What salary can you expect as an Early Career Teacher?
With Tes recently reporting on the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) proposal, here’s our recap of the current ECT salary.
What does an early career teacher earn?
The minimum salary for qualified teachers in England for the 2021-2022 year is £25,714 according to the Department for Education and this is revised yearly. The minimum increases for teachers in London and depending on your location, you could earn:
- London fringe: salaries start at £26,948
- Outer London schools: salaries start at £29,915
- Inner London schools: salaries start at £32,157
- Rest of England and Wales: salaries start at £25,714
Other determining factors for an ECT’s salary could be:
- If you’re qualified to teach a subject in particularly short supply, such as physics or maths
- If you are a mature entrant to teaching with additional work experience, your school may choose to recognise this experience and start you at a higher pay rate
Your starting salary will be stated clearly when you receive a written confirmation of appointment.
Can I negotiate my salary?
Most early career teachers will start out at the minimum payment level described above, however independent schools, city technology colleges and academies may offer a different ECT teaching salary.
There may also be some room for negotiation depending on the subject you teach, extra responsibilities you take up and the school’s location. For example, a remote school in Scotland, in high need of qualified teachers may be willing to bump up your starting salary.
What extra responsibilities could increase my salary?
Teaching is a field in which you can expect the chance to progress, and schools often offer incentives to qualified teachers to retain their best teachers and provide continuity for students. As a result, progression within the pay scale is determined not necessarily by length of time, but by performance.
Teachers also have the chance to take up extra responsibilities – which could boost your primary or secondary ECT salary. Teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) payments can increase your salary from between £571 to £14,030 depending on the category of your enhanced duties. These types of activity usually involve more experience than an early career teacher would typically have, but there may be exceptions. If you do undertake a TLR post you will need to ensure the group overseeing your ECT Induction, the Appropriate Body, are aware of this.
Additional responsibilities may involve:
- Training other teachers
- Helping develop a subject or curriculum area
- Leading additional courses other than the assigned group of pupils
If you’re qualified to work with pupils with special educational needs (SEN) you could also be eligible for an SEN allowance, which ranges from £2,270 to £4,479 per year.
Some early career teachers also opt to supplement their starting pay with private tuition during the holidays.
How many days of holiday does an ECT receive?
In addition to your ECT starting salary, there are several enticing benefits for teachers. Chief among these is the amount of holiday. Teachers generally receive more days off than other professions, with most working for 195 days a year in school, plus additional working days during school holidays.
How about Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Salaries in Northern Ireland start at a minimum of £24,137 and in Scotland, you’ll undertake a probation year with salaries starting at £27,498. There are also some parts of Scotland where it’s possible to obtain an additional allowance for working in a remote location. This includes the Remote Schools Allowance and Distant Island Allowance.
Thinking about getting into teaching with Tes Institute? Visit our routes into teaching blog to see which of our programmes is right for you.