An academy trust has been paying its top earner a salary of up to £300,000 with pay rises of up to £10,000 for each of past two years, new accounts show.
The highest earner at Thomas Telford School in Telford, Shropshire, was paid between £290,001 and £300,000 in 2019-20, according to the latest accounts filed by Telford City Technology College Trust, which runs the school.
And the salary band of the school’s unnamed top earner has increased by up to £20,000 over two years, the accounts show.
In 2018-19 the salary was £280,000 to 290,000 and the year before it was £270,001 to £280,000.
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The Education and Skills Funding Agency has been challenging both single and multi-academy trusts that pay their chief executives salaries of more than £150,000.
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Education secretary Gavin Williamson said last year that school leaders should not be paid more than the prime minister. The annual salary of the prime minister at the time was £154,908, according to Downing Street.
However, Telford City Technology College Trust pays two salaries that exceed this limit, with a second unnamed high-earner receiving between £180,001 and £190,000 last year.
The accounts for Telford City Technology College Trust say its principle activity is the “operation of Thomas Telford School”.
However, the trust also sponsors the Thomas Telford Multi-Academy Trust, which runs five schools in the West Midlands.
The accounts say that Telford City Technology College Trust supports this MAT through a service agreement.
Sir Kevin Satchwell is the headmaster of Thomas Telford School and accounting officer for the Telford City Technology College Trust.
He is also listed as the executive adviser and accounting officer for Thomas Telford Multi-Academy Trust in its latest accounts.
Thomas Telford School has been approached for comment.
