The education secretary has asked the independent pay body to make recommendations on how the teacher pay framework can allow for more flexible working in the profession.
Writing to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) in her remit letter kicking off the formal pay review process for next year, Bridget Phillipson also said that due to the “knock-on effects from the previous government’s delays”, it is unlikely the 2025-26 pay award will be announced before maintained schools should be setting their budgets.
But she said the government would aim to reset the timeline for the 2026-27 pay award and has asked the STRB for its teacher pay recommendations at “the earliest point” after considering the evidence it receives.
The education secretary also said she would commit to the publication of pay and progression data for teachers by protected characteristics. This is in response to the chair of the STRB highlighting the need for more frequent and detailed equality, diversity and inclusion data at a national level.
In response to the letter, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU teaching union, said that the “reset” to tackle the teacher supply crisis will “come up short” without “a major pay correction”.
Writing to the chair of the STRB, Ms Phillipson said: “I am interested in your views on how the current framework can best support teachers from all backgrounds and with protected characteristics, including by promoting flexible working.
“I am aware the pro-rating of teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) payments are a concern for many in the sector, so I am specifically asking for your recommendation on whether changes should be made to enable greater flexibility.”
Ms Phillipson said that the government would “not hesitate to make further progress on wider issues that affect the teaching profession” and would “ensure constant momentum”.
Last year, despite assurances that the pay-setting process would take place earlier, former education secretary Gillian Keegan wrote to the STRB chair in December.
The decision on teacher pay was then delayed until after the general election.
The STRB remit letter for 2025-26 has been published as the country’s largest teaching union announced that its members voted to accept the government’s 5.5 per cent pay offer for 2024-25.
Teaching union members accept 2024-25 pay rise
Some 95.4 per cent of the 41.1 per cent of eligible NEU teaching union members who took part in the online poll voted to accept the offer.
The result comes after the Department for Education announced in July that teachers and school leaders will get a 5.5 per cent pay rise for 2024-25.
The government also said that schools would receive an additional £1.2 billion to fund the pay rise.
The decision comes after NEU teacher-members voted against moving to a formal ballot for strike action over pay and funding in the summer term, with members instead opting to wait until a formal pay offer was made.
The union poll ran from 21-30 September and asked one question: “Do you accept or reject the government’s 5.5 per cent pay offer?”
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