Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department’s estimate is of the change in teachers’ pay in real terms in (a) 2026/27 and (b) 2027/28, based on the latest data and forecasts for inflation.

The department accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body’s (STRB) recommendations for a 3.5% pay award in 2026/27 and a 3% award in 2027/28. In addition, the Unqualified Teacher Pay Range outside London will increase by 5% in 2026/27. By September 2027, teachers will have seen their pay increase by 17% since this government took office, equivalent to a 3.8% real-terms increase based on the latest Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts.

The government accepted the recommendation of an award for 2027/28 as part of a multi-year award to give schools budget certainty. The STRB considered whether a formal review mechanism was appropriate but concluded that this would undermine the benefits of a multi-year award.

The multi-year awards are expected to maintain both their real-terms value and pay competitiveness over the next two years, keeping pace with average earnings growth forecasts in the wider economy. The 2024/25 and 2025/26 awards had already improved the competitiveness of teacher pay.