Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms

ACAS - Advisory and Conciliation and Arbitration Service is an independent body which publishes several Approved Codes of Practice on industrial relations and processes, as well as giving advice on statutory obligations and non-statutory best practice.

Blue Book - otherwise known as the STPCD, is the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document.

Burgundy Book - is the National Conditions of Service for Teachers in England and Wales

Directed Time - is the time a teacher has to be available to be directed by the headteacher in a school. The limit is 1265 hrs spread reasonably across the 195 days of the school year. This is regardless of whether a teacher is actually directed or not, it is the 'availability' which determines directed time. The limit applies to all teachers on MPS and UPS but not Leadership scales.

ET/EAT - Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunals are legal processes and are the ultimate arbiters in industrial employment disputes. Their findings determine much of what is known as 'Caselaw'.

Green Book - is the National Joint Council agreement on pay and conditions for local authority employees and is usually adopted by Academies for support staff. It is sometimes referred to as the 'Single Status Agreement'.

JCNC - is a Joint Consultation and Negotiation Committee, set up between employers and employee Trade Union representatives to aim to agree policies and pre-emptively avoid potential disagreements or conflicts.

Lilac Book - is the broad equivalent of the Green Book for support staff in Sixth Form Colleges.

Red Book - is the broad equivalent to the Burgundy Book for teachers in Sixth Form Colleges.

TURA - is a Trade Union Recognition Agreement, made between employers and Trade Unions. Ideally it will include setting up and holding JCNC meetings, as well as agreement on Facilities Time for Trade Unions.

Last Updated: January 2025