Carrie Andrews, 25-year-old Year 3 and 4 NQT at Christ Church Cof E junior, Bristol earning pound;19,023.

“We should get more than inflation. They don’t take into account how much work we take home. Six years ago I was doing admin for an insurance company. Now after going to university, as a teacher I am only on a couple of thousand more.”

Alex Wilkinson, 48, head at Christ Church C of E junior, Bristol, earning pound;46,614: “Pay is a crucial issue for leadership recruitment but not for classroom teachers. I have not heard people moaning about pay in the staffroom since the days of Keith Joseph. The issue now is much more to do with workload. But leadership pay has to go up - it is a matter of market forces. There are only one or two people applying for each leadership vacancy. It is not about equality, it is about differentials.”

Mike Everett, deputy head of science at Honywood school, Colchester, Essex, said: “Two per cent is going to do nothing to recruit and retain teachers.

Workload is important but the headline thing that will attract them in is pay. I would be interested in working out this supposed 15 per cent increase in our wages we have had since 1997. It does not feel like that.”

Sadie Pyke, 25, Year 3 and 4 NQT at Christ Church C of E junior, Bristol, earning pound;19,023: “I would like to see more regionalised pay. At the moment I am looking to buy a house, which is a lot dearer down here than in other parts of the country, but teacher wages are all the same outside London.”

Jayne Wright, 45, advanced skills Year 5 and 6 teacher at Christ Church junior, Bristol, earning pound;32,934:

“I think teachers might well lose heart if we don’t get more than inflation.I don’t think we are particularly well paid for what we do. We work very long hours and... think we more than earn our money.”

William Stewart and Stephen Lucas