Unions warn that Government proposals will amount to a real-terms pay cut for teachers 

The Government’s recommendation to the STRB (School Teachers’ Review Body) for a pay offer to teachers of 6.5% over three years has come under severe criticism from teaching unions, who have described it as ‘real terms cut’.

In addition, the Department for Education has said that it “expects that most schools will need to implement plans to realise and sustain better value from existing spend in addition to the funding being provided through the core schools’ budget to deliver the pay awards”.

Earlier this year, education secretary Bridget Phillipson asked the STRB to make formal recommendations for pay awards for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years, “as well as an indicative pay award for the 2028-29 academic year”.

The Department for Education has now published its evidence to the STRB. In its submission, the DfE said there were “positive signs that the government’s pay strategy is starting to deliver improvements to the recruitment and retention of teachers.”

“To continue to build on these improvements, the department’s view is that a 6.5% pay award over 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29 would be appropriate, with the level of awards weighted towards the latter part of the remit.

This would support schools to manage the challenging affordability position in FY 2026-27, which has resulted from the significant pay uplift in AY 2025/26, preceded by a substantial pay uplift in 2024/25.

A weighting towards higher awards in 2027-28 and 2028-29 would give schools a longer timeframe to plan for changes to their operations, provisions or staffing.”

Commenting on the Government’s recommendation, Matt Wrack, General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said:

This proposal fails to address the thousands of pounds in pay that teachers have lost over the past decade due to years of real-terms pay cuts. This proposal fails to set teaching salaries on a competitive footing compared with other comparable graduate professions.

In addition, the Government intends to once again ask schools to fund part of the pay awards from existing budgets – that means more cuts in schools.

These proposals are only likely to exacerbate the current recruitment and retention crisis in teaching and lead to further reductions to support, resources and provision for pupils in our schools.

We believe pay must increase significantly above RPI inflation for 2026 to begin restoring the losses of the past decade.

We are calling on the Government to submit revised evidence to the STRB which reflects the urgent need to restore the real-terms value of teacher pay and provides for fully funded, above-inflation awards in each year of this Parliament.

Ministers must recognise that investment in teachers and schools is essential to delivering the Government’s educational, social and economic priorities.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said:

A proposed 6.5% pay award spread over three years will amount to a real-terms pay cut for teachers. The last Labour government made education its top priority – ‘education, education, education.’ This Labour government, however, is failing to deliver on its promises.

Instead of 6,500 more teachers, we have botched Ofsted reforms, declining school funding, and now a pay recommendation that will do nothing to address the continued crisis in retention.

If this government were truly serious about education, it would invest in its workforce – not make the living standards of dedicated teachers worse.

“Austerity Labour is paving the way for a Reform government. A government that will take our public services from crisis to collapse.”

A joint statement on the STRB from ASCL, NAHT, NEU and Community, representing the majority of teachers and school leaders in England, has also called for urgent, significant and fully funded movement towards complete reversal of the real terms pay cuts for teachers and school leaders since 2010.

‘Huge pay cuts against inflation for teachers and school leaders have been much greater than for other comparable professions. Pay cuts and excessive workload have driven a recruitment and retention crisis in our schools. To repair the damage to our education service, the Government must invest properly in our teachers and school leaders.’

Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, added:

Teacher shortages have been a huge problem for many years and mean that schools and colleges often have to use supply staff and non-subject specialists to fill gaps. It is obvious that the solution must involve setting pay at a level which is sufficient to attract and retain staff, and to provide schools and colleges with the funding necessary to afford those salaries. The present government has made some steps in this direction but there is a long way to go in addressing historic pay erosion under previous administrations, and its decision to fund this year’s staff pay awards only partially has deepened financial pressures. It must do better for education.

Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

Great schools rely on great teachers and leaders. All the government’s ambitions – from improving literacy, to tackling child poverty, to SEND inclusion – none of them can be realised without skilled experienced professionals showing up for pupils every day. The government must therefore put equal focus on delivering this fundamental requirement by investing in teachers and school leaders, reversing the real terms pay erosion of the last government, and making teaching a sustainable long-term career prospect for the best of the best to want to enter and stay in.

Helen Osgood, Director of Operations at Community Union, said:

Every day, teachers go above and beyond to inspire our children. From mentoring new teachers to supporting families, they give so much and they shouldn’t have to worry about paying the bills. It’s time that their hard work was properly recognised and that they’re paid fairly for the difference they make.