This paper offers a critical discussion of Performance Related Pay (PRP) for teachers in Britain in the 1990s. It defines the concept and outlines the case made for PRP in public sector services. The reports of the School Teachers’ Pay Review Board (STRB) over the period 1992–8 are used to trace the discussion in respect of teachers. The principal performance measures, quantitative and qualitative, recommended by the STRB for PRP purposes are critically examined. A concluding section examines why there is broad political support for PRP. It also argues that the political attractions of PRP for teachers should not obscure the difficulties of implementing such a policy.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Adamson, J.
(1930) English Education 1789–1902.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
2.
Ball, S.J.
(1990) Politics and Policy-Making in Education: Explorations in Policy Sociology. London: Routledge.
3.
Bowring-Carr, C.
(1996) ‘Inspecting by the Book’, in J. Ouston, P. Earley and B. Fidler (eds) OFSTED Inspections: The Early Experience. London: David Fulton.
4.
Brehony, K.
and Deem, R. (1995) ‘School Governing Bodies: Reshaping Education in Their Own Image’, Sociological Review43(1): 81–99.
5.
Cannell, M.
and Wood, S. (1992) Incentive Pay: Impact and Evolution. London: IPD and NEDO.
6.
Carroll, H.
(1992) ‘School Effectiveness and School Attendance’, School Effectiveness and SchoolImprovement3(4): 258–271.
7.
Carvell, J.
(1998) ‘Blunkett in the Lead on Teacher Pay’, Guardian, 21July.
8.
Cutler, T.
and Waine, B. (1998) Managing the Welfare State: The Politics of Public SectorManagement (Text and Sourcebook). Oxford: Berg.
9.
Department for Education and Employment
(1996) Education, England and Wales: The Education (School Information) (England) Regulations 1996. London: Department for Education and Employment.
10.
Department for Education and Employment (1997a) Excellence in Schools(Cm. 3681). London: HMSO.
11.
Department for Education and Employment (1997b) Publication of Information about SecondarySchools in Performance Tables in 1997(circular 7/97). London: Department for Education and Employment.
12.
Department of Education and Science (1991) The Education (Pupils’ Attendance) Regulations 1991(circular 11/91). London: Department of Education and Science.
13.
Department of Health (1997) The New NHS(Cm. 3807). London: HMSO.
14.
Dowling, B.
and Richardson, R. (1997) ‘Evaluating Performance-Related Pay for Managers in the NHS’, International Journal of Human Resource Management8(3): 348–366.
15.
Employment Department (1988) Employment for the 1990s(Cm. 540). London: HMSO.
16.
Employment Department (1992) People, Jobs and Opportunities(Cm. 1810). London: HMSO.
17.
Gabe, S.
(1994) ‘Truancy, its Measurement and Causation: A Brief Review of the Literature’, in D. O’Keefe (ed.) Truancy in English Secondary Schools. London: HMSO.
18.
Gilroy, P.
and Wilcox, B. (1997) ‘OFSTED Criteria and the Nature of Social Understanding: A Wittgensteinian Critique of the Practice of Educational Judgement’, British Journal of Educational Studies45(1): 22–38.
19.
Gray, J.
(1997) ‘A Bit of a Curate’s Egg? Three Decades of Official Thinking about the Quality of Schools’, British Journal of Educational Studies45(1): 4–21.
20.
Griffiths, R.
(1983) NHS Management Inquiry. London: Department of Health.
21.
Hallam, S.
(1996) Improving School Attendance. Oxford: Heinemann.
22.
Hallam, S.
(1997) Truancy: Can Schools Improve Attendance?Institute of Education Viewpoint No. 6. London: Institute of Education.
23.
Hughes, G.
, Means, R. and Winch, C. (1997) ‘An Inspector Calls: Regulation and Accountability in Three Public Services’, Policy and Politics25(3): 299–313.
24.
Income Data Services Report(1996) ‘Public Sector Labour Market Survey Part 1’, 725 (November): 25–32.
25.
Income Data Services Report(1998) ‘All Pay in Civil Service is Linked to Performance’, 753 (January): 25–28.
26.
Ironside, M.
and Seifert, R. (1995) Industrial Relations in Schools. London: Routledge.
27.
Jackson, M.P.
(1997) ‘The Impact of Discretionary Pay in UK Universities’, Higher EducationReview9(2): 99–113.
28.
Jenkins, K.
, Caines, K. and Jackson, A. (1988) Improving Management in Government: The NextSteps: Report to the Prime Minister. London: HMSO.
29.
Jesson, D.
(1996) Value Added Measures of School Performance. Department for Education and Employment Research Study No. 14. London: HMSO.
30.
Judd, J.
(1998) ‘Teachers need Pay Incentives, says Union’, Independent, 17June.
31.
Kirkpatrick, I.
and Martinez Lucio, M. (1996) The Politics of Quality in the Public Sector: TheManagement of Change. London: Routledge.
32.
McPherson, A.
(1993) ‘Measuring Added Value in Schools’, in National Commission on Education, Briefings. London: Heinemann.
33.
McSweeney, B.
(1988) ‘Accounting for the Audit Commission’, Political Quarterly59(1): 28–43.
34.
Mayston, D.
(1992) School Performance Indicators and Performance Related Pay. London: Assistant Masters and Mistresses Association.
35.
Megaw Committee (1982) Report of an Inquiry into Civil Service Pay, Vol. 1 (Cmd. 8590). London: HMSO.
36.
Morrison, H.
and Cowan, P. (1996) ‘The State Schools Book: A Critique of a League Table’, British Educational Research Journal22(2): 241–249.
37.
Mortimore, P.
, Sammons, P., Stoll, L., Lewis, D. and Ecob, R. (1988) School Matters: the JuniorYears. Wells: Open Books.
38.
Murphy, J.
(1990) ‘Review of The School Effect’, School Effectiveness and School Improvement1(1): 81–86.
39.
Newcastle Commission (1861) Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the State ofPopular Education in England, Vol. 1. British Parliamentary Papers, Session 1861 [2794–I] xxi.
40.
Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED)
(1995) Guidance on the Inspection of SecondarySchools. London: HMSO.
41.
Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED)
(1996) The Annual Report of Her Majesty’s ChiefInspector of Schools: Standards and Quality in Education 1994/95.London: HMSO.
42.
Parkinson, J.
(1993) Corporate Power and Responsibility. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
43.
Pay and Benefits Bulletin(1995) ‘Merit Pay in Education’ (July): 5–9.
44.
Prime Minister’s Office (1991) The Citizen’s Charter: Raising the Standard(Cm. 1599). London: HMSO.
45.
Prime Minister’s Office (1994) The Civil Service: Continuity and Change(Cm. 2627). London: HMSO.
46.
Purkey, S.
and Smith, M. (1983) ‘Effective Schools: A Review’, Elementary School Journal83(4): 427–452.
47.
Royal Commission on the Civil Service (1955) Report(Cm. 9613: Priestley Commission). London: HMSO.
48.
School Teachers’ Review Body (1992) First Report(Cm. 1806). London: HMSO.
49.
School Teachers’ Review Body (1993) Second Report(Cm. 2151). London: HMSO.
50.
School Teachers’ Review Body (1994a) Third Report(Cm. 2466). London: HMSO.
51.
School Teachers’ Review Body (1994b) Consulative Document on a PRP Scheme for Heads andDeputy Heads.London: HMSO.
52.
School Teachers’ Review Body (1995) Fourth Report(Cm. 2765). London: HMSO.
53.
School Teachers’ Review Body (1996) Fifth Report(Cm. 3095). London: HMSO.
54.
School Teachers’ Review Body (1997) Sixth Report(Cm. 3536). London: HMSO.
55.
School Teachers’ Review Body (1998) Seventh Report(Cm. 3836). London: HMSO.
56.
Searle, G.
(1993) Entrepreneurial Politics in Mid-Victorian Britain. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
57.
Smith, D.
and Tomlinson, S. (1989) The School Effect: A Study of Multi-Racial Comprehensives. London: Policy Studies Institute.
58.
Smith, M.
(1996) ‘School Attendance in Hertfordshire’, Educational Research38(2): 226–236.
59.
Stirling, M.
(1996) ‘Government Policy and Disadvantaged Children’, in E. Blyth and J. Milner (eds) Exclusion from School: Inter-Professional Issues for Policy and Practice. Routledge: London.
60.
Sylvester, R.
(1998) ‘Teachers Threaten Strike Action over Payment by Results’, Daily Telegraph, 20July.
61.
Times Education Supplement(1998) ‘Opinion: What’s the Deal?’, 24July
62.
Teachers Pay and Conditions Act (1992) s. 5(2)(d). London: HMSO.
63.
Wilcox, B.
and Gray, J. (1996) Inspecting Schools: Holding Schools to Account and HelpingSchools to Improve. Buckingham: Open University Press.
64.
Wintour, P.
and Bright, M. (1998) ‘Teachers to be Paid by Results’, Observer, 19July.
