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Pay in Scotland

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Latest Pay Update - June 2010

The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Emergency Budget included the following statement on public sector pay:

“A two year pay freeze will be introduced from 2011-12 for public sector workforces, except for those earning £21,000 or less, who will receive an increase of at least £250 a year. This will save £3.3 billion a year by 2014-15.

“Pay will also be frozen in 2010-11 for civil servants who are yet to agree a legally binding pay deal, except for those earning £21,000 or less, who will receive at least £250 a year. These civil servants will then exit the freeze ahead of other groups.”
(HM Treasury, Budget 2010)

Further confirmation has been obtained on the implications for teachers' pay in England and Wales. The Secretary of State for Education has confirmed that the final year of the three year pay award for teachers in England and Wales (an increase of 2.3%) will be honoured by the Government with effect from 1 September 2010.

The NASUWT has written to the administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland to seek their assurances on teachers’ pay. Teachers in those nations deserve no less than their colleagues in England and Wales.


Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT)

The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (new window) (SNCT) is a negotiating framework for teachers’ pay and conditions of service. It is a tripartite body comprising members from teaching organisations, Local Authorities, and the Scottish Government (new window).

Pay Scales

The New Pay Agreement for 2008 to 2011 (new window), the Teachers' and Leadership Group salary scales (Scotland) 2007 - 2010 (new window) and the Distant Island Allowance are available in the Circulars and Letters section of the SNCT Handbook (new window).

Teacher’s Pay

The number of scales, their points and the salary for each point are determined by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT). The generation of a management structure on the basis of these scales lies completely with the local authorities. Principal Teacher posts have now been introduced in the primary sector also.

On 26 November 2007, the NASUWT submitted its pay claim for Scottish teachers. The claim argued for:

  • a substantial, above-inflation pay award for 2008 to stem the erosion of teachers' pay, to secure comparability of starting salaries with other graduate professions and maintain the gains secured;
  • the abolition of the fees to access the Chartered Teachers Scheme and a review of the workload and time burdens associated with the Scheme;
  • further discussions on a future multi-year award in the context of identifying sustainable funding, further improvements in conditions of service and a satisfactory reopener clause to be used should the Government's inflation targets be exceeded.


The claim also emphasises the critical importance of the pay award in preventing a recruitment and retention crisis and in securing high morale and motivation of the teacher workforce. These factors are central to the continuing drive to raise standards of education.

The Chartered Teachers Scheme

Chartered Teacher status is available to those who have reached the top of the main scale. Chartered teachers should receive one salary increment on the Chartered Teacher pay spine for every 2 modules completed as detailed in section 1.25 of Part 2 of the SNCT Handbook (new window).

However, access for Scottish teachers to higher salaries compares unfavourably to teachers in England and Wales. Teachers in England and Wales can apply for assessment to cross the threshold to higher salaries. The employer is required to process that assessment and 95% of those who apply are successful. Since September 2007, all teachers have an entitlement to continuing professional development to support their career and pay progression.

The requirement for teachers to pay fees to access the Scheme and the time and workload burdens associated with participation are not only prohibitive to the majority of teachers but also are potentially discriminatory.

There is no equivalent of the Upper Pay Spine (operated in England and Wales) in Scotland. It is more akin to the Advanced Skills Teacher status. Access to the Chartered Teachers scale is unfortunately both time-consuming and expensive and is an area on which the NASUWT is campaigning for reform.

Performance Management

Unlike England, where there is a “Performance Management” agreement, there is no agreed procedure for teacher appraisal in Scotland. Each individual school and authority will of course have an agreed monitoring procedure (discussed and agreed at school or LNCT level). It is also standard practice for schools to make reference to the Quality Indicators in How good is our school (new window) (HGIOS).

A head teacher is entitled to observe classroom practice throughout the year. If a member feels they are being targeted for an excessive number of observations they should contact the local office as it may be necessary to utilise the local authority’s bullying and harassment procedure. Alternatively this may be forewarning that the school has concern’s regarding their competency and similarly contact should be made with the local office.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (new window) (GTCS) Code of Competency is in Appendix 2.12 of Part 2 of the SNCT Handbook (new window). This code provides the definition of competence which is used for the Standard for Full Registration and also sets out the process for dealing with short lived under performance and long running under performance. This code is not intended as a stick to beat fully qualified teachers with, rather it is intended to provide a base line which can be used for professional review and development.

Family Friendly Rights

The main source of maternity information for local authority teachers is Section 7 of Part 2 of the SNCT Handbook (new window), including length of service qualifications and maternity pay. Those who are out-with the local authority sector should visit the Department for Work and Pensions (new window) website.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) provides minimum rights and individual employers are at liberty to give more should they wish. An employee should check their contract and the staff handbook in their school to see whether the school provide greater than the statutory minimum.

Advice on the legal requirements is assessing risks in relation to new and expectant mothers’ job activities is set out in the Health and Safety Executive booklet New and Expectant Mothers at Work: A Guide for Employers (new window).

Members have the right to apply to work flexibly where they have:

  • children aged under 17;
  • disabled children aged under 18; or
  • carer responsibilities. 

The NASUWT has produced guidance on requesting Flexible working. 

Each Local Authority will have a job share policy agreed with the local Negotiating Committee for Teachers (LNCT) that regulates the application process, as well as what happens when one job sharer leaves or wants to become full time.

Any Salary Sacrifice arrangements or other family friendly policies will be contained within a local agreement. Details of how a LNCT committee should operate are contained in the SNCT Handbook (new window).

Temporary workers and supply teachers

The Code of Practice on the Use of Temporary Contracts is set out in Appendix 2.8 of Part 2 of the SNCT Handbook (new window).

Transfer of temporary teachers to permanent staff has, under the new SNCT Handbook, been devolved to local level. The national position as it used to be is set out in Part 4 of the new handbook section 8.5 (new window).

Most Local Authorities will have their own policy agreed via the local Negotiating Committee for Teachers (LNCT), for example one authority allows temporary staff to apply after two years and provided their school reports are satisfactory they will be given a 0.7 permanent contract.

If there is no local agreement then an employee will nevertheless after one year have gained unfair dismissal rights. If they remain on an annually renewable temporary contract for 4 years this automatically becomes a permanent contract under law.

Any teacher taking on a temporary or ‘fixed-term’ contract should contact the Scotland National Centre.

The McCrone Agreement

In January 2000 the Scottish Parliament established a Committee of Inquiry into teachers’ pay, promotion structures and conditions of service. It was chaired by Professor Gavin McCrone CB.

The NASUWT provided detailed written and oral evidence to the Inquiry.

In August 2000 an Implementation Group was set up comprising representatives of Government, employers and teacher unions, to take forward the McCrone recommendations. The NASUWT was represented on the Group and associated working parties and participated fully in negotiating the Agreement that was finally reached.

The National Agreement: A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century (new window) was introduced in August 2001, although some aspects were phased in. Full implementation was completed in August 2006. The SNCT Handbook (new window) contains the nationally negotiated terms and conditions of service for teachers working in local authority schools in Scotland. The SNCT handbook took effect from 1st August 2007.

The NASUWT has produced advice and information concerning the agreement in the Union’s publication McCrone Agreement in Scotland - Information to Members. 

Tax

The NASUWT provides a brief outline of the various tax allowances which teachers are eligible to claim under UK legislation in the NASUWT's brief guide to tax for teachers.

Further Education Colleges

Further Education Colleges do not have nationally agreed pay or terms and conditions of employment. Each establishment agrees their own and do not come under remit of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (new window) (SNCT).

Further information or assistance

Members needing further information or assistance should contact the Scotland National Centre.