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What is a Foreign Language Assistant?
How much will it cost?
Chinese Language Assistants FAQs
How to apply
Contacting your assistant and other essential admin
Making the best use of your assistant
How to help your assistant with money matters
How much will it cost?
Details on the costs of employing a FLA

The cost of employing an assistant will depend upon where your school is located in the UK.  Below you will find all the information you need to know about covering the cost of your assistant.


ESSENTIAL POINTS TO NOTE ABOUT EMPLOYING YOUR ASSISTANT

Assistants are contracted to work 12 hours a week; up to 6 additional hours per week can be negotiated directly with the assistant on a pro rata basis.

It is not possible to offer an assistant a lower allowance in return for fewer hours. The amounts below are the agreed minimum allowance stipulated by the UK education departments. They would not be able to survive on anything less.


Whilst we accept applications for assistants from boarding schools, we recommend that the assistants’ opportunities to make friends outside school and travel around the country are not restricted by excessive duties or weekend working and that any reduction in allowance in return for free accommodation is seen to be fair and calculated with local levels of rent payment in mind.

Assistants from non-EU countries may not extend their weekly timetable of 12 hours. Please contact the British Council which has delegated authority to grant permission on behalf of the Home Office.

Please click on the relevant section below to find out more information on the FLA allowance across the UK. If you would like to find out how the allowance is calculated, you may download the FLA Allowance Calculation.

If you require further information about the cost of employing a foreign language assistant please contact us.
FLA SALARY FOR ENGLAND (2012-13)

Period of appointment for all FLAs (except those from China):
1 October to 31 May (8 months/for the standard 12 hour week)

Period of appointment for Chinese Language Assistants (CLAs):
10 September 2012 to 30 June 2013

Gross monthly payment  - £879.00

Standard hourly rate - £16.74 (any hours worked above the standard 12 hours must be pro rata)

Total cost for FLAs- £7,030 (outside of London and exclusive of National Insurance contributions).
Total cost for CLAs - £8,513.64 (outside of London and exclusive of National Insurance contributions)

NB The standard monthly FLA allowance for FLAs in England has been confirmed. It will stay the same as last year.  

The hourly rate is calculated as follows:

Total payment of £7,030 divided by 35 weeks = £200.86

Weekly payment of £200.86 divided by 12 hours = £16.74

If your school is in London your assistant must be paid an additional allowance (see below).
ADDITIONAL ALLOWANCES FOR FLAS ALLOCATED TO LONDON

Inner London

Cost of allowance over 8 months - £1,811.00

Total cost - £8,841.00 (exclusive of National Insurance contributions)

Gross monthly payment  - £1,105.00

Standard hourly rate: £21.05

If you are employing a Chinese assistant, the official period of appointment is 10 September to 30 June, therefore the total cost to a school in Inner London will be £10,702.80

Outer London

Cost of allowance over 8 months - £1,321.00

Total cost - £8,351.00 (exclusive of National Insurance contributions)

Gross monthly payment  - £1,044.00

Standard hourly rate: £19.88

If you are employing a Chinese assistant, the official period of appointment is 10 September to 30 June, therefore the total cost to a school in Outer London will be £10,111.68.

London fringe

Cost of allowance over 8 months - £462.00

Total cost - £7,492.00 (exclusive of National Insurance contributions)

Gross monthly payment  - £936.00

Standard hourly rate: £17.84

If you are employing a Chinese assistant, the official period of appointment is 10 September to 30 June, therefore the total cost to a school in London Fringe will be £9066.24
FLA SALARY FOR NORTHERN IRELAND (2012-2013)

Period of appointment for all FLAs (except those from China):
1 September to 31 May (9 months)

Period of appointment for Chinese Language Assistants (CLAs):
10 September - 30 June

Gross monthly payment  - £879.00

Standard hourly rate - £16.90

Total cost - £7,909 (exclusive of National Insurance contributions).
Total cost for CLA - £8,436.40 (exclusive of National Insurance contributions).

Your assistant may start in August or stay up until the end of June. This must be by mutual agreement and at additional cost.
FLA SALARY FOR SCOTLAND (2012-2013)

Period of appointment for all FLAs (except for those from China):
1 September to 31 May (9 months)

Period of appointment for Chinese Language Assistants (CLAs):
10 September 2012 - 30 June 2013

Gross monthly payment - £879

Standard hourly rate (for any extra hours worked over the standard 12/week ) - £15

Total cost - £7,911 exclusive of employers' National Insurance contributions.
Total cost for CLA - £8,436.40 (exclusive of National Insurance contributions).

Your assistant may start in August or stay up until the end of June. This must be by mutual agreement and at additional cost.
FLA Salary for Wales (2011-12)

Period of appointment for all FLAs (except those from China):
1 October to 31 May (8 months)

Period of appointment for Chinese Language Assistants (CLAs):
10 September to 30 June

Gross monthly payment  - £879.00
Standard hourly rate - £16.74

Total cost for FLAs- £7,030 (exclusive of National Insurance contributions).
Total cost for CLAs - £8,436.40. (exclusive of National Insurance contributions)

NB The standard monthly FLA allowance for FLAs in Wales has not yet been confirmed for 2012-13 although it is likely to be similar to the allowance in 2011-12.  


The hourly rate is calculated as follows:

Total payment of £7,030 divided by 35 weeks = £200.86
Weekly payment of £200.86 divided by 12 hours = £16.74
SHARING YOUR FLA WITH OTHER SCHOOLS

If you are not able to offer 12 hours, you should attempt to find a partner school which can share the costs and timetable. Assistants may be shared between a maximum of three schools provided travel arrangements are reasonable and you are able to reimburse additional travel costs.

Possible options

Your assistant works for 2 hours in your school and 10 hours in a local secondary school.  You would pay £1,172* and the secondary school would pay £5,858*

You share an assistant equally with two other local schools, four hours each.  Cost per school £2,343.33*

Any other combination of primary and/or secondary schools, as long as the assistant works in no more than three schools and works a minimum of 12 hours per week.

*Plus National Insurance contributions and London Weighting if appropriate.

** Please note that these figures are based on England and Wales salary rates, for Scotland and Northern Ireland, please see above.

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