JNC - SC16 Appointment of Staff 03 09 24
Renfrewshire Council · 3 September 2024
Back to Renfrewshire Council Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff — 3 September 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Agenda Item .......... Renfrewshire Joint Negotiating Committee for Teachers To: Renfrewshire Joint Negotiating Committee for Teachers On: 3 September 2024 Report by Head of Education Standard Circular 16 (a) The Appointment of Senior Promoted Staff in Primary, Secondary, and ASN Schools (b) The Appointment of Senior Teachers, Assistant Principal Teachers and Principal Teachers in Primary, Secondary and ASN Schools (c) The Appointment of Teachers to Permanent Basic Grade Posts 1. Background 1.1 We are updating a number of our Standard Circulars that have not been reviewed for some time. To ensure an open and transparent approach to this we would like to make members aware of this work. Standard Circular 16 gives general information and guidance about the appointment of teachers to permanent posts. 2. Recommendation 2.1. Members of the JNC are asked to support this policy being updated as it has not been reviewed since 2001.
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Revised Standard Circular 16 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Standard Circular 16 July 2001 July 2001 Education and Leisure Services Cotton Street Paisley PA1 1LE To: Heads of all Educational Establishments Dear Colleague SCHEME FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF TEACHERS TO PERMANENT POSTS This circular gives general information and guidance about the appointment of teachers to permanent posts. 1. Renfrewshire Council aims to be an equal opportunities authority. The general aim of its equal opportunities policy is to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment than any other on grounds such as race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion, age, sex sexuality, marital status or disability. No job applicant or employee should be disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justified. 2. Permanent teaching posts in Renfrewshire are normally advertised nationally through the public press. Temporary vacancies may be filled without national advertisement. 3. Application for posts can be made by any teacher who is registered with the General Teaching Council. 4. Renfrewshire Council operates a job-sharing scheme for teachers. 5. A school job description and person specification will be prepared for each post. These will correspond with nationally agreed duties and standard Renfrewshire job descriptions, copies of which are available in all schools. 6. Full account will be taken of the professional qualifications, the length and nature of the teaching service, registration with the General Teaching Council and the relevant experience of each candidate. Renfrewshire Council
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_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Standard Circular 16 July 2001 July 2001 -2- 7. The authority will fulfil its statutory obligations in relation to the filling of promoted posts in denominational schools. 8. Recommendations for appointment to posts will be made by appointment committees. The membership of these committees is described in the appropriate standard circular for each category of post. Each appointment committee includes a representative of the director of education and leisure who will monitor those parts of the selection process in which he/she is involved. Any concerns expressed by the director’s representative which cannot be resolved at the time will be considered by the head of support for learning. No appointment can be confirmed until the matter has been resolved. 9. In addition the director of education and leisure, or any other officer of the education authority nominated by the director, is entitled to take part in any of the proceedings of an appointment committee as an assessor but will not have a vote at any stage in the proceedings. At interview an assessor would be entitled to ask questions of candidates and to make comment on candidates at the discussion stage. 10. Canvassing of a member of an appointment committee, whether directly or indirectly, shall disqualify the applicant from consideration for the post in question. 11. Appointment committees, other than in exceptional circumstances, may not consist solely of members of one sex. 12. Members of an appointment committee (including assessors) must declare in advance to the director of education and leisure, any relationship or close friendship with any of the applicants which to an outsider could suggest bias which might be a factor in any judgement made during the selection process. The director of education and leisure will then assess what action is required. Failure to declare an interest will be regarded as a serious breach of council policy. 13. Application for posts must be made on the appropriate form. Applications will normally be submitted through the candidate’s head teacher in order that the appropriate report can be attached by the head teacher to the application form. Reports on candidates who are head teachers of schools in Renfrewshire will be written by the director of education and leisure or his/her nominated senior officer. Reports on applicants from another authority will be obtained from that authority. Applicants who are not employed in a school should submit a report from an appropriate person. Applicants may also submit a copy of one testimonial. 14. Renfrewshire Council is committed to a policy of openness and accountability in keeping with which all applicants must be given a copy of the appropriate report form written about them and must have the opportunity to discuss it with the appropriate member(s) of the council’s staff.
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_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Standard Circular 16 July 2001 July 2001 -3- 15. Preparing for an interview itself can be a valuable learning experience for candidates. All candidates who are interviewed will have the opportunity, should they so wish, to discuss their performance at a later date with the head teacher or one of the authority’s representatives on the appointment committee. 16. The authority will continue with a training programme for all officers who are regularly involved in the selection process. The eventual aim will be to ensure that all staff involved in the selection process will have had appropriate training. Elected members of the authority and school board members will be encouraged to undertake appropriate training. Yours sincerely SHELAGH RAE Director of Education and Leisure IM/EJ/BA/LG July 2001