‘No ceiling’ to what school leaders can pay teachers under reforms – Phillipson

There will be “no ceiling” to what school leaders can pay their teachers under the Government’s proposed education reforms, Bridget Phillipson has said.

All schools in England will have “full flexibility” on teachers’ pay as part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the Education Secretary has suggested.

It comes amid fears that academies would lose existing freedoms which allow them to offer higher pay to staff.

The Bill, which had its second reading in Parliament last week, aims to ensure all state schools – academies and those run by local authorities – follow the same pay and conditions framework.

Academies, which are independent of local authorities, currently have the freedom to set their own pay and conditions for staff, and some exceed the national pay scales for teachers.

Addressing the Education Select Committee, Ms Phillipson said there had been “confusion” and “worry” over how the Bill will affect teachers’ pay.

When asked whether a headteacher will be able to pay a teacher above the maximum threshold for their grade under the plans, the Education Secretary said: “Yes, because there will be a floor but no ceiling.”

Patrick Spencer, Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, told Ms Phillipson that was “not clear” within the explanatory notes or the Bill.

Addressing MPs on the committee on Wednesday on the plans for pay in the Bill, the Education Secretary said: “We want a solid floor for all teachers working across the profession with clear expectations about what it means to be a teacher so that every school has the freedom to innovate and go beyond.

“I think it’s become clear to me there’s been some confusion and some worry about what I’ve said in this area so today I want to be absolutely clear that all schools will have full flexibility to innovate with a floor and no ceiling on what that means.

“Because we all know the challenges that schools across the country are facing at the moment around recruitment and retention, but that innovation, that flexibility, that excellence – much of which we have seen within the academy system – I want to be available to all schools.”

The Education Secretary was also challenged over the Government’s decision to apply VAT to private school fees – which came into effect earlier this month.

Caroline Voaden, Lib Dem MP for South Devon, asked how the VAT policy could affect state schools if children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) who are still waiting for a formal education health and care (EHC) plan are removed from private schools and placed in the state system.

Ms Phillipson said the Government has “looked at all of the potential impacts”.

Caroline Johnson, Conservative MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, asked whether the Education Secretary was concerned by reports that children have had to move from private to state schools during exam years because of the policy.

“We believe the impact to be minimal,” Ms Phillipson told MPs.

She added: “I would hope and expect that schools in those situations will be seeking to bear down on costs to parents to make sure that they are available to their communities that they wish to serve.

“But their fees have gone up year on year, way beyond inflation, and they have, frankly, priced themselves out of the market for lots of middle-class parents.”