School support staff in England have been offered a pay rise of 3.2 per cent, raising the prospect of further pressure on budgets next year. Pay for council-employed school support staff is negotiated between local authorities 鈥� referred to as the 鈥渘ational employers鈥� 鈥� and unions. The resulting rises apply to LA-maintained schools, but many academy trusts also mirror the deals reached. This week the national employers would mean the pay of the lowest-paid workers 鈥� those earning 拢23,656 鈥� has risen by more than 拢6,000, or 33 per cent, since April 2021. They have also offered to delete the bottom pay point from the national pay spine from next April. However, 3.2 per cent is lower than the predicted growth in wages across the wider economy. The Office for Budget Responsibility this year revised up its prediction to 3.7 per cent. The rise is higher, however, than what is proposed for teachers. In its evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body last year, the Department for Education said a 2.8 per cent pay rise 鈥渨ould be appropriate鈥� for 2025-26. The government has said it expects extra funding of 拢1.3 billion allocated last year to cover some of next year’s pay rises, with the rest coming from “efficiencies”. The proposed pay rise will also put further pressure on schools. The government鈥檚 own analysis states schools will only be able to afford pay rises of about 1.3 per cent from their existing headroom, with the rest of the cost having to be met by cuts. ‘Fair to employees’ James Lewis, the leader of Leeds council and chair of the national employers said they were 鈥渁cutely aware of the additional pressure鈥� the offer would place on finances. 鈥淗owever, they believe their offer is fair to employees, given the wider economic backdrop.鈥� Unions had called for an increase of at least 拢3,000 across all pay points, along with a 鈥渃lear plan to reach a minimum pay rate of 拢15 an hour鈥�. They also demanded one extra day of annual leave for all staff, a reduction in the working week by two hours, with no loss of pay and the ability for school staff to take at least one day of their annual leave during term time. Unison鈥檚 head of local government Mike Short said: 鈥淲ith household bills still rising, council and school staff need a decent pay award after years of below-inflation deals and deep cuts to local government services. 鈥淚t鈥檚 vital central government also plays its part through sustained investment in local authorities. 鈥淯nison will meet to discuss the offer in early May before deciding next steps.鈥� Kevin Brandstatter, GMB national officer, said local government workers 鈥渄eserve a proper pay rise after years of real terms wage cuts. GMB will now meet with members to discuss next steps.鈥� Fears over school funding Pepe Di鈥橧asio, general secretary of the ASCL leaders’ union, said support staff “play a vital role in the running of schools and colleges and deserve to be paid fairly for the work that they do. Pepe DiIasio “However, we are deeply concerned about the increasing financial pressure that schools and colleges are facing. “The education select committee has previously called for support staff pay rises to be factored into school budgets, and until this happens any pay awards will continue to further stretch school finances. It is just not sustainable to continue in this manner.” Paul Whiteman, leader of the NAHT union, said: 鈥淎ll staff working in schools, from our own members to their valued support staff, deserve to be paid fairly. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important school leaders receive the funding needed to cover any pay uplift, with budgets already severely stretched in many cases. 鈥淣AHT represents school business leaders whose salaries are governed by this award, and we believe that their pay and conditions should be aligned with a revised leadership pay range.鈥�
Pauline Chapman 25 April 2025 More pay increases for receptionists and cleaners above and beyond increases for TEACHERS! 2.8% for core business and 3.2% for sundry? Wake up unions!
Rebecca Stepek 25 April 2025 What a shabby comment. For teaching assistants and the staff who support teachers, who have not had anywhere near the rises given to teachers over the last few years. Not that it’s a competition.
RS 25 April 2025 What a shabby comment. For teaching assistants and the staff who support teachers, who have not had anywhere near the rises given to teachers over the last few years. Not that it’s a competition.
John Neman 26 April 2025 Any teacher making this kind of comment shouldn’t be in the profession. Upstairs downstairs elitism when most support staff are on less than minimum wage. Atrocious attitude to the people keeping your school functional – thank god I don’t work with you. Sundry indeed.
Pete King 13 May 2025 Appalling so-called Teacher remark. I鈥檝e got 20 years TA experience and qualified to teach/cover classes, which I鈥檝e done for 15 years, on appalling demotivating wages. I鈥檓 leaving this profession and good luck to anyone gullible enough to enter it..
S 25 April 2025 What you are clearly missing the point on, is that support staff are only paid pro-rata as they are on term-time only contracts. The salary you quote is way above what support staff earn and cost schools. Most full time TAs are only on around 拢14,000-拢15,000 per annum and this pay rise literally puts them a few pence per hour above the national minimum wage.
G 15 May 2025 So last year they claimed they couldn’t give both support and teachers a significant increase in the same year, so they gave it to the teachers and lowballed support, promising support would get a meaningful increase this year. Now that its come around to supports turn they are failing to deliver on it.