To ask how much a head of department earns?

[Weallknowfrogsgo]

In a school just in case that wasn’t clear.

dm’s friends daughter just got a role as a head of department in Greater London. Fantastic.

Had one of those convos with dm, you know the kind when the relationship is fractious and toxic and every other comment is a dig lamenting how successful X was v me. I was going to go into teaching but changed my mind. Basis of the dig

i think I’m doing alright, mid 30s earning mid 50s. Out of idle curiosity how much does a head of department earn, google told me about 45k but DM was insistent she was earning around 100k because ‘that’s what head of department earn’

Well-paying private school here (not London). HoDs are on around £55k-£65k.

5 years or so? I don’t know if that’s a while or not?

A head of department does not earn hundred grand even in London, are they working at some top private school?, that’s only where I may happen.

https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/advice/pay-pensions/pay-scales/pay-scales-england.html

No I think it’s a state school

Thanks for posting by all those grades mean nothing to me

It doesn’t bother me as such rather im wondering if I made a life error not teaching lol 😅

Very few people teach solely for the money. I mean, why would you?!

Do you actually want to be a teacher?

Why do you care so much what your mum thinks?

You move up grades on the main scale annually. Then on the upper every 2 years (but you have to apply and I assume you could be rejected - I'm not sure as my school has always accepted my application). So their basic salary will be determined by that and their location. Then a HOD job might pay an additional TLR payment of anywhere from £4-15k (in London). It depends on the subject usually and I guess how desperate the school is to retain talent etc. So you could be on around £75k plus it you have maxed out the upper and are being paid the highest TLR banding (in London).

Ok, so if she's been teaching 5 years then she's on M5. That's how it works.

M5 for Outer London is £42,654. The most likely (average) TLR is Point 2. Which pays between £3,214 and £7,847. They try to pay the minimum often. But let's say, £5,000 for a first HoD role.

So your friends DD is on roughly £47,500.

She's certainly nowhere near £100,000. This is ONE of the reasons there is a recruitment crisis in teaching. It's not very well paid. Particularly for London.

Ok, so if she's been teaching 5 years then she's on M5. That's how it works.

Not if she's been put on Leadership Pay Scale.

58k - non-core subject - small Indie in Surrey

places like Hampton School will have department HoDs on 70k plus given Head is on circa 300k

Is there any reason to suppose she has? The TLR will be offered for the HoD role, but there's no reason to assume they've moved her up to UPS after what the OP believes is about 5 years of teaching.

PP said leadership not UPS - I know friends who’ve gone from M3 to L1-3 rather than continuing up MPS. But it’s certainly not 100k!

58k - non-core subject - small Indie in Surrey

places like Hampton School will have department HoDs on 70k plus given Head is on circa 300k

Is there any reason to suppose she has? The TLR will be offered for the HoD role, but there's no reason to assume they've moved her up to UPS after what the OP believes is about 5 years of teaching.

Leadership Pay Scale is a different pay scale that MPS/UPS and a teacher can be moved onto it at any time.

She’d be very silly to go on to the leadership scale since that also comes with different (worse) terms and conditions. It’s not really worth it, and most HoD that I know stay on the main scale and have a TLR. Nowhere near 100k though.

it was a very natural progression for my quals let’s put it that way, but I got offered more on a private sector grad role so just went with that.

teaching never felt a vocation, I quite literally do what pays the most (within reason of course)

it’s not about my mums opinion she’ll put the boot in regardless, was just wondering if maybe I missed a trick and after 5/6 years working I could too be on maybe 100k (now I know they HoDisnt on 100k however).

I don’t know the pay scales but it’s been about 5/6 years, that’s for sure as we started our careers at v v similar times

The mum is talking utter nonsense

As others have said, your mum is way off.
I’m in outer London in Secondary.
HODs are generally on £50-65k.
Assistant Heads are in the £60-80k range.
Deputy Heads in the £70-100k range.
HTs in the £90-130k ballpark.

No HOD is on 100k in Outer London even if they are paid on the leadership scale.

Depends on many factors.

Size of school, also Inner, Fringe or Outer
Subject - science and maths beat English/Humanities
Whether it's a Leadership post or Upper with a fat TLR

I'd be surprised (although not exactly stunned) to see even Inner Maths/Science on Leadership at more than £75k

Regardless of all this talk about about pay scales, your mum is talking absolute nonsense. Not many Heads/Principals are on 100k. No chance a HoD is on that.

Cobblers.

Most secondary heads don't earn that - in fact I would say you would need to be an experienced head of a very large school or even an executive head to be anywhere near 6 figures

I reckon the person in question is on around 50-55k - depends on the pay scale she is on and what her TLR is worth but as a ballpark for London I think that would be a reasonable guess.

So your mum is way way off - but sounds like that wouldn't surprise you!