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Headteacher pay progression

Understand how headteacher pay is determined and see an example pay progression policy.

Last reviewed on 19 October 2023See updates
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 43709
Contents
  1. Headteacher pay progression is decided by the governing board
  2. Pay decisions must be linked to performance
  3. The final decision must be ratified by the governing board
  4. See an example pay progression policy
  5. Learn how leadership pay is determined 

The rules for determining headteacher pay are set out in the Governance Handbook and the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD).

Headteacher pay progression is decided by the governing board

Your school’s governing board has a statutory duty to appraise the performance of the headteacher and give recommendations on pay.

Your governing board must:

  • Maintain, update and implement a robust pay policy, which must fully comply with relevant legislation including the STPCD
  • Consider annually whether or not to increase the headteacher’s salary (and by how much), as long as the headteacher has been employed for a full year since the previous pay decision was made

Your governing board can choose to delegate headteacher appraisal to a sub-group (as outlined in the Governance Handbook, section 6.6.6). If it wants to do this, the process must be clearly laid