Teacher pay scales

Overview

This article provides an overview of teacher pay scales in England for 2023/24. 

If you teach in a maintained school in England, you will be paid accordingly to a nationally agreed teacher pay scale. If you teach in an academy, free school or independent school, your pay will be set according to your school’s pay policy.

Where a school that was previously a maintained school has converted to an academy, you may benefit from Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE) regulations.

Please see another article on Edapt for more information about TUPE.

If you are a teacher in Wales, see the following article which outlines staff pay in Wales.

In line with the recommendations in the STRB’s 33rd Report, from 1 September 2023 a 6.5% increase will be applied to all pay and allowance ranges and advisory points, with higher increases to some parts of the Main Pay Range to ensure a minimum starting salary of £30,000.

The LGA outlines an estimated timeline:

For draft STPCD to become final STPCD 2023:

• 13 October 2023, STPCD 2023 Teachers Pay Order laid in Parliament
• 13 October – 3 November 2022, 21-day praying period (change during this time is highly unlikely but this allows MPs to raise any objections on the Teachers’ Pay Order)
• 4 November 2023, the Praying period ends in Parliament and this is the formal end of the process
• Pay award backdated to 1 September 2023.

Teacher pay scales in maintained schools

We set out the pay scales for teachers in maintained and other schools that choose to adopt it. These are outlined in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD).

The salaries of qualified classroom teachers working in maintained schools in England will fall within the Main Pay Range (MPR) or the Upper Pay Range (UPR).

These reflect the variation in cost of living across the country, with a premium for those working in inner, outer or fringe areas of London. Annual salaries for the two pay ranges are as follows:

Annual salary for teachers in maintained schools		England (excluding London areas)	London Fringe area	Outer London area	Inner London area
Main Pay Range (MPR)	Min	£30,000	£31,350	£34,514	£36,745
	Max	£41,333	£42,689	£46,001	£47,666
Upper Pay Range (UPR)	Min	£43,266	£44,579	£47,592	£52,526
	Max	£46,525	£47,839	£51,179	£56,959

Movement with each of the pay ranges will be determined by a teacher’s performance across the year, assessed formally as part of the appraisal process. Reviews should take place annually to establish by how much a teacher’s salary will be increased.

Schools must set out clearly in their pay policy the conditions that must be met to ensure progression through the pay range. Furthermore, the pay policy must make clear what procedures teachers should follow if they have grievances about their pay or the appraisal process.

Qualified teachers should apply to the headteacher to move from the Main Pay Range to the Upper Pay Range in line with the school’s pay policy. If a teacher can prove their competence in meeting the relevant standards and can demonstrate substantial and sustained contributions to the education setting, this application should be successful. It is advisable to consult with your line manager, SLT or headteacher for guidance with this process.

We have published another article which looks at how you can progress to the Upper Pay Range.

The Leading Practitioner Pay Range rewards consistently high-performing teachers who wish to focus on modelling excellent practice and raising the standard of teaching across the school. A school’s pay policy will outline the requirements and availability of these posts, as well as where in the range a teacher will be paid. The pay range is as follows:

Annual salary for leading practitioners	England (excluding London areas)	London Fringe area	Outer London area	Inner London area
Min	£47,417	£48,723	£51,179	£56,377
Max	£72,085	£73,393	£75,850	£81,051

For roles and responsibilities beyond a teacher’s individual classroom, Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payments are available. They fall into three categories, and can be summarised as follows:

• TLR 1: for substantial additional responsibilities, including line managing several people
• TLR 2: for responsibilities beyond those of a classroom teacher
• TLR 3: for temporary projects based on school improvement

TLR 1 and TLR 2 positions may be permanent or temporary, whilst TLR 3 posts are fixed-term and are not safeguarded. The pay ranges are as follows:

TLR Payments
TLR 1	Min	£9,272
	Max	£15,690
TLR 2	Min	£3,214
	Max	£7,847
TLR 3	Min	£639
	Max	£3,169

Teacher pay scales: working as an unqualified teacher

Teachers training in maintained schools following the Schools Direct salaried programme will be paid according to the Unqualified Teachers Pay Range. As with the other pay ranges, there are no longer fixed salary points; it is the responsibility of a school to publish a pay policy detailing the structures in place.

Unqualified Range (UQT)	England (excluding London areas)	London Fringe area	Outer London area	Inner London area
Min	£20,598	£21,933	£24,415	£25,831
Max	£32,134	£33,464	£35,974	£37,362

Special Educational Needs (SEN) allowance

You may be entitled to an SEN allowance if you are:

• In any SEN post that requires a mandatory SEN qualification
• Having a greater level of involvement in the teaching of children with SEN than is the normal requirement of teachers throughout the school

The SEN allowance is no less than £2,539 and no more than £5,009 per year. Your school’s pay policy should have further details on how it administers SEN allowances.

Teacher pay scales: further support

If you have any questions on pay, or any concerns or grievances against your employer relating to your pay, Edapt can provide advice and support 0203 475 3998.