The National Joint Council for Sixth Form Colleges, which represents teachers working in sixth form colleges, has accepted a pay rise of 6.5% for the majority of staff.
Following a consultation on the offer earlier this year with members of teaching union NASUWT, 92% of respondents stated they were in favour of accepting the pay offer for the academic year 2023/24.
The offer represents an 8.44% increase for those on the lowest pay point to a starting salary of £30,500, and a 6.5% increase on all relevant allowances, including London and fringe allowances. Further discussions around London pay comparability have been proposed.
It also includes a commitment to a working party with the staff side to engage with concerns around teacher workload and working time. This could include a survey of working time in colleges and consideration of the outcomes of the Department for Education’s workload reduction taskforce for schools.
Following the increased pay offer to school teachers in July, the government committed to £185 million in funding for 2023/24 and a further £285 million for 2024/25. The amount each college will receive per student has been increased from £4,642 to £4,753.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary at NASUWT, said: “This pay award means that sixth form teachers will benefit from more money in their pockets at a time when they are struggling with increased costs for food and energy, rocketing rents and mortgages and persistent high inflation.
“While we welcome the commitment by the employer to set up a working party to examine our concerns about teacher workload and working time, we will be urging employers to make swift progress to address excessive workload and long working hours which continue to be identified as a key factor leading to teachers leaving the profession. We will be continuing our campaigning in all sixth form colleges to bring downward pressure on teachers’ workloads and working hours.”