Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason his Department has not extended the eligibility for the teachers’ pay grant to sixth form colleges.

The school teachers’ pay grant provides financial support to maintained schools (including 16-19 maintained schools). These schools must follow the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document, to help them implement the pay award.

We confirmed that, in order to maintain funding parity between maintained schools and academies, we would mirror the grant so that it covers all academies. This includes sixth form colleges that have converted to become 16-19 academies.

All teachers are equally important to us. However, the further education sector (which includes sixth form colleges) has a different legal status and relationship to the government when compared with academies.

Sixth form colleges are private sector institutions, independent of government.