Important Updates to the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 2025
The Government has published the latest School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) following the School Teachers’ Review Body recommendations on Teachers’ pay. The new document came into force on 1st September and provides details of the 2025 pay award and how TLR 1 and 2 are calculated which will need to be reflected in your latest pay policy. As your HR provider, we want to ensure you are well-informed about these changes and have updated our model pay policy to ensure that you remain compliant.
Pay Increases for All Grades
From 1 September 2025, there will be a 4% increase applied to the:
This adjustment is in line with the recommendations from the School Teachers' Review Body's (STRB) 35th report published in May 2025 and aims to ensure that teachers' salaries remain competitive and fair.
Depending on the arrangements for pay progression set out within the Schools own Pay Policy, many teachers are likely to receive an increase greater that the 4% to recognise their performance during the past appraisal cycle.
The STPCD is a statutory document and therefore the increases are mandatory for all maintained schools, Academies are not obliged to follow the pay award increases but may choose to do so.
Changes to the TLR Pro Rata Principle
From September 2025, the STPCD will no longer require Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payments to be pro-rated based on the contracted hours for part-time teachers (the pro rata principle). Instead, the value of any existing or new TLR1 or TLR2 payment may be based on the proportion of the full time equivalent responsibility undertaken.
For example, a part-time teacher could be paid 100% of the TLR if they are undertaking the full responsibilities of the TLR within their part time hours. This change provides greater flexibility for schools and teachers alike. Equally a part time TLR may be awarded to a full time teacher where the responsibility are being shared with another teacher.
Looking ahead to September 2026, it will become mandatory for schools to determine the value of all TLR1 and TLR2 payments based on the proportion of the responsibility being undertaken and schools will be required to ensure they continue to act fairly and appropriately when determining the value of a new or existing TLR 1 and 2 payment.
In preparation for the mandatory change coming into force in September 2026 Schools should start considering the impact of the removal of the pro rata principle on teachers in receipt of a TLR and the impact on the budget to ensure a smooth transition.
The pro rata principle does not apply to any TLR 3 currently awarded and therefore they are not impacted by these changes.
Executive Pay Changes in the Academy Trust Handbook
Effective from 1 September 2025, the Academy Trust Handbook has introduced new guidelines regarding executive pay. Trust boards are now required to ensure that decisions about executive pay are "transparent, proportionate, and defensible". This means that all pay decisions must be grounded in an agreed pay policy and be well-documented to withstand external scrutiny. The updated guidance emphasizes compliance and accountability, making it clear that trust boards must follow documented, evidence-based pay policies for all executive remuneration, including salary and additional benefits packages. HR Connect has updated its Pay Policy to reflect this requirement in relation to Executive pay.
HR Connect Pay Policy
We have updated our model Pay Policy to reflect the changes outline in the STPCD in relation to the 4% pay award and removal of the TLR pro rata principle along with the changes to Executive pay guidelines contained within the Academy Trust Handbook.
The Pay Policy has gone out to consultation with the recognised Teaching and Support staff Unions with responses being received on 12th September 2025. Week commencing 15th September will start to consider the responses received from unions and updating the policy as appropriate. Once this process has taken place we will be issuing the final pay policy which is expected to be towards the end of the month.
Each year we produce a well-received webinar on teachers’ pay covering an update to our customers on the latest STPCD and the new pay policy. We aim to produce a new webinar reflecting this year’s changes which will be available to view on or around the same time the new Pay Policy is published.
Practical Advice for School Leaders