Teachers: Pay

(asked on 15th December 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of trends in the level of the cost of living on teachers' (a) pay and (b) disposable income.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 20th December 2022

Teachers’ pay is reviewed, on an annual basis, by the independent Statutory Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), which considers the current economic climate. Pay awards this year provide a careful balance between recognising the vital importance of teachers, whilst delivering value for the taxpayer, and being careful not to drive inflation. Sustained higher levels of inflation would have a far bigger impact on people’s real incomes in the long run than the proportionate and balanced pay increases implemented following the recommendations from the Pay Review Bodies.

The Department has implemented the STRB’s recommendation of a significant 8.9% pay uplift to teacher starting salaries outside London in 2022/23, bringing them up to £28,000. The Department has also implemented the STRB’s recommendation of a 5% pay uplift for experienced teachers and leaders in 2022/23. The 5% uplift is the highest pay award for experienced teachers in 30 years. The 5% overall median pay award is equivalent to an increase of £2,100 on the average full time equivalent teacher pay of £41,300 in 2021. The median head teacher pay in 2021 was £69,200.

Teachers in the first few years of their career will typically also be eligible for pay progression. Teachers receiving the pay award and progressing one advisory pay point on the main pay range could receive a pay rise of up to 15.9%.

The Department recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen this year and affected teachers and their families. The Government has announced further support, worth £26 billion, for next year designed to target the most vulnerable households. This is on top of the £37 billion of cost of living support provided by the Government this year, including a £400 discount to all eligible households on their energy bill this autumn and winter. The Energy Price Guarantee will also continue to shield households from unprecedented energy costs.

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