Sixth-form college pay offer - July 2025

On 2 July, the Sixth Form College Association (SFCA) made the pay offer below for sixth-form college teachers working to the sixth-form college terms and conditions and pay scales (the Red Book). This offer is for the academic year 2025/26.

NASUWT is carrying out a snap poll of members in sixth-form colleges and academies to canvas the views of sixth-form college teachers.

The offer consists of:
From 1 September 2025:

  • a 4% across-the-board pay increase for all teachers, including those on the leadership scale;

  • a 4% increase on all relevant allowances, including London and fringe allowances;

  • accelerated joint discussions to a mutually agreed timetable on teacher workload and working time;

  • accelerated joint discussions to a mutually agreed timetable on London pay.

While we welcome the fact that the government has provided funding to ensure that the divisive pay offer made last year has not been repeated, we note that we are still in dispute with sixth-form colleges that have not made up for the 2% over seven months when their teachers did not receive the full cost-of-living uplift, as opposed to those in sixth-form college academies.

Funding of £50 million was provided this term (summer 2025) which could have been used to make this payment.

We note that a number of colleges made the decision to pay teachers the full 5.5% over the academic year following the NASUWT ballot result.

This offer (2025/26) was the result of the pay claim made by unions demanding an above Retail Price Index (RPI) cost-of-living uplift that constitutes a meaningful step towards pay restoration.

Workload talks were included in the claim due to our survey showing the excessive workload demands on sixth-form college teachers.

We have raised the issue of London pay regularly due to London sixth-form college teachers being at a disadvantage compared to their colleagues working in schools.

A sixth-form college teacher in inner London at the top of the pay scale earns £5,488 less than a school teacher on the same pay point.

We further note that all teachers, whether in sixth forms or schools, deserve pay restoration.

Do you have an NASUWT Representative at your college?

If you do not have an NASUWT Representative in your college, this is an opportunity to elect a Workplace Representative or a team of Workplace Representatives.

Email the sixth-form inbox if you or your colleagues wish to become a Rep or form a Reps Team and for further details of your Regional Centre.

Please note that our recent ballot only included colleges where our members are subject to Sixth Form College Association pay scales and terms of conditions of employment. These are available on our Sixth-form Pay Scales page.

 


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