The secretary of state has written to Dame Patricia Hodgson, who chairs the School Teachers' Review Body, asking for her recommendations on reform to the current teachers' pay system. He asked her to pay particular attention to the following areas:

• how to make the pay framework for teachers more 'market-facing'
• how pay scales could be reformed to 'more effectively link pay and performance'
• what other reforms could be made in order to 'raise the status of the profession'.

The TES (24 February) interpreted the first of these as a step towards introducing regional pay deals for teachers, following claims that in some parts of the country businesses are unable to compete with schools in terms of wages (see 'Government consults business on teachers' pay', 3 February). It also quoted union representatives criticising the introduction of a 'crude' performance-related pay framework for teachers. However, Sir Michael Wilshaw said that it is 'legitimate' for Ofsted to ask school leaders for information on performance management and teachers' pay as part of the inspection process.

New performance management and capability arrangements will be in place from September and schools should start planning now in anticipation of their introduction.