HEAD teachers at two Southampton schools have said they do not want to introduce £10,000 “golden handcuff” payments to help recruit teachers.

Both Joanna Anslow at Woodlands Community College and Chris Kelly at Chamberlayne Park said they were happy with their existing staff.

The Government has offered the two city schools – along with 338 others nationwide – the chance to offer £10,000 to new recruits who agree to teach in the schools for three years.

But under the scheme the Government will only provide half of the one-off £10,000 payments with schools having to find the remainder from their own budgets.

Woodlands and Chamberlayne Park have been chosen because fewer than 30 per cent of pupils last year gained five or more A* to C GCSE grades, including English and maths.

Under the Government’s National Challenge scheme they could face closure or be turned into academies if they do not improve by 2011 when at least 30 per cent of pupils must achieve the benchmark.

Both Mrs Anslow and Mrs Kelly said they were happy with their existing staff and were confident their schools could improve by 2011.

At Woodlands 17 per cent of pupils achieved five or more top grades including the two core subjects, which Mrs Anslow said could be improved upon.

She said: “We are using advanced skills teachers and monitoring individual students fortnightly. We have got amazing staff.”

Meanwhile Mrs Kelly at Chamberlayne Park School, where 27 per cent of pupils gained five or more A* to C grades including English and maths, said: “I am absolutely confident that we will deliver the 30 per cent target.

“I think the key is trying to work collaboratively with high expectations and remain very focused on solutions rather than problems. We have very dedicated staff,” she added.