Roles and Responsibilities - HR Function in Schools

1.

Introduction

Governing bodies of Local Authority maintained schools have overall responsibility for the
appointment of staff. However, the headteacher is normally expected to undertake this
function on behalf of the Governing Body. The Local Authority is the employer of staff at
community and controlled schools, while the governors are the employers at aided schools.
The role of the Local Authority and People Management and Development is to provide
advice and support to enable headteachers and governors to carry out their responsibilities
in relation to the employment of staff.
People Management and Development provide a service to schools under the annual
subscription arrangement, and offer advice on the following areas:

recruitment and selection

contracts of employment
pay, benefits and conditions of service
employee relations
change management
employment law

The telephone calls will be dealt with immediately or, where necessary, a named contact
will call back by the end of the next working day. Every effort will be made to respond fully
to correspondence within ten working days, but if this is not possible an acknowledgement
will be sent indicating who is dealing with the matter and, where appropriate, what action
is being taken.
People Management and Development have aimed to set out in this document everything a
school should need to know regarding policies, relevant legislation, conditions of service
and good practice for the employment of staff.
However, there will inevitably be circumstances when a query or problem will arise which
may not be covered, or a particular matter may be the subject of different views of
interpretation. If a school has difficulty with a personnel issue and cannot deal with it
using this guidance, the Authority is here to help and should be contacted. Normally this
will be by contacting a member of the People Management Support team.
However, just as the Authority appreciates the pressures on and within schools, it is hoped
that schools will be aware of the similar demands within the People Management Support
Team. Therefore, it is expected that the relevant section of this guidance will be consulted
in the first instance, before a matter is referred to the People Management Support Team
or another department.
2.

People Management and Development

The role of People Management and Development is to provide a comprehensive range of

People Management services throughout the Authority, including all maintained schools.
This includes the provision of management information, liaison with the trade unions,
health and safety, employee relations and advising on employment law.

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3.

The Role of The Governing Body

It is the responsibility of a governing body to determine a schools establishment of both

teaching and support staff within the schools budget. The governing body also has overall
responsibility for all appointments and dismissals. However, in accordance with the
Education Act 2002, the headteacher is normally expected to undertake this function on
behalf of the governing body.
Technically, the Local Authority is the employer of all staff except in the case of aided
schools. However, the Authority will accept all appointments or recommendations by/on
behalf of a governing body provided they meet the appropriate requirements (which relate
mainly to qualifications, health and the disclosure check).
4.

Delegation

Recruitment and selection will normally be delegated to the headteacher, except for the
appointment of the deputy headteacher / assistant headteacher and support staff with
senior management responsibilities. For these posts, the governing body will elect a
Staffing (or Personnel) Committee which, in turn, will appoint a Selection Panel to conduct
interviews and make appointments or make recommendations to the full governing body.
5.

Teaching Staff

Teachers must be appointed according to the School Teachers Pay and Conditions
Document which is issued annually by the Department for Children, Schools and Families
(DCSF). Full details are set out later in the manual, together with guidance on those
matters where governors can exercise discretion.
A representative of the Director for Adults and Children and an appropriate Adviser are
entitled to attend selection panel meetings (except in the case of aided schools - see
below). However, it is hoped that governors will also appreciate the value of involving
officers/advisers in senior appointments in view of their knowledge and experience.

6.

Support Staff

The schools support staff are all of the non-teaching staff except those staff employed by
an outside contractor.
It is for the governors to decide the numbers, types, duties, pay, working hours and
contractual arrangements for such staff - subject to the provisions laid down by the
National Joint Council for Local Government Services (the Green Book). The Education
Act 2002 requires the governing body to advise the Director for Adults and Children via
the People Management Support Team where support staff are appointed and issues of pay
and grading are not straightforward. This must take place before a formal offer of
employment is made. The Local Authority has the right to make representation if they have
concerns about pay and grading.

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7.

Aided Schools

In aided schools the governors are the employers, not the Local Authority (although
salaries may be paid by the Authority). A governing body, therefore, carries full
responsibility for staff appointments, although the Local Authority offers the same level of
support and advice as for Community and Controlled schools. If governing bodies at aided
schools have adopted the West Sussex Job Evaluation Scheme, and they want to vary the
scheme, they are advised to consult JE team within People Management Support.

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