Pay levels of school business leaders may lead to mass exodus

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(@ASCL_UK) 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% of 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.