10. Probationer teachers

Overview:

Probationer Teachers (hereafter known as Probationers) participating in the Scottish Executive scheme are offered a one year contract with Highland Council.

Under the terms of the national scheme a Probationer must spend a minimum of 12.5 (0.55FTE) and a maximum of 18.5 (0.82FTE) hours per week in front of the class.

The Council is obliged to take a specified number of Primary and Secondary Probationers each academic session.

The funding for a Probationer post can be provided from a number of sources within the Council:

A vacant Teaching post, either 1:00 FTE or part thereof
The Management Time budget within a school
The Area Class Contact Reduction budget
Covering maternity leave or long term absence.

Where the Probationer is allocated as an addition to a school’s existing entitlement, that is there is no existing vacant post, funding will require to be identified from other sources.

Identifying the funding source for each Probationer

In order to establish the funding source for each Probationer the attached pro forma Annex P1 (excel document) (Probationers – Funding sources) should be completed by the Head Teacher in conjunction with the Area Education Manager.

The purpose of this document is to inform all relevant parties from which sources the funding for each Probationer will be found.

This document should be completed by the Head Teacher for each new Probationer at the start of each academic session and thereafter the following actions must take place:

The document is signed off by the appropriate Head Teacher to ensure that they agree to the funding sources in place for each Probationer
The document signed by the Head Teacher should then be validated by the Principal Staffing Resources Officer (PSRO)
Thereafter the PSRO is responsible for circulating a copy of each signed document to the relevant Area Education Manager, the ECS Finance Unit and the ECS Staffing Unit.

It is important that this pro-forma is completed as soon as possible at the start of each academic year and certainly no later than the end of August.

The accounting arrangements for Probationers

The Probationer’s Basic Pay, Employers National Insurance and Employers Superannuation contributions are coded to the school’s devolved budget using Department Code A99.

In certain circumstances, for example where a Probationer is filling a 1:00 FTE Teaching vacant post, it may be necessary to bring in Supply Cover for the time when the Probationer is undergoing the necessary training and development time during the week.

In those circumstances the Head Teacher must record on their Supply Cover analysis sheet that the reason for the Supply Cover is - Probationer Training & Development – Supply code number 330 ( maximum 0.18FTE)

These Supply Cover costs must be transferred from Department A10 to Department A99 within the school’s devolved budget. By way of explanation all Supply Cover costs are automatically charged to Department A10 within a school’s devolved budget. In order to differentiate expenditure relating to Probationers from other expenditure charged to the school’s devolved budget it is necessary to create a separate Department code, hence the need for Department A99.

The only other instance when Supply Cover may be brought in when employing a Probationer is when a Teacher carries out a mentoring function. Mentoring (0.1 FTE) requires to be provided for each Probationer.

In those circumstances the Head Teacher must record on their Supply Cover analysis sheet that the reason for the Supply Cover is - Probationer Mentoring - Supply code number 331 (maximum 0.1 FTE)

As out-lined above these Supply Cover costs should be transferred from Department A10 to Department A99 within the school’s devolved budget.

If the Probationer is absent and Cover is required then this cost remains charged to the devolved school budget – Department A10.

Currently an inducement known as a Preference Waiver is provided to attract Probationers to rural Councils. As a result, in return for a payment of £6,000, a Probationer could be allocated anywhere in Scotland. This provision is currently reimbursed in full by the Scottish Executive and, where appropriate, this funding will be credited to the school’s devolved budget.

The funding arrangements for Probationer Teachers

1. Where a Probationer is filling any vacancy, including Management Time, funding will be provided in accordance with the examples shown in the table below:

Probationer Salary Balance of Vacancy Mentoring
Vacancy FTE (actual salary) (top of scale) (top of scale)

Vacancy FTE	Probationer Salary (actual salary)	Balance of Vacancy (top of scale)	Mentoring (top of scale)
1.00	£19,440	0.30	0.10
0.90	£19,440	0.20	0.10
0.80	£19,440	0.10	0.10
0.70	£19,440	Nil	0.10
0.60	£19,440	Nil	0.10
0.50	£19,440	Nil	0.10

This funding will cover the following costs:

The Probationer’s direct employee costs including Basic Pay and Employer’s contributions for National Insurance and Superannuation (coded to subjective codes AA1100, AB1100 and AC1100 plus Department A99)
Supply Cover funding for Basic Pay and Employer’s contributions for National Insurance and Superannuation up to a maximum of 0.4FTE at the top of the basic teaching grade (coded to subjective codes AA1101, AB1101 and AC1101 plus Department A99).
All related expenditure must be coded to the above subjective codes plus Department A99.

2. Where the Probationer is covering a 1:0 FTE maternity leave post or other long term absence the relevant funding is already provided for within the school’s devolved Supply Cover budget. In addition the school will be provided with funding in respect the Probationer’s mentoring costs (0.1 FTE at the top point on the basic teaching grade). The above funding is intended to cover the following costs:

The Probationer’s direct employee costs including Basic Pay and Employer’s contributions for National Insurance and Superannuation (coded to subjective codes AA1100, AB1100 and AC1100 plus Department A99)
Supply Cover funding for Basic Pay and Employer’s contributions for National Insurance and Superannuation equivalent to 0.1FTE at the top of the basic teaching grade (coded to subjective codes AA1101, AB1101 and AC1101 plus Department A99).
All related expenditure must be coded to the above subjective codes plus Department A99.

3. Where the Probationer is allocated as an addition to a school’s existing entitlement, that is not covering an existing vacant post, funding will be transferred into the school’s devolved budget in order to cover the following costs:

The Probationer’s direct employee costs including Basic Pay and Employer’s contributions for National Insurance and Superannuation (coded to subjective codes AA1100, AB1100 and AC1100 plus Department A99)
All related expenditure must be coded to the above subjective codes plus Department A99.