Teachers and school leaders have seen huge real terms cuts to their pay since 2010.  Their pay cuts have been much greater than those of other professions and as confirmed by the STRB this has hit the competitiveness of teacher and school leader pay hard.  Excessive workload and poor wellbeing are driving teachers and leaders out of the profession, worsening the recruitment and retention crisis in education.  The unions are also calling for a fair national pay structure and the removal of performance-related pay. 

Investing in the improvements needed to teacher and school leader pay and conditions is vital to tackling the recruitment and retention crisis.  In the interests not only of teachers and school leaders but of parents, pupils and the wider economy, we need a major pay correction to reverse the real terms pay cuts and repair the competitiveness of pay.  Investment is also needed to address excessive workload, enhance work/life balance, and increase flexible working opportunities.

Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We urge the government to provide the funding in full that is needed to cover the cost of the 2025-26 pay award, as the partial funding provided leaves many schools having to make cuts to bridge this shortfall. This means reductions in staffing, which has a knock-on effect on the workloads of remaining staff, which in turn affects retention. It is a vicious cycle which we must break. This can only be done by ensuring that pay awards are both sufficient and fully funded.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “The government’s welcome acceptance of the STRB’s recommended pay uplift for school leaders and teachers is another small step forward on the path to fairer pay. However, the ever-tightening financial pressures on schools mean that finding the money for this is becoming more difficult. 

“Any so-called easy savings have long since been achieved after years of under-investment under previous governments, so the government must avoid creating a false trade-off between professionals’ pay and reductions in support for pupils, curriculum resources and activities. 

“Ensuring schools have the dedicated teachers and leaders they need requires sustained government investment to properly fund further above-inflation pay rises - as well as action to tackle intolerable levels of workload, support flexible working, and implement more far-reaching reform of damaging high-stakes Osted inspections.”

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The Government must respond to the clear evidence and the united voice of the profession.  To protect our education service and tackle the recruitment and retention crisis, the Government must put in the investment needed to properly value teachers and school leaders.”

Community's Director of Operations Helen Osgood said: "The government has shown that it is on the side of teachers by supporting the STRB's recommendation of a 4% pay increase from this September. Ministers now need to back this up by ensuring that appropriate funding is provided to support the increase. This is the only way we can ensure that teacher pay keeps pace against inflation, and that the profession remains competitive within the labour market."