THE gender pay gap for head teachers has widened to the worst level in up to 13 years, new research suggests.

According to the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), the average pay gap has grown to over £8,600 a year, a 6 per cent increase in 2023-24 compared with the previous year.

The gap for secondary school head teachers is now nearly £5,000, the largest recorded in more than a decade, while for primary school heads, women are earning £2,608 less on average than men.

The disparity grows by age and seniority, with female head teachers aged 60 and over now facing an average pay gap of £14,352.

This comes despite women making up the majority of the education workforce, accounting for 77 per cent of teachers and 68 per cent of headteachers.

NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said: “The gender pay gap matters.

“There is an urgent need for the government to act without delay to conduct a detailed pay equality analysis for gender, and all protected characteristics, to begin to try and make headway on tackling this issue.”