Key Takeaways:
- England teacher pay rise will provide teachers with a 6.6% salary increase over two years starting this September.
- Schools must cover part of the increased wage costs from existing budgets.
- New academy executive pay cap aims to strengthen spending oversight.
Teachers in England will receive a 3.5% pay rise from September and another 3% in 2027 after the government accepted an independent review body’s recommendation, while requiring schools to absorb part of the additional cost from existing budgets.
The Department for Education announced on Wednesday that the England teacher pay rise will total 6.6% over two years, exceeding the government’s original proposal. The government will provide an additional £1.8 billion over two years to help schools cover higher pay costs for teachers and support staff.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the agreement provides certainty for schools while recognizing the contribution of teachers.
“This multi-year deal, backed by significant additional investment, shows the immense value we place in our teachers, while giving schools and colleges certainty over pay and their budgets,” Phillipson said.
Support staff have also been offered a 3.3% pay increase, backdated to April.
Unions Welcome Raise, but Raise Funding Concerns
Education unions welcomed the above-inflation England teacher pay rise but warned that schools will still need to fund nearly one-third of the increased wage bill from existing budgets.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said schools are expected to find about £460 million from budgets that are already under pressure.
“Schools are being asked to find £460 million from budgets already at breaking point. This is the equivalent of 8,300 school staff — 3,900 teachers and 4,400 support staff,” Kebede said. “Ministers cannot claim to want more teachers while overseeing such a drastic reduction in numbers next year.”
The National Education Union said it is considering industrial action. The union previously voted to hold a strike ballot in the autumn unless the government committed to a fully funded pay settlement that exceeded inflation.
The Department for Education said teachers will have received a cumulative 17% pay increase since the last general election. It said the average teacher salary will rise to more than £52,800 from September and exceed £54,400 from September 2027.
The government also announced an additional £485 million over two years for colleges and further education providers to support staff recruitment and retention.
Executive Pay Cap Draws Mixed Reaction
Alongside the England teacher pay rise, the Department for Education confirmed new restrictions on executive pay in academy trusts. Senior leaders at academies will face a salary cap of £174,000 unless higher pay receives government approval.
The department said the measure is intended to improve oversight of executive pay across academy trusts. About 1,000 multi-academy trusts currently pay senior executives more than £200,000 annually.
David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, welcomed the funding for further education.
“We had feared that we were heading towards a potentially very low or even zero pay award recommendation. It shows that the government has been listening to the case we made as a sector and recognises that its funding decisions are critical,” Hughes said.
The Confederation of School Trusts opposed the executive pay restrictions, arguing they could make leadership recruitment more difficult.
Chief Executive Leora Cruddas said the policy would add “a slow, bureaucratic process to recruitment, harming the ability of trusts to recruit and retain strong leaders.”
The government said the combined measures, including the England teacher pay rise, aim to improve teacher retention, provide greater financial certainty for schools and colleges, and strengthen oversight of public spending in the education sector.
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