Support Staff Are Not Well Valued

Tue, April 18, 2006

Source: Teaching Times

A survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers has revealed that one in three support staff have not had a pay rise to take account of their new role as cover supervisors.

A survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers has revealed that one in three support staff have not had a pay rise to take account of their new role as cover supervisors. 
 
The ATL survey, which looked at support staff members working in state schools in England and Wales, discovered that 56 per cent of cover supervisors are only being paid at a higher rate for the hours they are working with whole classes, as are just under 40 per cent of higher level teaching assistants. This is despite national guidance from the Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group (WAMG) which advises local authorities and schools to pay staff one rate for the job they do, rather than different rates for different roles.

The survey also highlighted that 66 per cent of cover supervisors are being asked to do more than just supervise classes, which also goes against national guidance from WAMG.

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of ATL, said: “Schools need to do more to recognise the value of their support staff. Support staff are playing an increasingly important role in schools, and this has to be reflected in the way they are treated.

“Schools should not have any excuse for not paying support staff for the work they are doing and their contribution to school. We will be taking this issue up with the DfES, and will fight to support any members who are having problems getting their pay, status and role enhanced in line with the national agreements accepted by the unions and employers.”

 Support staff are playing an increasingly important role in schools, and this has to be reflected in the way they are treated.

PPA Time
In a separate survey by the ATL, over 70 per cent of supply staff have claimed that there has not been any reduction in the amount of work available following the introduction of planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time.

When questioned in March 2006, 52 per cent of ATL branch secretaries said they had not seen any change in the amount of work available for supply staff.

Eighty-six per cent of branch secretaries report that schools are not being deterred from taking on supply staff when they need to fill temporary teaching gaps. And in only 13 per cent of cases are support staff being used, instead of a supply teacher, to cover lessons if the usual teacher is absent for more than three days.

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of ATL, said: “We are pleased to see that in the vast majority of cases schools are making sure qualified teachers are brought in to teach classes when the usual teacher is off sick. Thankfully the scare stories that schools would go for the cheap option and not take on supply staff proves to be unfounded.”

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