Deputy & Assistant Headteacher Salary 2025/26
Example: a deputy head on L10, Rest of England
Gross (annual)
£64,691
Net (TPS on)
£44,003
Net (monthly)
£3,667
About this pay scale
Deputy and assistant headteachers are paid on the same Leadership Pay Spine as headteachers (L1-L43), but — unlike heads — there are no national group bandings for their posts. Each school's governing body sets a pay range for the role when it's created or reviewed, based on its responsibilities and the school's circumstances. STPCD sets the guardrails: the range must exceed the pay of the school's highest-paid classroom teacher, and should not normally overlap the headteacher's range.
In practice, assistant head ranges tend to sit on the lower spine and deputy ranges above them, scaling with school size: a small primary's deputy might be on L1-L5, while a large secondary's deputy can reach L17 or beyond. Progression within your range works like the head's — annual review against agreed objectives, normally one point at a time.
Leadership Spine — the points deputy & assistant heads are typically paid on
There is no national deputy or assistant head pay scale: the school's governing body sets each post's range on the Leadership Spine (L1–L43), guided by the head's group range and the responsibilities of the role. In practice most assistant head ranges sit in the lower spine and deputies above them, but the exact points vary school to school. Selected points across the four regional tables:
| Point | Rest of England | Fringe | Outer London | Inner London | Net (RoE, TPS on) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | £51,773 | £53,198 | £55,881 | £61,554 | £36,786 |
| L5 | £57,137 | £58,573 | £61,249 | £66,935 | £40,098 |
| L8 | £61,534 | £62,962 | £65,642 | £71,327 | £42,371 |
| L10 | £64,691 | £66,120 | £68,799 | £74,479 | £44,003 |
| L13 | £69,596 | £71,030 | £73,708 | £79,385 | £46,539 |
| L17 | £76,772 | £78,215 | £80,884 | £86,566 | £49,742 |
L1 (£51,773 Rest of England) is the floor of the Leadership Spine — by definition the minimum for any leadership post. STPCD requires a leadership range to exceed the pay of the school's highest-paid classroom teacher, and it should not normally overlap the headteacher's range.
FAQ
What's the difference between assistant head and deputy head pay?
Both are Leadership Spine posts with school-set ranges — the difference is seniority and therefore where the range sits. Deputies deputise for the head and their range is usually set above the assistant heads'. In a typical secondary, assistant heads might span roughly L1-L10 and deputies L8-L17, but these are conventions, not national rules — always check the advertised ISR.
What's the minimum a deputy or assistant head can be paid?
L1 — £51,773 in Rest of England, £61,554 in Inner London for 2025/26 — is the floor of the Leadership Spine. STPCD also requires a leadership post's range to exceed the school's highest-paid classroom teacher, which in a school with UPR teachers on U3 plus a large TLR can effectively push the floor higher than L1.
Do deputy heads still teach — and do they get TLRs?
Most deputies and assistant heads carry a reduced teaching timetable alongside leadership duties, but leadership posts cannot hold TLR payments — TLRs are for classroom teachers taking on additional responsibility. The leadership range is expected to reflect the whole role. SEN allowances similarly can't be held alongside a leadership range.
Is deputy head pay pro-rated for part-time?
Yes — part-time leadership posts use the same FTE model as classroom teachers: the school sets the full-time-equivalent point on the leadership range and pays the FTE fraction of it. Job-share deputy headship is increasingly common, particularly in primary.
Try the calculator
The figures on this page assume a full-time teacher (1.0 FTE) on TPS at the appropriate contribution tier, no student loan, no salary sacrifice. Real life is more nuanced — use the calculator to layer in your specific situation (part-time FTE, TLR / SEN allowances, student loan, exact pay point) and see your real take-home.