Academies: Pay
(asked on 1st April 2019) - View Source
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is being to ensure an equitable ratio in relation to the pay of (a) teaching and support staff and (b) senior management staff in academy schools.
Academy trusts are free to set their own salaries for all teaching, support and senior management roles. However, we expect these to be justifiable and to reflect accurately the role. Trusts are not obliged to follow the statutory system set out in the independent School Teachers’ Review Body; although trusts can choose to follow the terms of the school teachers' pay and conditions document in relation to teachers and school leaders and local government employee designation for non-teaching staff.
The government is clear about expectations on pay for all schools, and not just academy trusts. Where trusts are paying high salaries, the government will publicly challenge trusts and boards to justify themselves. We have been doing so for more than a year; and will continue to do so throughout 2019. The latest published data confirms that only 4% of trusts pay one or more salary over £150,000 and the mean average salary for an academy secondary headteacher is £92,400 and £88,800 for a maintained secondary headteacher. In addition, a recent survey of 1000 academies[1] found that the salary for executive leaders declined in 5 of the 6 categories based on pupil numbers in the trust.