Appendix A - Local authority results - July 2025

Introduction

LGA consultation on teachers' pay 2025 
Local Authority (LA) Employer (LGA) results

Consultation conducted online with one response allowed per organisation.

Deadline: 9am on 12 June 2025.

Total number of responses taken into consideration: 85

Questions 1 asked respondents for their organisation and email addresses.

Q2. Noting the government’s current position with regards to school funding for 2025/26, how manageable will the proposed pay award be? Please select the statement that best reflects the majority of your school’s positions.

Q2. How manageable will the proposed pay award be?

Q2. Noting the government’s current position with regards to school funding for 2025/26, how manageable will the proposed pay award be? Please select the statement that best reflects the majority of your school’s positions.

Table 1
  Number Per cent
Major adjustments required 43 51%
Minor adjustments required 27 32%
No adjustments required 6 7%
Don't know 9 11%

Q3. and Q4. Select up to three adjustments which the majority of your schools are most likely to have to implement as a result of the proposed pay award

Q3. Thinking of the adjustments required, from the list below, please select up to three adjustments which the majority of your schools are most likely to have to implement as a result of the proposed pay award?

Table 2
  Number Per cent
Reduction of non-teaching staff (pupil-facing) 55 79%
Restructuring of roles within schools 42 60%
Reduction of non-teaching staff (non-pupil facing) 26 37%
Reduction of teaching staff 25 36%
Reduction in enrichment activities 18 26%
Reduction in spend on capital projects 14 20%
Reduction of curriculum offer 4 6%
Reduction in out-of-hour services 3 4%
Other  6 9%
Don't know 3 4%

Q4. Of the adjustments you have selected, please rank which of the adjustments the majority of your schools are most likely to have to implement as a result of the proposed pay award. Please drag each adjustment in order, with the first adjustment being the one most likely to be implemented as a result of the proposed pay award, the second option being the second most likely adjustment to be implemented and so on.

Results are displayed in the table under Q3.

Q.5 What is the estimated affordability gap for 2025/26?

Q5. In relation to the budget of the majority of your schools, what, if anything, is the estimated affordability gap for 2025/26, when taking into account the total funding for this period (including the additional £615m provided to schools by the Department for Education)?

  Number Per cent
5.00% or more 5 6%
4.00 to 4.99% 3 4%
3.00 to 3.99%  4 5%
2.00 to 2.99% 9 11%
1.00 to 1.99% 18 21%
Up to 0.99% 4 5%
No affordability gap 10 12%
Don't know 32 38%

Q6. To what extent is financial challenge felt amongst the following types of educational providers?

Q6. To what extent, if at all, is financial challenge felt amongst the following types of educational providers?

Table 4
  To a great extent % (nos) To a moderate extent %(nos) To a small extent %(nos) Not at all % (nos) N/A %(nos) Don't know %(nos)
Primary schools 73% (61) 20% (17) 4% (3)  0% (0) 0% (0) 2% (2)
Middle schools 20% (14) 8% (6) 1% (1) 1% (1) 62% (44) 8% (6)
Secondary schools 36% (29) 36% (29) 9% (7) 4% (3) 9% (7) 7% (6)
16 to 19 schools 17% (13) 22% (17) 6% (5) 1% (1) 38% (29) 16% (12)
Special schools 51% (41) 26% (21) 8% (6) 1% (1) 6% (5) 8% (6)
Alternative provision schools 29% (23) 20% (16) 8% (6) 0% (0) 24% (19) 20% (16)
             

Q7. To what extent does geographical location exacerbate financial challenges for the following?

Q7. Thinking about school location, to what extent, if at all, does geographical location exacerbate financial challenges for the following?

Table 5
  To a great extent % (nos) To a moderate extent % (nos) To a small extent % (nos) Not at all % (nos) N/A % (nos) Don't know % (nos)
Coastal 12% (9) 13% (10) 4% (3) 4% (3) 50% (38) 17% (13)
Rural 36% (28) 18% (14) 3% (2) 3% (2) 29% (22) 12% (9)
Inner city 20% (16) 25% (20) 10% (8) 5% (4) 26% (21) 14% (11)

Q8. & Q9. To what extent will the proposed pay award improve teacher recruitment in your schools?

Q8. To what extent, if at all, will the proposed pay award improve teacher recruitment in your schools?

Table 6
  Number Per cent
To a great extent 0 0%
To a moderate extent 12 14%
To a small extent 32 38%
Not at all  27 32%
Don't know 14 16%


Q9. Please provide any comments behind the reasons for your response provided above – comments have been collated and will be used to inform the final report. 

Q10. & Q11. To what extent will the proposed pay award improve teacher retention in your schools?

Q10. To what extent, if at all, will the proposed pay award improve teacher retention in your schools?

Table 7
  Number Per cent
To a great extent 3 4%
To a moderate extent 11 13%
To a small extent 47 55%
Not at all  15 18%
Don't know 9 11%

Q11. Please provide any comments behind the reasons for your response provided above – comments have been collated and will be used to inform the final report.

Q12. STPCD requirement that relevant bodies determine the value of any existing or new TLR1 and TLR2 based on the proportion of the TLR of the teacher is undertaking

Q12. From 1 September 2026, it will become an STPCD requirement that relevant bodies determine the value of any existing or new TLR1 and TLR2 based on the proportion of the TLR of the teacher is undertaking i.e. the proportion of the full-time equivalent duty. To what extent, if at all, is this likely to cause significant issues in your schools?

Table 8
  Number Per cent
To a great extent 14 16%
To a moderate extent 29 34%
To a small extent 20 24%
Not at all  11 13%
Don't know 11 13%

Q13. Which issue do you foresee becoming a challenge as a result of the draft wording

Q13. Which issue do you foresee becoming a challenge as a result of the draft wording?

Please select up to three issues.

Table 9
  Number Per cent
Financial challenges/affordability pressures 35 56%
Perceived fairness from other employees 31 49%
Not being able to pro rata, the specific responsibility for operational reasons 26 41%
Additional workload/bureaucracy to calculate proportionality 23 37%
Negative impact of employee relations 23 37%
Equal pay challenges 13 21%
Reduction in number of TLRs due to affordability 13 21%
Claims for backdated compensation 4 6%
Managing appeals 2 3%
Other 1 2%
Don't know 3 5%

Q14. To what extent do you think your maintained schools are constrained by the current STPCD statutory requirements compared to academies who have the option to not follow the STPCD?

Q14. To what extent, if at all, do you think your maintained schools are constrained by the current STPCD statutory requirements compared to academies who have the option to not follow the STPCD?

Please select up to three issues.

Table 10
  Number Per cent
To a great extent 12 14%
To a moderate extent 25 29%
To a small extent 24 28%
Not at all confident 17 20%
Don't know 7 8%

Q15. Which changes would you consider most important to prioritise for inclusion in a future STRB remit?

Q15. Which changes would you consider most important to prioritise for inclusion in a future STRB remit?

Please select up to three issues.

Table 11
  Number Per cent
UPR assessment and progression criteria 35 57%
Pay safeguarding 30 49%
UPR voluntary move to MPR 24 39%
Review of 1265 hours 18 30%
Minimum teacher and leadership pay levels 14 23%
Ability to pay HTs a retention payment 11 18%
Making advisory pay point compulsory 10 16%
Review of five inset days 8 13%
Review of 195 days 4 7%
Other 4 7%
Don't know 3 5%

Q16. & Q.17 Which of the following do the schools in your area identify as barriers to offering increased flexible working practices to teachers and school leaders?

Q16. Which of the following, if any, do the schools in your area identify as barriers to offering increased flexible working practices to teachers and school leaders? 

Please select up to three options which you would most likely identify as barriers.

Table 12
  Number Per cent  
Timetable constraints 54 64%  
Teaching staff capacity 50 59%  
Inability to meet pupil needs 46 54%  
Lack of funding 38 45%  
Negative parental attitudes/expectations 19 22%  
Lack of equality i.e. perceived fairness 12 14%  
Negative wider community attitudes/expectations 3 4%  
Negative media attention 1 1%  
Other 4 5%  
None of the above 0 0%  
Don't know 6 7%  

Q17. Of the barriers you have selected, please rank which of the barriers you believe most prevent flexible working practices for teachers and school leaders. Please drag each barrier in order of importance, with the first option being the one most likely to prevent flexible working practices for teachers and school leaders, the second option being the second likely to prevent flexible working practices for teachers and school leaders, and so on. Results are displayed in the table under Q16.

Q18. When thinking about the Education Wellbeing Charter, what proportion of your local schools, at the current time, are signed up to it?

Q18. When thinking about the Education Wellbeing Charter, what proportion of your local schools, at the current time, are signed up to it?

Table 13
  Number Per cent
All schools signed up 0 0%
More than half of schools are signed up 3 4%
Less than half of schools are signed up 9 11%
No schools signed up 0 0%
Don't know  73 86%

Q19. Which of the following initiatives do you think the majority of your schools would sign up to enhance diversity amongst schoolteachers and school leaders?

Q19.  Which of the following initiatives, if any, do you think the majority of your schools would sign up to enhance diversity amongst schoolteachers and school leaders (for example to increase representation from minority ethnic and other groups)?

Please select up to two initiatives.

Table 14
  Number Per cent
Partnerships with universities to create diverse teacher pipelines 32 38%
National training program on good recruitment practice model  26 31%
Professional development focused on diversity and inclusion 26 31%
Targeted recruitment programmes 23 27%
Mentorship opportunities for underrepresented staff 21 25%
Other 3 4%
None of the above 1 1%
Don't know 15 18%

Q20. Which of the following are likely to be implementation barriers for the majority of your schools if future consideration was given to increasing Planning, Preparation and Assessment (PPA) time with future STRB remits?

Q20. Which of the following, if any, are likely to be implementation barriers for the majority of your schools if future consideration was given to increasing Planning, Preparation and Assessment (PPA) time with future STRB remits?

Please select up to three barriers.

Table 15
  Number Per cent
Difficulty funding additional teaching staff 71 84%
Timetabling and scheduling challenges 44 52%
Concerns about continuity of teaching with increased staff rotation 35 41%
Difficulty recruiting qualified teachers to cover additional PPA time 32 38%
Difficulty recruiting support staff to cover additional PPA time 24 28%
Lack of qualified subject specialists to cover PPA time 13 15%
Estimated value for money compared to targeted funding on other priorities to increase recruitment and retention of teachers and school leaders 12 14%
Other 1 1%
None of the above 0 0%
Don't know 6 7%

Q21. Further comments

Q21. Please provide any further comments or suggestions on the topics covered by this survey.

No comments were received.

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