Government admit that teachers’ pay has been cut by thousands of pounds a year since 2010

The Department for Education has admitted that teachers are over £4,000 a year worse off in real terms since 2010;

The Department’s own evidence to the pay review body for teachers reveals the impact of the public sector pay freeze and pay cap since 2010;

A majority of teachers will face another real terms pay cut this year.

The Government has admitted that since 2010 teachers have seen their wages cut by thousands of pounds a year in real terms. The figures, in the evidence that the Department for Education have sent to the School Teachers’ Review Body (“STRB”), the pay review body for teachers, reveal that the average salary for teachers has fallen by over £4,000.

Across the whole teaching workforce pay fell by £4,700, and for classroom teachers average salaries are down by £4,400, cuts of over 10%.

The real terms pay cuts across the profession will be followed by further cuts in real terms for the majority of teachers.

Despite the STRB recommending a pay rise of 3.5% for all teachers, the Government only gave early career teachers the 3.5% rise, while more experienced teachers were given a 2% rise and those on the leadership pay scale were given only 1.5%. According to the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies this will leave around 60% of teachers receiving a below inflation pay rise, meaning their pay will fall in real terms.

Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said:

“Teachers are right to be angry that years of Tory pay cuts have left them thousands of pounds a year worse off, and across our schools we are seeing the result in the crisis in teacher recruitment and retention.

“Teacher recruitment targets have been missed year after year, with more teachers leaving the profession than joining. In response to this crisis, the government will give the majority of teachers another real terms pay cut.

“Labour will give teachers the support they need, with ring-fenced funding to end the public sector pay cap.”