Schools criticised for City-style bonuses

State schools have been criticised for offering City-style salaries to staff after it emerged one headmaster has received £130,000 in bonuses over two years.

Hank Roberts, a geography teacher at Copland Specialist Science Community College in London, wrote to schools secretary Ed Balls complaining that staff at the comprehensive had received bonsues amounting to £1m over the last seven years.

Head teacher Alan Davies secured an £80,000 bonus last year and a further £50,000 in 2007 on top of an approximate £100,000-per-year salary.

Roberts told the Association of Teachers and Lecturers conference yesterday: "The sickness of the bonus culture has spread into state-funded schools."

Secretary of state for children, schools and families Ed Balls refused to comment on Copland specifically, but said in principle he supported the idea of rewarding heads through bonuses, where appropriate.

Indravadan Patel, Copland's chairman of governors, said Davies deserved the bonuses for attracting £300,000 in sponsorship and £2m in finance towards a new school building.

Salaries in England and Wales are set on a national scale, from £37,000 for the head of a small primary in the provinces to £107,000 for the head of an inner London comprehensive.