Pay and funding

The issue

School leaders have suffered among the most significant real terms pay erosion of all workers.  The value of school leaders’ pay has fallen by about a fifth in real terms since 2010, negatively affecting both leadership aspiration and retention.  Even the September 2023 pay award was not sufficient to arrest the decline in real-terms pay. 

What we want to see

NAHT’s immediate objective for the 2024 pay round is to secure a fully funded ‘inflation plus’ uplift from September 2024 to protect current salaries against further erosion by inflation and begin the restoration salaries to their 2010 value, setting a course that could be completed within the life of parliament. 

NAHT is also pressing for systemic reform of the pay structure for teachers and leaders.  This includes: 

• a reformed national pay structure with mandatory minimum pay points, and pay portability 
• a comprehensive review of the factors that determine leadership pay; and work to tackle inequity in the pay structure and close the ‘pay gaps’ 
• a professional pay continuum that supports new career pathways and delivers pay progression for teachers and school leaders. 

School funding is set to remain below 2010 levels in real terms until 2024-25.  NAHT is campaigning for: 

• sustained investment in pupils through year-on-year real terms increases to core funding, and funding for High Needs (in both mainstream and Special settings) 
• investment to ensure that the health, therapeutic and social care services are readily available and accessible to all schools to their support pupils. 

all future pay uplifts to be fully funded
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Get involved

You can help to make a difference in your local area by making your voice heard within your local authority and with your local MP. ,

Below, we have provided resources to help you get involved in the campaign. Get together with other members from your branch or region to take action.

	Write a letter to your MP by downloading our guide and template.
	Download our pay and funding slides to share our campaign with others
	Hold a roundtable discussion with your MP using our guide and template
	Download and share the School Cuts social media pack, and include @NAHTNews in your posts.

For the latest news on NAHT's work around teachers' and school leaders’ pay, see our pay hub page.