Ted says

This is a growing problem which is likely to increase as schools try to find ways of beating recruitment problems. Most teachers are used to the decades-old career structure, with national pay scales and agreed levels of extra pay for extra responsibilities. In recent years a “market forces” approach has appeared, with pay, in theory, related to performance.

The threshold assessment process, under which 97 per cent of teachers were awarded a pound;2,000 bonus if they met certain criteria, was one example of this. “Performance management” will be another, as teachers will soon be considered for the next round of bonuses. Schools’ ability to vary what they pay teachers will inevitably lead to the kind of situation you describe: those in a strong bargaining position will be most successful in negotiating higher salaries.

Few teachers have spotted a major development, the notion of “earned autonomy”, currently being discussed in Parliament. It means schools that are doing well (and that could be most) will be able to vary teachers’ pay and conditions “to provide even greater recruitment and retention initiatives”. Many headteachers are unhappy about the potentially divisive effect of such schemes.

You are rightly concerned about fairness, so one step you could take is to ask for the issues to be discussed at a staff meeting. Teachers and the school’s management can then be clear what is involved and what principles might inform decisions. Your union will also have a view about these matters at national and local level, so talk to a local officer.

You say

Find out the ground rules

If this is a successful school, it seems to have doubtful appointments and pay procedures. With teachers in short supply for some subjects, schools and governors must have clear procedures for appointing teachers and deciding pay.

You don’t say who has given you this information, but it is clearly unfair and there are several avenues open to you. Talk to your union rep - they are often extremely knowledgeable and effective. Talk to one of the teacher governors. He or she should have an intimate knowledge of what goes on at meetings and who is on the personnel committee. Ask for a copy of the staff appointments and salaries policy. All governing bodies have to produce one and the rules should describe clearly what happens. Ask to talk to a member of the senior management team. Have the new staff been told they’ll get paid only if their A-level results are better than last year’s? I doubt it. And finally, threaten to leave. If you’re being treated like this it can’t be a pleasant environment.

Primary head, York

Why should teachers be a special case?

In industry people are rewarded according to results. So achieving better A-level results would seem an incentive for this. It may not be fair - but that’s life.

Iain MacInnes, Spain, email

Heads’ hands are forced

No, it’s not fair, and it’s not right. A school should have a salaries policy, and should stick to it. To do anything else weakens the collegiality and sense of fairness vital to loyalty and teamwork. Market forces and performance-related pay act against those qualities - good performance has always been rewarded in schools by promotion, not by bonuses awarded on grounds that are unclear or driven by shortages.

Still, that’s easy to say. What can heads do? At present, many are unable to attract any applicants for posts, let alone good ones. What seems to be happening in your case is that one criterion has been used to attract subject leaders in two shortage areas, while to achieve parity of pay the established head of department is being challenged according to a different criterion. That can’t be right. If the head can promise to find money for A-level results, he or she should be able to do so on grounds of fairness. If money could not be found for either reason, that would be a different issue.

No one’s winning here, and it’s galling to hear ministers trumpeting the foreseeable end of shortages and increased funding when the problems are actually getting worse.

Bernard Trafford, Wolverhampton

Retention is as important as recruitment

Talk of golden hellos is greeted in staffrooms with resignation or leaden resentment - but then so too are pigeon holes filled with cover slips, a trail of temporary staff, bigger classes, an increasing workload and worsening student behaviour. Recruitment inducements are a fact of life, although they push up the wages bill and reduce the school’s flexibility to reward current staff. There are no easy answers, but there may be some simple questions. Does your school’s recruitment policy address retention? If so, does it include strategies for developing staff?

And what about the pay policy? Does it have guidelines for problems such as yours? Ask your union rep or a teacher governor to help. While pay is tied to performance, it’s not directly linked to short-term exam success.

Finally, is this a school you want to work in? We can now shape our careers. We all want to stay in schools that value us and look after our futures as well as those of the children.

Anonymous, email

Coming up: too good for new job

“I’m writing to you in anger after attending an interview for a job at the same level as my present post.

I was told I’d performed well but that I was ‘over-qualified’ for the post. I do not feel this is a good reason and am left confused and frustrated.”

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