The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) has instead called for teachers to get a similar pay increase to nurses - 4.7%.

It also says the new arrangements for head teachers are unfair.

Peter Smith: "Time the government put money where its mouth is"

The association's General Secretary, Peter Smith, said the pay recommendation from the School Teachers' Review Body - which the government has said it will accept - is "fundamentally unfair".

He said: "All teachers deserve a decent pay boost. David Blunkett says that the current pay settlement is an excellent springboard for further changes. Teachers are saying it is more likely to be a flop.

"Government spin-doctoring will not help to motivate and retain existing teachers, nor will it ease the recruitment crisis."

'Efforts not recognised'

The ATL says teachers face increasing demands, as set out by the education Green Paper, and should be paid accordingly.

It says the efforts of deputy heads and other senior managers are not being recognised and says the increased pay differential between them and classroom teachers will be divisive.

"It must be clearly understood that these recommendations are unpopular among teachers generally and among deputy headteachers in particular," says the association.

The union thinks the heads' new pay award - of between 6.5% and 9.5% - should be postponed. Instead of being introduced next September, the union says it should wait until their performance has been assessed.

It also wants governing bodies to determine whether a head teacher's performance merits a pay rise.

Doubts

Last week, a survey of 974 heads and deputies who were members of the National Union of Teachers found they were overwhelmingly opposed to linking pay to school performance. But they had doubts about the increased involvement of governors in the process.

The ATL is seeking to form an alliance against the introduction of performance-related pay in schools. It has called on other teachers' unions to hold a joint ballot on the government's proposals to award larger pay rises to more successful teachers.

The National Association of Head Teachers has said its members need more time to prepare for the proposed appraisal system for classroom teachers.