Government Considers Multi-Year Pay Deal to Address Teacher Shortages

The UK government is exploring a new multi-year pay strategy for teachers in a move aimed at improving staff retention and easing school budget pressures.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has formally asked the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) to put forward pay proposals not just for the 2026–27 academic year, but also for 2027–28, with an indicative framework extending to 2028–29. The aim is to provide schools with greater financial stability and support long-term workforce planning amid ongoing recruitment challenges.

Unions have welcomed the potential for clearer planning but stress that any future pay awards must be fully funded by the government to avoid placing additional strain on school budgets. “Schools can’t be expected to do more with less,” one union spokesperson warned.

The request signals a shift toward longer-term thinking in education policy, following years of year-to-year pay negotiations that critics say have hampered stability in the teaching profession.

Further recommendations from the STRB are expected later this year.