LONDON - GOOD teachers are to be offered loyalty payments of 10,000 pounds to take jobs in the toughest schools, under government plans to improve social mobility, Children's Secretary Ed Balls said on Tuesday.

Headteachers at more than 500 schools in England will be able to make the payments to around 6,000 key staff who stay for three years.

'It's one arm in the armoury of a head teacher who wants to make sure they can raise aspirations and get the best teachers who are passionate about learning,' Mr Balls told Sky News.

'It's about saying that we can have excellent schools in every community and that the income of the families locally or the past record should never be an excuse for poor performance.

The government would pay for half of the bonuses which would be at the discretion of headteachers to award.

The payments would be nearly half the 20,600 starting salary of a newly qualified teacher outside London and almost a third of the average teacher's pay of 34,000 pounds (S$73,834).

The payments will be focused on schools with the worst exam results or with a high proportion of pupils on free meals - a measure of social deprivation.

The Conservatives say social mobility in Britain is amongst the worst in Europe, with parents' wealth and occupation unduly influencing their children's chance of success.

A Cabinet Office study published in November concluded that social mobility had remained broadly stable since 1970.

But Cabinet Office Minster Liam Byrne said the outlook was improving because of government policies over the past decade.

'Income inequality is down, the impact of your parents' background on your exam results is less than it was, so there are real signs of change,' he told BBC radio. -- REUTERS