What’s the betting that teachers in the 50-plus age bracket will see very little of the performance-related pay increases? Back of the queue with regard to professional development, as headteachers - understandably - seek to retain and motivate younger colleagues, older teachers are conditioned to having low expectations.

Unable to activate pensions before official retirement age, older teachers can now expect to plod on in relative penury. The best that can be hoped for is that performance-related pay may yet bring age discrimination to the fore as an issue in teaching.

Val Whitcombe