Five unions representing teachers and school leaders have set out several “urgent steps” the government must take on teacher pay, workload and funding.

The unions have called for future teacher pay increases to be “significantly above RPI inflation”, and for action to be taken to improve the recruitment and retention of teachers and to address the overall funding packet for schools.

The Association of School and College Leaders, NAHT school leaders’ union, NEU teaching union, NASUWT teaching union and Community Trade Union have also condemned any move to introduce targeted pay on the basis of location, subject or phase.

NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said: “The 5.5% pay increase is a welcome first step towards pay restoration, but more now needs to be done to restore the competitiveness of teaching as an attractive career in the graduate marketplace and reverse over a decade of real-terms pay cuts.

“Addressing the workload crisis is just as crucial - teachers and leaders are overburdened.

“We urge the government to make a career in teaching an attractive proposition by devising a plan to restore the value of professionals’ pay, reduce workload and work with unions to implement a fair, transparent pay structure that works for all teachers, regardless of subject, phase or location.”

• Read more: NEU reps to push for home PPA time in academy trusts
• Related: Phillipson asks how teacher pay can support more flexibility
• Inspection: Heads warn against Ofsted creating new framework ‘behind closed doors’

The steps that unions are calling for in their response to a consultation on the government’s proposals for implementing recommendations from the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) report are as follows:

Above-inflation pay increases

All teachers are getting a 5.5 per cent increase in pay this year as per STRB recommendations - which was above inflation when it was awarded in July 2024.

However, real-terms pay for experienced teachers is still likely to be 9 per cent below 2010 levels despite the increase, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned.

Unions have said that future pay increases in this parliament must be significantly above RPI inflation to address pay lost in real terms and address recruitment and retention issues.

Action on recruitment and retention

To address an ongoing teacher recruitment and retention crisis, unions are calling for major improvements in pay, workload, conditions and “excessive accountability”, unions have said.

The STRB report stated the profession lacks a “coordinated long-term strategic workforce plan” aimed at addressing this. Unions said they are open to discussing strategic plans with the government.

Tes revealed in July that the new government was looking at proposals to launch a fresh review of the teaching profession to address standards and pay.

A ‘fair and transparent’ pay structure

The unions have welcomed the decision to get rid of the obligation on schools to have performance-related pay (PRP), claiming the damage done by it has been “immense”.

Instead, they reiterated calls for a new “fair and transparent” national pay structure to offer pay progression and develop career pathways.

This should include mandatory national minimum pay points, the response added.

Unions oppose targeted pay

The STRB report examined several methods of targeting pay to address recruitment and retention challenges, including by focusing on teachers’ pay for specific subjects experiencing the largest staff shortages.

But targeting pay by subject could have a “negative overall impact” if not done in a way that is recognised as broadly fair, the STRB added.

All the unions stated they are opposed to pay being targeted by subject, phase or location as they believe it is “divisive” and will likely “lead to greater pay inequality”. Their response urges the government to reject any moves towards targeting pay.

Unions said other non-pay mechanisms could better support recruitment and retention in local areas.

Objective analysis of funding

Union general secretaries also warn that existing inadequate funding levels make it impossible to make improvements to pay and workload.

They have urged the government to ask the STRB to review evidence of improvements needed in the sector and assess the solutions needed, without having to work within existing funding levels.

Workload changes

Finally, unions said further improvements to teacher workload using the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) are essential to address the recruitment and retention crisis.

They have called for the removal of the “open-ended hours clause” in the STPCD to address “excessive weekly working hours”.

The STRB should also investigate and recommend further flexible working options, unions added - and they have called on the government to continue its work on changing the school inspection system.

The DfE has been contacted for comment.