Gender Pay Gap

The reportable information is prepared by the Trust’s payroll providers, HROne and the HR Team are responsible for analysing the data and ensuring relevant actions are undertaken.

The Trust operates as an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate as defined by the Equalities Act 2010 when recruiting, managing performance and providing continuous professional development opportunities and career progression.
The Trust adheres to the Teacher Leadership Pay Scale, Teacher Main Pay Scale and NJC Support Staff Scale Points for all school positions. There are quite considerable challenges in the way the sector’s pay and conditions are negotiated nationally that impact our sector.
Below are the outcomes of our gender pay gap analysis and the report that is required to be published on the Trust website.

Trust Gender Pay Gap Data for 2023 Reporting Period

This report is based on data as at 31st March 2023 At that time St Christopher’s CofE (Primary) Multi Academy Trust employed 576 staff across 19 academies and a central team who are responsible for educating approximately 3700 pupils.

2023 data for gender pay gap reporting across the Trust shows that the mean gap has marginally increased since last year but reduced for the median gap.

Mean Gap Calculation:

For each quartile, the mean hourly pay for women is subtracted from the mean hourly pay for men. This is then divided by the mean hourly pay for men and multiplied by 100 to give the mean gender pay gap in hourly pay as a percentage of men’s pay. The results for each quartile are as follows:

Upper Quartile

Upper Middle Quartile

Lower Middle Quartile

Lower Quartile

Analysis

505 employees are female (87.7%) with 71 employees being male (12.3%). The Trust has a female CEO, with 128 female employees in the upper quartile. The Trust also has a higher proportion of female workers in each quartile overall. Of the 71 males employed, 38 (53.5%) are in the upper quartile which therefore distorts the overall gender pay gap.

Whilst the Trust does not have variation in pay between employees performing the same like for like roles, proportionally more men are in teaching and leadership roles across the Trust than in the lower paid support staff roles. The distribution of women employees across the four quartiles is more consistent. Females employed in the upper quartile have increased this reporting period. This creates a gender pay gap when considering whole workforce data.

The above data shows that females average a higher pay in the upper middle and lower middle quartiles. There is a shift from the previous year in the lower quartile where more males have been employed in this reporting period into jobs captured in that quartile.

For several reporting years, the data shows males earn more than females in senior roles. However, in comparing like roles within the organisation in the upper quartile, the mean gap reduces. In this reporting period the overall mean gap in the upper quartile is lower when compared to previous years.

In considering the Trust data on gender and pay rates, the Trust noted that the Department for Education ‘School Teacher Workforce’ data reports that teaching is a female dominated occupation. The data they publish shows that the school workforce is becoming even more female dominated with the proportion of men in teaching roles in primary schools having declined. In 2022/23, the teaching workforce was 76% female. The Trust data aligns to this report, although to a greater extent.

Challenges around pay, workload, wider terms and conditions and budgetary pressure nationally, impacts the number of employees being retained in the education workforce. This is supported in the following research:

• Teacher wellbeing index: Mental health and wellbeing research (Education Support)
• Working lives of teachers and leaders – wave 1 (Gov.uk)

The Trust recognises that for some roles in education, more females apply to the sector due to attractive working patterns and caring for family and this is reflected in some of the quartile data, where more men than women work in these roles within the organisation.

The Trust seeks to maximise opportunities for all employees, regardless of gender, through its recruitment processes and inclusive flexible working policy. There has been an increase in some males working in the lower quartiles within the data and the Trust has seen the evidence of this in recruiting to roles such as Teaching Assistant and Caretaker.

In our position as a multi academy trust, it is acknowledged that under TUPE processes the Trust has no control over existing staffing when schools join the Trust. TUPE has applied as a measure in this reporting period where an additional school joined the Trust in October 2022.

Action Planning
The following are actions to address the gender pay gap:

• Through the monitoring of data, particularly in relation to career progression and development, leaders are to be supported to recognise unconscious bias and how to overcome this in recruitment and selection processes. A programme of training in this area will be developed
• Maximise opportunities within policy and procedure to attract, retain and develop the workforce through the provision of a range of HR led workforce measures. The People Strategy supports this activity, which includes a focus on EDI, wellbeing and a comprehensive training offer
• Foster a culture of continuous professional development and career pathways
• Maximise opportunities to offer family friendly policy. For example (but not exclusive to) Shared Parental Leave, Flexible Working

Please note: Several credible research sources are considered as part of our ongoing work including:

• Closing the gap in education: A leadership imperative (naht.org.uk)
• New guidance to help employers close gender pay gap (Gov.uk)
• Gender pay gap reporting: Understand what it is, if you need to report and why (CIPD)
• Equality Human Rights website
• Gender pay gap in the UK (Office for national statistics)