Commentary on Sections and Schedules Teachers' Pay and Conditions Section 123: Order under section 122: scope
259.This section sets out some specific matters which the orders under the previous section may cover. It is not an exhaustive list. An order may confer discretions on LEAs or governing bodies. It may also confer a function on the Secretary of State or on another person who has agreed to carry it out. This may cover matters such as assessments or the exercise of a discretion. In practice this would include arrangements such as those relating to threshold or fast track assessment. An order may also require that any guidance issued relating to such matters is taken into account. Appeals rights may also be set out in an order.
260.Orders may also enable a teacher's pay to be set with regard to qualifications, experiences, duties, skills or previous salary, though this does not exclude other factors from being taken into account. The reference to previous salary is to make clear that there are, for example, powers to safeguard teachers’ previous teaching salary in certain specific cases where they have moved to other posts, such as where there are statutory school closures or reorganisations. Limits on payments may be set and certain provisions may be applied to certain schools. For example, there are at present special arrangements for calculating the pay of head teachers of special schools.
261.Retrospective provision is allowed by order under this section, but not so as to reduce a teacher's remuneration, or alter a teacher’s conditions of employment to his or her disadvantage, prior to the order. Orders may also specify that certain matters are not to be treated as remuneration, or related to professional duties or working time. This will enable it to be made clear that certain conditions of employment should be determined locally.