The Government has published the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) on teachers’ pay for 2017-18 and indicated its intention, following formal consultation, to implement them with effect from 1 September 2017.
Formal discussions should now be taking place with teachers and their union representatives to ensure that meaningful consultation has taken place before pay policies and pay scales for September 2017 are finalised.
Since 2014, the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document has only prescribed pay ranges with minimum and maximum points however, it continues to permit the adoption of fixed pay scale points as the basis for pay progression.
The Secretary of State has determined a 2% increase to the minimum and maximum of the Main Pay Range and a 1% increase to the minima and maxima of other pay and allowance ranges.
Heads HR advice to Schools is to apply the percentage uplift of 2% on all the fixed pay scale points on the Main Pay Range and 1% on all other pay scale points and allowances including TLRs. The uplift recommended by the STRB was in response to recruitment and retention problems that affect the whole school system.
Looking ahead, recruitment and retention of Teachers remains a high priority for the STRB especially simplifying the current national pay and allowance framework for classroom teachers.
