HC Deb 08 June 2000 vol 351 cc348-9W
Mrs. Organ

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the starting salary for(a) a newly qualified teacher and (b) a further education college lecturer in England. [124171]

Ms Estelle Morris

A newly qualified teacher with a second class honours degree or above starts at £16,050 pa; others start at £15,141 pa. If they work in London they also receive London allowances ranging from £591 pa to £2,316 pa. All schools can make additional payments to teachers to address recruitment and retention difficulties. From 1 September 2000 these allowances will range from £909 pa to £3,765 pa.

It is for each college in the further education sector to decide the salary of its staff. The Sixth Form Colleges' Employers' Forum recommend a minimum starting salary of £15,412 for teachers in Sixth Form Colleges who have a second class honours degree or better.

Mrs. Organ

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the maximum pay for(a) a qualified teacher in England and (b) a further education college lecturer, on average, in England. [124172]

Ms Estelle Morris

The pay reforms that we are introducing from 1 September introduce two pay ranges for teachers. The maximum that a classroom teacher can earn purely by incremental progression is £23,958 pa. However, they will then be able to apply for "threshold assessment" and if successful will move to an upper pay range which starts at £25,959. They will have the prospect of moving through four further points, subject to strong performance, to a maximum of £30,018 pa. Classroom teachers may also receive other payments on top of their basic pay. These include: London allowances ranging from £591 pa to £2,316 pa; recruitment and retention allowances ranging from £909 pa to £3,765 pa; management allowances ranging from £1,485 pa to £9,573 pa; and special educational needs allowances ranging from £1,515 pa to £3,000 pa.

It is for each college in the further education sector to decide the salary of its staff. Statistics on average salaries of further education staff are not held centrally.