How the teacher pay award is decided each year
Every September, teachers in maintained schools in England receive a pay award recommended by the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB), an independent body reviewing evidence from the DfE, unions, employers and economic data. The government has accepted STRB recommendations in full since 2023.
| Academic year | STRB award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | 5.0% | Plus one-off payments for some teachers |
| 2023–24 | 6.5% | After union strike action; fully funded |
| 2024–25 | 5.5% | Accepted in full by incoming government |
| 2025–26 | 4.0% | Confirmed July 2025; fully funded |
| 2026–27 | 3.5% | STRB 36th Report accepted in full, announced 1 July 2026; 5% for the minimum of the unqualified range |
| 2027–28 | 3.0% | Confirmed as part of the multi-year award |
| 2028–29 | 3.0% (indicative) | Subject to confirmation nearer the time |
The award takes effect 1 September each year, your October payslip is typically the first to reflect it. It applies to your full-time equivalent salary regardless of whether you work part-time; a 0.6 FTE teacher's actual gross rises proportionally.
Why your take-home doesn't rise by the full percentage
Using the 2025/26 4% award as an example: an M3 teacher outside London moved from £35,674 to £37,101, a gross increase of £1,427/year. Pension (7.4%) takes £105.60. Income tax on the remaining £1,321.40 at 20% takes £264.28. NI on the full £1,427 at 8% takes £114.16. The net increase is £943/year, about £78.58/month, a 4% gross rise becomes roughly a 3.5% net increase. The gap widens for teachers who cross a pension tier boundary or tip into the 40% higher-rate band as a result of the award.
Pay scale comparison: 2024/25 vs 2025/26 (4% award, England outside London)
| Point | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | Increase | Approx. monthly take-home increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | £31,650 | £32,916 | +£1,266 | +£70 |
| M2 | £33,483 | £34,823 | +£1,340 | +£74 |
| M3 | £35,674 | £37,101 | +£1,427 | +£79 |
| M4 | £38,034 | £39,556 | +£1,522 | +£84 |
| M5 | £40,439 | £42,057 | +£1,618 | +£87 |
| M6 | £43,607 | £45,352 | +£1,745 | +£91 |
| U1 | £45,646 | £47,472 | +£1,826 | +£94 |
| U2 | £47,338 | £49,232 | +£1,894 | +£96 |
| U3 | £49,084 | £51,048 | +£1,964 | +£98 |
Monthly increases are after TPS, income tax and NI, tax code 1257L, no student loan. Teachers crossing pension tier thresholds or the higher-rate boundary see a smaller proportional benefit, use the calculator for your exact result.
What the pay rise is actually worth after inflation
A pay award is only a real-terms increase if inflation is below it. This was routinely not the case for UK teachers between 2010 and 2022, when pay awards regularly fell below inflation. The confirmed 3.5% for 2026/27 compares with CPI of 2.6% in the 12 months to June 2026, around 0.9 points above current inflation, though the Bank of England expects CPI to edge back above 3% later in 2026, which would narrow the gap. The Office for National Statistics publishes monthly CPI data. Use the real-terms toggle in the calculator to enter any CPI figure and see the purchasing-power change.
The confirmed 2026/27 award, and what follows
Announced 1 July 2026: the Government accepted the STRB's 36th Report in full. All pay and allowance ranges rise by 3.5% from 1 September 2026, with 5% for the minimum of the unqualified range (rest of England). A further 3% follows from 1 September 2027, and an indicative 3% is pencilled in for 2028/29, giving schools and teachers a rare multi-year picture.
The award is partially funded: around £700m of additional funding was announced, with the DfE's affordability assessment expecting schools to meet a portion from existing budgets. Your October 2026 payslip should be the first to reflect the new scales. Use the 3.5% chip in the calculator above to see your exact take-home change.
Salary compression: why a pay rise doesn't always widen the gap with newer colleagues
When the government raises the minimum starting salary faster than the rest of the scale, M1 rose from £24,373 in 2019–20 to £32,916 in 2025–26, the gap between M1 and M6 shrinks. In 2025/26 outside London that gap is £12,436, down from £14,547 in 2019–20: a top-of-scale teacher now earns 37.8% more than a newly qualified colleague, versus 59.7% more six years ago. See the homepage's spine point guidance if you think this affects where you should sit on the scale.
Frequently asked questions
What was the 2025/26 teacher pay award?
The STRB recommended 4% for all teachers and leaders in England, effective 1 September 2025, accepted in full by government in July 2025. It applied to all pay ranges and allowances including TLR and SEN, and was fully funded.
How much more do I take home after a 4% pay rise?
Less than 4% net. For an M3 teacher outside London (£37,101), the 4% award added ≈£79/month to take-home, not the £119/month that 4% of gross alone would suggest, pension, tax and NI each take a share.
When does the pay award appear in my pay?
Effective from 1 September; most schools process it in the October payslip, sometimes backdated if processed in September. Contact payroll if your October payslip doesn't reflect the new scale.
What is the 2026/27 teacher pay award?
3.5% to all pay and allowance ranges from 1 September 2026 (5% for the minimum of the unqualified range, rest of England), confirmed on 1 July 2026 when the Government accepted the STRB's 36th Report in full. A further 3% follows from September 2027, with an indicative 3% for 2028/29. The award is partially funded, with around £700m of additional funding announced.
Does the pay award apply to part-time teachers?
Yes, applied to your full-time equivalent, with actual gross rising proportionally. Use our part-time calculator for the take-home figure.
Does the pay award affect my TPS pension contribution tier?
It might, if the award pushes you across a contribution band boundary, the higher rate applies to your entire salary, offsetting some of the gross gain. See our pension calculator for how tiers work.
Is the pay rise the same for leadership teachers?
Yes, the STRB percentage applies to all ranges including Leadership (L1–L43), Lead Practitioner and Unqualified, the cash increase is larger at higher salaries for the same percentage.
How does the pay rise compare to inflation?
The confirmed 3.5% award for 2026/27 sits about 0.9 points above CPI, which was 2.6% in the 12 months to June 2026, so it is a modest real-terms gain at current inflation. The Bank of England expects CPI to edge above 3% later in 2026, which would narrow that margin. Use the real-terms toggle in the calculator with any CPI figure.
My school is an academy. Does the STRB award apply to me?
Not automatically. Academies aren't legally bound by the STPCD, so the STRB award doesn't apply to them by law. In practice most academies mirror it, often with a short delay, but pay policies vary by trust. Check with your HR team or union rep whether, and when, your trust will apply the 3.5% award.