UNION bosses have slammed proposals to abolish national pay scales for teachers.

The pay deal will mean there will no longer be annual pay rises based on years of service – but instead rises will depend on performance.

As happens already with senior staff, this progression through the pay scale will depend on annual appraisals.

The intention is to make it easier for heads to recruit and reward the most talented staff and to respond more flexibly to local needs.

The School Teachers’ Review Body says pay increases in England and Wales should be based on annual appraisals.

But the idea has been attacked by teaching unions, with one saying it would be ‘a disaster for children’s education’.

Simon Jones, national executive member for the National Union of Teachers said: “With the profession under such continual attack and criticism, the mandatory national pay scales are one of the few things that have kept the profession attractive.

“Removing incremental progression and linking pay ever closer to appraisal will anger teachers.

“It is children who will suffer when the profession is unable to recruit and retain teachers.

“Together with the NASUWT, we represent nine out of 10 teachers who will be appalled by these proposals.”

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of Schools and College Leaders (ASCL) said: “A move to local bargaining has the potential to cause massive destabilisation in an unregulated market distracting school leaders and governors from their core focus on teaching and learning.

“As teachers and school leaders already have performance related pay, the claim that they receive automatic pay rises is incorrect.

“School and college leaders and governing bodies take very seriously their responsibility to lead and manage performance related pay progression properly and are already accountable to Ofsted for doing this.”