The rules for determining headteacher pay are set out in the STPCD. We summarise these rules below.
The STPCD applies to headteachers:
- In maintained schools
- Whose employment transferred to an academy at the point of conversion and whose terms have not since been renegotiated
If your school is an academy, you may choose to follow the STPCD when setting pay and conditions for new headteachers, but you don't have to.
Schools that don't follow the STPCD should consult their contracts and pay policies for details of how headteacher pay should be determined.
Understand the leadership pay range
Headteachers must be paid on the leadership pay range. In 2023, this is between £47,185 and £139,891 per year depending on location (though the pay range for headteachers starts at £53,380 – see details on pages 11 and 12 of the STPCD).
The 'headteacher group' – the broad pay range for