Teachers in England to Receive Pay Increase
Teachers in England will receive a 3.5% pay rise starting in September, followed by a 3% increase the subsequent year, according to the government.
The Department for Education (DfE) announced an additional £1.8 billion in funding but stated that schools will be required to cover the first 1% of each pay rise from their existing budgets.
Additionally, the government announced measures to limit the pay of senior leaders in academy trusts.
Union Response and Government Statements
The National Education Union (NEU), the largest teaching union in England, rejected the offer, stating it "still means cuts to education."
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson emphasized the value placed on teachers, stating:
"This offer demonstrates the immense value we place in our teachers."
She further added that teachers should not see executive pay rise faster than their own and that tighter controls will ensure unjustifiable executive salaries become a thing of the past.
Under the new rules, from September, academy trusts will require government approval to advertise positions with salaries exceeding £174,000, and executives will not be permitted to receive pay rises higher than those awarded to classroom teachers.
Union Criticism and Concerns
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede stated that the government was "forced" to improve its original offer but that it still fell short.
"With inflation set to rise, members know this offer is not the decisive shift needed to reverse real-terms pay cuts since 2010 or restore the competitiveness of teacher pay," he said.
He emphasized the need for the pay award to be fully funded so schools do not have to reallocate funds from existing budgets.
"A partially funded settlement still means cuts to education, and the NEU will never accept that," Kebede added.
Regarding the cap on executive pay, he described it as "a start" but "not enough," noting that the measure would not apply retrospectively.
Potential Industrial Action
The NEU plans to hold a formal ballot on industrial action over pay in the autumn if the government does not take urgent measures.
An informal indicative ballot earlier this year, with a 48.6% turnout, indicated that 90.5% of NEU members would be willing to take industrial action.
Earlier in 2023, NEU members went on strike over pay, resulting in school closures for eight days. The union suspended further strikes after the government revised its 2023 offer to a 6.5% pay increase.
Teachers received a 5.5% pay rise in 2024 and a 4% increase in 2025.
Perspectives on Teacher Wellbeing and Recruitment
Jessica Featonby, a former primary school teacher who founded an education technology company, commented that while higher salaries could attract more people to teaching, the core issue remains teacher wellbeing.
She noted the extensive hours teachers work beyond their paid time, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and school holidays.
"The demand within that time was huge, so realistically, you didn't get your work done in that time," she said.
"If I came at 8:30am [and] left at 3:30pm, there would be so much question around my commitment to the job."
Inflation and Financial Implications
UK inflation was 2.8% in the year to May, lower than experts had forecast given the impact of the war in the Middle East on prices, but it is expected to rise further.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders' union NAHT, described the pay offer as "another step in the right direction so long as we don't see a big spike in inflation," but noted that partial funding will increase pressure on already stretched school budgets.
Pay Review and Future Proposals
Each year, the independent School Teachers Review Body receives submissions on pay from the government, unions, and other stakeholders, then makes recommendations to ministers who decide the final pay awards.
The latest DfE submission proposed a 6.5% pay award spread over 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29.
The DfE also indicated that approximately £250 million from existing school budgets would be available to fund part of the rise in 2026-27, and around £750 million in 2027-28, making the first year financially more challenging for schools.
Union Criticism of Long-Term Pay Proposals
In May, the NEU stated that a 6.5% increase over three years was unlikely to keep pace with inflation and described the proposal as an "insult."
The union warned it would hold a formal ballot on industrial action over pay in the autumn if urgent government action is not taken.
Additional Funding for Colleges
The DfE also announced an additional £485 million in funding for colleges over two years.
David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, called this a "very positive announcement" but noted that college pay still lags significantly behind that of schools and industry.
Additional reporting by Emily Holt
