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Teachers: Redundancy Pay

Volume 458: debated on Monday 26 March 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what the total cost was of teacher redundancy payments in (a) community schools, (b) foundation schools, (c) voluntary-aided schools, (d) voluntary controlled schools, (e) academies and (f) city technology colleges in each year from 1997 to 2007; (127552)

(2) how many and what percentage of (a) all teachers and (b) teachers in (i) community schools, (ii) voluntary-aided schools, (iii) voluntary controlled schools, (iv) foundation schools, (v) academies and (vi) city technology colleges (A) took voluntary redundancy payments, (B) took early retirement, (C) retired and (D) were dismissed in each year between 1997 and 2007.

Information on the number of teachers who took redundancy payments, the amount of these payments and the number of teachers who were subject to dismissal is not collected centrally.

The following table provides the number of teachers who retired in each year from 1997/98 to 2005/06 in the maintained schools sector, city technology colleges and academies by type of retirement.

The figures include teachers who may have left teaching service some years before being awarded retirement benefits. The year given is that of the award. Early retirements include premature and actuarially reduced benefit retirements but exclude ill-health retirements which are listed separately. This information is not available broken down for the other school types requested. 2005/06 is the latest information available.

Retirements from the maintained schools sector, city technology colleges and acadamies1:Type of award by sex and year of award, 1997-98 to 2005-06, England

Financial year (1 April to 31 March)

Early retirements2

Age

Ill-health3

Total

1997-984

Maintained schools

11,370

3,580

3,260

18,210

City technology colleges

10

0

6

10

Academies

1998-994

Maintained schools

2,380

3,830

2,290

8,490

City technology colleges

0

6

6

10

Academies

1999-20004

Maintained schools

2,650

4,270

2,320

9,240

City technology colleges

6

6

6

10

Academies

2000-014

Maintained schools

3,160

4,230

2,630

10,020

City technology colleges

0

6

6

6

Academies

2001-024

Maintained Schools

3,480

4,420

2,380

10,270

City technology Colleges

6

6

0

10

Academies

2002-034

Maintained schools

3,960

4,960

2,030

10,950

City technology colleges

10

6

6

10

Academies

2003-044,5

Maintained schools

4,930

5,530

1,870

12,330

City technology colleges

10

6

0

10

Academies

6

6

6

10

2004-054,5

Maintained schools

6,060

6,430

1,580

14,060

City technology colleges

10

10

6

10

Academies

10

6

6

10

2005-064,5

Maintained schools

6,640

6,180

1,470

14,300

City technology colleges

6

10

6

10

Academies

20

10

6

30

1 Academies were not introduced until 2003-04.

2 The effect of the change in the Teachers' Pension Scheme as from 31 August 1997 was that many more teachers took early retirement in 1997 than in previous years. Premature includes actuarially reduced benefit retirements from 2000-01.

3 Changes in the statutory regulations governing ill-health retirement came into force on 1 April 1997. To qualify for ill-health retirement benefits a teacher must now be regarded as permanently unfit to teach.

4 All years are subject to slight revision due to the addition of retrospective awards and suspension of pension benefits where teachers return to service.

5 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 are provisional estimates.

6 Nil or negligible.

Note:

Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Source:

Pensioner Statistical System (PENSTATS)