School support staff have been offered a 3.2 per cent pay rise under a pay offer for council employees.
The announcement from the National Employers for Local Government services has prompted warnings from headteachers’ leaders about the pressure this will put on school budgets.
The 3.2 per cent offer would be effective from 1 April 2025. It would mean a pay increase of more than £6,000 for the lowest paid employees over the four years since April 2021, the Local Government Association said.
The offer also proposes to get rid of the pay point at the bottom of the scale from 1 April 2026.
Councillor James Lewis, chair of the National Employers for Local Government Services, said: “The National Employers are acutely aware of the additional pressure this year’s offer will place on already hard-pressed council finances, as it would need to be paid for from existing budgets.
“However, they believe their offer is fair to employees, given the wider economic backdrop.”
School support staff pay offer
The offer comes after school business management leaders warned that school budgets are looking increasingly stretched for next year. The pay rise for teachers for 2025-26 is yet to be announced-- but the Department for Education has recommended a rise of 2.8 per cent.
The DfE has said schools have headroom in their budgets for a 1.3 per cent increase in pay for teachers and support staff.
Most schools will have to bolster their funding next year with “efficiencies”, the DfE has admitted.
Support staff unions Unison, GMB and Unite submitted a claim for a £3,000 rise at all pay points earlier this year. They also called for school support staff to be able to take at least one day of leave within term time, an hourly rate of £15, an extra day of holiday and or the working week to be reduced by two hours.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said ASCL is “deeply concerned” about the increasing financial pressures schools are facing.
He said: “The Education Select Committee has previously called for support staff pay rises to be factored into school budgets, and until this happens any pay awards will continue to further stretch school finances. It is just not sustainable to continue in this manner.”
He added it is “nonsensical” to think schools can make further efficiencies to fund the teacher pay award themselves.
“The government must publish the STRB report as soon as possible, to provide transparency to school leaders who are yet again facing the task of setting a budget under extremely difficult financial circumstances.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “All staff working in schools, from our own members to their valued support staff, deserve to be paid fairly.”
He added that budgets are “severely stretched” and it is important schools are given the funding needed to cover pay rises. Mr Whiteman also said school business leaders, who are covered by support staff pay awards, should be aligned with a revised leadership pay range.
Last year support staff accepted a pay rise of £1,290 backdated to 1 April. Unison had originally urged members to reject the rise, but not enough voted in the union’s strike ballot.
The year before support staff received a pay rise of £1,925.
Labour has committed to reinstating the School Support Staff Negotiating Body. However, it is not expected to make a recommendation on pay until 2027-28.
GMB has said it will now meet with members to discuss the next steps over the new pay offer.
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