Kevin Woods, assistant director for children's centres and extended schools at the Department for Children, Schools and Families, said the status of children's centre leaders should be equivalent to head teachers. But he added: "We're aware that average children's centre leaders' pay is some way off (head teachers'). We'll have to have a look at it."
Speaking at the Sure Start 08: Securing the Future conference in London last week, Woods reiterated what children's minister Beverley Hughes said at the national Sure Start conference in March about reducing boundaries between different children's professionals (CYP Now, 27 February - 4 March). But, almost seven months on, Woods admitted the issue of equal pay had still not been addressed.
Steve Alexander, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said: "Whilst there is a commitment via the Graduate Leader Fund to pay graduates a reasonable salary, this is not comparable to that of head teachers and doesn't address low pay elsewhere."
