Bridget Phillipson has asked the School Teachers’ Review Body for recommendations on 2025 teacher pay “at the earliest point”, as the new government seeks to move the process earlier in the year.
The education secretary has also asked for a recommendation on whether changes to the pro rating of teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) payments should be made to enable “greater flexibility”, noting they were “a concern for many in the sector”.
However she warned about the government’s dire financial situation – pointing to £22 billion of wider funding pressures.
Under the previous government, the annual pay-setting process had slipped later and later in the year, with final announcements usually coming in July after schools had already had to set draft budgets for the next year.
Last year, for example, the education secretary Gillian Keegan sent her remit letter to the STRB just a few days before Christmas, and then the Department for Education was late in submitting its evidence.
The election further kicked the decision down the road, and a 5.5 pay rise recommendation was eventually accepted by the new government on July 29.
DfE plans to ‘fully reset’ timeline for 2026
Phillipson has sent the remit letter for 2025 today. In it, she said it was the “government’s intention” to announce the upcoming pay awards “as close to the start of the financial year of April as possible”.
However, she said it was “unfortunate that, given the knock-on effects from the previous government’s delays to the previous round, it is unlikely that the pay award will be announced before maintained schools should be setting their budgets”.
“But by bringing the pay round forwards this year, we can more fully reset the timeline in 2026-27.”
She asked the body to deliver its recommendations “at the earliest point”.
To support this, government would publish its written evidence “as soon as possible after the spending review is finalised and financial year 2025-26 budgets are set on 30 October, including budgets relating to pay.
“I recognise that changing the timeline from recent years will present challenges for the STRB, but I am sure you also share the government’s belief in the importance of returning to more timely annual pay processes, so I hope you will understand the necessity of doing so.”
Call for TLR flexibility
Phillipson also said she was “interested in your views on how the current framework can best support teachers from all backgrounds and with protected characteristics, including by promoting flexible working”.
She added that she was “aware the pro rating of teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) payments are a concern for many in the sector, so I am specifically asking for your recommendation on whether changes should be made to enable greater flexibility”.
The payments are made by schools for additional leadership and management responsibilities undertaken by classroom teachers.
The current school teachers’ pay and conditions document states that, where TLRs are awarded to part-time teachers “they must be paid pro rata at the same proportion as the teacher’s part-time contract”.
But she asked the body for an “assessment of any changes to flexibilities around TLR payments, concerning the existing pro-rata rule”.
‘£22bn spending pressure’ warning
Previous governments have been criticised for effectively hamstringing pay bodies by restricting their remit. For instance, last year Keegan called for “more sustainable” rises in her letter.
Phillipson’s letter is not as explicit. But it does warn the upcoming spending review “comes against the backdrop of the challenging financial position this government has inherited, including a £22 billion pressure against the spending plans set out for departments at spring budget 2024.
“My department will continue to strive to deliver a mission-led approach to ensuring our vital public services are equipped to deliver the high quality on which we rely, whilst providing value for money for taxpayers.”
She said the STRB should also consider the “cost pressures that schools are already facing and may face over the year (and how they affect individual schools)”, and the “need to ensure that any proposals are not too difficult or onerous for schools to implement”.
The STRB should also have regard to evidence of the national state of school teacher and leader supply, “including rates of recruitment and retention, vacancy rates, and the quality of candidates entering the profession”, as well as forecast changes in pupil numbers.
Diversity pay data commitment
Elsewhere, Phillipson also noted the STRB’s previous observation “on the need for more frequent and detailed equality, diversity and inclusion data at a national level, something echoed by consultees in discussion with my officials”.
“I will therefore commit to publication of pay and progression data by protected characteristics, in parallel with the department’s written evidence, which can support your recommendations this year, and be viewed by the sector.”
The body also last year tentatively backed a move towards targeting pay by subject. Phillipson said “further consideration and detailed sector engagement is required by my department before any further decisions on that are made”.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said he was “pleased that the Education Secretary has set out an intention to announce the school teachers’ pay award at an earlier point than has been the case in recent years”.
“The previous government’s practice of announcing this decision in July reduced budget planning to a guessing game and created uncertainty for teachers. Bringing it forward is a simple and welcome step.”
He said the pay award “will need to be sufficient to address a severe shortage of teachers both in terms of recruitment and retention”.
“It is vital that the government puts in place the funding that will be necessary to make this possible in the Autumn Budget on 30 October, and that this covers college staff as well as school staff.”
