Sixth-form college teachers in England will receive a pay rise of up to 2 per cent, it has been announced.
The move follows an agreement between the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) and the National Education Union (NEU).
The increase will be backdated to September 2017, according to the NEU, and follows an offer by the SFCA matching the September 2017 pay rise for teachers working in schools. The agreement will give sixth-form teachers on points 1 to 6 of the national pay scale a 2 per cent rise from 1 September 2017, and teachers above point 6 of the pay scale a 1 per cent rise from the same date.
Pay rise ‘still below inflation’
Graham Baird, SFCA’s director of HR services, who led the negotiations on the employers’ side, said: “We are pleased to have reached agreement with the recognised trade unions for an across-the-board increase of 1 per cent on teachers’ pay, with higher targeted increases of 2 per cent on the lowest pay points. This agreement is at the edge of affordability for most colleges, given the ongoing funding pressures facing the sector, but teachers in sixth-form colleges work hard to support their students and it is important that they are rewarded for that.”
Mary Bousted, joint-general secretary of the NEU, said: “Sixth-form college teachers will be pleased that their pay will increase in line with school teachers’ for another year. The National Education Union worked hard to achieve this deal for its members, who showed their resolution to get a fair deal by rejecting the previous offer. The increase is, however, still below inflation and the NEU will continue to lobby to secure fully funded higher pay for teachers in schools and colleges alike.”
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