Workload negotiations outcome
Sixth form colleges have secured a contractual right to planning time, along with other workload protections as part of the 2025/26 pay round, after successful negotiations with the Sixth Form College Association (SFCA).
SFCA Pay Offer 2025/26
The SFCA offer is:
- From 1 September 2025, a 4 per cent across-the-board pay increase for all teachers, including those on the leadership scale.
- From 1 September 2025, a 4 per cent increase on all relevant allowances, including London and fringe allowances.
- Accelerated joint discussions to a mutually agreed timetable on teacher workload and working time.
- Accelerated joint discussions to a mutually agreed timetable on London pay.
Pay claim 2025/26
The staff side teachers' pay claim for 2025/26 is:
- A pay increase that is above the RPI rate of inflation from 1 September 2025 on all pay points and allowances, and that constitutes a meaningful step towards real terms pay restoration.
- An additional increase from 1 September 2025 in the London allowances.
- Accelerated joint discussions on workload and working time over the Summer Term, with an agreed position to be reached by the close of Autumn Term 2025.
Increasing workloads across the sixth form college sector continue to be a matter of concern, and this year's claim explicitly calls for a number of workload commitments to be agreed, including:
- PPA or protected desk time equivalent to be added to the Red Book;
- limit on contact hours;
- limit on class sizes;
- a 'rarely cover' equivalent to be added to the Red Book;
- agreed workload principles;
- agreed on directed time principles.
Pay scales
| Spine point | from 1 April 2025 | from 1 Sept 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £32,178 | £33,465 |
| 2 | £33,415 | £34,752 |
| 3 | £35,306 | £36,718 |
| 4 | £37,476 | £38,975 |
| 5 | £39,590 | £41,174 |
| 6 | £42,226 | £43,915 |
| 7 | £43,941 | £45,699 |
| 8 | £46,860 | £48,734 |
| 9 | £49,725 | £51,714 |
Responsibility allowances
Range: from £1,000 to £10,000
Leadership pay scales for 2024/25
| Spine point | at 1 April 2025 | from 1 Sept 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| SFC-L1 | £58,124 | £60,449 |
| SFC-L2 | £59,617 | £62,002 |
| SFC-L3 | £61,310 | £63,762 |
| SFC-L4 | £61,927 | £64,404 |
| SFC-L5 | £63,601 | £66,145 |
| SFC-L6 | £65,333 | £67,946 |
| SFC-L7 | £66,899 | £69,575 |
| SFC-L8 | £68,504 | £71,244 |
| SFC-L9 | £70,149 | £72,955 |
| SFC-L10 | £71,834 | £74,707 |
| SFC-L11 | £73,556 | £76,498 |
| SFC-L12 | £75,322 | £78,335 |
| SFC-L13 | £77,132 | £80,217 |
| SFC-L14 | £78,982 | £82,141 |
| SFC-L15 | £80,878 | £84,113 |
| SFC-L16 | £82,819 | £86,132 |
| SFC-L17 | £84,804 | £88,196 |
| SFC-L18 | £86,839 | £90,313 |
| SFC-L19 | £88,923 | £92,480 |
| SFC-L20 | £91,060 | £94,702 |
| SFC-L21 | £93,243 | £96,973 |
| SFC-L22 | £95,482 | £99,301 |
| SFC-L23 | £97,774 | £101,685 |
| SFC-L24 | £100,120 | £104,125 |
| SFC-L25 | £102,522 | £106,623 |
| SFC-L26 | £104,980 | £109,179 |
| SFC-L27 | £107,502 | £111,802 |
London and fringe area allowances at 1 September, 2024
| Area | at 1 April 2025 | from 1 Sept 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Inner London | £4,879 | £5,074 |
| Outer London | £3,252 | £3,382 |
| Fringe | £1,289 | £1,341 |
Management Ranges (Uprated)
Teachers who remain on the management range should be paid on the following ranges in
order to maintain their current pay point and expectations.
The below rates have been uprated by the NJC teachers’ pay award for 2025/26 as follows:
With effect from 1st September 2025
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| A | £50,485 | £52,234 | £54,029 |
| B | £52,866 | £54,608 | £56,411 |
| C | £57,121 | £58,863 | £60,667 |
| D | £60,449 | £62,001 | £63,762 |
Responsibility Allowances paid to teachers do not have to be based on the above ranges A1 to D3.