A school leaders’ union has called for a “long-term commitment to funding over a number of years” to reverse the “significant real-term decline” in teacher pay rates.
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) made the demand in its submission to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), which recommends rates of teacher pay in England.
The headteachers’ union has called for a “significant increase” to all pay ranges from September, “together with the re-establishment of previous differentials between pay ranges”.
It has also recommended that performance-related pay is removed from the School teachers’ pay and conditions document and that school business leaders are included in the STRB’s recommendations, so that they are “recognised and remunerated for the vital roles they carry out”.
ASCL added that workload and wellbeing should be addressed for all teachers and leaders, and suggested protections to working hours and said that staff must be able to complete their role “in a working day”.
The calls come after the four education unions and the Department for Education announced they were entering a period of “intensive” pay talks.
The DfE recommended a pay rise of 3 per cent for experienced teachers in 2023-24 in its evidence to the STRB, published last month.
Commenting on the fact that the government’s evidence was submitted later than planned, ASCL said in its submission that it must “reiterate how imperative it is that the report and the response to it are published in a much timelier manner”.
ASCL’s pay specialist Louise Hatswell said its evidence showed the “severe issues relating to the recruitment and retention of teachers and school leaders”.
She said: “Teachers and school leaders deserve to be remunerated appropriately and fairly for the crucial role they fulfil in society, as has been made even more clear since the onset of the pandemic.
“This includes school business leaders, who must be recognised and remunerated for the vital roles they carry out and the level of responsibility and accountability that those roles hold.
“Workload and wellbeing are also significant issues for all teachers and school leaders and the DfE must take action to address this.”
