£20,000 for new London teachers

A newly qualified teacher starting in a London school will earn more than £20,000 from April, Education Secretary Estelle Morris announced today.

The deal, which sees both salaries and London weighting rise by 3.5 per cent, means that a teacher who has worked for five years will be earning more than £30,000 for the first time.

The inflation-breaking agreement is an acknowledgment of the difficulties schools in the capitals have faced recruiting and retaining staff. Unions, however, may warn the salaries are still not enough to compete against other professions, and attract people back into the job. From April, a newly qualified teacher will earn £20,733, including the London allowance of £3,105. Outside London, the starting salary is £17,628.

A teacher of five years' standing or more will earn £28,851 plus the extra £2,148 given to most qualified staff.

Ms Morris said: "Our mission to raise standards demands the highest quality of teachers. That's why I'm increasing salaries to help schools recruit and retain the teachers that schools need to offer all pupils a world-class education." She said the new awards would mean that a teacher could now expect to get to the top of the main scale and earn £25,746 by the age of 27 or even earlier in some cases.

She made it clear, however, that the Government would expected improved standards in return, adding: "We are determined to remodel the teaching profession with improvements that will not be met by money alone."

The deal may fuel concern that above-inflation public sector pay rises will lead to tax increases. The Treasury has not ruled out raising tax to improve public services.