The new teacher and school leadership pay scales for 2021-22 have been confirmed by the Department for Education.
It follows the announcement at last year’s spending review of a pay freeze for all public sector workers earning more than £24,000 a year. Those earning less are supposed to get a pay rise of at least £250, though this applies to very few teachers.
As a result, only the salary ranges below that threshold have changed, and most teacher and all leadership pay scales remain the same as they were in 2020-21.
While local authority-maintained schools are required to follow these pay scales, academies and free schools are allowed to set their own scales.
Here are the new pay rates, effective from September 1 2021.
Classroom teachers
Leadership
Here’s the text version in case you need to copy and paste…
Classroom teachers
| England excluding London | ||
| Unqualified teacher pay range | 2020 | 2021 |
| Minimum | 18,169 | 18,419 |
| Maximum | 28,735 | 28,735 |
| Main pay range | ||
| Minimum | 25,714 | 25,714 |
| Maximum | 36,961 | 36,961 |
| Upper pay range | ||
| Minimum | 38,690 | 38,690 |
| Maximum | 41,604 | 41,604 |
| Leading practitioner pay range | ||
| Minimum | 42,402 | 42,402 |
| Maximum | 64,461 | 64,461 |
| Fringe area | ||
| Unqualified teacher pay range | 2020 | 2021 |
| Minimum | 19,363 | 19,613 |
| Maximum | 29,924 | 29,924 |
| Main pay range | ||
| Minimum | 26,948 | 26,948 |
| Maximum | 38,174 | 38,174 |
| Upper pay range | ||
| Minimum | 39,864 | 39,864 |
| Maximum | 42,780 | 42,780 |
| Leading practitioner pay range | ||
| Minimum | 43,570 | 43,570 |
| Maximum | 65,631 | 65,631 |
| Outer London area | ||
| Unqualified teacher pay range | 2020 | 2021 |
| Minimum | 21,582 | 21,832 |
| Maximum | 32,151 | 32,151 |
| Main pay range | ||
| Minimum | 29,915 | 29,915 |
| Maximum | 41,136 | 41,136 |
| Upper pay range | ||
| Minimum | 42,559 | 42,559 |
| Maximum | 45,766 | 45,766 |
| Leading practitioner pay range | ||
| Minimum | 45,766 | 45,766 |
| Maximum | 67,828 | 67,828 |
| Inner London area | ||
| Unqualified teacher pay range | 2020 | 2021 |
| Minimum | 22,849 | 23,099 |
| Maximum | 33,410 | 33,410 |
| Main pay range | ||
| Minimum | 32,157 | 32,157 |
| Maximum | 42,624 | 42,624 |
| Upper pay range | ||
| Minimum | 46,971 | 46,971 |
| Maximum | 50,935 | 50,935 |
| Leading practitioner pay range | ||
| Minimum | 50,415 | 50,415 |
| Maximum | 72,460 | 72,460 |
Leadership
| England excluding London | ||
| 2020 | 2021 | |
| Leadership minimum | 42,195 | 42,195 |
| Headteacher group | 2020 | 2021 |
| 1 | 47,735 – 63,508 | 47,735 – 63,508 |
| 2 | 50,151 – 68,347 | 50,151 – 68,347 |
| 3 | 54,091 – 73,559 | 54,091 – 73,559 |
| 4 | 58,135 – 79,167 | 58,135 – 79,167 |
| 5 | 64,143 – 87,313 | 64,143 – 87,313 |
| 6 | 69,031 – 96,310 | 69,031 – 96,310 |
| 7 | 74,295 – 106,176 | 74,295 – 106,176 |
| 8 | 81,942 – 117,197 | 81,942 – 117,197 |
| Fringe area | ||
| 2020 | 2021 | |
| Leadership minimum | 43,356 | 43,356 |
| Headteacher group | 2020 | 2021 |
| 1 | 48,901 – 64,663 | 48,901 – 64,663 |
| 2 | 51,314 – 69,509 | 51,314 – 69,509 |
| 3 | 55,254 – 74,718 | 55,254 – 74,718 |
| 4 | 59,302 – 80,320 | 59,302 – 80,320 |
| 5 | 65,310 – 88,472 | 65,310 – 88,472 |
| 6 | 70,204 – 97,468 | 70,204 – 97,468 |
| 7 | 75,466 – 107,328 | 75,466 – 107,328 |
| 8 | 83,105 – 118,356 | 83,105 – 118,356 |
| Outer London area | ||
| 2020 | 2021 | |
| Leadership minimum | 45,542 | 45,542 |
| Headteacher group | 2020 | 2021 |
| 1 | 51,082 – 66,827 | 51,082 – 66,827 |
| 2 | 53,499 – 71,666 | 53,499 – 71,666 |
| 3 | 57,436 – 76,874 | 57,436 – 76,874 |
| 4 | 61,479 – 82,480 | 61,479 – 82,480 |
| 5 | 67,496 – 90,632 | 67,496 – 90,632 |
| 6 | 72,383 – 99,624 | 72,383 – 99,624 |
| 7 | 77,643 – 109,489 | 77,643 – 109,489 |
| 8 | 85,290 – 120,513 | 85,290 – 120,513 |
| Inner London area | ||
| 2020 | 2021 | |
| Leadership minimum | 50,167 | 50,167 |
| Headteacher group | 2020 | 2021 |
| 1 | 55,715 – 71,411 | 55,715 – 71,411 |
| 2 | 58,132 – 76,249 | 58,132 – 76,249 |
| 3 | 62,066 – 81,461 | 62,066 – 81,461 |
| 4 | 66,114 – 87,062 | 66,114 – 87,062 |
| 5 | 72,125 – 95,216 | 72,125 – 95,216 |
| 6 | 77,011 – 104,211 | 77,011 – 104,211 |
| 7 | 82,277 – 114,074 | 82,277 – 114,074 |
| 8 | 89,919 – 125,098 | 89,919 – 125,098 |
The pay freeze also hits the pension calculation. Final salary pensions use salaries adjusted for inflation, but only from the date they are changed…so 2020’s salary will miss out on at least one year’s worth of inflation.
The last freeze back in 2010-2013 has resulted in pensioners receiving 6.5% less every year.