ATL

Supply teachers

The basis for the payment of a supply teacher (other than for teachers engaged by an agency) should be the correct point on the relevant national salary scales.

Supply teachers employed by an agency (not by the LEA or school) are not covered by the provisions of these pay and conditions agreements.

ATL believes that all supply teachers should be paid in accordance with the relevant nationally-agreed pay and conditions documents. Unfortunately, teachers working for supply agencies may have to accept lower rates of pay than those received by colleagues with permanent, part-time and fixed-term contracts.

In addition, supply work through most agencies cannot be pensionable. The fact that agencies do not participate in teachers' pension schemes is a matter of concern to ATL, and it will continue to pursue the matter.

England and Wales

In England and Wales, supply teachers employed by the LEA or school should have their pay determined by the Schoolteachers' Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD). This is determined in the same way as for all other teachers. Under current arrangements, the teachers' actual salary may be calculated by reference to an hourly or daily rate.

The following methods are used for calculating the hourly rate:

• the annual salary divided by 195 (the days a teacher works in the year) divided by the number of hours in the school day at that school, lunch periods excluded

• the annual salary divided by 1,265 (the hours of directed time of a full-time teacher in a year).

The daily rate may be calculated in two ways:

• the annual salary divided by 195 (the days a teacher works in the year)

• the annual salary divided by 1,265 (the hours of directed time of a full-time teacher in a year), multiplied by the number of hours of the normal school day at that school, lunch periods excluded.

However, changes are being made to the way supply teachers are paid - full details of the changes will be published here when they are available.

Allowances

It is unusual, but not impossible, for supply teachers to receive allowances for anything other than qualifications and experience. One mandatory special needs point must be added if the teacher:

• is teaching wholly or mainly statemented pupils in designated special classes

• is taking charge of special classes consisting wholly or mainly of children who are hearing impaired or visually impaired

• is teaching in a special school.

Pensions

Supply teaching is automatically pensionable. It is possible for teachers to opt-out of the Teachers' Pension Scheme if they wish - see ATL's pension factsheet 9 for details.

Tax and National Insurance

Supply teachers employed by a LEA or school will have tax and National Insurance deductions made under the LEA or school's arrangements. Teachers working through a supply agency are likely to have these deductions made by the agency. Supply teachers who are self-employed will be responsible for making their own tax and National Insurance arrangements.

Keeping records

Supply teachers must keep careful records of the dates on which they are employed, together with their salary slips. It is important that teachers keep these records and salary slips permanently. It is not the responsibility of the employers to keep them and they may be needed many years later to investigate the amount of service for salary or pension purposes. This applies to all teachers, agency teachers included, whatever type of contract they have. Self-employed teachers will also need to keep such records for self-assessment of tax.

Need further advice?

Your first point of contact is your ATL rep in your school or college. Your local ATL branch is also available to help with queries, or you can contact ATL's member advisors on tel: 020 7930 6441 or email us. Please have your membership number to hand when telephoning and include it with any correspondence - this will help us to answer your query more quickly.