The Department for Education has announced today (Monday 2 September 2019) that starting salaries for new teachers will increase to £30,000 a year by the 2022-2023 financial year, and that employer pension contributions will rise to 23.6%.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson (pictured) has confirmed that new teacher salaries will increase by £6,000 by 2022-2023 as part of the government’s work to reform teacher pay structures; this includes a £14 billion investment approved by the prime minister, Boris Johnson.
The pay increase was submitted in a remit letter to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), asking for recommendations around increasing starting salaries and next year’s pay award. In addition, Williamson has requested feedback on further reforms, such as the introduction of progression points in pay.
Alongside the pay rise, the government is also planning to fully fund contributions into The Teacher’s Pension Scheme from September 2019. Teachers will therefore receive a 23.6% employer contribution into their pension every year.
These measures have been introduced to combat recruitment and retention challenges within the teaching profession. Further initiatives will be presented to the STRB later this year.
In support of this aim, the government will also be working with a group of ambassador schools to pilot flexible working arrangements, enabling these institutions to share best practice on how to achieve this successfully for teachers and school leaders.
Williamson said: “Teachers truly are the lifeblood of a school and I have been instantly impressed by the dedication, commitment and hard work that I have seen from those at the front of our classrooms.
“I want the best talent to be drawn to the teaching profession and for schools to compete with [the] biggest employers in the labour market and recruit the brightest and best into teaching.
“Teachers should be in no doubt that this government fully backs them in every stage of their career, starting with rewarding starting salaries, and giving them the powers they need to deal with bad behaviour and bullying and continue to drive up school standards right across the country.”
