Update Union urges teachers to reject ‘insulting’ new pay offer

AS Lead went to press, the NEU began consulting members in England on a new pay offer of 4.3 per cent in 2023/24 for most teachers. The union is recommending members say no.

The offer, which also includes a £1,000 one-off, pro-rata payment for 2022/23, is not fully funded and is less than teachers in Wales and Scotland have been awarded.

It was made by the Government following days of intensive talks between the unions and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan.

These negotiations were prompted by the NEU’s national and regional strikes across England and Wales in February and March.

Analysis by the NEU shows that despite Government claims that the rises would be fully funded, up to 58 per cent of schools would need to make cuts to be able to pay staff the increases.

NEU joint general secretaries Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney said: “This is an insulting offer from a Government that simply does not value teachers. This offer is less than teachers in Scotland and

Wales have been offered. It does nothing to address the long-term decline in teacher pay and therefore does nothing to solve the problems in teacher recruitment and retention.”

They added: “It is now crystal clear that we have an Education Secretary and a Government that is ignoring the crisis in our schools and colleges. By refusing to address the legitimate and reasonable request to bring to an end more than a decade of belowinflation, unfunded teacher pay increases, the Government is driving teaching and recruitment retention in schools in England to breaking point.”

The ballot ran from 27 March to 2 April. The results were due to be announced on 3 April at the union’s annual conference in Harrogate.

In Wales, teachers voted by 73 per cent to accept a deal and end the dispute. They will receive an additional payment for this academic year (2022/23), made up of a 1.5 per cent consolidated award and a further 1.5 per cent unconsolidated lump sum. The offer also included an increased pay rise of five per cent paid from September 2023.

Defiant Ofsted ignores calls to halt inspections

OFSTED is continuing its inspections, despite calls by unions and head teachers for them to be halted following the death of primary head Ruth Perry.

NEU joint general secretary Mary Bousted, along with other union leaders, had called for inspections to be paused and for the inspectorate to reflect on the “unmanageable and counterproductive stress they cause for school leaders”.

In an open letter to Ofsted published on 20 March, the Suffolk Primary Headteachers’ Association asked: “Are you a force for good or a coercive and dangerous force, a Damoclean sword hanging over dedicated professionals for months and years on end?”

They called for inspections to be halted and for one-word judgements to be dropped immediately.

Schools minister Jeremy Miles confirmed the rises will be fully funded by the Welsh Government.

See strikes coverage, pages 6 and 7