From 1 September 2013, any qualified teacher can apply to be paid on the upper pay range.

All applications should include the results of appraisals; where such information is not available, a written statement and summary of evidence that sets out how the applicant has met the assessment criteria should be sufficient – check your school pay/appraisal policies.

To be assessed successfully, a teacher will be required to meet the criteria set out in the school teachers’ pay and conditions document (STPCD) (GOV.UK) i.e. that the teacher is ‘highly competent’ in all the elements of the teachers’ standards and that their achievements and contribution to the school is ‘substantial’ and ‘sustained’.

Highly competent

The teacher’s performance is assessed as having excellent depth and breadth of knowledge, skills and understanding of the teachers’ standards in the particular role they are fulfilling and the context in which they are working.

Substantial

The teacher’s achievements and contribution to the school are significant, not just in raising standards of teaching and learning in their own classroom but also in making a significant wider contribution to school improvement which impacts on pupil progress and the effectiveness of staff and colleagues.

Sustained

The teacher must have had successful appraisal reports (over a period of time determined in your school pay/appraisal policies) and have made good progress towards their objectives; they will have been expected to have shown that their teaching expertise has grown over the relevant period and is consistently good to outstanding.