The FOI was submitted in autumn 2024 and is available.
The figures reveal deep and persistent inequalities in pay, career progression, and everyday workplace experiences for Black educators. These disparities require a strong, collective response.
As reps, you have a vital role in challenging these injustices and supporting your Black colleagues.
Key facts:
Pay inequality: Black classroom teachers outside London earn on average 4.5 per cent less than their white colleagues.
Under-representation in leadership: While 12 per cent of classroom teachers are Black, only 8 per cent of deputy and assistant heads and 5 per cent of head teachers come from Black backgrounds.
Higher attrition rates: Black teachers are leaving the profession at a faster rate, with 8–12 per cent leaving annually before retirement, compared to 6–8 per cent of white teachers.
Stress from discrimination: Nearly 60 per cent of Black teachers cite workplace discrimination as a major or minor cause of stress—more than double the rate for white teachers.
Actions for reps
- Engage in pay policy consultations annually – ensure your school’s pay policies are fair, transparent, and scrutinised through an equality lens.
- Use our template to request pay outcome data by equality group – under section 181 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TUL(C)A), reps can request this data to support collective bargaining.
- Organise workplace meetings – create space for Black members to share their experiences and raise concerns that can be added to your bargaining agenda.
- Share rights information – distribute the NEU’s guide ‘Black teachers - know your rights on pay’ to colleagues (link below).