Teacher Pay Structure and the Upper Pay Range

Teacher pay structure and the upper pay range

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Publication England Pay progression

The analysis in this report is based on an anonymous survey of NEU members conducted in July 2025 to gather teachers’ views and experiences of the UPR. The survey combined Likert-scale questions to quantify attitudes and perceptions with open-text questions to capture qualitative insights. The topics covered included:

  • how the purpose of the UPR has changed since its introduction
  • expectations and demands placed on UPR teachers
  • the perception of the UPR as a ‘promoted’ scale
  • experiences of progression to the maximum of the UPR.

The survey was distributed by the NEU and received responses from 2,957 NEU members altogether. The findings in this report represent the information gathered from the approximately 2,300 individuals who are on the Upper Pay Scale (UPR).

Executive summary

How the purpose of the UPR has changed since its introduction

  • Only around a fifth of members believe that the UPR still reflects its original intention of valuing classroom teaching in its own right while 33.4% disagree and a further 26.8% strongly disagree that this is the case
  • Almost three-quarters of respondents feel that the purpose of the UPR has shifted since it was first introduced: 40.0% agree and 33.2% strongly agree with this statement
  • About half of survey participants disagree that their school leaders view the UPR primarily as a way to reward classroom teaching, rather than as a leadership role

Expectations and demands placed on UPR teachers

  • Just under two-fifths of teachers agree or strongly agree that the expectations placed on UPR teachers in their school are reasonable and achievable but a similar proportion disagree or strongly disagree that this is the case
  • Only around a third of respondents feel that the expectations for UPR teachers were clearly communicated to them when they moved onto the UPR. Respondents are more likely to disagree (29.7%) or strongly disagree (15.3%) that expectations were outlined clearly
  • Barely a fifth of respondents feel that UPR teachers in their school receive enough support to meet the extra expectations placed on them while just over half disagree with this statement (33.7% disagreeing and a further 17.7% strongly disagreeing)
  • The majority (83%) of respondents feel that UPR teachers with additional responsibilities should also receive a TLR
  • Almost half (48.3%) of respondents report that the additional responsibilities associated with the UPR were greater than expected

Concept of the UPR as a ‘promoted’ scale

  • Respondents generally do not consider moving onto the UPR to be a form of promotion in practice and – setting aside how it might operate in practice – the vast majority (92.8%) feel the UPR should be seen more as a recognition of experience in classroom teaching than as a promotion
  • Relatively few respondents (just over a quarter) agree that the concept of the UPR as a ‘promoted’ scale has influenced how they feel about their career progression. Similarly, few report that the idea of the UPR as a promotion creates tensions or disparities within teaching teams at their schools
  • Respondents are largely neutral on the question of the impact that the concept of the UPR as a ‘promoted’ scale has on motivation and morale. Where they do have an opinion, they are more likely to view it as having a negative impact than a positive impact
  • Just over half the sample believes that unfair barriers are put in place to get onto the UPR (31.8% agree that this is the case and a further 20.0% ‘strongly’ agree)

Experiences of progression to the maximum of the UPR

  • The majority of respondents – around three-quarters – have experienced slower progression upon reaching the UPR
  • Around a quarter of respondents agree that the current speed of progression within the UPR is a fair reflection of their experience and contribution (and a further 5.6% ‘strongly’ agree that this is the case) but more respondents are inclined to disagree (26.1%) or ‘strongly’ disagree (17.2%)
  • There is a widespread consensus that slower pay progression within the UPR negatively affects morale and retention, with more than three-quarters of the sample agreeing or strongly agreeing.

Views by gender and educational phase

  • Women and primary teachers show consistently more negative perceptions of the UPR.
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