Spending on pupils set to fall because of teacher pay rises

WAGE rises for teachers will put a squeeze on planned budgets to spend on pupils, experts have warned.

School spending per pupil in 2024 will remain 3 per cent below 2010 levels, in real terms, after factoring in a rise in teacher salaries alongside higher energy and food costs, according to research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

It estimated that actual costs faced by schools, such as teacher and support staff pay, will grow by 20 per cent between 2019-20 and 2024-25.

The Government has confirmed its plans to increase starting teacher salaries by 9 per cent to £28,000 in September. Most teachers will receive a 5 per cent pay rise. However, the Treasury has not pledged any additional funding to cover those pay rises.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies said the pay rises would be “just about affordable” in the next academic year, thanks to a £4billion rise in school funding that was agreed at last year’s spending review.

However, it predicted “potential problems” in 2023-24, when it estimates school spending per pupil will fall by about 1 per cent in real terms and continue to stagnate in 2024-25.

The cost of teachers already represents about 54 per cent of school spending.

The findings suggest that the Government will miss its target of restoring spending per pupil to 2010 levels in real terms by the end of the Parliament in 2024-25.

Dr Patrick Roach, the general secretary of the NASUWT teachers’ union, warned that teaching staff are preparing to leave the profession in “record numbers” because of the impact of under-funding.

He said: “It is simply not acceptable to expect teachers to work longer and harder for less, or for the education and support available to pupils to be cut back further. The system is at breaking point.

“We have record numbers of teachers and head teachers who admit they are planning to leave the profession due to the impact of under-funding and real-terms pay cuts,” he added.

A Department for Education spokesman said: “We recognise that schools – much like the wider economy – are facing increased costs due to the unprecedented recent rise in inflation.”

He added: “To support schools, budgets will rise by £7billion by 2024-25, compared with 2021-22, with the total core school budget increasing to £56.8 billion.”