School Support Staff Forfeit £2.2 Billion in Earnings Due to Term-Time Contracts
New analysis has uncovered that school support staff across the United Kingdom missed out on a staggering £2.2 billion in potential earnings during the last financial year. This substantial shortfall is directly attributed to their term-time-only contracts, which restrict pay to just 44 weeks annually instead of a full 52-week year.
Union Research Highlights Significant Individual Losses
Research conducted by the GMB union, which represents over 100,000 school support staff, calculated that if teaching assistants, cleaners, caterers, and administrative personnel were compensated for a full year, their individual annual wages could increase by as much as £4,094. The collective impact for approximately 800,000 workers on these contracts amounted to the £2.2 billion figure for the 2024/25 period.
Stacey Booth, GMB National Officer, stated: "Hard-up school support staff are being discriminated against by these term time-only contracts. They miss out on more than £4,000 each – every single year. The teachers they work with don’t have to put up with it, nor do the council workers they are lumped together with for wages."
Unions Demand Substantial Pay Rise for 2026/27
In response to this financial disparity, major unions including Unison, Unite, and GMB have issued a joint call for school and council workers to receive a pay rise of at least £3,000 or 10% for the 2026/27 financial year, whichever is greater. Additionally, they are advocating for a minimum hourly rate of £15.
The unions have previously highlighted that the real value of local government pay has plummeted by more than 26% since 2010. This decline has left many staff struggling to manage escalating household costs and energy bills, exacerbating financial pressures.
Current Negotiation Framework and Future Proposals
Currently, school support staff negotiate their pay and conditions through the National Joint Council (NJC), the same body used by council workers. The GMB has confirmed that the NJC has agreed to meet with unions this month to discuss wage issues.
While the Government has committed to establishing a dedicated School Support Staff Negotiating Body, it is not anticipated to cover support staff pay and conditions until the 2027/28 period, leaving a significant gap in addressing immediate concerns.
Parallel Development: New Guide for Parental Complaints
In a related educational development, parents are set to receive a new government-backed guide on how to formally complain to their child’s school. This initiative aims to curb a significant rise in escalated and often aggressive disputes.
The comprehensive five-step process was developed by the Department for Education (DfE), in collaboration with the charity Parentkind and the schools watchdog Ofsted. It is designed to foster a more "positive, respectful way" for parents to address concerns with educational institutions, promoting constructive dialogue over conflict.
