The Education (School Teachers' Pay and Conditions) Order 2004

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 2003 (“the Document”) by up-rating the amounts of salary and certain allowances and by replacing the Outer London and Fringe Area allowances with new Outer London and Fringe Area pay scales. New tables that include provision for the Outer London and Fringe Areas replace the following—

(a) the leadership group pay spine set out in paragraph 4.4 of the Document;

(b) the head teachers' groups' pay ranges set out in paragraph 6.3 of the Document;

(c) the pay scale for classroom teachers set out in paragraph 15.3 of the Document;

(d) the pay scale for post-threshold teachers set out in paragraph 17.2 of the Document;

(e) the pay spine for advanced skills teacher set out in paragraph 28.1 of the Document; and

(f) the pay scale for unqualified teachers set out in paragraph 36.1 of the Document.

The value of the special educational needs allowances set out in paragraph 25.1 of the Document is increased.

The first increase takes effect from 1st April 2004. Subsequent increases, for which the Schedule makes provision, take effect from 1st April 2005 and 1st September 2005.

The Order abolishes recruitment and retention allowances (formerly paid under paragraph 24 of the Document, now omitted) and amends the basis on which recruitment and retention incentives and benefits (collectively referred to as “allowances”) can be awarded under paragraph 48 of the Document, so that such allowances can only be awarded either as a ‘one-off’ or for a fixed period of up to three years. Recruitment incentives cannot be renewed. Fixed term allowances awarded prior to the date of this Order are preserved until the long stop date of 31st March 2007. Permanent allowances or ones that were awarded for as long as the teacher remained in a particular post cease to have effect from 1st April 2004.

Management allowances must henceforth be awarded for a fixed period not exceeding one year, although allowances awarded prior to 1st April may be retained for the period for which they were originally awarded even if that was for a fixed period exceeding a year or while the teacher continues in the same post.

The eligibility criteria for fast track assessment in Annex 3 are amended to enable teachers who are entitled to be paid at point M6 on the main pay scale to be included in the scheme.