HC Deb 19 July 2004 vol 424 c101W
Mr. Collins

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his Department estimates to be the average salary cost in 2004 to(a) schools, (b) his Department and (c) local education authorities of (i) a newly qualified teacher, (ii) a teacher with five years' experience in teaching and (iii) a teacher nearing retirement. [183156]

Mr. Miliband

The salary costs of the majority of teachers in schools are met by school budgets. There are no additional costs to local authorities. The Department for Education and Skills provides special grants to meet the cost of teachers who pass the performance threshold and contributes to the cost of performance pay awards. In the financial year 2001/02 the performance threshold grant totalled £436,703,000 and the performance pay grant totalled £19,887,000.

At 31 March 2002, the latest information available, the average salary of a newly qualified full-time entrant to the maintained school sector in England and Wales was £17,870. The salary for full-time qualified teachers with five years service was £25,310 and for full-time qualified teachers aged 55 to £59,32,890. These figures are for all grades and include all allowances. Employer national insurance and pension contributions are excluded: for the average salaries above the contribution rates are 13.9 per cent. for new entrants, 14.6 per cent. for those with five years experience and 15.3 per cent. for those aged 55 to 59. The normal age for the retirement of teachers is 60.

This information is based on data from the Database of Teachers Records which is maintained primarily for pensions purposes.