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We write on behalf of the National Joint Council (NJC) Committee for Support Staff in sixth form colleges, to confirm that agreement has been reached on the pay settlement for all support staff for the 2024/25 pay year.
At the beginning of this academic year we received confirmation of the Government’s position on school teachers’ and support staff pay for 2024/25, which confirmed that additional Government targeted pay funding to teachers and support staff, which while very welcome, did not automatically apply to sixth form colleges generally, which was extremely disappointing. Therefore sixth form colleges will not receive any additional pay funding from Government from 1st September 2024, unlike schools and academies, including 16-19 academies. As you know the SFCA (Employers’ Side) challenged the government’s decision, bringing a claim for a Judicial Review. As a consequence additional funding for an improved pay award was secured from 1st April 2025 and the NJC has agreed the following pay increases for support staff:
From 1 September 2024
(for support staff within sixth form colleges not in receipt of the Government’s additional pay funding)
- Increases between 4.2% to 5.6% on lowest six pay points (see SSFC support staff pay spines)
- An increase of 3.5% on all other pay points
- A 3.5% increase on all relevant allowances
From 1 April 2025
(for support staff within sixth form colleges not in receipt of the Government’s additional pay funding)
- All support staff move on to revised pay scale equating to an increase of beween 5.8% and 6.7% on the lowest four pay points, and an increase of 5.5% on all other pay points of the 2023/24 NJC pay rates and all relevant allowances (see Appendix 1)
From 1 September 2024
(for support staff working in 16 - 19 academies in receipt of the Government additional pay funding)
- Increases of between 5.8% to 6.7% on the lowest four pay points (see Appendix 1)
- An increase of 5.5% on all other pay points (see Appendix 1)
- A 5.5% increase on all relevant allowances
This pay agreement ensures support staff on the lowest pay point on the NJC pay spine will be paid above the statutory minimum wage for the duration of the pay year and beyond. The NJC will continue to review the NJC support staff pay spine to address pay differentials and the grouping/bunching of staff on the lowest pay points. Colleges are also undertaking local pay and grading exercises using the recommended NJC Job Evaluation scheme, this will support colleges resolve any local pay and grading issues.
As part of this agreement the Employer Side has also agreed to fully engage with the Staff Side’s concerns on current national minimum levels of annual leave, as set out in the pay claim and contained in the national terms and conditions. This has been a longstanding issue for the Staff Side. The NJC will further explore the current support staff leave arrangements through SFCA research in sixth form colleges, with a view to concluding discussions by the end of March 2025.
This pay agreement, while staged to take account of the different levels of targeted pay funding provided to NJC institutions between September 2024 and March 2025, provides a baseline increase of at least 5.5% and maintains national pay arrangements for all NJC insitutions moving forward. An extraordinary NJC meeting will take place in the event of any forthcoming announcements of additional and sufficient funding for the sixth form colleges not in receipt of the Government’s targeted pay funding.
The review of the NJC support staff pay spine will continue within the NJC working party and address the impact these changes at the bottom of the pay spine have on local grading and pay differentials.
The amended pay spine is enclosed in order to allow for immediate implementation of this pay agreement.
Yours sincerely
Graham Baird Ben Thomas
NJC Joint Secretaries