Joint proposal for pay review

ASCL has put forward proposals for improving pay arrangements of school leaders, in a joint submission with the NAHT to the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB).

These include a differentially higher award for the leadership group and the discretion to make additional payments to reflect the additional roles and responsibilities of executive heads, leaders helping other schools in various ways, extended services and the Every Child Matters agenda.

Both ASCL and NAHT believe that it is essential to make changes to the pay arrangements for the leadership group this year. The submission states that: "the prime issue is the continuing difficulty of recruitment, particularly to headship, and the imbalance between accountability, risk and pay.

"We welcome the review of school leadership and the roles and responsibilities of the leadership group, however, the outcomes of that review will not be available in time to impact upon the ever-growing burdens upon school leaders.

"If the STRB, in accordance with the remit, recommends a multi-year pay award, this may be the last opportunity before 2011 to make essential changes to leadership group pay arrangements."

The ASCL/NAHT submission is in addition to the joint submission by the Rewards and Incentives Group (RIG). For copies, go to www.ascl.org.uk and members' area/consultations.