September 2024 pay update

Staff side unions made a pay claim to the Sixth Form Association (SFCA) in June 2024.

The staff side proposed:

  • A minimum that is above the RPI rate of inflation from 1 September 2024 on all pay points and allowances that constitutes a meaningful step towards real terms pay restoration;

  • an additional increase from 1 September 2024 on the London allowances;

  • continuing joint discussions on workload and working time.

Staff side unions have yet to receive an offer from the SFCA for the cost of living uplift for 2024/25. Last year, sixth-form college teachers received a pay uplift of 6.5%. Additional funding was provided by the government following the announcement of the pay rise for school teachers.

There has been no confirmation that additional funding will be going to sixth-form colleges in order to provide a much needed and vital pay rise for sixth-form college teachers for 2024/25.

Sixth-form college pay must not fall behind

NASUWT General Secretary, Dr Patrick Roach, has written to the Secretary of State asking for urgent confirmation that additional funding will be provided for a cost of living pay rise for all sixth-form college teachers for the year 2024/25.

Sixth-form college pay is negotiated annually with the Sixth Form College Association (SFCA) and is not subject to a recommendation from an independent review body. While the recommendation for school teachers does not apply to sixth-form college pay, we would expect that SFC teachers receive a similar cost of living uplift. We await a response from the SFCA employers and we urge them to make an offer that is at least in line with school teachers as soon as possible.

Sixth-form college pay scales have only recently come into line with school teacher pay. If pay rates fall behind again, the recruitment and retention crisis will be exacerbated.

It is vital that sixth-form college employers offer a real-terms pay rise that will begin to meet our claim for pay restoration.

Crisis in sixth-form college funding

The poor funding situation of the 16-19 sector, including sixth forms, was recently described by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) report.

This stated that colleges and sixth forms ‘have seen larger cuts since 2010’ than other sectors in education and ‘have not received extra funding to deal with larger-than-expected cost increases and rising student numbers’.

Student numbers are predicted to increase by 200,000 by 2030. We further highlighted the recruitment challenge now present in sixth forms, recognised by the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) in their recent annual report.

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 Ballot 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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