School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions 2025 Released

The Department for Education has released the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document 2025, setting out key updates effective from 1 September 2025. Whether you're a school leader, SBM or Trust CFO, it’s vital to understand the implications for your staffing structure, workforce strategy and future budgets.

Here, our SBS Education Finance experts break down the key changes — and how they should shape your planning for the year ahead.

4% Teachers Pay Award from September 2025

The biggest headline is a 4% uplift across all:

• Pay ranges for teachers (including unqualified, main, upper, and leadership)
• Advisory pay points
• Allowance bands (e.g. SEN, TLRs)

This above-inflation increase needs to be reflected in all 2025/26 budget submissions and three-year forecasts. SBS Financial Planner users can already map the impact of the award on staffing costs and Trust-level sustainability.

Updated Pay Ranges – 2025/26 Snapshot

Here are just a few key figures from the new document (England, excluding London weightings):

See the DfE document for a breakdown of advisory points by region.

Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) Payments – Greater Flexibility Introduced

From September 2025, schools can now adjust TLR1 and TLR2 values based on the proportion of duties, not the pro-rata working hours. This enables:

• TLR responsibilities to be shared between part-time teachers
• More flexible job roles and workforce deployment

Important: This becomes mandatory from September 2026. TLR3 remains exempt from this rule.

SBS Recommendation: Schools with job shares or phased returns should review how responsibilities are distributed — and start modelling flexible TLR values now.

SEND Allowances

The SEN allowance range has been updated to £2,787 – £5,497. Awards must continue to reflect the structure of SEN provision, post requirements, and teacher qualifications.

Pay Progression & Appraisal

Pay progression remains tied to appraisal outcomes, with a clearer line drawn in the 2025 document:

• Schools retaining performance-related pay can withhold progression for poor performance.
• Schools not using performance-related pay can only withhold if a teacher is in capability proceedings.

Schools must clearly outline their pay progression policy and decision-making process.

Leadership Pay: Ensure Business Case Alignment

Headteacher pay ranges may exceed the group maximum by up to 25%, but only in exceptional cases, supported by:

• External advice
• Business case approval

SBS Tip: Use the updated unit score formulas to review your school or Trust’s assigned Headteacher Group and check alignment with expected pupil numbers and leadership responsibilities.

Flexible Working Guidance Added

The DfE has added guidance around supporting flexible working (Section 3, paragraphs 89–92). Strategic workforce planning should consider this alongside talent retention and cost control.

Recruitment and Retention Incentives

Schools can continue offering incentives (including salary advance for rent deposits, relocation support and housing assistance), but all incentives:

• Must be clearly declared
• Must be regularly reviewed

Leadership roles cannot include such incentives outside of specific housing/relocation costs.

Summary for School Leaders and CFOs

• Review and update your pay policy
• Model the 4% uplift in your 2025/26 and 3-year forecasts
• Prepare for new TLR rules and flexible roles
• Check progression policies are consistent with the updated guidance
• Review leadership pay ranges and groupings

Need help planning?

Contact us to speak to our finance consultants or request a demo of SBS Financial Planner with the new pay award built in.

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