Commenting on the teacher pay announcement for September, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“It is testament to the strength of feeling in the profession that government have moved from their initial recommendation of a 2.8% pay rise to the 4% announced today.
"Whilst we acknowledge and welcome additional funding to that initially offered by government, it is still the case that the pay award is not fully funded.
"In many schools this will mean cuts in service provision to children and young people, job losses, and additional workloads for an already overstretched profession.
“The NEU will never accept cuts to education. Children deserve a fully-resourced education and government should see education as an investment in the country’s future not a cost.
“Whilst teachers and school leaders know there are no 'efficiencies' to be made at a school level there is wastage at a system level resulting from the fragmentation to the education system caused by academisation.
"We will press the government to tackle these system level issues starting with capping CEO pay, introducing national energy contracts for schools, and ending the supply agency rip off.
"Unless the government commit to fully funding the pay rise then it is likely that the NEU will register a dispute with the government on the issue of funding, and campaign to ensure every parent understands the impact of a cut in the money available to schools, and that every politician understands this too.
"We welcome steps outlined today around flexible working and TLRs. Teaching is a profession made up of 76 per cent women and it is right that issues that most impact upon women are addressed as a matter of urgency."