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School Teachers’ Review Body Recommendations 2025-05-22
22 May 2025
Lead MP
Laura Trott
Debate Type
Urgent Question
Tags
EducationEmployment
Other Contributors: 26
At a Glance
Laura Trott raised concerns about school teachers’ review body recommendations 2025-05-22 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Will the Minister confirm whether the Government will accept the school teachers' review body's pay recommendation for 2025-26, and provide clarity on funding to ensure certainty for schools?
Laura Trott
Con
Sevenoaks
Question
The Minister's inability to provide clear information today is preventing scrutiny in the House. The Government promised to tax private schools to fund more teachers, but state schools have not received any of that money. There are broken promises on compensating schools for job taxes and uncertainty about teacher pay funding. Schools must make difficult decisions regarding redundancies due to these uncertainties. What specific pay rise will be given to teachers?
Minister reply
The Minister refused to take lessons from the Conservative Members, who left a financial mess after 14 years in power. She stated that recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers is central to delivering high standards in schools despite financial challenges. The government remains committed to its manifesto pledge for 6,500 additional teachers. This afternoon's statement will address these matters.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Question
How much of the pay award will be funded? Schools are anxious about budget pressures. Will support staff also receive a pay increase?
Minister reply
The Minister thanked her hon. Friend for raising important points on teacher recruitment, retention, and the importance of restoring teacher pay after years of erosion under previous governments. She highlighted that starting salaries have increased significantly. The statement will confirm all these details.
Twickenham
Question
Schools face massive budget cuts due to unfunded national insurance increases and teacher pay rises. School governors are setting deficit budgets, which is unprecedented. Where can schools find the money for these increases?
Minister reply
The Minister reminded that the statement will be out later in the day providing all details needed by schools. She emphasised that this announcement is earlier than under previous governments to give schools time to budget accordingly and highlighted productivity initiatives to support efficient use of funding.
Caroline Johnson
Con
Sleaford and North Hykeham
Question
Does the Minister know how many schools are short of money to pay their national insurance bills?
Minister reply
The funding system is not designed so that every school receives precise matching funding, but we are providing over £930 million in 2025-26 for increased national insurance costs and a £2.3 billion increase to core schools funding.
Meg Hillier
Lab/Co-op
Hackney South and Shoreditch
Question
Could the Minister ensure she makes good arguments in the spending review regarding falling rolls in London’s schools?
Minister reply
We are working hard to maximize output for public money, recognising challenges across the public sector. We will continue to support schools to spend their budgets effectively.
Oliver Dowden
Con
Hertsmere
Question
If the teachers’ pay settlement is not funded in full, surely it amounts to a cut to schools?
Minister reply
We are taking tough decisions to fix foundations and bring stability. We are rebuilding crumbling schools and providing £8 billion for early years and family services.
James Naish
Lab
Rushcliffe
Question
What is the Minister doing to turn the tide on the recruitment and retention crisis?
Minister reply
We are resetting the relationship between Government and schools, supporting high-quality teachers and training. We aim to ensure children have expert teachers by reducing other costs in schools.
South Devon
Question
If the pay award is not fully funded, can the Minister explain where schools are supposed to find this extra money?
Minister reply
Schools will work hard to maximize outcomes for children. We support their budgets through maintenance and management, energy costs, banking, and teacher vacancies.
Chelmsford
Question
Is it an imagining to suggest that the Secretary of State said that efficiency savings would have to be found in schools to meet additional costs, given what headteachers are telling us about cuts and staffing numbers?
Minister reply
No. We recognise how important it is for schools to plan their budgets and we know they are keenly awaiting the announcement this afternoon. The Government will continue to work with schools to help them deliver for children.
Chris Vince
Lab/Co-op
Harlow
Question
Does the Minister agree that not only should we be paying our teachers fairly, but also treating them with respect, and that the only decent teacher recruitment was done by recruiting former teachers to Labour Benches?
Minister reply
The one message we want to send is about valuing the teachers and headteachers who support their schools to thrive, as well as supporting the support staff who are the heart of schools in every community.
Andrew Murrison
Con
South West Wiltshire
Question
The result of what the Minister is announcing can only be that teacher numbers will cut, impacting on children and parents. Is this not the reality?
Minister reply
The right hon Gentleman should have more awareness about the situation teachers and schools faced over 14 years. The Government are working hard to clean up that mess.
Bayo Alaba
Lab
Southend East and Rochford
Question
How is the Minister turning the tide in teacher recruitment and retention crisis which reached unprecedented levels over the past decade?
Minister reply
The key priority for us is ensuring we have the teaching workforce children deserve, but that teachers also deserve. We are legislating to ensure every child has a qualified teacher.
Calum Miller
LD
Bicester and Woodstock
Question
Will the Minister meet him to discuss sparsity funding and equalisation of per capita funding so primary schools in small, rural areas are not serially disadvantaged?
Minister reply
The Hon Gentleman raises important challenges. The Government look at the funding formula to ensure resource allocation where needed most.
Rachael Maskell
Lab/Co-op
York Central
Question
Will there be sufficiency in funding for schools, and will the Minister get a grip of escalating chief executive pay which is doubling?
Minister reply
Every school leader prioritises outcomes for children in decisions on pay to ensure they are trained to support children with special educational needs.
Ben Obese-Jecty
Con
Huntingdon
Question
What is the Minister doing to address extra strain on staffing costs and ensure schools are properly resourced for right level of staff?
Minister reply
The Government work with reforms at pace, ensuring children are educated with their peers and supporting schools in delivering that.
Claire Young
LD
Thornbury and Yate
Question
Does the Minister accept that schools cannot fully control the profile of their staff due to the increasingly high needs they are expected to support, leading to some schools choosing to pay staff in higher bands? Will she meet me to discuss how she will protect schools with particularly high staffing budgets from having to make excessive cuts?
Minister reply
The Minister did not accept the premise of the hon. Lady’s question and defended the complexity of school funding based on a range of requirements within their population and area. She stated that while there are complexities in the system, her Government is committed to ensuring fairness across the school funding system.
John Glen
Con
Salisbury
Question
Will the Minister assure the House that the settlement to be announced later today will take account of the fact that inflation is vastly higher than was anticipated when the settlement was reached?
Minister reply
The right hon. Member will have to wait for the statement this afternoon, as the Government are committed to ensuring that schools can deliver for children and continue to work with them to ensure they can do so.
John Slinger
Lab
Rugby
Question
Can the Minister explain how Labour is overturning the teacher recruitment and retention crisis inherited from the Tories, given that teachers add huge value to society?
Minister reply
The Minister stated that they have instituted a 5.5% pay award immediately upon entering office and continue to help schools support teachers in managing workload and wellbeing, aiming to make teaching an attractive profession.
Richard Holden
Con
Basildon and Billericay
Question
Can the Minister explain why the Government have gone back on their promise to cover all the costs of the national insurance jobs tax for school support staff who are being told they will be made redundant?
Minister reply
The Minister explained that the Government has given a significant settlement in recognition of the national insurance costs and continues to work with schools to deliver for children, acknowledging past issues but focusing on current efforts.
John Milne
LD
Horsham
Question
Can the Minister be honest about the real state of funding, especially regarding special educational needs and disabilities provision, rather than making statements that are not fully funded?
Minister reply
The Minister recognised the challenges faced in the school system due to inherited crises but stated that her Government is working at pace to fix them.
Greg Smith
Con
Mid Buckinghamshire
Question
Is the Minister not giving answers because No. 10 has told her not to or because of a live negotiation with the Treasury over school funding settlements?
Minister reply
The Minister dismissed this as a ridiculous question, stating that she respects teachers and their work more than implied.
Witney
Question
Will the Minister give assurances through the written ministerial statement that school support staff will get a fair pay deal?
Minister reply
The Minister confirmed that her Government recognises the challenge identified and has legislated for the re-establishment of the school support staff negotiating body to ensure they have a strong voice in these conversations.
Shockat Adam
Ind
Leicester South
Question
Does the Minister recognise the vital role of further education college teachers and will they be included in plans for fairer pay and conditions?
Minister reply
The Minister stated that her Government recognises, respects, and values the role of all those who work with 16 to 19-year-olds, whether in a school, college or FE setting.
Honiton and Sidmouth
Question
Given that schools have seen steep increases in maintenance costs while their budgets barely grew over the period, does she expect staff pay rises to come out of existing school budgets?
Minister reply
The Minister did not provide a specific answer but defended her Government's commitment to supporting the sector and ensuring fairness across the funding system.
Neil O’Brien
Con
Harborough, Oadby and Wigston
Question
Earlier, the Minister said that funding had remained below 2010 levels. I am sure that was an innocent verbal slip. However, according to the widely respected Institute for Fiscal Studies... How can we encourage the rapid correction of the record when innocent mistakes are made?
Minister reply
I think you have just corrected the record; that is not a point of order.
Government Response
The Minister acknowledged the work of teachers and school staff during the exam season. She stated that the government is delivering positive changes, including increased teacher recruitment and retention rates compared to last year. The minister announced an early pay award announcement for teachers, which will be made available in a written statement coming out later in the day. This response was delivered against claims of delayed action by previous governments and criticism from opposition members regarding budget uncertainties facing schools.
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