“Our evidence presents the case for a fully funded pay increase, that is above the rate of inflation as measured by the Retail Price Index, to be awarded across all pay ranges. This would be an important step towards restoring the real-terms value of teacher and school leader pay and should be accompanied by a commitment to reversing in its entirety the erosion of pay which has taken place since 2010. This is necessary to attract high-quality graduates to the profession, and to improve the retention of classroom teachers and school leaders – both crucial parts of any strategy to tackle the profession’s major staff shortages. 

“We are clear that sufficient funding must be provided to ensure that all schools can implement any proposals and recommendations made by the STRB, to avoid putting budgets under any more pressure. The narrative around education being a cost needs to change and it must be seen as an investment that is pivotal to generating the economic growth that the country needs and the government is aiming for.”

You can see ASCL’s full submission to the STRB here.