The pay levels of school business leaders may lead to a mass
exodus from the profession with half considering leaving their
role in the next three years, a survey from the Association of
School and College Leaders warns.
The survey, of 728 members of staff employed across a range of
business leadership roles in schools and colleges in England and
Wales, found that:
- 88% respondents are members of the
senior leadership team (SLT)
- 70% of respondents feel that their
pay is below that of senior leadership colleagues
- 50% of respondents are considering
leaving their role in the next three years
Emma Harrison, Business Leadership Specialist at the Association
of School and College Leaders, said: “Business leaders play vital
roles in the running of schools and colleges, often holding major
responsibilities and having a significant workload that is
particularly complex in nature. Despite this, there is a real
sense that business leaders feel undervalued compared to other
members of leadership teams. Business leaders have specialist
knowledge that is not easily replaced and the fact that so many
are considering leaving their role represents a real risk for the
sector.
“It’s disappointing and obviously unfair that business leader pay
is often below that of senior colleagues, but it is symptomatic
of the fact that there is no national pay framework for business
leaders. We would encourage employers to undertake a pay review
for all staff working in business leadership roles, to ensure
their crucial role is appropriately recognised and remunerated.
However, the long-term solution is clearly for business leader
pay to be aligned with leadership pay in the School Teachers’ Pay
and Conditions Documents and for schools and colleges to be
funded sufficiently to ensure staff pay awards are always
affordable.”
ASCL will use the findings of this survey as part of evidence to
be submitted to both the School Teachers’ Review Body and the
Independent Welsh Pay Review Body, to press the case that
business leader pay should be included in the School Teachers’
Pay and Conditions Documents.
