Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on potential options for resolving the pay dispute with teachers.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education continues to work with Cabinet colleagues to seek a fair and reasonable resolution to the pay dispute with teachers. She has made a serious offer to the leaders of the National Education Union (NEU) to pause the planned strikes so that we can discuss pay, conditions and reforms. The NEU refused to call off strike action last week, once again causing disruption to families and thousands of children who missed out on their education.

This same offer has been accepted by health unions including Unite, the GMB, Unison, CSP and the Royal College of Nurses who have all paused their strikes and are engaging in intensive negotiations.

Last year, the Chancellor committed an additional £2 billion for schools for next year and the year after. This additional money means schools will be funded at their highest levels in history. Each school has flexibility over how this money is used, such as staffing, classroom materials, or other running costs.

Teacher pay is set by the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) and Government respects its independence. The Department published written evidence on Thursday 21 February to the STRB that will, alongside evidence from the treasury and other consultees including trade unions, inform their recommendations on teachers’ pay for 2023/24.

The Government published its written evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) on 21 February 2023, giving views and input to help them form their recommendations for teachers’ pay. This evidence sets out how a 3.5% overall award, which includes raising starting salaries to £30,000, would be manageable within schools’ budgets, on average. The Department recognises that this year this judgment is particularly finely balanced, with the possibility that changing conditions, such as an improvement to energy prices, might allow schools to accommodate a higher award.

The Secretary of State has been clear that her offer to the NEU still stands. It is in the best interests of children, parents, and teachers for the NEU to take up her offer and engage in talks on all areas of their dispute.