The gender pay gap in bonuses being paid by Ofsted to its staff has widened significantly in the past year, according to new figures published today.
A report from the inspectorate says that an overall reduction in the number of bonus payments being issued by Ofsted has contributed to a widening of the gap between payments going to men and women.
The average bonus gender pay gap for Ofsted staff in 2024 was 53.9 per cent in favour of men - an average difference of £136.
This is more than a ten-fold increase in cash terms compared to the 2021 figure, where the average difference was £13.50 (a gap of 2.1 per cent in favour of men).
The overall mean gender pay gap for Ofsted has also widened, according to the report.
In 2024, it was 5.8 per cent in favour of men, up from five per cent last year and 3.6 per cent in 2022 and 2021.
‘Affordability pressures’
The gender pay gap is the difference in the average earnings between all men and women in an organisation.
Ofsted said that its average pay gap for bonuses has increased “significantly” and highlighted the impact of “affordability pressures”.
The report said that in previous years, Ofsted has “sometimes offered a flat-rate end-of-year award to all eligible colleagues.” It said that this meant that the proportions of men and women receiving an award were consistent.
In 2023-24, the awards were given via individual nominations from in-year reward schemes, rather than a flat-rate approach.
“Due to affordability pressures, the budget allocated for in-year reward schemes was reduced in 2023-24,” Ofsted said in the report.
This led to a lower volume of awards, particularly for non-senior civil servant staff, the inspectorate added.
As a result, single awards have a greater impact on the overall average. More male senior civil servant (SCS) staff received higher pay awards, which Ofsted said “drove up the average bonus for men”.
The impact of budget pressures on Ofsted more widely has been raised before by both the school inspectorate itself and former chief inspector Christine Gilbert, who conducted an independent review of the watchdog last year.
Ofsted action to address gender pay gap
Ofsted has said that it is taking actions to address the gender pay gap in the 2024-26 period, according to the report.
The school inspectorate will monitor and analyse its use of in-year and end-year reward schemes, and carry out recommendations to “reduce the variance between awards and amounts across business areas and grades”.
It will also ensure its recruitment materials “appeal to a diverse audience”, such as having “diverse visual representation” and “inclusive language” across all recruitment content.
Ofsted said it is also developing a new approach to equality, diversity and inclusion, under which “we will bring all our activities together into one place”.
Ofsted’s report said that its spot rate pay model, where a single salary is set for each grade, supports equal pay for equal work.
It added: “By not having pay ranges, we avoid the pay inequality that can arise from the ability to negotiate salaries or from linking pay to length of service.”
Ofsted has been approached for a comment.
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