TLR payments

Overview

TLR payments can be given to classroom teachers for taking on additional responsibilities. You might be a teacher interested in seeing how much you will be awarded, want to find out how to qualify for TLR payments or might be concerned if your TLR can be taken away. 

In this article, we provide an overview of TLR payments and if you are an Edapt subscriber you can contact us for further advice and support.

We’ve also published the following articles which provide an overview of the teacher pay scales and how performance-related pay works for teachers in maintained schools.

You will also want to check your own school’s pay policy on how TLR payments operate in your own setting. It should include the number of posts with TLR payments and the specific amounts of those payments.

What are TLR payments? 

Information about how Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payments work can be found in the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) published by the Department for Education (DfE)

TLR payments fall into three categories. 

TLR1 and TLR2 are awarded to teachers undertaking sustained additional responsibility. 

• TLR1 payments range from £9 272 – £15 690 (for sustained additional responsibilities, with line management responsibilities for a significant number of people) 
• TLR2 payments range from £3 214 – £7 847 (for sustained additional responsibilities)

TLR3 payments are awarded for teachers who are taking on a time-limited school improvement project or one-off responsibility.

• TLR3 payments range from £639 – £3 214 (fixed-term payments for time-limited school improvement projects or one-off externally driven responsibilities)

How do I apply for a TLR payment?

Essentially you will need to apply for a job which has a TLR attached to it.

Only classroom teachers can receive TLR payments. So members of staff who are lead practitioners or in the leadership group cannot receive TLR payments. You will also need to be a qualified teacher and TLR payments cannot be awarded to support staff.

Before awarding any TLR, the relevant body (your school) must be satisfied that the teacher’s duties include a significant responsibility that is not required of all classroom teachers and that is:

• Focussed on teaching and learning
• Requires the exercise of a teacher’s professional skills and judgement
• Requires the teacher to lead, manage and develop a subject or curriculum area; or to lead and manage pupil development across the curriculum
• Has an impact on the educational progress of pupils other that the teacher’s assigned classes or groups of pupils
• Involves leading, developing and enhancing the teaching practice of other staff

Most of the time, teachers are promoted to roles which have a TLR attached to it. Examples of TLRs can include Key Stage Coordinators, CPD and research leads to whole-school subject leads. Your job description should outline the responsibilities involved in the TLR. 

We’ve published another article which looks at how schools internally recruit roles.

Can teachers hold more than one TLR?

The STPCD explains that a teacher cannot hold a TLR1 and a TLR 2 concurrently, however, a teacher in receipt of either a TLR1 or a TLR2 may also hold a concurrent TLR3.

Can my TLR be taken away?

TLR1 and TLR2 payments should be permanent while you stay in the same post. If you are allocated to a new post or receive revised responsibilities, your school will determine whether the TLR payment is still appropriate. 

Your TLR does not automatically transfer across if you move to teach at another school. We’ve written another article which looks at the topic of pay portability. 

The STPCD includes information on salary safeguarding for some teachers who might lose their post because of staff restructuring or reorganisation. It explains that those teachers affected:

“Shall be paid the difference between an allowance to which they were entitled prior to the event or events in paragraph 29.1(b) occurring and any lower allowance of the like kind which the teacher is to receive to take account of the event or events.”

It also explains that TLR1s and TLR2s awarded to teachers employed under a fixed-term contract or whilst they occupy another post in the absence of a post-holder must not be safeguarded after the fixed-term contract expires or the post ceases to be occupied.