Most teachers support link between performance and pay - Sutton Trust

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Most teachers support link between performance and pay - Sutton Trust

A survey of teachers by the Sutton Trust has found that three-quarters of respondents believe annual salary increases should be tied to performance. The findings of survey come as the government unveils plans to strengthen the link between teacher pay to pupil performance in the classroom. The vast majority of teachers currently receive extra pay increments every year.

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Survey findings

• As many as 52% felt that teachers should be awarded salary scale points annually, unless they are judged to have performed poorly.
• A further 23% felt that the conditions should be more stringent, and scale points should only be awarded to those teachers who are judged to have performed well.
• 39% of senior leaders were in favour of this most stringent option.
• About two-thirds of teachers felt that performance should be judged by more senior staff, while nearly a half thought that their pupils’ progress and attainment should play a role.

A final word

“I believe the most important thing we can do for our children is improve the effectiveness of teachers. It is right that teachers’ pay should be related to their performance, and they should also be required to undertake professional development if they are not performing at an effective level. We need to strike the right balance between attempting to improve the performance of poorly performing teachers through professional development and our responsibility to safeguard children's right to being taught effectively.” - Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust.

Want to know more?

Title: “School reform, job satisfaction, performance management, and Oxbridge”, by Rachel Cunningham and Karen Lewis, NFER Teacher Voice Omnibus, February 2012 Survey, The Sutton Trust, May 2012.

Survey details: The survey of nearly 1,700 teachers from over 1,200 primary and secondary schools across England was commissioned by the Sutton Trust and carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) as a part of its Teacher Voice Omnibus.

Availability: You can download the 22-page report in PDF format at www.suttontrust.com/research/.

The Sutton Trust was founded in 1997 by Sir Peter Lampl with the aim of “promoting social mobility through education”. It has funded a wide range of “access projects in early years, school and university settings, with a focus on research, policy and innovative practical projects with a system-wide relevance.” For more information visit www.suttontrust.com.