A stark and growing pay gap between heads and classroom teachers has been uncovered by a TES analysis.

Teaching unions see the trend as evidence of growing “pay inequality” and say it is due to greater flexibility over pay and the rise of academies. However, heads point to the increasing demands of leadership posts as a justification for higher salaries.

The news comes as TES reveals that the salaries of some multi-academy trust leaders have increased significantly - in one case almost doubling in a year.

In 2000, the average salary of classroom teachers in England and Wales was £23,980 - 64 per cent of the £37,520 average salary of headteachers.

But by 2015 (when the Department for Education collected the figures for England only), classroom teachers in state-funded schools earned just 51 per cent of the average pay of headteachers. This meant they took home £34,600 on average, compared with the £67,300 received by heads.

Dave Wilkinson, a national negotiating official at the NASUWT, said that while his union was in favour of school leaders being paid “fairly”, the growing pay gap between classroom teachers and heads “causes concern”.

A DfE spokeswoman said: “It is vital we have the best people to lead our schools if we are to raise standards and ensure all pupils can reach their full potential.

“That’s why we have given all schools greater flexibility to set staff pay, reward exceptional leaders and attract strong leadership teams to work in the most challenging schools. It is for governing bodies to determine salaries.”

Last November, Department for Education figures said 111 academy trustees - including chief executives and principals - were paid more than £150,000 in 2014-15. The report did not identify the individuals or their trusts, but the DfE gave TES the names of the trusts after a Freedom of Information request, allowing pay information to be extracted from their financial accounts.

The figures below show the remuneration of the top paid trustees of the academy trusts identified by the Department for Education, as stated in their 2014-15 accounts. These figures do not include employer pension contributions.

Academy trust Name Pay 2014-15 (£) Academies Enterprise Trust Ian Comfort 225-230,000 Academy Transformation Trust Ian Cleland 180-190,000 Academy Transformation Trust Joyce Hodgetts 160-170,000 Alec Reed Academy, The Gary Lobbett 150-155,000 Ambitions Academies Trust Brian Hooper 200-205,000 Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, The Sir Christopher Stone 160-165,000 Aspirations Academies Trust Steve Kenning 225-230,000 Barnet City Academy Angela Trigg 150-155,000 Barnhill Partnership Trust, The Robert Lobatto 135-140,000 Baxter College David Seddon 130-135,000 Beal Multi-academy Trust Limited Sue Snowdon 145-150,000 Boston Witham Academies Federation, The Adrian Reed 210-215,000 Bourne Education Trust Alex Russell 160,000 Bradford Academy Trust Gareth Dawkins 153,518 Brampton Manor Trust Dayo Olukoshi 170-180,000 Brentwood Academies Trust Mike O’Sullivan 130-135,000 Bridge Academy, Hackney, The Stephen Foster 145-150,000 Brigantia Learning Trust Limited Christopher French 140-150,000 Brooke Weston Trust, The Andrew Campbell 160-165,000       Burntwood School Helen Dorfman 160-165,000 Cardinal Hume Academies Trust, The Martin Tissot 175-180,000 Carmel Education Trust Maura Regan 155-160,000 Carshalton Boys Sports College Simon Barber 180-185,000 Castle View Enterprise Academy Janet Bridges 135-140,000 Central Learning Partnership Trust Georgetta Holloway 155-160,000 Central Learning Partnership Trust Doug Selkirk 170-175,000 Chingford Academies Trust Mark Morrall 150-155,000 City Academy, Hackney, The Mark Emmerson 150-155,000 City Learning Trust Carl Ward 155-160,000 City of London Academies (Southwark) Richard Bannister 150-155,000 Collegiate Trust, The Sir Mark Grundy 175-180,000 Copleston High School Shaun Common 150-155,000 Cranford Community College Kevin Prunty 170-175,000 De La Salle Academy Trust Principal 150-155,000 Dixons Academies Charitable Trust Limited Sir Nick Weller 185-190,000 Dover Federation for the Arts, The Christopher Russell 150-155,000 E-ACT David Moran 151,500 Education Fellowship Trust, The Johnson Kane 155-160,000 Evolve Trust, The Janice Addison 155-160,000 Exmouth Community College Anthony Alexander 160-165,000 Gateway Learning Community Kevin Sadler 170-175,000 Giles Academy, The Christopher Walls 150-155,000 GLF Schools Jon Chaloner 166,351 Graveney Trust Graham Stapleton 160-165,000 Green Spring Education Trust Mark Keary 180-185,000 Guru Nanak Sikh Academy Limited Rajinder Sandhu 170-175,000 Harris Federation Sir Dan Moynihan 395-400,000 Hatton Academies Trust Victoria Bishop 165-170,000 Hayes School (Bromley) Name not disclosed £140-150,000 (highest paid member of staff) Heath Family (North West), The Heather Mullaney 160-170,000 Hillyfield Primary Academy Steve Lancashire 220-225,000 Holland Park School Colin Hall 190-195,000 Holland Park School David Chappell 140-145,000 Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust Tom Quinn 180-190,000 Howard Partnership Trust, The Rhona Barnfield 150-155,000 Huntingdon Academy (L.E.A.D. Academy Trust) Diana Owen 170-175,000 Inspiration Trust Dame Rachel de Souza 155-160,000 Ivybridge Academy Trust Robert Haring 170-175,000 John Wallis Church of England Academy, Ashford, The John McParland 157,000 John Warner School, The David Kennedy 150-155,000 Joseph Leckie Academy Trust Keith Whittlestone 170-175,000 Kenton Schools Academy Trust David Pearmain 140-145,000 Kesteven and Sleaford Academy Trust Craig Booker 90-95,000 KJS Academy Trust, The Margaret Wilson 150-155,000 Knole Academy Trust Mary Boyle 180-185,000 Laidlaw Schools Trust, The Principal 176,106 Langley Academy Trust, The Rhondri Bryant 150-155,000 Legra Academy Trust Bev Williams 185-190,000 Leigh Academies Trust Simon Beamish 145-150,000 Lion Academy Trust Robert James 165-170,000 Lionheart Academies Trust Hugh Howe 140-145,000 Loxford School Trust Limited Anita Johnson 200-205,000 Macmillan Academy Kenneth Fraser 130-135,000 Maiden Erlegh Trust Peter Thomas 180-190,000 McAuley Catholic High School, The Catherine Brown 100-105,000 (12 month pro rata) Mossbourne Federation, The unnamed 140-150,000 (highest paid member of staff) Ninestiles Academy Trust Limited Christine Quinn 150-155,000 Northern Schools Trust Nigel Ward 170-180,000 Ormiston Academies Trust Toby Salt 180-185,000 Ormiston Academies Trust Nicole McCartney 145-150,000 Outwood Grange Academies Trust Sir Michael Wilkins 200-205,000 Paradigm Trust Amanda Phillips 195,384 Priory Federation of Academies, The Ian Jones 150-155,000 QED Academy Trust Nigel McLaughlin 175-180,000 Redborne Upper School and Community College Nigel Croft 145-150,000 Richard Challoner School Tom Cahill 160-165,000 RightforSuccess Trust Valerie Moore 145-150,000 Rodillian Multi Academy Trust, The Andrew Goulty 190-195,000 Sacred Heart Catholic School Serge Cefai 140-145,000 School Partnership Trust Academies Sir Paul Edwards 185-190,000 Sentamu Academy Learning Trust Andrew Chubb 140-145,000 Shire Oak Academy Trust Gary Crowther 185-190,000 Silver Birch Academy, The Patricia Davies 180-185,000 Slough and East Berkshire C of E Multi Academy Trust, The Paul McAteer 175-180,000 Southfields Academy Jacqueline Valin 180-185,000 Southmoor Academy Philip Ingram 145-150,000 Swakeleys School for Girls Susan Pryor 145-150,000 Swale Academies Trust Jonathan Whitcombe 180-185,000 TBAP Trust Seamus Oates 165-170,000 Thinking Schools Academy Trust, The Denise Shepherd 215-220,000 Thomas Hardye School, The Michael Foley 135-140,000 Tollbar Multi Academy Trust David Hampson 185-190,000 Torch Academy Gateway Trust John Tomasevic 270-275,000 Twynham Learning Terence Fish 130-135,000 Valley Invicta Academies Trust Philip Limbert 165-170,000 Wakefield City Academies Trust Alan Yellup 160-165,000 Whitley Academy Lorraine Allen 135-140,000 Wickersley Partnership Trust David Hudson 180-190,000 Williamson Trust, The Gary Holden 150-155,000 Windsor Academy Trust Keith Sorrell 160-165,000

This is an edited article from the 13 January edition of TES. Subscribers can read the full article here. This week’s TES magazine is available in all good newsagents. To download the digital edition, Android users can click here and iOS users can click here

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