The process has reached its final stage
The final School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document 2026 is dated 14 October and valid from 1 September 2026. The Local Government Association records that the Teachers’ Pay Order was laid in Parliament on 16 October and that the 21-day period for objections ended on 6 November, marking the end of the process.
This is therefore no longer only a review-body recommendation or consultation proposal. Schools should use the final document and their adopted pay policy for individual decisions.
The two confirmed increases
The framework applies a 3.5% increase to pay and allowance ranges from 1 September 2026, except for a 5% increase to the minimum of the unqualified teacher range outside London. A further 3% increase applies from 1 September 2027.
The government also discussed an indicative 3% figure for 2028/29, but that later figure is not the same as the two confirmed awards covered by the current document.
Maintained schools and academies are not identical
The Department for Education says the statutory pay award currently applies to maintained schools. Most academies follow the national arrangements in practice, but academy staff should check their employer’s pay policy and contract rather than assume identical implementation.
Individual salary outcomes may also depend on pay range, allowances, leadership responsibilities, progression decisions and local policy.
What teachers and schools should check
Teachers should compare their September 2026 salary notice with the published range and any applicable allowances. School leaders and business managers should use the final pay document, not an earlier consultation draft, and explain how backdated changes are processed locally.
