He said: “Within my department I will have people who are not interested in going on to the new pay scale, because they will see the extra pay linked to extra duties and hours and having to justify what they’re doing in a classroom.

“Also, you’ll get two teachers in adjacent classrooms doing the same job for different pay. It’s divisive and I don’t believe it’s good for the profession.”

Mr Hustwit will see his salary increase to pound;31,050, but does not believe the rise compares well with other professions.

His collegue, Hazel Stancliffe, acting head of PE, on scale point 3, greeted the rise more favourably: “It would be nice to get more but I’m getting paid for doing something I like so as long as the money’s enough to live off, I’m not complaining.

“If you are in it for the money, you won’t stay in teaching very long, and if you don’t love it you wont last long either.”

Philip Kendall, headteacher, said he is content with the increase in his pay from pound;48,498 to pound;50,097: “The salary is beginning to reflect some of the responsibility.

“However, apart from the annual cost-of-living increases, I am on the equivalent money that my predecessor was on 10 years ago with 700 pupils and we now have 1,060. And while the new pay arrangements give me scope to increase my salary based on my performance, if there isn’t any money in the budget, it doesn’t matter how well I do.”

He is waiting to see the guidelines for assessment for crossing the threshold.

He said: “I want the best-paid staff I can have so that they will be satisfied and motivated but I need to know for how long the money’s going to come into the school and how long it’s going to be sustained.”

The school has a budget deficit and Mr Kendall said he wanted to avoid having to make decisions on recruiting staff based on their pay.

He said: At present we try not to recruit less experienced teachers.”