Schools are allocated posts of responsibility based on a points rating. The management authorities of each individual school have discretion as to the allocation of duties to individual postholders, and in practice, schools assign posts for educational, administrative and pastoral duties including, of course, duties associated with anti-drugs education.
Following the conclusion of the PCW agreement, the following additional posts of responsibility will be created in second level schools.
A Posts (renamed assistant principal posts) 1,200 approx.
B Posts (renamed special duties teacher posts) 270 approx.
The current annual allowance in respect of A and B posts of responsibility is £2,934 and £1,298 respectively. As there are 763 second level schools — 1996-97 school year — the estimated total cost of one additional A post for each school is £2,238,642. An additional B post for each school would cost £990,374.