Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of pay for further education teachers.

This government recognises the vital role that further education (FE) teachers and providers play in equipping learners with the opportunities and skills that they need to succeed in their education and throughout life.

That is why this government is committed to recruiting 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and colleges, and tackling retention challenges to support teachers to stay within the profession.

To boost recruitment and retention of teachers, the targeted retention incentive is giving eligible early career teachers working in disadvantaged schools, and in all colleges, up to £6,000 after tax annually, on top of their pay.

In colleges this includes those teaching in key subjects including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and technical shortage subjects, such as construction and early years.

The department also continues to support recruitment and retention with teacher training bursaries worth up to £30,000 tax-free in certain key subject areas, and with support for industry professionals to enter the FE teaching workforce through its ‘Taking Teaching Further’ programme.

FE colleges, including sixth form colleges, were incorporated under the terms of the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act, which gave them autonomy over the pay and contractual terms and conditions of their staff. The government plays no role in recommending or setting pay or terms of employment within the FE sector.

The Autumn Budget 2024 set out the government’s commitment to skills, by providing an additional £300 million revenue funding for FE to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs. The department will set out in due course how this funding will be distributed.