Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of pay for further education staff in England; what steps she is taking to improve further education staff pay; and what discussions she has had with (a) college employers and (b) trade unions on this issue.

Further education (FE) teachers are central to delivering high-quality technical education. In July, the department announced additional funding of around £120 million for colleges and other FE providers for the 2026/27 financial year, rising to around £365 million in 2027/28, to help them address immediate pressures, including recruitment and retention of excellent staff.

In addition, the department’s targeted retention incentive offer is designed to retain eligible FE teachers in technical subjects with payments of up to £6,000 after tax. In its first year, nearly 6,000 teachers received a payment.

FE colleges have statutory autonomy over the pay of their staff. There is value in colleges having the freedom to meet local technical skills needs and the government does not set college teacher pay.

The department regularly engages with FE stakeholders, including college employers and Trade Unions on a range of issues, including matters pertaining to funding.