Today’s Education in the Media blog looks at the government’s teacher pay rise announcement and Minister Zahawi’s interview on BBC Breakfast this morning.
Teacher Pay Rise
Today, Tuesday 24 July, the government has announced a fully funded £508 million deal to increase the main pay range for teachers by 3.5 per cent.
Teachers are in line for a possible boost of between £1,184 and £1,366 to their salary as part of the biggest public sector pay rise in almost 10 years.
Schools will continue to determine how their staff are paid but the increases will be fully funded by government with a new teachers’ pay grant – worth £187 million in 2018/19 and £321 million in 2019/20 – paid to all schools on top of their core budgets from the National Funding Formula, which has also been confirmed today.
Starting teacher salaries are set to increase between £803 and £1,004 depending on location. This is on top of generous bursaries as well as loan forgiveness schemes.
Secretary of State for Education Damian Hinds said:
There are no great schools without great teachers and this deal means every teacher working in our schools can get a pay rise.
Classroom teachers will see the biggest benefit with starting salaries increasing between £803 and £1004, and those at the top of the main pay range will be eligible for increases between £1,184 and £1,366.
I want to us to recruit and retain brilliant teachers who are fairly rewarded for the vital work they do which is why we are fully funding this pay award with a new grant for schools.
I will continue to work with the profession, Ofsted and the unions on issues like excessive workload, professional development and flexible working.
Minister Zahawi on Breakfast
Today, Tuesday 24 July, the Children’s Minister appeared on BBC Breakfast and spoke about special educational needs and disability (SEND) funding.
Minister Zahawi made clear that there is currently £6 billion being spent on SEND education and supporting parents and that while the government has made changes in legislation to support SEN pupils, LAs must decide how they spend their SEN funding to support best practise.
Minister for Children and Families Nadhim Zahawi said:
We are undertaking the biggest special educational needs reforms in a generation, including the introduction of education, health and care plans, so that support is tailored to the needs of individuals and families are put at the heart of the process.
We recognise there are pressures on high needs budgets, and that is exactly why funding is rising; the national high needs budget is £6 billion this year – the highest on record, and up from £5 billion in 2013 – and core schools funding is increasing to £43.5 billion by 2020 – 50 per cent more per pupil in real terms than in 2000. Bristol will receive £51 million funding to support children and young people with complex special educational needs in 2018-19 – an increase of £1.4 million on 2017-18.
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