Teachers have walked out at 23,000 schools across England and Wales today (Wednesday February 1), in the first of a series of strikes organised by the National Education Union (NEU).
Teaching staff are one of multiple sectors striking today, in the biggest day of industrial action in more than a decade. Civil servants, university staff, rail workers and London bus drivers are also walking out over separate pay disputes as the cost of living crisis continues.
Schools could be fully or partially closed during strike days, with a further six days of industrial action planned by the union in February and March. The Department for Education has offered a 5% pay rise to most teachers for the current school year, but the NEU is demanding a fully funded above-inflation pay rise for teachers.
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A teacher’s salary is set by a school’s governing board and is based on an appraisal. It can depend on whether a teacher is qualified or not and on their location. A teacher on the main pay scale in England and Wales can earn anything from £28,000 to £38,810, while a teacher on the upper scale can earn between £50,614 to £43,684.
Here are the pay scales for classroom teachers, according The Teacher's Union NASUWT. The salaries are from September 1 2022 to August 31 2023.
Upper pay scale
Teachers on the same pay band will not all earn the same amount. They can be paid any sum between the minimum and maximum for their band.
Teachers may apply for a pay increase, including applying to move from the main scale to the upper scale. If a teacher moves from one school to another, they may not necessarily stay on the same band or on the same salary.
Further strike days will be held in February and March. Walk outs impacted both England and Wales are scheduled to take place on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 March.
Regional strikes will take place on Tuesday 14 February affecting Wales, Tuesday 28 February impacting Northern and North West England and Yorkshire & The Humber, Wednesday 1 March affecting Eastern England, the East Midlands and West Midlands and Thursday 2 March impacting South East and South West England and London.
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