Teacher pay bargaining
The Conservative government’s abolition of the Burnham Committee in 1987 marked the end of national collective bargaining over teacher pay. It was eventually replaced by the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) – a body appointed by the government, with a remit set by the government, and whose recommendations the government can choose to ignore.
The abolition of national collective bargaining for teacher pay, combined with decades of hostile governments, funding cuts and the devolution of decisions on teacher pay to individual schools and academy trusts, has resulted in the erosion of teacher pay and the fragmentation of the pay structure.
The NEU remains committed to re-establishing national collective bargaining over teacher pay and securing a national pay structure which applies statutorily to all schools and academies.
The school teachers’ pay and conditions document(s)
So far as they still exist, the national pay structure and entitlements for school teachers in England are set out in the school teachers’ pay and conditions document (STPCD), issued annually by the Department for Education (DfE).
Similarly, the national pay structure for school teachers in Wales is set out in the school teachers’ pay and conditions (Wales) document, published by the Welsh government.
Far reaching changes to teachers’ pay arrangements in England in recent years include an end to fixed pay scales and automatic pay progression, and the removal of pay portability for teachers moving schools or taking a career break.
The Welsh government ended PRP in September 2020 and reintroduced national statutory pay scales in the STPC(W)D, allowing teachers to move up the main pay scale (MPS) and upper pay scale (UPS) automatically. The pay scale also shortened from six points on the MPS to five, and the principle of pay portability was reinstated.
From September 2025, the STPC(W)D further removed the formal application requirement for progression to the UPS, allowing teachers to move from the MPS without undergoing a burdensome application process.
Academies are not mandated to adhere to the national teachers’ pay provisions set by the STPCD. However, the majority of academies have adopted it for teachers’ pay and are therefore contractually required to follow its terms in full.
Further details of the teacher pay structure in England and Wales can be found in:
Teacher pay structure in England and Wales
Support staff pay bargaining
Pay for over 1.4 million local government services workers, including support staff in schools, is determined by the National Joint Council (NJC) for Local Government services. The union side in this national collective bargaining arrangement is made up of the three recognised local government unions (Unison, GMB and Unite). The NEU’s exclusion from national collective bargaining arrangements for support staff pay is an untenable position, given that the NEU now represents over 60,000 support staff.
Actions for reps
As pay is devolved to schools and academy trusts, NEU members will need to work together to ensure national awards are implemented.
Follow the bargaining cycle at the beginning of the autumn term to confirm that the pay awards for teachers and support staff will be implemented in full once agreed by the recognised unions.
