13 May 2005
The National Association of Head Teachers wants bigger pay awards for senior teachers than those made to their classroom colleagues.
In its submission to the School Teachers' Pay Review Board, the union said pay for heads, deputies and assistants should address the recruitment problem for the top jobs.
The 'very narrow pay differentials' between heads and classroom teachers was exacerbating the problem of finding suitable people to fill jobs, said the NAHT. It claimed that during the first two months of this year, re-advertisements for headship jobs were running at 20%.
Deputy head teachers in a typical primary school will be paid between £34,000 and £37,000 per year. Assistant heads' salaries range from £33,000 to £36,000.
However, the NAHT notes that classroom teachers who have reached the top of the performance-related pay structure would earn £32,628 by September 2005. With extra teaching and learning responsibilities, that can reach as much as £34,900, claimed the union.
NAHT general secretary David Hart said it was 'absolutely crucial' that the STRB made separate pay awards later this year. 'Pay differentials between school leaders and the rest of the teaching profession have been shot to pieces,' he said.
The STRB will report this autumn on the next round of pay awards. These will come into effect from September 2006.
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