Responding to reports that schools in England are to get around £500million in extra funding towards the teachers’ pay award this year, Matt Wrack, General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said:

“Finally the government has seen sense and started to address the issue we have been raising for months around the funding of the teachers’ pay award.

“We warned that expecting schools to dip into their budgets to part-fund the pay award would only lead to further cuts to staffing, resources and provision for pupils, with children’s education ultimately paying the price.

“NASUWT has argued that savings made in the employers’ contributions to pensions should be used to improve the funding situation in schools. It is welcome that this approach has finally been adopted, at least in part, and provides £500 million to schools for 2026/27.

“Schools still need a sustainable, long-term injection of extra funding if they are to be able to meet the challenges posed by the growing complexity of needs among our children and young people.

“This must just be the start of a move to bring education funding up to a level to meet the increasingly complex needs in the classroom and the emerging demands of 21st century education.”