A fundamental element of the agreement is the recognition that a teacher is not always the most appropriate member of school staff to perform a particular duty. While teachers have the key role in relation to pupils' learning, new support staff roles have evolved in the classroom and in other areas of school life. Both new and existing support staff roles are important in supporting the core teaching and learning outcomes of the school.
The signing of the agreement also led to the National Joint Council (NJC) for local government services developing national job profiles which local authorities could use when developing local pay and grading structures. This is helping to establish coherent career structures for all school support staff. Across the country local authorities are making progress in setting revised structures.
New support staff roles created by implementation of the agreement and the remodelling change process include:
- cover supervisors
- HLTAs
- bursars/school business manager
- pastoral managers
- invigilation staff
In turn, there have been increasing opportunities for the voice of support staff to be heard, particularly through membership of school change teams.
