Pay scales
Pay scales information on the advisory pay points for the Main Pay Range and Upper Pay Range, and the Leadership Group Pay Range recommended for 1 September 2020.
- Pay award 2020 and pay progression
- Joint union advice on school teachers’ pay 2020-21
- Pay scales, calculator and toolkit
- Other pay arrangements
For more pay advice content, browse our help and advice A-Z or take a look at our top five frequently asked questions.
Pay award September 2020 and pay progression
On 21 July, the Government announced that it proposed to accept the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body on school teacher pay in England from 1 September 2020. The proposals are for a 5.5% increase at starting pay, with increases of 4.95% to 3.3% on M2-M5 and 2.75% for all other teachers. TLR and SEN allowances will also be increased by 2.75%. Details about the July 21 announcement can be found here.
On 29 July, the Welsh Government announced that it proposed to accept the recommendations of the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body on school teacher pay in Wales from 1 September 2020 and to make some enhancements to the Review Body's recommendations on teacher pay in Wales. The Welsh Government proposals are for an increase of 8.48% at starting pay, but with increases tapering off to 3.75% on the Main Pay Scale and 2.75% for other teachers. TLR and SEN allowances will also be increased by 2.75%. In addition, the Welsh Government proposes to shorten the Main Pay Scale from 6 points to 5 points, abolish performance-related pay in favour of experience-based pay progression and reintroduce national statutory pay scales.
The proposed increases in England and Wales fall short of our call for a 7% increase for all teachers to make significant inroads into the cuts to teacher pay against inflation since 2010, but we are campaigning to ensure that all eligible staff receive pay progression in addition to the cost of living increases announced. See the NEU press release regarding the 2020 pay increase the NEU press release on the announcement in Wales and the NEU pay campaign page.
All teachers and school leaders should receive an individual pay increase corresponding to the increases set out above, excluding any increase arising from progression to a higher pay scale point. See our pay toolkit for more information including how to secure pay progression.
The separate revised proposals for England and Wales are currently the subject of consultation. The NEU will be responding to each of the consultations. Although the separate final arrangements for school teacher pay in England and Wales are unlikely to be published until late September, we will be adding more information and guidance on pay issues.
See NEU advice on the implementation of the pay increases.
The latest School Teachers' Review Body report for England can be found here.
The latest information on Wales can be found here.
Pay scales, calculator and toolkit
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Pay calculator
This calculator estimates, using the latest inflation forecasts available at the time of writing, the impact of the pay announcements for school teachers in England and Wales announced in July 2020.
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Pay toolkit
Use our pay toolkit to secure pay progression, by taking collective action or by pursuing and winning appeals against decisions that individual teachers should not progress.
Other pay arrangements
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Advice 
Support staff pay and conditions
Pay and conditions agreement for support staff - most LA schools use the local government pay scales to pay their support staff in conjunction with National Joint Council (NJC) terms and conditions.
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Advice 
Sixth form college pay
Pay scales and updates on pay negotiations for sixth form colleges.
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Advice 
Pay in the independent sector
As private businesses outside the national collective bargaining structure in the maintained sector, independent schools have greater freedom to set their own terms and conditions of employment.
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Advice 
Residential teachers
Pay and conditions for teachers in residential establishments are aligned with those in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD), the Burgundy Book and the Independent Pay Review Body in Wales since 2019, other than the following allowances and pay scales.
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Advice 
Unattached teachers
This guidance summarises the position in respect of pay and conditions for unattached teachers employed by local authorities.
All pay advice by topic tag
Can't find what you're looking for above? Browse all our pay content, ordered by topic tag. As pages can have more than one topic tag, they can also appear more than once in the list below.
- Details of how academies and trusts set pay scales and what pay and conditions arrangements are in place in these workplaces.
- Pay and appraisal guidance and policy for schools were all dependent on normal operation. It would be grossly unfair to penalise teachers on the basis of objectives that cannot be measured.
- This is a guide on steering a course through your appraisal and the pay decision process to ensure that you can secure pay progression.
- Ten bullet points on independent sector collective bagaining.
- Pay and appraisal guidance and policy for schools were all dependent on normal operation. It would be grossly unfair to penalise teachers on the basis of objectives that cannot be measured.
- The key 15 points of clarification arising from HMRC’s amended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme guidance.
- A guide for reps on equality in schools, including a checklist to ensure that all eligible members receive pay progression.
- The campaign for equal pay has a long history; one which is still ongoing.
- A guide for reps on equality in schools, including a checklist to ensure that all eligible members receive pay progression.
- Ten bullet points on independent sector collective bagaining.
- As private businesses outside the national collective bargaining structure in the maintained sector, independent schools have greater freedom to set their own terms and conditions of employment.
Guidance on matters to consider in relation to pay and conditions when working in the independent sector.
- Pay and appraisal guidance and policy for schools were all dependent on normal operation. It would be grossly unfair to penalise teachers on the basis of objectives that cannot be measured.
- The key 15 points of clarification arising from HMRC’s amended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme guidance.
The most common queries NEU members have on pay for leadership teachers in schools and academies.
- This guide gives advice to leaders on how their pay progression system works.
This guidance sets out the obligations of employers and employees in relation to notice periods and notice pay.
- This guidance is aimed at new teachers and those returning to teaching service after a break. It explains the basics of the pay structure and gives advice on ensuring you are fairly paid and able to seek the most favourable use of pay discretions.
- guidance on the pay and conditions implications of teachers’ participation in out-of-school-hours learning activities.
- The new Ofsted inspection framework is putting increasing pressure on members, particularly primary subject leaders and this is due to problems with school funding and staff recruitment which the new framework does not take into account.
- The Upper Pay Range is a pay range offering significantly higher pay than the main pay range. This advice helps explain progression to the Upper Pay Range.
- This checklist should be used alongside the National Education Union model policy to help you negotiate a policy acceptable to the NEU.
- Advice on identifying the grounds for a pay appeal and on how you might run a successful one.
- This checklist will help you prepare for meetings about recommendations to deny pay progression and appeals hearings after a decision has been taken to deny pay progression.
- These model letters will help you prepare for meetings about recommendations to deny pay progression and appeals hearings after a decision has been taken to deny pay progression.
- This model pay policy will help to recruit, retain and motivate teachers, provide the basis for sound financial and personnel planning and minimise the risk of grievance and discrimination. It is consistent and compliant with the STPCD and the NEU pay policy checklist.
- This guide gives advice to leaders on how their pay progression system works.
This advice summarises how performance related pay progression works for teachers.
- A guide for reps on equality in schools, including a checklist to ensure that all eligible members receive pay progression.
- All schools, including academies, should have a pay policy which sets out how decisions are taken on pay matters including pay assessments, pay progression, discretionary payments, appeals etc.
- This is a guide on steering a course through your appraisal and the pay decision process to ensure that you can secure pay progression.
- This guide gives advice on how the pay progression system for classroom teachers works.
- This guide explains how to challenge unfair pay policies and secure a fair pay policy in your school.
- This guide gives advice on securing pay progression by persuading governors not to accept a recommendation to deny pay progression or by appealing successfully against a decision to deny progression.
- Guidance on the pay framework for sixth form college teachers and advice for NEU representatives for college level discussions on its implementation.
- Pay scales and updates on pay negotiations for sixth form colleges.
- Advice explaining the payments and entitlements you may receive if your post becomes redundant. In any case where redundancy is threatened, specific advice and assistance is available and should be sought from your school/college rep or division/association/branch secretary.
- This is the NEU’s advice for local officers, school and academy reps on securing pay increases in line with the Government’s decisions on school teacher pay from September 2019.
- An introduction to the pay and conditions arrangements of part time teachers
- Details of how academies and trusts set pay scales and what pay and conditions arrangements are in place in these workplaces.
- Pay and conditions for teachers in residential establishments are aligned with those in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD), the Burgundy Book and the Independent Pay Review Body in Wales since 2019, other than the following allowances and pay scales.
- The campaign for equal pay has a long history; one which is still ongoing.
- Guidance on the pay framework for sixth form college teachers and advice for NEU representatives for college level discussions on its implementation.
- Pay scales and updates on pay negotiations for sixth form colleges.
- Pay and conditions agreement for support staff - most LA schools use the local government pay scales to pay their support staff in conjunction with National Joint Council (NJC) terms and conditions.
This Q&A document is a comprehensive overview to the teachers’ pay structure and classroom teachers’ pay scales for 2019-20.
Advice on Teaching & Learning Responsibility Payments (TLRs) and other allowances such as Special Educational Needs allowances and Recruitment and Retention payments.
- The campaign for equal pay has a long history; one which is still ongoing.
- guidance on the pay and conditions implications of teachers’ participation in out-of-school-hours learning activities.
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