Most of the new additions to The TES latest education pay survey are consultants and advisers drafted in by ministers to raise school standards.

The highest entrant is the soon-to-be-appointed head of the new National College of School Leadership who can expect to earn a six-figure salary. The Prime Minister has said the job will go to a headteacher.

Also in the money are performance pay assessors who will earn up to pound;375 a day - far more than even the best teacher can earn through PRP.

Overall, excluding academics, Sir Michael Bichard, permanent secretary at the Department for Education, tops the pay charts. Not far behind come FE principal Eddie McIntyre, of Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies, and Chris Woodhead, the chief inspector. Education Secretary David Blunkett only just makes the top 10.

TOP CATS: MORE THAN pound;80,000

Sir Michael Bichard, top DFEE civil servant, up to pound;168,910.

Eddie McIntyre: FE college principal, up to pound;119,000.

Chris Woodhead, chief inspector, pound;118,354. Plus up to 10 per cent performance-based bonus.

Independent school head, up to pound;100,000.

Director, National College of School Leadership, pound;100,000 Director of education, London up to pound;100,000.

David Gibson, Association of Colleges’ chief executive, pound;94,120.

Nick Tate, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, pound;92,926.

Chief education officers for the shires up to pound;92,925.

Education Secretary David Blunkett, pound;90,991.

Principal of a sixth-form college up to pound;83,000.

Peter Smith, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, pound;82,253.

Doug McAvoy, general secretary, National Union of Teachers, pound;81,195.

David Hart, general secretary, National Association of Head Teachers, pound;81,000.

Estelle Morris and Tessa Jowell, ministers of state, pound;80,359.

Ralph Tabberer , Teacher Training Agency chief executive, pound;80,000. Plus a performance bonus of up to 10 per cent.

SLIM PICKINGS: UNDER pound;20,000

New teacher,pound;15,500.

Primary learning assistants, up to full-time equivalent ofpound;12,000.

Classroom assistant, up to pound;11,330.

Nursery nurse, up to pound;11,083.

School secretary, up to pound;10,300.

Secondary caretaker, pound;10,188.

Primary caretaker, pound;9,876.

School cleaner, pound;4.47 per hour.

THE COMPLETE PAY PICTURE

NEW JOBS

Director, National College of School Leadership, pound;100,000.

Advanced skills teachers, up to pound;42,981.

Performance-pay regional co-ordinators, up to pound;40,000 plus car (assessors up to pound;375 a day).

Literacy co-ordinator, up to pound;31,000.

GOVERNMENT

Education Secretary

David Blunkett pound;90,991.

Estelle Morris and Tessa Jowell, ministers of state, pound;80,359

Education junior ministers:

Margaret Hodge, Malcolm Wicks, Jackie Smith and Michael Wills, pound;72,319, including their salaries of pound;47,000 as MPs.

Baroness Blackstone, education minister in the Lords, pound;64,426.

Civil servants:

Michael Bichard, permanent secretary DFEE,pound;98,400-pound;168,910.

Michael Barber, DFEE up to pound;82,650.

Executive officer pound;15,822.

Admin assistant pound;10,023.

OFSTED AND QUANGOS

Chris Woodhead, chief inspector pound;118,354.

Ralph Tabberer, Teacher Training Agency chief executive, pound;80,000.

OFSTED lay inspector for a day in school pound;200-240.

OFSTED subject inspector pound;220-250 per day.

Nick Tate, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, pound;92,926.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

( Average max basic salaries.)

Education director (London) pound;78,863.

Education director (shires) pound;74,819.

Education director (metropolitan) pound;65,096.

Education director (unitary authority) pound;62,264.

UNIONS

Doug McAvoy, NUT general secretary, pound;81,195.

Peter Smith, general secretary, ATL, pound;82,253.

David Hart, general secretary, NAHT, pound;81,000.

Nigel de Gruchy, general secretary, NASUWT, pound;69,183.

John Dunford, Secondary Heads Association general secretary, pound;59,000.

Jonathan Baume, general secretary, First Division Association, pound;53,253.

Kay Driver, general secretary, Professional Association of Teachers, pound;50,956.

NASUWT assistant general secretary pound;51,500.

Paul Mackney, general secretary, NATFHE. pound;51,480.

NASUWT regional officials pound;35,000.

JimHudson, executive president of Primary Plus. Nil. Organisation only launched last year.

SCHOOLS (STATE)

Secondary head up to pound;72,312.

Deputy secondary head up to pound;46,320.

Primary head, estimated average pound;40,000.

Classroom teacher up to pound;30,018 - after Sept 2000.

Secondary department head:

Small department pound;26,097.

Medium department pound;28,179.

Big department pound;30,057.

Newly-qualified teacher pound;15,500.

State-school support staff:see Slim Pickings table

SCHOOLS (INDEPENDENT)

Salaries vary enormously. Staff in boarding schools will generally be paid more.

Heads pound;40,000 to pound;100,000 often including accommodation, a car, health insurance and children’s school fees.

Top independent teacher can receive 15 per cent more than an equivalent state teacher. However pay in some smaller, less prestigious private schools can be much less that state-school salaries.

Independent school bursars Schools with 700-plus pupils: boarding pound;46,000-pound;67,000, day pound;38,000-pound;53,000.

Schools with 100-300 pupils: boarding pound;31,000-pound;45,000, day pound;22,000-pound;31,000.

COLLEGES

AOC chief executive, David Gibson, pound;94,120.

College principal pound;32,000-pound;119,000.

Sixth-form college principal pound;32,000-pound;83,000.

Top FE lecturer up to pound;29,712

ACADEMICS

(1999 figures)

John Quelch, dean of London Business School, pound;252,000.

Sir Stewart Sutherland, vice-chancellor of Edinburgh, pound;149,000.

Highest new university vice-chancellor: Leslie Wagner, Leeds Metropolitan, pound;141,000 - an increase of 1.4 per cent on the previous year.