FAQS - Teaching & Learning responsibility payments (TLRs)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
TEACHING & LEARNING RESPONSIBILITY PAYMENTS (TLRs)
1. What are TLRs?
There are two levels of TLRs – TLR1 and TLR2.
A TLR 2 post is established where a teacher’s duties include a significant
responsibility for which s/he is accountable, not required of all classroom
teachers, and that-
a) is focused on teaching and learning;
b) requires the exercise of a teacher’s professional skills and
judgement;
c) requires the teacher to lead, manage and develop a subject or
curriculum area or to lead and manage pupil development across the
curriculum;
d) has an impact on the educational progress of pupils other than the
teacher’s assigned classes or groups of pupils;
e) involves leading, developing and enhancing the teaching practice of
other staff.
A TLR 1 post is where in addition to the above criteria, the teacher will also
carry out line management responsibility for a significant number of people.
The definition of significant has to be determined at school level.
2. What levels are payable?
TLRs are spot salaries within permissible parameters.
The annual value of a TLR1 must be no less than £7,323* and no greater than
£12,393*.
The annual value of a TLR2 must be no less than £2,535* and no greater than
£6,197*.
* These values are effective from 1 September 2010 and will increase on an
annual basis in line with the School Teachers’ Pay & Conditions Document.
3. What is the minimum cash difference payable?
The minimum differential within each of the TLR1 and TLR parameters must
be at least £1,500.
4. Can a TLR payment cover a number of responsibilities?
It is likely that in a number of schools TLR payments will cover a range of
responsibilities having regard to the staffing structure and its particular needs
and circumstances. TLRs are a single payment and therefore although they

may cover a number of responsibilities, attempts to break the payment down
to reflect each responsibility should be avoided.
5. Can a teacher hold two TLR payments?
No. It would, however be possible for two or more responsibilities to be
amalgamated into a package, which meets the criterion and the factors and
best services the particular needs and circumstances of the staffing structure.
6. Can two teachers share a TLR payment?
No, unless they are job-sharing a post which has a TLR attached. A TLR may
not be shared between two full-time teachers or between a full-time and a
part-time teacher.
7. Can a part-time teacher be awarded a full TLR and be paid the whole
amount?
No, under the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document the TLR
amount must be pro-rata'd.
8. Can there be temporary TLRs?
No. TLRs can only be awarded to teachers who have significant
responsibilities which are attached to posts in the staffing structure. This
means that TLRs cannot be awarded on an unplanned or adhoc basis. Also,
the responsibilities for which a TLR is awarded must be ‘sustained’. It would
be unlikely to be possible to describe a responsibility as ‘sustained’ if it lasted
for less than a year.
Permanent TLR posts can however be awarded on a temporary basis to
teachers who are temporarily undertaking the responsibilities attached to a
post in the structure to which a TLR has been attached, for example to cover
maternity or sick leave, a vacancy or secondment. Teachers who receive
TLRs in such cases will not be subject to safeguarding when the TLR ends.
9. What about posts that are subject to fixed term funding?
Schools are encouraged to look to the longer term beyond particular streams
of funding in driving the school’s staffing structure which should be designed
to support the school’s wider development strategy on a sustained basis. If
specific streams of funding are used to fund TLRs within the structure, the
school will need to establish its strategy should the funding cease.
10. What about specific improvement priorities or short-term projects?
Schools can address improvement priorities, which may be shorter term, by
making provision to deal with such issues in the job descriptions of TLR,
advanced skills teachers, excellent teachers or leadership group postholders

as appropriate, if the responsibilities are significant. If the responsibilities are
of a lesser order they maybe covered by other teachers in accordance with
the duties that under the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document they
may be reasonably be required or expected to perform.
11. Can a teacher have a TLR and an SEN allowance?
Yes, SEN payments are awarded for the contribution to the teaching of pupils
with special educational needs. TLRs are awarded to recognise the
responsibilities undertaken by all staff undertaking a post to which a TLR is
attached.