Teachers in England to get 3.5% pay rise

The UK government has announced that teachers in England will receive a pay increase of 3.5% starting in September, followed by a 3% rise the year after. The Department for Education (DfE) has allocated an extra £1.8 billion to support this pay increase, but schools will be required to cover the initial 1% of each increment from their current budgets. Additionally, new restrictions will be placed on the salaries of senior leaders within academy trusts.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson emphasized the government’s recognition of teachers’ value, stating that the pay offer reflects the “immense value we place in our teachers.” She criticized the faster pay increases often seen for senior executives compared to classroom teachers and introduced measures ensuring that executive pay raises do not exceed those granted to teaching staff. From September onward, any academy trust advertising positions with salaries exceeding £174,000 will need government approval.

The largest teaching union in England, the National Education Union (NEU), expressed dissatisfaction with the deal and is “considering all options,” including a potential strike ballot. NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede acknowledged that the government had been “forced” to improve their initial offer but argued that the changes did not adequately address the significant real-terms pay reductions teachers have faced since 2010. He also highlighted that making schools fund part of the pay rise from existing budgets effectively means “cuts to education,” a stance the union firmly rejects. Kebede viewed the new limitations on executive pay as “a start” but noted they would not apply retroactively.

The reaction from other education leaders was mixed. Paul Whiteman, head of the school leaders’ union NAHT, considered the offer a positive move “as long as we don’t see a big spike in inflation,” though he warned that partial funding would increase financial pressure on already stretched school resources. Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, broadly welcomed the pay awards but stressed that budget implications would differ across schools. Meanwhile, Leora Cruddas, CEO of the Confederation of School Trusts, criticized the new trust pay rules as “micromanagement” by Whitehall and claimed the government had not adequately consulted trusts before implementing the changes.

Beyond schools, the Department for Education also pledged an additional £485 million over two years for colleges. David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, described this as a “very positive announcement,” but reminded that college staff pay still trails behind both schools and industry standards. The government’s submission to the independent School Teachers Review Body calls for a larger pay award of 6.5% spread over three years beginning in 2026. This submission also noted that around £250 million from existing school budgets would be used to support pay rises in the first year, with this figure rising to £750 million in the subsequent year, making the initial implementation financially challenging for schools. The NEU previously labeled the proposed 6.5% increase over three years as insufficient and insulting, highlighting that it would likely fail to keep pace with inflation.

The NEU’s concern is supported by prior industrial action: in early 2023, the union organized eight days of strikes over pay disputes, leading to widespread school closures. These strikes ceased after the government’s revised pay offer in 2023, which included a 6.5% rise. For 2024 and 2025, teachers were awarded pay increases of 5.5% and 4%, respectively. Amid these developments, controversy has arisen around the Department for Education’s spending of over £700,000 on “influencer marketing” in the last two financial years. Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott criticized this expenditure, arguing in a Tes magazine interview that it revealed misplaced priorities. However, the DfE defended the approach, stating that influencer marketing helps reach target audiences more cost-effectively than traditional methods

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