TEACHERS as well as Powys County Council’s (PCC) education service and finance staff will be crossing their fingers on December 16.

On that day, they will be hoping that the Welsh Government will give PCC £1.4 million to finance Teaching Learning Responsibilities (TLR) in schools across the county.

If not, then one of the tweaks to the schools funding formula suggested this autumn, could need to be financed in a different way.

TLR means that a teacher has an overall responsibility for a subject or curriculum area or leads pupil development. It entitles the teachers to an increase in pay.

As part of a review of the schools funding formula, the Formula Review Group  (FRG ) believes that an extra £1.4 million needs to be added so that the TLRs are paid.

The review identified that primary schools were benefiting to the detriment of funding in secondary schools.

This was discussed at the Learning and Skills scrutiny meeting on Friday, November 29.

Education consultant, Geraint Rees, said: “There’s one significant bit of need that isn’t in the secondary (school) budget as it is, which is the TLR points for teachers.

“By proposing that, it’s a significant shift in the balance of the budget without causing a famine anywhere else.

“We are hopeful that when the settlement comes through, it is built in. Let’s hope the settlement covers it.”

Cllr Sandra Davies (Labour – Cwm-Twrch) said: “Unless it’s implemented across the county there’s an equality problem.”

Cllr Davies believed that having schools with vastly different staffing and payment structures  could lead to problems in the future.

Ms Thomas added:  “We have schools across the network, with different posts and are paying differently.

“That’s a choice for the governing bodies how they structure their schools.

“But the key point is that all posts of equal status and requirements should have exactly the same level of pay.”

In September, the Formula Review Group (FRG) conducted a review of the new formula.

Their main conclusion was: “There is a bias in the formula towards small primary schools at the expense of secondary schools.”

The report from the FRG noted other possible changes to the 2019 version of the formula.

They are:

Creation of a Teacher Learning Responsibility Allowance – could cost an extra £1.4million which is not budgeted for

Recognition of pupil movement during the year for secondary and primary schools.

Post 16 Grant Funding allocations.

The review recommendations will go in front of PCC’s cabinet for a decision.