Payment by results works for teachers

The smartest question for a parent to ask a teacher about their child's exam chances might well be: "What's in it for you?"

A study of 180 teachers by researchers at Bristol University reveals that the pupils of those eligible for £2,000 performance-related pay bonuses are likely to score half a grade higher in their GCSEs. The pay bonuses were introduced by Labour six years ago against a background of widespread opposition from the teaching profession.

The study, by Professors Simon Burgess and Carol Propper, concludes: "Our results suggest that teacher-based performance pay is a policy tool education authorities should consider as part of their drive to raise educational performance."

However, teachers' leaders were sceptical over the results. A spokeswoman for the National Union of Teachers said: "We don't find it a valuable study", adding that very few teachers were ineligible for the bonus payments.

Margaret Morrissey, spokeswoman for the National Confederation of Parent-Teacher Associations, said: "I don't believe performance-related pay makes a difference to 99.9 per cent of all teachers. If it did, I suspect they wouldn't be in the profession."