stretch. Are you surviving.

Book an appraisal meeting with you HT.

Thanks so much @good96 and @pestothepenguin for replying. I work 4 days but get in early and work late 🤪
I am going to speak to my HT as my currently salary is only about £1000 more a year than someone on UPS 3 - I don’t understand why leadership salaries are so rubbish to start off with!

Because once you are on the leadership scale you are no longer protected by the provisions for directed time laid out in STPC, so you can be required to do additional duties, attend school on closure days, etc. I’m afraid it’s a well-known wheeze to put staff on L1-5 as a cheaper way to get around STPC for a similar cost to UPS+TLR. In purely financial terms, leadership roles are generally only worth it in comparison to UPS3+TLR from L5 upwards, sometimes more for the bigger TLRs.

In terms of your own pay progression, OP, you need to see the pay policy. Some schools have a policy of only progressing staff up UPS or leadership every other year.

I never get over being shocked at how appalling conditions are in primary schools. You must be working insane hours with all that responsibility on top of being a class teacher.

Also where were you on the scale before you moved over to leadership spine? And where would be now if you had MPS /UPS plus TLR.

It needs to be done through the appraisal policy and this is how to approach it. Also check out pay policy as PP suggest. Have clear objectives set out now for next progression point. Make sure they don't screw you over.

Thanks everyone. I’ve had some good news that I will be moving up a point to L3 - I was on UPS 2 before I took the AH post so this is a good jump salary wise. I’ve also been given some more release time so on 5 hours release time for a 4 day week which seems ok.

Personally I don't see that the money you are getting is in any way worth it. You would have been better moving up to ups3 and taking a tlr for a specific responsibility such as literacy.