Performance-related pay in schools to be scrapped

The government has accepted proposals to remove performance-related pay (PRP) in schools by September following recommendations from the Workload Reduction Taskforce.

The DfE document states: "We recognise members’ concerns around the administrative and workload burden of Performance Related Pay and its impact on teaching and learning. We want to ensure that school leaders are able to support, develop and reward their staff in the least burdensome way, removing the bureaucratic requirement to run the PRP system.

"We accept the recommendation that the requirement for PRP should be removed and replaced with a less bureaucratic way to manage performance fairly and transparently."

This work is part of ministers’ pledge to cut five hours from the working week of teachers and school leaders.

The Taskforce said there are concerns that PRP works poorly in practice and does not have a commensurate positive impact on teaching and learning. The Taskforce, therefore, recommends a formal commitment to consult with statutory consultees on PRP with a view to removal in line with the School Teachers’ Review Body’s (STRB’s) observation and in time for the 2024/25 academic year."

The changes will be communicated in Spring 2024 to give schools  sufficient notice to enable them to prepare during the summer for September 2024 implementation.

The general secretaries of school leaders’ union NAHT; the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL); and National Education Union (NEU), said: “We are pleased that the taskforce’s initial set of recommendations has been accepted. We particularly welcome the news that the government will be removing the obligation for schools to use performance-related pay from September.
 
“It has become increasingly clear that not only does performance-related pay not work in the education sector, but it also drives unnecessary workload and bureaucracy for leaders and teachers alike. Its removal is a positive step. We will now work closely with the Department for Education to ensure that any updated guidance replacing it is fit for purpose and reduces workload burdens.
 
“Reinserting a list of bureaucratic tasks that teachers and leaders should not be expected to do into the school teachers’ pay and conditions document is also helpful and the new non-exhaustive examples better reflect how schools operate in 2024. Of course, the update is only a very small part of the work that now needs to take place if we are to begin to see the reductions in workload we all aspire to.
 
“We look forward to participating in the more substantive discussions on workload drivers and how to tackle them as part of the taskforce’s ongoing work over the coming weeks and months.”