British teachers will receive a pay rise from September.
Teachers in England will receive pay rises expected to exceed inflation over the next two years, after the UK government accepted recommendations from an independent review body.However, the move failed to satisfy the country’s largest education union, which is considering a strike over concerns that schools will have to absorb part of the cost.The wage increase takes effect from SeptemberThe Department for Education (DfE) announced on Wednesday that teachers and school leaders will receive a 3.5 per cent pay rise from September 2026, followed by a 3 per cent rise from September 2027, Reuters news agency reported.According to the government, the latest settlement means that teachers’ salaries will rise by about 17 percent since the Labor government came to power in 2024.The increases currently exceed the UK’s annual inflation rate, which reached 2.8 per cent in May, although economists expect inflation to rise in the coming months.£1.8 billion support package for schoolsTo help implement the payroll rollout, the government said it would provide £1.8bn in additional funding to schools over the next two years.
However, schools are expected to fund the first 1 percent of each pay award from their existing budgets.The DfE has also announced an additional £485 million over two years for colleges and further education providers, aiming to support staff recruitment and retention as well as course delivery.Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the multi-year agreement would provide greater certainty for schools and colleges while recognizing the contribution of teachers.“Our outstanding school and college teachers give their best every day, and I am determined that dedication is not only recognised, but rewarded,” she said.The government tightens rules on remuneration for academy executivesIn addition to the salary package, ministers revealed new restrictions on the salaries of senior leaders of the academy funds.From September, academy trusts will need government approval before advertising roles paying more than £174,000 a year.
Executives will also be barred from receiving pay increases beyond those given to classroom teachers.Phillipson said the changes will ensure teachers don’t see executive pay rise faster than their own, and will help direct more resources into classrooms.Teachers union signals possible industrial actionThe announcement was met with criticism from the National Education Union (NEU), England’s largest education union, which said the settlement was insufficient.Daniel Kebede, EU Secretary-General, said the government had improved its original proposal but had failed to reverse years of wage erosion in real terms.“The partially funded settlement still means cuts to education,” he said, referring to schools being required to finance part of the increases from current budgets.The union said it was considering all options, including a formal ballot for industrial action later this year.Earlier this year, a poll showed that more than 90% of participating NEA members would be willing to go on strike, although turnout was below the legal threshold required to obtain official authorization.School leaders welcome the rise but warn of budget pressuresEducation leaders broadly welcomed the higher-than-inflation pay bonus, but echoed concerns about funding.Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, described the deal as “another step in the right direction”, provided inflation remains under control.
However, he warned that partial funding would increase pressure on already stretched school budgets.Likewise, Beppe Diasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said many schools would find it difficult to cover their share of the costs.Meanwhile, Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the Federation of School Trusts, criticized the new limits on executive pay, calling them an example of excessive government intervention.Staffing and workload remain major concernsWhile higher salaries may help attract newcomers to the profession, some education experts say the workload remains a greater challenge.Jessica Fittonby, a former primary school teacher who now runs an education technology company, told the BBC that long hours and expectations beyond contracted hours were the main reasons many teachers left the profession.She said teachers often work early mornings, evenings, weekends and school holidays to keep up with demands, making retention an ongoing issue despite pay increases.The latest move follows a 5.5 per cent pay rise in 2024 and a 4 per cent rise in 2025. Teachers in England also staged multiple strikes in 2023 over pay disputes before accepting a revised government offer.Pay recommendations are made annually by the Independent School Teachers Review Body, which considers submissions from government, unions and other stakeholders before advising ministers on pay awards.