NAHT has submitted its evidence to the STRB opposing the DfE's proposal for differentiated pay uplifts.

NAHT’s evidence supports the plans to uplift starting salaries to £30,000 per annum by 2023/24. But our support is contingent on:

• the two-year uplifts delivering restoration of all salaries and allowances in payment to offset the 15% real-terms reduction experienced by school leaders over the last decade
• ensuring that any such award also takes account of the recent steep rise in inflation (currently 5.5% for CPI and 7.8% RPI), to protect salaries against further real terms losses
• uplifts being future proofed against other known drivers of further inflationary pressures that will reduce real income levels 
• an agreed collaborative process through which the Review Body engages statutory consultees in the co-design of a new holistic pay structure for the profession covering both teaching and leadership roles, in order to support the career continuum and retention.

NAHT is opposed to the DfE's plan, set out in its evidence, for differentiated pay awards in favour of early career teachers. DfE has proposed:

• Uplifting the M1 salary point (min entry point for QTS) to achieve £30k starting salary by

I. 8.9% in 2022/23
II. 7.1% in 2023/24 

• Tapered rises for points M2 to M6 of between:

I. 8.0% (M2) and 4.0% (M6) in 2022/23
II. 7.1% (M2) and 2.0% (M6) in 2023/24

• Flat rate increases to all UPR and LPR points of

I. 3% in 2022/23
II. 2% in 2023/24

NAHT believes that experienced teachers and leaders should receive the same uplift as those entering the profession. This would go some way to reversing real-terms losses suffered by leaders since 2010, of 15% against CPI and 27% against RPI inflation.

Below is NAHT’s response to the DfE’s proposals:  

“NAHT is clear that the DfE’s much-trumpeted pay ‘flexibilities’ have failed. The removal of mandatory pay points and pay portability, and the introduction of performance-related pay, have not served to make teaching a more attractive career option, or improved teacher or leadership retention. In fact, leadership salaries have fallen by 15% against CPI and 27% against RPI since 2010. Research findings have demonstrated that performance-related pay progression systems have driven additional workload in schools while delivering no appreciable benefits.“

“Despite numerous calls from the sector – including the School Teacher’s Review Body – for a full equality impact assessment evaluating these significant changes to the pay framework, the Department has thus far failed to undertake this. By contrast our evidence to the STRB makes clear the yawning gender pay gap at leadership levels.

“What’s needed is the restoration of teachers’ and leaders’ real pay to 2010 levels; a reformed national pay structure with mandatory minimum pay points and pay portability; and the removal of performance-related pay progression. NAHT again calls on the Government to work collaboratively with trade union stakeholders to conduct a full review of the pay framework, including a comprehensive evaluation by the Department for Education to identify and remove the sources of pay inequality affecting gender and other protected characteristics.

“It is right for the DfE to suggest a move towards finally getting to the promised £30K starting salary. But after many years of real-terms pay cuts, including this year’s pay freeze, all teachers and leaders need their pay to be restored. The current suggestion for differentiated pay would mean that higher starting salaries for ECTs are essentially being paid for by lower uplifts for experienced teachers and leaders – making experienced professionals worse off. This would be yet another real-terms pay cut for leaders while inflation is soaring and due to rise even further. 8.0% and 7.1% over two years should be applied to all salaries, which would be a step towards restoring pay to 2010 levels. Once again DfE is failing to heed the many years of evidence from both unions and the STRB.”

Read our submission the Review Body

Read NAHT’s joint statement on pay, with sister unions NEU, ASCL, VOICE and NASUWT.