Tension over the teacher pay dispute in England was cranked up this week, with unions expressing their frustration that Wednesday’s talks failed to deliver a breakthrough - despite new pay offers being tabled in Scotland and Wales.
A major headteachers’ union warned it could hold a strike ballot if no new pay offer is made, with the biggest teaching union, the NEU, already having six strike days scheduled in February and March.
Unlike in England, improved pay offers were put to unions in Scotland and Wales - but both were rejected, so strike action is set to continue there.
Meanwhile, Tes analysis revealed that thousands of teachers could claim more than £100 each after payments were wrongly taken for their student loans.
Plus, a school that won an award for its work in supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing revealed the strategies that have proved so successful.
Catch up on all your must-read Tes news and analysis from the past week right here:
- Teacher strikes: Further walkouts could be on the cards
A teaching union leader has warned that more teacher strike dates could be announced if no progress is made in pay negotiations.
- Teacher pay talks: Still ‘no new offer’ from DfE
Talks over teacher pay between unions and the education secretary on Wednesday ended with “no new offer to improve the inadequate pay settlement”, union leaders said, despite new offers being made in the pay disputes in Scotland and Wales.
- Keegan repeats claim about teachers being ‘in the top earners’
Education secretary Gillian Keegan has repeated a disputed claim that teachers are “in the top earners” in parts of the country, and has said the government will “look at” changing the law so that teachers have to inform their head of their intention to strike.
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Teacher pay review deadline shifted to after Budget
The government will now have until after the Budget next month to submit its written evidence on teachers’ pay next year to the independent pay review body.
- Heads issue strike threat
Heads’ union the Association of School and College Leaders has warned it could move to a formal strike ballot if the government does not make an improved pay offer for teachers by next month’s Budget.
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New urgency to teacher pay talks - but no offer
There was a change of tone from the government in this week’s teacher pay talks - but, without a concrete offer, it’s hard to imagine future strikes will be averted, writes Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.
- Teacher pay rise in Wales rejected
An improved pay offer for teachers in Wales - a 6.5 per cent rise and a one-off payment of 1.5 per cent - has been rejected. The offer had led to the suspension of strike action planned for 14 February.
- ‘Inadequate’ Scottish teacher pay offer rejected outright
Scotland’s biggest teaching union has rejected the latest pay offer from the Scottish government and councils - a 6 per cent rise for 2022-23, followed by a 5.5 per cent rise for 2023-24, saying that strike action will continue.
- How one school is keeping its students in good mental health
A school that has won an award for its work in supporting students’ mental health shares the secrets of its success, including the creation of a “wellbeing hub”.
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Thousands of teachers can reclaim student loan cash
Thousands of former teacher trainees are entitled to claim back more than £100 each because they started repaying their student loans before they had to, Tes analysis shows.
- Why schools must take the RAAC danger seriously
With new DfE guidance raising awareness of the potential dangers of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) panels in older school buildings, the head of estates at an academy trust explains why this is a risk that must not be overlooked.
- D&T ‘too focused on products that end up in landfill’
More than a dozen organisations - including Google and the Design Council, along with school leaders and teachers - have supported a call to make the design and technology curriculum greener.
