Major academy trust “not paying TLRs to any of its subject leaders,” union warns

Kernow Learning Multi Academy Trust said the payments were "not financially viable or common practice" in primary education.

An academy trust running 21 primary schools is not paying any Teaching and Learning Responsibility payments to its subject leader teachers, a union has been told by the chain’s leadership.

Kernow Learning Multi Academy Trust, which runs the academies in Cornwall, told a local paper this week that it was “not financially viable or common practice” in primary education to offer the payments for subject leadership, though unions have said teachers’ national contracts say they should be paid.

The news emerged as part of an ongoing dispute at one of the trust’s schools, although the TLR payment issue is not a major part of the disagreement, which centres on communication and wellbeing.  This dispute was ramped up this week, as the National Education Union announced 10 more days of strike action next term, though it added that talks were ongoing.