BUCKINGHAMSHIRE headteachers say the recent pay award from the Government will do little to tackle the problem of recruiting and retaining teachers.

The Government announced its pay bonanza on Tuesday with teachers and deputies seeing a pay increase of 3.5 per cent, and an average rise for heads of six per cent from April 1.

This means a newly qualified teacher's pay will rise from £13,362 to £13,830, an increase of nearly £500 a year, with a senior teacher taking home £23,193, an increase of nearly £800 from £22,410.

The pay settlement brought greater benefits to primary school heads who will see a 9.5 per cent rise from £30,651 to £31,725 from April and to £33,552 from September.

Secondary school heads will see a rise from £54,552 to £56,460 from April and £57,570 from September.

Ken Lennon, headteacher at Chartridge County Combined School, Cogdells Lane, Chartridge, Chesham, said: "I don't think the pay award is going to change the situation or attract more teachers into the profession. The incentive has not been presented in the same way for teachers as it has been for nurses.

"The pay award is something the current teaching force in the country will have varying views about depending on where they are."

Nigel Cook, headteacher at The Disraeli Combined School, in Garratts Way, High Wycombe, agreed: "The Government needs to address recruitment and retaining staff issues that are quite acute in South Bucks."

Doug McAvoy, general secretary of the 195,000-strong National Union of Teachers, slammed the pay award: "The Government seems determined to push teachers towards industrial action.

"The 3.5 per cent will do nothing to overcome the problem of teacher recruitment. It will do nothing to overcome the problem of teacher shortages."

A spokesman for Buckinghamshire County Council said the council had only: "Budgeted for a three per cent rise but it has been set at 3.5 per cent.

"We don't know how that is going to be funded until the end of the month. We are going to have to meet that additional expense which is £500,000. Our overall budget is for £310 million. It is just a question of finding out what money comes through from Government."

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