Changes to teachers pay welcomed in West Sussex

Changes to teachers’ pay policies in West Sussex have been welcomed by the National Education Union (NEU).

Following a meeting with the county council, the NEU said it had been confirmed that, from September, part-time teachers who take on the full responsibilities of additional roles, such as subject leadership, would be entitled to additional pay.

And those on the Upper Pay Scale – such as experienced classroom teachers – would see annual progression written into the pay policy for local authority schools, also from September.

Tom Chitty, a primary teacher and West Sussex NEU branch officer, said: “The Upper Pay Range is not a promotion, but in practice it has often been treated like one. When progression is slowed or blocked, inequality takes root.”

Looking at equality, the NEU said women were disproportionately affected by barriers to pay progression.

A spokesperson said that women made up around three-quarters of the education workforce in West Sussex,  but were more likely to be held at the top of the main classroom pay range or stalled at the first point for experienced teachers. 

Meanwhile, they added that men remained ‘over-represented’ when it came to higher pay and leadership roles.

A council spokesperson said the authority was committed to supporting ‘a diverse and inclusive workforce’ across all the services it delivered, including helping more women to progress into education leadership roles. 

They added: “While many schools in West Sussex are not maintained by the county council and employ their own staff, we work to promote good practice in recruitment, retention and professional development across council maintained education workplaces.

“Our Diversity and Inclusion policy underpins this work, ensuring that all colleagues have fair access to opportunities to develop and succeed.”

As part of that commitment, the council has introduced ‘Women in Leadership’ apprenticeships, aimed at  helping aspiring female leaders ‘with the skills, confidence and experience needed to take the next step in their careers’.

The spokesperson added: “Supporting women to progress in education contributes to our ambition for every child in West Sussex to achieve their full potential. 

“We will continue to champion initiatives that strengthen leadership pathways and foster an inclusive culture across education settings.”

As for the pay policy, the council said the authority was within the framework provided by the Government’s ‘School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document’.

But the local authority only represents the schools it maintains.

Secondary SEND teacher and NEU workplace rep Cathy Pilbeam said that academies and foundation schools risked becoming less attractive to experienced teachers if they did not keep pace with the Local Authority position on pay.

On February 28, the NEU will ask its members nationwide if they would be prepared to strike over pay, funding and workload.

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