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Need-to-know: DfE announces teacher pay award for 2026/27

School teachers and leaders will receive a 3.5% pay award.

Updated
on 24 September 2026
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The 3.5% increase, recommended by the School Teachers Review Body (STRB), applies from 1 September 2026.

The pay award applies to all maintained schools. Academies can choose to follow it.

The 2026/27 pay award for school support staff has also been agreed, and is an increase of 3.3% on each scale point. 

You can access a copy of the full pay scales on the Unison website (select 'Read the letter to employers in full here').

The pay award will be funded by government funds and savings from pension revaluations

The government will provide schools with £700 million in additional funding in 2026/27 to help cover the cost of the pay award, alongside funding previously allocated in the 2025 spending review.

The remaining amount will come from savings from reduced Local Government Pension Scheme employer contributions.

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