Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median salary of primary school head teachers in England in each year since 1996–97 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation.

The tables attached reflect median pay for classroom teachers, headteachers and ‘other leadership’ teachers. Deputy heads are grouped into the ‘other leadership’ category, alongside assistant heads. Median pay is not published for deputy heads separately but has been produced for this response and included.

Statistics for median teacher pay extending back to 1996/97 are not readily available. The available time series goes back to 2010/11, the first year of the School Workforce Census.

These figures are adjusted for inflation by using the Consumer Price Index from Office for Budget Responsibility Economic and Fiscal Outlook from March 2026, on a financial year basis.

Headteacher pay in maintained schools is determined by a calculation set out in the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document. Once the school has been allocated to one of eight headteacher groups, largely based on size of school by pupil numbers, the individual salary range of the headteacher is determined by the governing body within the minimum and maximum of the respective headteacher group range. The salary range of any deputy or assistant headteachers is then determined in the context of the headteachers salary.

In exceptional circumstances, schools can pay their headteachers up to 25% above the maximum of their headteacher group or go beyond 25% if supported by an independently-assessed and approved business case.