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ACADEMY chain boss Steve Lancashire claimed yesterday his £250,000 pay packet made him “value for money.”
The chief executive of REAch2, the largest primary academy chain in England, told the Times Educational Supplement: “You have got to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and say: ‘Do I give value for money for what I earn?’
“I can look myself in the mirror and I can think to myself: ‘You are responsible for 20,000 children, you have taken 60 schools, 17 per cent of which were ‘good,’ and now towards 80 per cent of them are ‘good’.”
Mr Lancashire said REAch2 has a £120 million turnover and an estate worth £500m.
“I do it to the absolute best of my ability and I can look myself in the face in the morning and say: ‘Yes, you give value for money’.”
The academy chief was paid £240,000 to £250,000 in 2016/17, the chain’s latest accounts show, including a one-off bonus relating to the previous year, making him one of the highest paid academy trust leaders in the country.
Pay for education leaders has been under the spotlight in recent months.
Teachers’ union NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: “It should be remembered that there are headteachers who in times of massive pressures on the system have not raised their salary at the expense of their staff.
“It is deeply concerning to see the number of headteachers and others on six-figure salaries and enhanced pay packages increasing while teachers’ pay is being held back and is not keeping pace with inflation.”