THE extra money being provided to allow for progression on the leadership and upper pay spines is welcome and shows an intent to address an important issue. It has distracted national attention from the funding shortfall faced by many schools following the introduction of the new six-point main scale.
This sees pay rises of around the 3.7 per cent mark in April being augmented by assimilation to the new pay spine giving increases ranging between 8.6 and 15.74 per cent. Effectively this means that schools are being asked to fund real salary increases for the next financial year of between 6.5 and 10.7 per cent.
Our headteacher members are disappointed to learn that the extra funding to schools announced by the Chancellor is intended not to be a cash sum that could be put towards meeting these costs, but rather a 20 per cent increase in the direct capital funding grant.
Hopefully, the minister will address this when announcing full details of the extra funding promised by the Chancellor.
Peter Lawrence National Primary Schools Association Oak Farm junior school, Hillingdon
