Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education
I am pleased to publish today the fifth report of the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body (IWPRB), covering recommendations for amendments to teachers’ pay and conditions from September 2024.
I would like to thank the IWPRB for producing such a detailed report which provides independent, comprehensive analysis along with evidence-based recommendations that we can take forward to improve teachers’ pay and conditions in Wales.
The IWPRB make 12 recommendations for teachers’ pay and conditions.
Recommendation 1 is that all salaries and allowances be increased by 4.3% from September 2024. This recommendation was made by the IWPRB in June 2024 and took into consideration the relevant factors at that time. Since receiving the IWPRB’s report, the UK Government has accepted the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) to increase all salaries and allowances for teachers in England by 5.5% from September 2024. The Welsh Government retain our independence to make decisions about teachers’ pay and we will continue to work with and respect the independent pay review body process across the wider Welsh public sector. However, I am also committed to no detriment to teachers’ pay and conditions in Wales. I am therefore going further than the IWPRB’s recommendation and instead will consult on an increase to all salaries and allowances of 5.5% from September 2024.
I am also announcing £5 million of funding to support recommendation 5 regarding ALNCOs moving to the Leadership Pay Range. This will require further detailed work that is ongoing.
Following careful consideration, I will accept in principle, subject to consultation recommendations 2-11. The full list of recommendations in the report and a summary of my response is at Annex A.
It is through our social partnership approach combined with the independent expertise of the IWPRB that I am able to make this announcement today. I am committed to ensuring that we continue to work together, through our social partnership approach to reward and recognise the excellent work that teachers’ continue to do here in Wales. I hope that accepting these recommendations will further support the improvements for the teaching workforce that are already underway and will help to promote teaching as a valued profession.
I will now be inviting written comments from key stakeholders by 7 October on my response to the recommendations in the IWPRB’s fifth report and the proposed changes to the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions (Wales) Document (STPC(W)D), which include the proposed increases to teachers’ pay. I will consider all responses to the consultation before making my final decision.
In addition I am also announcing today, consultation on the implementation of some of the recommendations made in the IWPRB Strategic Review of the Structure of Teachers’ and Leaders’ Pay and Conditions in Wales which I accepted in principle in April this year. These are listed in Annex B. I want to progress implementation of the recommendations made in the Strategic Review particularly those that have no significant costs or workload impact. I will continue to collaborate with the sector on the implementation of the remaining recommendations.
This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep members informed. Should members wish me to make a further statement or to answer questions on this when the Senedd returns I would be happy to do so.