Bonuses for teachers in tough schools

Teachers could receive loyalty bonuses worth £4,000

Head teachers in struggling secondary schools have been promised extra money to tackle staff shortages.

Schools which have failed inspections or which have a reputation as a tough place to teach have faced particular problems with recruiting staff.

This package is only part of what is needed if we're to crack the teacher recruitment problem across the whole country

David Hart, National Association of Head Teachers

And as part of a wider £32m funding boost announced by the School Standards Minister Estelle Morris, there will be extra money for 500 "low attaining" schools to recruit and retain staff.

This could involve "golden handcuff" bonuses of up to £4,000 a year to encourage teachers to stay - and extra money for higher salaries to recruit new staff.

When combined with other allowances and staff retention payments already in place, this could be mean teachers receiving over £7,000 in addition to a "standard" salary.

Speaking at the North of England Conference in Bridlington, Ms Morris said that the government had a record of "sustained investment in improving teacher recruitment", which was beginning to reverse a long-term decline in applications.

But she acknowledged that there would be schools in difficulty - and promised that the government would work to help any schools or local authorities facing particular problems.

'Not enough'

But head teachers' leaders have given only a guarded welcome to the proposals, arguing that extra cash for a limited number of schools does not tackle the underlying problem of a lack of teachers.

"It is good as far as it goes but it is not enough. The shortage of specialist teachers in secondary schools spreads from Cornwall to Northumberland," said John Dunford, general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association.

"This package is only part of what is needed if we're to crack the teacher recruitment problem across the whole country," said David Hart of the National Association of Head Teachers.

Four-day week

While there have been longstanding plans for extra funding for underperforming schools, reports this week of a teacher shortage threatening to force a four-day school week have pushed recruitment to the top of the agenda.

Essex County Council has written to the education secretary warning that unless the supply of teachers increases there is the risk of pupils being sent home.

And the latest figures for students entering teacher training showed a 16% downturn compared with the same time last year.

But the government has repeatedly rejected warnings of an impending staffing crisis, saying that there are 7,000 more teachers than two years ago.

And the long-term picture for recruiting students into teachers shows an increase, says the government, with a new television advertising campaign expected to encourage applications.