What is a Teaching and Learning Responsibility?

Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payments are a crucial element of the teachers’ pay system without which teaching and learning in many schools would collapse.

If schools require additional responsibilities and accountabilities to be undertaken by classroom teachers, teachers must be paid additionally and TLR payments are one of the means by which schools can reward teachers for holding additional accountabilities and responsibilities. The other is payment in the leadership group.

The purpose of the TLR system is to enable experienced teachers to remain in the classroom and be rewarded for teaching and learning management responsibilities as an alternative to movement to the leadership pay range as a career progression choice.

There are three TLR payments: TLR1, TLR2 and TLR3. These have a monetary range of values set annually in the STPC(W)D. A TLR3 should only be awarded for a time-limited or one-off task/responsibility. Teachers can hold a TLR3 along with either of the other two, but teachers cannot hold TLR1 and TLR2 concurrently.

When should a teacher be awarded a TLR?

The STPC(W)D has clear criteria on when a TLR award is applicable. The responsibility under consideration for receiving any TLR must:

  • be focused on teaching and learning;

  • require the exercise of a teacher’s professional skills and judgement;

  • have an impact on the educational progress of pupils other than the teacher’s assigned classes or groups of pupils;

Further, TLR1 and TLR2 responsibilities must also:

  • require the teacher to lead, manage and develop a subject or curriculum area or to lead and manage pupil development across the curriculum;

  • involve leading, developing and enhancing the teaching practice of other staff.

For awarding of a TLR1, this being the highest paid TLR, the responsibility must include the line management of a significant number of people.

Can teachers be required to carry out significant responsibilities without payment?

No. Paragraph 49 of Section 3 of the STPC(W)D clearly notes:

“Teachers are expected to contribute, both orally and in writing as appropriate, to curriculum development by sharing their professional expertise with colleagues and advising on effective practice. This does not mean that they can be expected to take on the responsibility of, and accountability for, a subject area or to manage other teachers without appropriate additional payment. Responsibilities of this nature should be part of a post that is in the leadership group or linked to a post which attracts a TLR1 or TLR2...”

The NASUWT is aware that some employers claim that when a teacher moves to the upper pay scale (UPS), they can be required to undertake additional duties because of this. This is not correct.

If your school is attempting to impose on you such responsibilities or accountabilities without correct remuneration, get in touch with us.

Part-time teachers and TLRs

Part-time teachers can be in receipt of TLRs that are either a part-time responsibility or a TLR of full value. This is due to the NASUWT’s successful lobbying of the IWPRB (Independent Welsh Pay Review Body) to recommend part-time teachers have access to full TLRs.

Since TLRs are extra, bolt-on responsibilities and payments, part-time teachers can agree to take on the workload of a full TLR if they so decide. This gives part-time teachers access to a wider range of TLRs that were perhaps previously excluded from them if the school did not want to have part-time TLR responsibilities, for example, with pastoral duties.

Whether the successful applicant wishes to hold a full TLR or part-time TLR is subject to discussion and agreement with the employer.

Changes to my TLR

There are two occasions when a TLR will be modified:

  • when the annual STPC(W)D update assigns a new pay range for TLRs that affects the value; and

  • when the employer wants to review its TLR staffing structure.

The employer can review its TLR structure annually if it so wishes and has to do so via consultation with staff and the NASUWT.

Normally, when TLR structures are reviewed, some TLR posts may be lost or amalgamated. If your TLR post is lost as a result of a restructure, your employer must award you salary safeguarding for three years whilst your salary is lower than the value it was at just before losing your TLR post.

Salary safeguarding dos not occur if you voluntarily give up or resign your TLR post.

Some teachers may be pressured into accepting more workload without extra remuneration as a result of a restructure. If this happens to you, get in touch with us.

TLRs in Wales

  1 Sept 2020 to 31 Aug 2021 1 Sept 2021 to 31 Aug 2022 1 Sept 2022 to 31 Aug 2023
Payment 1 (TLR1)
Min
Max		 £8,291
£14,030		 £8,437
£14,276		 £8,859
£14,990
Payment 2 (TLR2)
Min
Max		 £2,873
£7,017		 £2,924
£7,140		 £3,071
£7,497
Payment 3 (TLR) (Fixed Term)
Min
Max		 £571
£2,833		 £581
£2,883		 £611
£3,028

The NASUWT recommends that if the relevant body awards TLRs of different annual values to two or more teachers, the minimum difference in the annual value between each award of a TLR1 is £1,500 and between each award of a TLR2 is £1,500.

 


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