In an online snap poll, conducted this week, teacher members of the National Education Union who work in maintained schools in England were asked their views of the government’s plan to only partially fund the pay offer of 3.5 per cent for 2026/27 and 3 per cent for 2027/28.
NEU pressure to date has resulted in the government shifting ground, from an unfunded to partially funded pay offer, and to an offer of 6.5 per cent over two years rather than three. However, the government expects schools to find ‘efficiencies’ in their budgets to cover the remaining 1.1 per cent of the pay offer for 2026/27, which amounts to £460 million. Heads were informed of this on 1 July, leaving little time to plan budgets.
A snap poll of NEU members, conducted this week, found strong support for action on pay and funding.
- 97 per cent believe it is unacceptable that their school will have to find the money to make up the shortfall in government funding for the pay rise.
- The vast majority of those polled (89 per cent) said they would be prepared to take strike action to ensure any pay award is fully funded.
- Three quarters (76 per cent) said they would be prepared to take strike action to win an improved pay offer this year.
The survey was conducted between 11-17 July.
Informed by the findings of this poll, the National Education Union’s executive has this week reaffirmed plans to proceed to a formal ballot of members in the autumn term on pay and funding.
The question on the formal ballot paper is to be confirmed, but the executive agreed it should be over a substantial increase in school funding and significant steps towards pay restoration. As previously announced, the ballot will launch on 3 October and close on 15 December.
Commenting on the findings of this snap poll, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“We are at a crunch point. For well over a decade, schools have been asked to do more with less.
“The NEU has argued for and won more pay and funding, but it is not enough. Nothing short of a fully funded pay award and substantial progress towards pay restoration is needed, and our members agree.
“We want to fix chronic underfunding in our schools. It means bigger class sizes and crumbling buildings. It means teachers driven out of the profession. It impacts children’s learning and parents can see that. The government’s ambitions for SEND children cannot be met in the present circumstances.
“The incoming Prime Minister must look with fresh eyes at the state in which successive governments have left the education system. There is still time to plug the gap with the £460m that is missing, but we need to see a substantial increase in school funding more broadly as well as significant steps towards pay restoration.
“It is very clear that teachers will not put up with yet another government ducking their responsibilities. It is time to save education and we will.”