No member of staff should ever have to perform their Teaching Allowance role in their free time. It should be budgeted for in the 1265.
Teaching Allowances (TAs) – or Responsibility Points in old money – are how schools manage internal promotions. Teachers who take on additional roles in a school receive TAs, and the number of TAs awarded is typically a reflection of the level of responsibility the role carries.
TNC 2024/2. makes it absolutely clear that all the time you need to discharge a TA role must be included in the 1265 hours of directed time:
“d. Teaching Allowance and Special Educational Needs Allowance Duties.
Some Teachers will be in receipt of Teaching Allowances or Special Educational Needs Allowances for specific duties. These duties must also be allowed for within the time budget of 1265 hours…” (bold added)
The time allocated for these roles should be reasonable and evidence-based. Like all other DTB elements, members of staff with TAs should be consulted about their DTB prior to it being accepted. If staff believe their DTB allocation is insufficient, they can request further reconsideration from the Principal, and if this doesn’t achieve a fair time allocation then they can use the established Grievance Procedure to try and get the issue sorted.
How much time do you need for a teaching allowance role?
In very many organisations, the time given to staff to fulfil a teaching allowance is somewhat arbitrary. Often the time is linked to the number of TA points rather than the time demand of the role. But the only way a Principal can know how long a TA post holder actually requires to do their job is if the post holder provides an evidenced outline of their time requirements.
This three stage calculator goes some way towards providing TA holders with a tool to inform these discussions. This one is designed mainly for HoD or subject lead roles. More calculators are planned, and if you would like us to design one for your role please drop us an email.
Note – if a member is having difficulty getting agreement about DTB allocations, and they are considering following a grievance procedure, they should contact their Trade Union rep first.
TNC 2024/2: 5.8 Disputes
“5.8.1 It is hoped that this guidance will avoid disputes in relation to Teachers’ time budgets. Any Teacher who has a concern or fails to reach agreement on their time budget should raise the matter, in the first instance with the Principal. If necessary the Teacher should seek support from their recognised trade union to resolve the situation. It is hoped that such issues will be resolved without recourse to formal procedures. In circumstances, however where a Teacher is not satisfied with the outcome the appropriate grievance procedure may be used.”
Teachers are often scared to raise a grievance individually. TNC 2024/2 now includes the facility to address these issues on a collective basis, with a union representative or officer taking the issue forward.
5.8.2 If the issue is impacting on a number of Teachers in the school then the Teachers and/or the Trade Union Representative (or representatives) may raise the issue with the Principal on a joint basis. Where this does not resolve the issue the Teachers may utilise the appropriate grievance procedure.”
Staff with Teaching Allowances must have the time to do these jobs within their 1265 hours, during the normal working day.
No staying behind late. No working at home. No exceptions.
Some worked examples.
| Situation | True or False? |
| Sarah is a recently promoted subject lead. She gets one Teaching Allowance, and a free period per week (1 hour.) She is finding that there is far too much work to do in that time, so asks the Principal about this. The Principal says that staff on “leadership pathways” are expected to do additional hours in exchange for the additional money and prestige. Is the Principal correct? | False – all work for a Teaching Allowance position must be time-budgeted within the DTB 1265 hours. |
| Faryal gets 2 TA points for a year head role. She has two other friends with TAs, and one lunchtime they discuss how they have nowhere near enough time to do their jobs. They wonder what to do about this. Their Union Rep suggests that she brings their issues to the Principal collectively to seek a resolution. Is this possible? | True – since TNC 2024/2 issues about time budgets can be collectively brought to Principals by union representatives. |
| Jeremy has been a Head of Department for three years, getting 2 TA points and two periods a week. But he has struggled with the workload, having to work evenings and weekends to keep up. He has tried on multiple occasions to get this resolved with management, but the Principal refuses to provide more time. Eventually he is diagnosed with burnout, and signed off work. He thinks the Principal has failed to protect his welfare under Health and Safety legislation. Does he have a point? | True – Stress and staff welfare is a Health and Safety issue, and in a school H&S matters are ultimately the responsibility of the Principal. |
| Jen was asked to “act up” in a responsibility role when the post-holder became ill. She was told by the Principal that she will receive the money, but no additional time can be provided as it is a mid-year change of role. Is the Principal correct? | No – Sufficient time must be provided in the Directed Time Budget for a TA holder to fulfil their role within the 1265 hours. |
The time taken to fulfil a TA role must be taken from the Directed Time Budget for the post holder.
Christmas break in…
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