Academy trust executive pay

The government has announced plans to control academy trust executive pay.

From September 2026, trusts will need to seek government approval before advertising roles over £174,000, or awarding performance-related bonuses over £25,000. However, the £174,000 rule will only apply to new appointments, advertised from 1 September 2026. The pay of incumbent chief executives will not be cut.

Annual increases for executives will also be brought in line with the wider school workforce, meaning executives will not be able to receive pay rises higher than those set for classroom teachers.

Education Secretary Bridget Philipson is reported as having said: “It’s also right that classroom teachers are not seeing executive pay rise faster than their own – or set at excessive levels in the first place – so tighter controls will mean unjustifiable exec salaries become a thing of the past, helping level the playing field for school staff and drive every pound towards classrooms.”

However, Leora Cruddas, the chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, is reported as criticising the changes, which she said the government “appears to have rushed into…without consulting with school trusts to understand their impact”.

She went on to say that while trusts must be careful with the money they received from the government, the cap harmed trusts’ ability to recruit and retain strong leaders.