Question for primary heads and NQTs / new-ish teachers re salary

[roaringwater]

I apologise for doing the very un-British thing of asking a direct question about pay, but I would really like to hear about other people's experiences.

Heads - do you always, always, without fail, start NQTs on M1? If not, under what circumstances would you start them on a higher salary point?
At the end of a very successful NQT year (think outstanding obs, only teacher on staff graded outstanding by OFSTED, children making accelerated progress), are there any circumstances in which you would 'leapfrog' from M1 to a higher pay point?

NQTs / newish teachers (especially anyone who has come into teaching with prior school experience and / or school-based ITT) - did you start on M1 or a higher salary point? If higher, what were the reasons for this?

I hope you don't object to me asking - thought it was better to do so via a relatively anonymous forum rather than it being general school staffroom chat!!

Many thanks for anything you can tell me.

I have know secondary physics and maths teachers start on a hight point. Nothing to do with the quality of their teaching but because there are not many of them around.

I started primary on m3. Not sure why. Think it was because I had a language/was older/had taught tefl. This was years ago mind!

I know a couple of maths and business teachers who have started on M3 after prior experience in industry.

I've been aware of NQTs being put on M2 because of previous relevant experience or qualifications, such as a Masters. An outstanding training year alone would unlikely to be enough, IME, but there is no harm in asking.

My DH started on M3 as an NQT. This was because: he had a PhD in the subject he was teaching, he was a mature entrant with several years of relevant experience (teaching in higher education) before he started teaching secondary, and because he's clearly awesome in every way.

He didn't even have to negotiate for it, that's what they offered him straight out! Maybe he should have argued for M4 or M5!

Thank you. This is really helpful.

A few of us on our pgce were offered M2 or M3 on getting our first jobs-generally for previous relevant experience or accepting a job in a challenging school. This was nearly 20 years ago though.

At my school-virtually nobody got an incremental pay rise this year due to the deficit budget so I can't imagine an nqt being offered higher unless the school is desperate (which would make me question working there)!

Ask to see the pay policy
Some schools will give a point for previous relevant experience, higher qualifications or even a pgce

But your best bet might be to negotiate directly as good nqts are in short supply