Anyone who has worked in a school will be familiar with announcements like the new teacher pay settlement we heard about yesterday. At 5:15 on a listless Tuesday just before the end of term, some SLT member you’ve never seen but who is apparently new and very highly paid rushes in, presents a half-baked solution (expected two months ago) to a chronic problem, blames its shortcomings on unavoidable circumstances and then leaves you to deal with the consequences.
You almost have to admire James Cleverly’s efforts to cosplay a harassed school leader while enjoying a six-figure ministerial salary and openly disavowing comprehensive education. Unfortunately, the DfE’s pay offer solves none of the problems that are pushing teachers like me out of the workforce, and it will do little to attract bright and ambitious graduates to the public sector over the private one.
