Teachers' pay

Headteachers pay

If you work in a maintained school in England, you will be paid accordingly to nationally agreed pay scale, as outlined in the 2019 School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD). If you work in an academy, free school or independent school, your pay will be set according to your school’s pay policy.

Independent schools: Teachers’ Pension Scheme

You may be an independent school teacher who is concerned with being withdrawn from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS). All schools, including independent schools, are facing a 40% rise in employer pension contributions towards the TPS. The Department for Education (DfE) has said it will fund this increase for state schools until the next spending review, however, independent schools must fund it themselves.

Jury service: do teachers need to attend?

You may be invited to attend jury service while you are teaching. In this article, we explain if you have to attend, if you can delay attending and what you are able to claim in expenses.

Pay portability for teachers

Pay portability was a term to describe your current salary transferring with you when you started a new role at a different school. Since September 2013, there is no longer pay portability for appointments in maintained schools in England and Wales.

Performance-related pay for teachers

Pay progression for all teachers now depends on appraisal outcomes and meeting standards set by schools. Decisions about teachers’ pay progression are now linked to performance.

Sick pay for teachers

You may be unsure about your entitlement to sick pay as a teacher. The entitlement to sick pay and sick leave for teachers in the maintained sector is set out in the Burgundy Book.

Student loan repayments for teachers

You may have seen news reports over the recent years that some teachers are eligible to claim back student loan repayments. This is an initiative launched by the government to improve teacher retention rates in certain subjects.

Teacher pay in Wales

The School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) which outlines teachers’ pay and conditions in maintained schools no longer applies in Wales. Responsibility for teacher pay and conditions was transferred to the Welsh government on 30 September 2018.

Teacher pay progression: upper pay range

You may be wanting to progress onto the upper pay range (UPR) or eager to know how to progress within the UPR. The School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Documents (STPCD) outlines the criteria for teachers in maintained schools to access the UPR and pay progression information.

Teacher pay scales

This article provides an overview of teacher pay scales in England for 2019/20. Teacher pay scales are updated for each academic year.

Teacher Retention Payments

You may have seen information from the Department for Education about a pilot scheme to give eligible maths and physics teachers in England a £2,000 retention payment in the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 academic years.

Teachers’ Pensions

Teachers’ Pensions is the organisation responsible for administering the scheme on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE). You can sign up as soon as you start teaching and receive a Teachers’ Pension number.

TLR payments

TLR payments can be given to classroom teachers for taking on additional responsibilities. You might be a teacher interested in seeing how much you will be awarded, want to find out how to qualify for TLR payments or might be concerned if your TLR can be taken away. 

What are my employment rights as a part-time teacher?

As a part-time member of teaching staff you should be aware of your employment rights. Part-time working can be a good way of balancing work and personal commitments and you should not be penalised for working part-time at your school.

What do I need to know about the appraisal process?

As a member of school staff you will have an appraisal review once a year with your line manager. You might be apprehensive before attending your appraisal review, especially if you have concerns about your performance with meeting objectives or when having pay reviewed.

What is a lead practitioner?

Lead practitioners will model excellent practice, sharing their skills and experience with other teachers. You might be interested in taking on a lead practitioner role at your school or may already be in post.

What is the recruitment and retention pay award?

You may have heard of the recruitment and pay award but might be unsure if you are eligible to receive it. The School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) outlines guidance on recruitment and retention incentives and benefits.