Evaluation of the Key Stage 2 Language Learning Pathfinders

interviews with local authority advisors and teachers and headteachers in the case studysites as the means of data collection.The team established the main cost categories in terms of the Pathfinder as:3.6.4.1. Staff costsIncluding:• Local authority advisor time• Local authority administrative and clerical staff time• Other local authority staff time (e.g. ICT staff, management)• Primary teacher time• Secondary teacher time• Foreign Language Assistant time• School administrative support time• School management support time• Other school staff support timeStaff costs are by far the greatest cost in most educational interventions and were thereforea key factor in this analysis. Staff costs are determined by staff pay and time spent on theproject. Both posed challenges in this context.Staff pay was difficult to collect directly, both due to the high number of people involved inthe project, especially on the teacher side, and to the confidentiality of pay and reward.Salary was therefore calculated as a common mean for all staff in a category. Teachers,school managers and AST salaries were calculated based on the official teacher pay scales.An average teacher was rated as being at scale point 4. Where specific mention was madeof more experienced teachers, upper scale point 1 was used. Management scales wereused for staff identified as such. Headteachers were rated as higher on the management payscales if they were secondary than if they were primary heads. Salary of local authorityadvisors was based on point 20 of the Soulbury grades. Language Assistant salaries werebased on research including contact with schools and heads, and study of jobadvertisements in the Times Educational Supplement. Local authority administrative timewas based on typical secretarial and administrative salaries, as gathered from informants atNewcastle City Council.117