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Join more than 450,000 teachers and education professionals shaping the future of education

Join the UK’s largest teaching union today

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Membership offer

  • FREE for trainees, students and apprentices

  • £1 in the first year after qualifying

National Education Union membership is available to everyone working in education. If you are not sure which category of membership you need to apply for, see membership eligibility.

Find out more about the terms and conditions of National Education Union membership.

We are the NEU: join us

Listen to Kevin Courtney and Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretaries of the NEU, explain why the NEU is the union for you.

How much does it cost?

We calculate your membership fees depending on your working hours and workplace role. Membership is free for students and greatly reduced in the first year after qualifying for early career teachers (NQTs in Wales). See our membership rates. 

Benefits and rewards

  • The NEU is a campaigning union with a clear vision of what our education system should look like. Together, we will shape the future of education for the benefit of teachers, support staff, leaders and pupils.
  • Equality is at the heart of our union, to ensure that its members have a voice in the union, in the classroom and in broader society, and do not face barriers to promotion, representation or participation.
  • A network of  workplace representatives and a dedicated national AdviceLine with professionals advisers if you experience issues at work.
  • A fantastic range of national and local CPD courses for all our members
  • Free membership magazine.
  • Free insurance protection and cover for everything from personal accidents, to loss of or damage to property, including teaching equipment and personal effects.
  • We offer a wide range of exclusive money-saving benefits and services for NEU members. See our benefits and rewards to see what's on offer.

Other ways to join

If you don't want to join online there are other ways you can join the National Education Union and take advantage of our great membership offers.

By post - download application form below

Completed application form should be returned in the FREE POST envelope attached to the form.

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    NEU membership FAQs

    Your questions on membership answered - everything you need to know about eligibility, rate structure, charging periods and more.

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    NEU leadership membership

    If the National Education Union is to achieve its ambition to be a ‘game changer’ in education, it must be widely seen to speak for all education professionals, including school leaders and college managers.

  • recruit banner
    NEU membership rates

    We calculate your membership fees depending on your working hours and role. Membership is free for students and greatly reduced for newly qualified members.