Head Teacher earning 200k (inc bonuses)

[TheAnimus]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/10612765.stm

So there is a bit of a Daily Mail going on about this Head who by all accounts took a school that was bottom of the league to comfortably in the top in only a few years. Whilst its obviously not all by his own doing, he was the person who would have been held accountable for its failure if it had. He has obviously been able to create an environment where teachers are able to flourish and students learn.

That 200k is peanuts in the saving that would be made by just a few of the children that will have say avoided the interaction time with the police and criminal justice system.

It seams like he has done a stand up job, and imho a one off bonus of £100k probably doesn't do it justice alone, if the school is still thriving with him at the helm 5 years later, another 50k+ (discounted) should be in order. Then hopefully he will be able to hand over the reigns to someone less gifted and turn round another school, £200k is a bargain for that.

[DeludedGuy]

I voted yes.

However, I would like to know how many other great headteachers have done an equally good job and how much have they been paid...just so we could compare.

[scaryjim]

Hmm, not sure - I don't know enough about the Challenge project fundings to say. Sounds like he's done a good job, sure - but without knowing more about what the extra bonuses are meant to be for and what he actually *did* to earn them, I don't think I can vote on your poll. Is it really worth an extra 66% on top of your normal salary just for doing your job well? *shrug* obviously the LEA / Government think it is!

One thing I am surprised at, though, is that he got almost £10k in "out of hours" pay - at £82k I would've thought that he'd be well beyond the point of getting any overtime type pay. Once you get over about £23k in local government you don't get *any* overtime pay, regardless of when you have to work.

[TheAnimus]

selling holiday?

[Lee H]

I actually agree with TheAnimus for once... Shocking - someone give me a slap

[Salazaar]

It's one of those things that's very hard to assess. If the children in his care got £200k worth of education as a result then sure he's worth it, if not then perhaps the money would have been better spent elsewhere.

But how do you measure the value of a good education in a meaningful way...?

[scaryjim]

*shrug* dunno. That's a lot of holiday if he can get £10k for it - did he not take any holidays at all last year?!?

[IBM]

Totally worth it. Actual remuneration for the year around £140,000 for looking after 400 kids...I'd happily pay the actual £200,000 for a headmaster of that calibre.

Shocked by the number of plebs commenting on the news this morning saying things like 'I'm part of an ambulance crew earning £18k, why am I paid so little?'. The fact that you can't figure it out is why you're paid so little.

Headteachers have huge financial and administrative responsibilities, in addition to the ridiculous pressure they're put under from the government and the parents. To think that £200,000 is excessive is predictably small minded.

[jim]

By the sounds of it, the £100k came from a national scheme, not just his school.

So if it was for work above and beyond his standard remit at the school he ran, of course he deserves money. And if he was that much of a benefit to the scheme, then obviously he earned his £100k.

No problem with it myself, based on what I've seen thus far.

[matty-hodgson]

Now he needs to go to my old school, the school that went from the top 2% in the country to the bottom 5% in the country in 1 year, all because it became an academy and not a school, therefore money was the main priority and not education. So glad I don't have to go back in September .

W000T, awesome school!

[Kata]

If you do a great job, you should get great pay, simple! What we are missing is the docking of pay for those who are crap at their job...

[jim]

When it comes to teaching, being struck off would be a better option imo.

[nichomach]

The guy's actual pay for the Head's job was about £83k. He got another £100k odd for a two-year stint effectively doing another job on top of that one helping improve a bunch of other schools. Oh and £20k back pay and expenses. Should he get that? Hell, yes. He's earned it.

[badass]

That 200k is peanuts in the saving that would be made by just a few of the children that will have say avoided the interaction time with the police and criminal justice system.

That alone is justification for his salary. He's probably saved the community millions and the livelihood of many children through turning a crap school into a good one.

[TAKTAK]

Weirdly, add me the the yes camp...

AFAICS he's gone out of his way to do other work on top of his normal job, to which he has accrued satisfactory remuneration..

We need to encourage more people like him, that would benefit the country, £200,000 is peanuts compared to what he has saved for the country...

[finlay666]

I haven't voted based on the vagueness of the question.

In this circumstance, absolutely deserving of the remuneration. I would say it does depend on the situation however