UK to increase teachers minimum salary to £26,000

Teachers in the United Kingdom will begin to earn a minimum salary of £26,000 from September 2020. The wage increase is the first since 2005.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson said the government plans to increase starting salaries to at least £26,000 with teachers in outer and inner London to rise to £30,000 and £32,000 respectively.

The proposal recommending the increase in teachers’ salary was submitted on Tuesday, January 21 to the independent School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB).

“We want to make teaching attractive to the most talented graduates by recognising the prestige that we as a society place on the profession,” Williamson said in a statement.

“We have set out proposals to significantly raise starting salaries for new teachers to £26,000 next year, rising to £30,000 by September 2022, alongside above-inflation pay increases for senior teachers and school leaders. These mark the biggest reform to teacher pay in a generation.”

Williamson disclosed that a departmental analysis suggests that the proposed changes to the pay system could see over 1,000 extra teachers retained per year till 2022/23.

The education secretary stated that the salary will be affordable for schools because of the government’s plans to invest an extra £14 billion over the next three years.

The investment, Williamson said is starting with an additional £2.6 billion in 2020-21 which will rise to £7.1 billion more in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20 levels.

“This funding boost will also allow schools to invest in other important resources and activities, alongside pay, which supports improved outcomes for pupils,” Williamson said.

Williamson said the STRB will consider the Department’s proposals and respond with their recommendations later in the year.

When implemented, the pay rise will represent a significant step towards meeting the government’s commitment to increase teachers’ starting salaries to £30,000 by September 2022, ensuring that the pay offer for teachers is amongst the most competitive in the graduate labour market.

Experienced teachers, heads and school leaders would see an above-inflation pay increase of 2.5 per cent to their pay ranges, with early career teachers’ salaries increasing by up to 6.7 per cent, supporting an attractive career path for the whole profession.