The “disparity” in pay arrangements between school business leaders and their colleagues is a source of major “discontent”, union leaders warned as a deal for support staff pay was agreed.
The offer of £1,290 made by the National Employers for 2024-25 has been accepted by the union Unison, which represents many school support staff, after not enough members voted in the union’s strike ballot.
The GMB Union has also confirmed acceptance of the deal.
However, there are concerns about the impact of the latest award on school business leaders who are also covered by the agreement.
A multi-academy trust (MAT) leader has said a lack of additional funding to specifically meet the costs of the support staff pay increase will be particularly challenging for special schools and alternative provision - and this must change.
Pay disparities source of ‘discontent’
Emma Harrison, business leadership specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, explained that the National Joint Pay Scales do “not serve business leaders well”, and highlighted that there is no national pay framework for business leaders.
She said that it was very disappointing that for a third consecutive year, “those working in business leadership roles receive a lower pay award than most of the education workforce”.
Ms Harrison added: “The disparity between the pay arrangements for business leaders and their colleagues who fall within the remit of the school teacher pay framework is a source of major and entirely justified discontent.”
Teachers received a 5.5 per cent pay increase for 2024-25 earlier this year.
Labour has introduced legislation to reinstate the School Support Staff Negotiating Body.
However, Ms Harrison said ASCL would like to see all education workers brought into a single review body where pay decisions can be made across the workforce.
“If two separate mechanisms are to exist, we believe it is more appropriate for business leaders to have their pay determined by the same arrangements as other school leaders,” she added.
Support staff pay pressures
The Institute for School Business Leadership has set out its own national pay framework for school business leaders based on existing leadership scales.
Under the previous government, the Commons Education Select Committee called on the Department for Education to ensure support staff pay rises are funded in school budgets.
The pressure created by support staff pay rises is an issue in specialist schools where it makes up a bigger proportion of overall staff costs.
Warren Carratt, CEO of Nexus MAT, said: “The woeful state of underfunded special educational needs and disabilities budgets nationally means that state special and alternative provision schools are now swimming with both arms tied behind their back, financially.
“The huge need for teaching assistants in these schools - and the massive part they play - disproportionately increases the costs, and there is no more funding to alleviate these pressures. This needs recognising and addressing as a matter of urgency by the government. This just cannot continue.”
Pay backdated to 1 April
GMB will be consulting members on pay aspirations for 2025-26, said Rachel Harrison, national secretary of GMB.
“We will be lobbying for this to be a fully funded pay offer for schools and local government workers,” she added.
The pay award is backdated to 1 April.
Mike Short, head of local government and education at Unison, said: “The priority will be to ensure the money goes into everyone’s wage packets as soon as possible.”
Unison had previously urged its members to reject the £1,290 offer, which equates to 5.77 per cent for the lowest paid.
Last year school support staff received a pay rise of £1,925, equivalent to an increase of 9.42 per cent for the lowest-paid employees.
The DfE has been contacted for comment.
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