Sixth form colleges pay

Sixth Form College teacher pay campaign 2025/26

Member consultation results

Our consultation on the SFCA’s 4% pay offer for sixth form college teacher members and the progress made in workload negotiations as part of our pay claim closed at 4pm on Friday 7 November. Over 4,300 members across 72 colleges were consulted. 

Members have overwhelmingly voted by 93.9 per cent to accept the pay offer on a turnout of 62.9 per cent, whilst near-uniformly rejecting by 86.6 per cent the inadequate response by the SFCA to our workload demands on a turnout of 61.4 per cent.

The decision to consult was made at the Sixth Form College Rep Committee meeting on 15 October, following the most recent National Joint Council (NJC) working party on workload, as well as on London allowances (also part of the claim), between joint unions and the SFCA. Negotiations have been underway with the SFCA on the workload demands since September. While some progress has been made, we do not believe that our workload demands have been sufficiently met at this stage and that the SFCA could go further still. 

The workload demands include the addition of an equivalent of PPA to the Red Book as well as other key protections on class sizes, contact hours, cover and agreed principles around workload as well as directed time. 

While the acceptance of the pay offer will be communicated to the SFCA, there will be a further workload negotiation via the NJC working party on workload on 27 November. 

Colleges included within the consultation

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

Responsibility allowances

Range: from £1,000 to £10,000 

Leadership pay scales for 2024/25

London and fringe area allowances at 1 September, 2024

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

Responsibility Allowances paid to teachers do not have to be based on the above ranges A1 to D3.