THOUSANDS of children across Hampshire are being educated in schools without a head teacher, new figures reveal.

There are currently 40 unfilled posts across Hampshire's primary and secondary schools with a national recruitment crisis to blame.

The council's executive member for education, Councillor David Kirk has warned that the shortage of head teachers among the county's 534 schools could see educational standards slip.

Although salaries differ with the type and size of school, a new head teacher could earn around £50,000 while a teacher with specialist responsibilities might earn around £47,000.

A head teacher of a large secondary school can expect to earn around £100,000.

Across Southampton there are currently no unfilled headships although two head teacher posts are being advertised ahead of the departure later this year of Richard Martin at Woodlands Community School and Bridget Bugg at Bitterne C of E Infant School.