THE gender pay gap for head teachers has widened to the worst level in up to 13 years, new research suggests.

According to the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), the average pay gap has grown to over £8,600 a year, a 6 per cent increase in 2023-24 compared with the previous year.

The gap for secondary school head teachers is now nearly £5,000, the largest recorded in more than a decade, while for primary school heads, women are earning £2,608 less on average than men.