County education chiefs have defended plans to recruit a dozen senior school officers on salaries of up to £70,000 each, insisting the appointments are key to lifting classroom standards in primary schools.

Kent County Council said the proposals represented an important element of its drive to improve standards and that the decision, which will cost the taxpayer more than £900,000, was backed by teachers.

But it has come under fire from opposition parties at County Hall, who said it smacked of more bureaucracy and questioned the salaries being offered.

Recruitment advertisements for the posts say KCC is looking for twelve district heads of primary standards and school improvement, each on salaries of between £67,000 and £70,000. In addition, the authority is looking to recruit a head of standards and school improvement for all schools, advertised on a salary of up to £77,000.

The recruitment comes as the council is in the middle of consulting over plans to slash 260 jobs in the children’s services department to save £8m.

Read Paul's blog on this and other political news here>>>

In a statement, county councillor Jenny Whittle, Conservative deputy cabinet member for children, families and education, said improving primary school standards was a high priority.

Cllr Whittle said: "Improving Key Stage 2 performance for children in years three to six is a high priority for the council and worthy of this investment. Kent County Council wants all children to finish primary school with the knowledge and skills they need for a successful time at secondary school."

The posts were the result of combining the work of other jobs that "are being removed from our current services."

She added: "It will provide streamlined and focused working with Kent primary schools to improve achievement for the county’s primary school children."

The plans had been discussed with both primary and secondary headteachers, she said.

Opposition Liberal Democrat spokesman Cllr Martin Vye said: "We were aware these posts were being considered but not the salaries. It does seem very strange to me that they are halving the size of the schools advisory service and appear to be creating a senior management level team. It sounds ominously like more money being spent on administration."

• What do you think? Leave us a comment below.