Commenting on the government’s announcement that it has accepted
a recommendation of a 6.5 per cent pay rise for teachers, Jack
Worth, School Workforce Lead at the National Foundation for
Educational Research (NFER), said:
“This is welcome news but very much the first step towards making
teaching a more attractive profession to improve recruitment and
retention.
“Concerns also remain over whether the 3.5% will be affordable
for all schools. Different schools are in very different
financial positions, and many have been hit hard by the
cost-of-living squeeze, highlighted in a report we’re publishing
this autumn.
“A long-term strategy is needed that increases teacher pay by
more than the rate of pay growth in the wider economy and which
sits alongside workload reduction, increased flexible working and
better access to high-quality professional development.”
Background
New NFER analysis, published
yesterday, highlights that a teacher pay increase of 6.5 per cent
in 2023/24 is unlikely to make a significant overall difference
to long-term teacher supply on its own.
The study, funded by the Gatsby Foundation, also suggests that if
pay awards in 2024/25 and beyond merely match the anticipated
growth in average earnings in the wider labour market then they
are unlikely to significantly address the pressing recruitment
and retention challenges.
