TEACHING unions have called for real-terms pay cuts to be reversed after the Department for Education claimed that a below-inflation 2.8 per cent pay rise “would be appropriate” for teachers in 2025-26.

The National Education Union (NEU), Community, school leaders’ union NAHT and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) made a joint submission to the School Teachers Review Body (STRB) today.

The independent body, which makes recommendations on teacher pay in England, is considering the department’s proposal, which sparked threats of strikes by the NEU and NASUWT earlier this week. 

In their submission, the unions called for the review body to reverse real-terms pay cuts since 2010, restore pay competitiveness and tackle excessive workload, saying that these measures are “essential to tackling the recruitment and retention crisis.”

They added that teacher and school leader pay was more than a fifth lower in real terms against retail price index inflation than it was in 2010, despite the above-inflation pay increase of September this year.

NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said: “The STRB must respond to the clear evidence and the united voice of the profession.  

“Significant, across-the-board improvements in pay and conditions are vital if we are to solve the recruitment and retention crisis, recruit 6,500 new teachers and ensure every child is taught by a suitably qualified professional.”

Community national officer for education and early years Helen Osgood warned that not supporting our education professionals “means that we are running the risk of empty classrooms up and down the country.

“For too long, pay in education has suffered from austerity,” she added.

ASCL leader Pepe Di’Iasio said the review body’s recommendation must build on last year’s teacher pay award by “reversing long-term pay erosion, making salaries in teaching more competitive and addressing the severe and ongoing recruitment and retention crisis.”

NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said: “The Education Secretary will only meet her pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers if pay is competitive enough to recruit and retain graduates.

“After more than a decade of neglect, in our evidence to the pay review body we are urging that education must be prioritised in next year’s spending round.”

NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach said teachers were looking to the STRB to “assert its independence” and act on the evidence linking Tory pay erosion to the teacher recruitment crisis and worse education standards.

The unions are also calling for the mandatory removal of performance-related pay and a fair national pay structure.