EDUCATION unions welcomed a Labour pledge today to give new teachers in England a one-off payment but warned that the party must go a lot further to turn around the country’s austerity-hit schools. 

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson unveiled a £50 million plan for incentive payments of £2,400 to teachers who complete the “early career framework” training programme, which covers their first two years in the classroom.

The commitment following the government’s own figures showing that in 2020, nearly a fifth of newly qualified educators quit the profession, which has been dogged by plummeting take-home pay, mounting workloads and punitive inspections. 

Ms Phillipson, who also promised to reinstate a requirement for all new teachers to have a formal qualification, claimed that the initiatives would “recognise teachers’ really important development and training and reset the relationship” between government and the sector.

But when asked on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme about pay, she replied that a future Labour government would face “tough choices” in office.

“Labour governments always want to prioritise education and make sure we properly support people working in teaching with fair and affordable pay settlements,” Ms Phillipson said.

“But who knows what the situation will be if we win that election, because the Conservatives crashed the economy, have behaved utterly recklessly and that will present some tough choices.”

National Education Union joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted welcomed the call for a one-off payment, telling Sky News: “Any extra money for teachers is a good idea.”

However, in the run-up to more teaching strikes on Wednesday and Friday, she urged Labour to go “much further, with better salaries for experienced teachers as well.

“Teachers are leaving the profession in droves — 40,000 left last year, 9 per cent of teachers, 8 per cent of head teachers. It’s experience we are missing.”

Paul Whiteman, head of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Plans to improve early career training and ongoing professional development are sensible, but Labour will need to be prepared to go further if they are to begin to solve the current crisis.

“Uncompetitive pay and a punitive inspection system are key factors in pushing people out of the profession.”

Ms Phillipson also committed to reducing payments to recruitment agencies after analysis by her party found that England’s state schools have paid them more than £8 billion since 2010.