School Teachers Review Body's 20th Report

Monday 9th May 2011 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Education (Michael Gove)]

The 20th report of the School Teachers Review Body (STRB) is being published today, making recommendations on the matters referred to it in October 2010. These were whether there should be a limit on the value of discretions that can be applied to head teachers’ pay and on a pay uplift for those unqualified teachers who earn £21,000 or less. I am grateful for the careful consideration which the STRB has given to these matters. Copies of the STRB’s 20th report are available in the Vote Office, the Printed Paper Office and the Libraries of both Houses, and online at

http://www.education.gov.uk and http://www.ome.uk.com/.

The STRB has made recommendations concerning limits on the discretions that can be applied to head teachers’ pay; and processes to ensure a focus on effective governance and rigorous justification for rates of pay which reflect the nature and degree of challenge required for a head teacher’s post.

I am grateful to the STRB for these recommendations which, subject to consultees’ views, I intend to accept.

The STRB has recommended that a non-consolidated payment of £250 should be made to those unqualified teachers who earn £21,000 or less; that the £250 is pro-rated for part-time unqualified teachers; and that consultation should seek to identify a simple and cost-effective method of payment.

As indicated in my statement of 21 March 2011, subject to consultees’ views, I intend to accept these recommendations.

My detailed response contains further information on these issues.