Outstanding staff who exceed performance standards could be crowned 'Master Teachers' if plans to overhaul the current reward system are approved.
The recommendation, part of a plan to simply the payment structure for teachers, was made by an independent panel review of teaching standards ordered by Education Secretary Michael Gove.
Sally Coates, chair of the panel, introduced minimum standards for teachers earlier this year that could potentially result in thousands of "under-performing" staff losing their jobs.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Michael Gove, secretary of state for education, has written to the panel saying the new promotion structure has been accepted in principle but new pay structures still have to be ironed out.
Schools minister Nick Gibb said the creation of the new elite category would send a "powerful message" about school teaching standards while Coates added she was confident those who met the grade would be "proud" to be known as master teachers.
"It is absolutely right that such an achievement should be properly recognised by the new standard and I hope we have set out a vision to which all teachers can aspire", she said.