Headteacher and deputy head pay in Wales

In Wales a headteacher’s pay is set within one of eight headteacher groups, which run from a range of £61,683 to £82,064 for group 1 up to £105,880 to £151,434 for group 8 in 2026/27. The group depends on a unit score built from the school’s pupil numbers. The governing body then fixes the individual range inside that group, and deputy and assistant heads are capped by the same group.

The eight groups

These ranges apply from 1 September 2026 after the 3.5% award confirmed on 14 October 2026. The unit totals are the scores that place a school in each group for an ordinary school.

Group	Total unit score	Pay range
1	up to 1,000	£61,683 to £82,064
2	1,001 to 2,200	£64,804 to £88,316
3	2,201 to 3,500	£69,895 to £95,051
4	3,501 to 5,000	£75,120 to £102,296
5	5,001 to 7,500	£82,883 to £112,821
6	7,501 to 11,000	£89,200 to £124,447
7	11,001 to 17,000	£96,001 to £137,195
8	17,001 and over	£105,880 to £151,434

Special schools use a separate table, and the document has rules for particular cases such as new schools and schools whose pupil numbers are expected to rise or fall.

How the unit score is calculated

Each pupil on the school register counts for a number of units that rises with age. A pupil in the preliminary stage or in key stage 1 or 2 counts for 7 units. Key stage 3 counts for 9, key stage 4 for 11 and key stage 5 for 13. Numbers come from the latest Annual School Census. A pupil with an individual development plan counts for three extra units in a special class, and elsewhere only if the governing body decides so. A pupil who attends for no more than half of each day counts for half.

As a hypothetical example, a primary school with 200 pupils has a score of 1,400, which puts it in group 2. A secondary school with 300 pupils in key stage 3, 300 in key stage 4 and 100 in key stage 5 scores 2,700 plus 3,300 plus 1,300, or 7,300. That is group 5, so its head could be paid between £82,883 and £112,821.

Where the head’s own range sits

The governing body, called the relevant body in the document, sets an individual pay range for the head inside the group. It must consider all the permanent responsibilities of the post and any challenges specific to the role. For a new appointment it may start the salary above the minimum if the candidate and the post justify it, and the range must leave room to progress over time.

A head’s range should not normally exceed the group maximum. The governing body can allow it where the role or candidate warrants it, but salary plus any temporary payments must not go more than 25% above the group maximum, other than in exceptional circumstances. In those cases the governing body must take external independent advice and write a business case. Temporary payments for clearly temporary extra duties cannot total more than 25% of the head’s annual salary in a school year.

Deputies, assistants and ALN coordinators

Deputy heads, assistant heads and additional learning needs coordinators are paid from the same leadership pay spine as heads. Each has an individual range that cannot exceed the maximum of the school’s headteacher group. It should only overlap with the head’s range in exceptional circumstances. Every school must also include in its pay policy a five-point scale for ALN coordinators, set relative to its headteacher group.

Pay progression and acting up

The relevant body reviews pay each year from 1 September, and the document assumes progression unless the person has been told that capability procedures are under way. It may award an additional point for excellent performance if the pay policy allows it.

A teacher who carries out head, deputy or assistant head duties without being appointed to the post can be paid an acting allowance. The governing body must decide within four weeks whether to pay one, and the total pay cannot fall below the minimum of the relevant range while the allowance is paid. The English equivalent is covered in the leadership pay range guide, and the headteacher profile describes the job. For classroom teachers the new scale is in teacher pay in Wales.