Action call by teaching union over heads' pay bonanza

Teachers' leaders have called for openness over pay after it was revealed that a primary school head received £276,000 for a year's work.

Concerns were raised that many headteachers could be earning massive salaries.

Mark Elms, head of Tidemill Primary School in south-east London, was given a remuneration package of 276,523 for 2009-10 including employers' pension, according to an analysis of Lewisham Council's accounts.

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Another head, Jacqui Vallin, head of Southfields Community College in south-west London, was handed a 20,594 (11.4 per cent) pay rise to take her salary up to 198,406 in 2009-10, a Wandsworth Council report shows, while Paul Dick, executive headteacher of both Kennet School and Trinity School and Performing Arts College in West Berkshire, was given a package worth 175,364.

The figures come just days after it was revealed Education Secretary Michael Gove is considering proposals to cap headteachers' pay so no head would be able to earn more than the Prime Minister, who receives 142,500 following a pay cut.

The general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, Chris Keates, said the issue had been "raising growing concerns" for years.

"The coalition Government's recently announced proposal to impose a cap so that heads can't earn more than the Prime Minister is grossly wide of the mark of what is required," she added.

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" There needs to be publication of headteachers' pay and rewards, proper scrutiny by local authorities and a detailed review of the system by the School Teachers' Review Body."

The general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), Dr Mary Bousted, said there were concerns that semi-independent academy schools are exempt from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests – which means their staff salaries are kept secret.

Academies are free to pay staff what they wish, and it has been claimed academy heads are highly paid.

Dr Bousted said: "There needs to be a properly worked out framework for teachers' pay and the same for leadership. There needs to be controls and checks and balances."

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A total of 11 London headteachers were found to be earning more than 150,000, according to the GMB union, who released all the figures,

Around 100 headteachers across England are thought to be earning more than 150,000, it has been reported.