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Phillipson: Academy salary will have a ‘floor’

Phillipson: Academy salary will have a ‘floor’

Academies will retain the option to pay their staff more even if they must follow national pay rates, Bridget Phillipson said, adding that new laws will introduce a “floor but no ceiling” salary for teachers.

Appearing for the first time today before MPs on the education committee, Phillipson was asked to explain why she Schools bill proposed revoking academic freedoms over pay.

Under the plans, academies would be forced to follow national pay scales.

Phillipson said today the proposal would introduce a “floor” on teachers’ pay and working conditions, but “no cap”. She also used a similar phrase for proposed rules requiring academies to follow the national curriculum.

A handful of trusts pay teachers above national rates, others also offer more flexibility.

Phillipson told MPs the government wanted to introduce “a strong foundation for all teachers working in the profession with clear expectations” but ensure “every school has the freedom to innovate and go beyond”.

“No cap on teacher remuneration”

Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott called the admission a “U-turn”, adding “if this is truly (Phillipson’s) intention, why doesn’t the Bill make it clear?”

A government document explaining the status of the schools billRelevant clauses of the Education Act 2002 would be extended to academies, “enabling the Secretary of State to determine the pay and conditions of teachers in academies”.

“This will largely reflect the arrangements that currently exist in the maintained school sector,” he adds.

Currently, national pay scales also provide a maximum salary for different academic roles and pay levels.

Phillipson told MPs there had been “confusion and concern” about the proposal, but reiterated on pay and conditions: “All schools will have full flexibility to innovate, with a floor and no ceiling about what that means. »

The work has said it would consult the schools’ teachers’ pay review body to “make recommendations on changes to the national framework to allow greater flexibility, including for new teachers, before it is applied in all schools.

A government document explaining the Schools Bill adds that “most academies (already) follow the statutory pay and conditions framework, the current system means a teacher can expect different terms and conditions, depending on whether working in a maintained school or a trust academy. – there is no guarantee of a basic offer for school teachers.

“Widening the statutory framework to include academy schools and academies offering alternative provision will mean that all state school teachers can expect a basic set of pay and conditions, regardless of the type of school in which they work.”

“Innovation and flexibility for all”

There appears to be little difference in teacher pay by school type.

In 2023-24, the median salary for a teacher was £44,870 in secondary academies and £44,677 in maintained secondary schools in Los Angeles, according to government workforce data.

The median salary was the same in primary academies and maintained schools, at £41,333.

Academy executive pay increased – but the proposal would not cover academy executive pay, on which Phillipson expressed his reservations.

Phillipson told MPs today she wanted to return the “innovation, flexibility and excellence” she saw in the school system, “much of which I saw in the academy system… accessible to all schools.

Asked about the evidence behind the inclusion of this law, Phillipson said it was a “combination of how we want to approach the broader whole of the teaching profession: it’s a question of salary and conditions.

“A lot of what I hear from teachers across the country: Yes, there are challenges around compensation…but some of the biggest challenges are around flexibility and how we do teaching. teaching a truly attractive place for our best graduates.