WORKING IN UCAT ACADEMIES – AN NUT GUIDE (SEPTEMBER2013)

This guidance document gives a brief overview of employment in University of Chester Academies Trust (UCAT) operated Academies. It sets out information about:

  • University of Chester Academies Trust and its Academy programme
  • The national trade union recognition agreement
  • Pay and conditions of service
  • Employment policies and procedures

The University of Chester Academies Trust operates common pay and conditions for employees and central negotiating machinery, within which the Union negotiates alongside the other recognised teaching and support staff unions. Arrangements have been established within the NUT for consultation and communication with NUT divisions, Academy representatives and members.

Detailed information about pay and conditions of service in Academies can be found in the NUT document Teachers’ Pay and Conditions in Academies: Guidance for NUT Members at

ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER ACADEMIES TRUST

The University of Chester Academies Trust was established in 2010 though did sponsor an Academy in 2009.

The University of Chester Academies Trust website is

UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER ACADEMIES TRUST

At the time of writing the University of Chester Academies Trust had 6 open Academies and 2 due to open. They are:

  • Cheshire West and Chester
  • UniversityCOEAcademy (open Sept 2009)
  • University of Chester Academy Northwich (open Jan 2012)
  • Wallerscote Community Primary School (due to open Jan 2014)
  • Wirral – UniversityAcademyBirkenhead (open Jan 2011)
  • Warrington - UniversityAcademyWarrington (open Jan 2013)
  • Liverpool – UniversityAcademyLiverpool (open June 2012)
  • Staffordshire
  • Maryhill High School (open June 2013)
  • Maryhill Primary School (due to open Jan 2014)

The Trust is also planning to open a free school.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION AGREEMENT

A national recognition agreement in respect of University of Chester Academies Trust came into effect in April 2013. The agreement was signed by the Trust, the teacher unions - ASCL, ATL, NASUWT and the NUT - and the support staff union, Unison.

The agreement provides for national determination of arrangements for pay, conditions of service and working time to apply across all UCAT Academies. It also provides for a joint consultation and negotiation committee in each Academy as well as time off with pay and facilities time for trade union representatives.

The recognition agreement may be found in the pay and conditions>academies section at

PAY AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

In General

All Academies are able to set their own pay, conditions and working time arrangements for newly appointed teachers joining the Academy. In some Academies, pay and conditions arrangements for such teachers are similar or identical to those for teachers in local authority maintained state schools. In others, teachers’ pay and conditions can be very different.

Teachers transferred from predecessor schoolsreplaced by an Academy are covered by the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE). The TUPE regulations provide that, where an Academy replaces an existing school(s), teachers’ previous pay and conditions entitlements transfer. These include statutory provisions on pay, professional duties and working time and national and local agreements on teachers’ conditions of service, redundancy payments and recognition of the NUT as a trade union. Where the Academy is a new institution, however, all teachers are in the first category of newly appointed teacher and no teachers are protected by TUPE.

UCAT Academies

The Trust has agreed to apply STPCD and Burgundy Book arrangements for all its teachers – including newly appointed teachers - across its network of Academies. That would mean that UCAT Academy teachers would be appointed on STPCD pay scales and working-time arrangements and have Burgundy Book provisions in respect of sick pay etc.

Discussions will be taking place on a Trust pay policy for teachers.

EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The Trust wants its own set of corporate HR employment policies and discussions with the

trade unionsare underway.

Pending discussions and agreement on other employment policies, however, predecessor local authority policies will remain applicable to staff transferred by way of TUPE to UCAT Academies.

NUT representatives should have access to these documents via the University of Chester Academies Trust intranet or policy hub when established.

NUT SSEE Dept.

September2013

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