In the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, all salary and allowances under a “pay order” in a maintained school are pensionable. The latest version of the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document can be found on the GOV.UK website (This link opens in a new window).

For other establishments such as academies, all salary, wages, fees and other payments paid under a teacher’s contract of employment are pensionable. Exceptions to this include the payment of bonuses that are not related to a pay settlement that applies to all employees (or employees of a particular class or description) at the establishment in relation to the performance of the individual, or all employees or the establishment.

Neither the Researchers in Schools nor the Maths and Physics Chairs programmes are specifically referenced in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document and there are no plans to introduce a specific reference. Hence, it’s the employer’s responsibility to determine whether each element of pay is pensionable or not. If the Researchers in Schools payments, including the salary uplift payment for Maths and Physics Chairs, forms part of an individual’s teaching contract and is seen as part of their teaching duties, the payment would be pensionable under the regulations. Similarly, if you considered this to be part of an individual’s continuing professional development as a teacher or as a recruitment and retention payment, this would also be pensionable.

If, however, you determine that the Researchers in Schools payment including any salary uplift payment for the Maths and Physics Chairs is a non-pensionable bonus (albeit linked to the completion of certain milestones), you must be satisfied the payment meets the conditions of a non-pensionable bonus under the Teachers’ Pensions regulations i.e. the payment isn’t paid to every person in the establishment or a particular class or description of member.

Please note that if the payments are made under separate contractual arrangements for a researcher, if you determine that the payments aren’t pensionable under the Teachers’ Pensions regulations, you should consider whether contributions are, in fact, payable under another pension scheme, such as the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Should there be any doubt about the position, you should treat the payments as pensionable so that arrears of contributions do not arise in the future. If you determine that the payments are non-pensionable, they must be clear on what basis contributions are not due. You may also need to consider these payments based on the circumstances of each particular case.