, Cabinet Secretary for
Education: I am pleased to publish today the fifth report of the
Independent Welsh Pay Review Body (IWPRB), covering
recommendations for amendments to teachers' pay and conditions
from September 2024.
https://www.gov.wales/independent-welsh-pay-review-body-fifth-report-2024
I would like to thank the IWPRB for producing such a detailed
report which provides independent, comprehensive analysis along
with evidence-based recommendations that we can take forward to
improve teachers' pay and conditions in Wales.
The IWPRB make 12 recommendations for teachers' pay and
conditions.
Recommendation 1 is that all salaries and allowances be increased
by 4.3% from September 2024. This recommendation was made by the
IWPRB in June 2024 and took into consideration the relevant
factors at that time. Since receiving the IWPRB's report, the UK
Government has accepted the recommendations of the School
Teachers' Review Body (STRB) to increase all salaries and
allowances for teachers in England by 5.5% from September 2024.
The Welsh Government retain our independence to make decisions
about teachers' pay and we will continue to work with and respect
the independent pay review body process across the wider Welsh
public sector. However, I am also committed to no detriment to
teachers' pay and conditions in Wales. I am therefore going
further than the IWPRB's recommendation and instead will consult
on an increase to all salaries and allowances of 5.5% from
September 2024.
I am also announcing £5 million of funding to support
recommendation 5 regarding ALNCOs moving to the Leadership Pay
Range. This will require further detailed work that is
ongoing.
Following careful consideration, I will accept in principle,
subject to consultation recommendations 2-11. The full list of
recommendations in the report and a summary of my response is at
Annex A.
It is through our social partnership approach combined with the
independent expertise of the IWPRB that I am able to make this
announcement today. I am committed to ensuring that we
continue to work together, through our social partnership
approach to reward and recognise the excellent work that
teachers' continue to do here in Wales. I hope that accepting
these recommendations will further support the improvements for
the teaching workforce that are already underway and will help to
promote teaching as a valued profession.
I will now be inviting written comments from key stakeholders by
7 October on my response to the recommendations in the IWPRB's
fifth report and the proposed changes to the School Teachers' Pay
and Conditions (Wales) Document (STPC(W)D), which include the
proposed increases to teachers' pay. I will consider all
responses to the consultation before making my final decision.
In addition I am also announcing today, consultation on the
implementation of some of the recommendations made in the
IWPRB Strategic Review of the
Structure of Teachers' and Leaders' Pay and Conditions in
Wales which I accepted in principle in April this year. These
are listed in Annex B. I want to progress implementation of the
recommendations made in the Strategic Review particularly those
that have no significant costs or workload impact. I will
continue to collaborate with the sector on the implementation of
the remaining recommendations.
This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep
members informed. Should members wish me to make a further
statement or to answer questions on this when the Senedd returns
I would be happy to do so.
Annex 1
IWPRB Fifth Report: Recommendations and proposed actions
for implementation
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Recommendation
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Decision to accept
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Actions
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RECOMMENDATION 1
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that all
salaries and allowances be increased by 4.3% from
September 2024.
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Do not accept
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Consult on increasing all salaries and allowances by 5.5%
in line with commitment to no detriment to teachers in
Wales.
|
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RECOMMENDATION 2
The IWPRB recommends that during 2024-2025 the Welsh
Government remits an existing tripartite working group to
begin to amend the additional guidance required in
section 3 of the STPC(W)D in accordance with the timeline
in the strategic review.
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Accept in principle subject to consultation
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Welsh Government to
take the recommendation to the Teacher's Pay and
Conditions Partnership Forum (PPF) to agree a way
forward.
.
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RECOMMENDATION 3
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that ALNCos
be appointed as members of the senior management
team/senior leadership team in all education settings and
that the ALN Code be amended to reflect this by September
2024.
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Accept in principle subject to consultation.
Consideration will be given to providing further
clarification that the role must form part of the senior
leadership team within the ALN Code when this is next
reviewed. Timescales cannot be determined at this current
time. Part of the consideration will be the need to
maintain flexibility for schools to make their own
decisions based on their size and structure.
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Welsh Government to consider as part of the next review
of the ALN Code
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RECOMMENDATION 4
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that ALNCos
currently paid on the MPR and UPR be paid on the LGPR
from September 2024. We further recommend that ALNCos be
included in the ‘leadership pay' sections of the STPC(W)D
and that they are subject to the same terms and
conditions as leaders.
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Accept in principle subject to consultation.
The consideration of both Recommendations 4 and 5 should
be aligned with the consideration of Recommendation 3.
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Welsh Government to consider as part of the next review
of the ALN Code
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RECOMMENDATION 5
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that ALNCos
currently paid on the MPR and UPR should be paid a salary
on the LGPR on a scale point which is either equivalent
to, or the nearest point above, their consolidated
existing salary and allowance
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See above
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Welsh Government to consider as part of the next review
of the ALN Code
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RECOMMENDATION 6
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that ALNCos
should be offered a professional learning package
appropriate to their role, experience and needs, and that
employers allocate sufficient non-contact time to
undertake this professional learning.
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Accept in principle subject to consultation
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Welsh Government will write to employers reminding them
of the extensive ALN Professional Learning
Programme available on Hwb, and that Welsh
Government expects school leaders to support their staff
by releasing them to undertake training to enable them to
fulfil their role effectively.
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RECOMMENDATION 7
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that it
commissions further research in 2024-2025 to determine
appropriate non-contact time for ALNCos to support
leaders in the allocation of non-contact time for ALNCos'
duties.
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Accept in principle subject to consultation
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As part of the ALN evaluation, a survey has been issued
to schools (10/06/24) to gain detailed views of Senior
leaders, ALNCos, PRUs, LAs, LHBs with regards to their
roles, including specific questions on how many hours are
spent each week undertaking the ALNCo role.
Once implementation of ALNET has been completed, Welsh
Government will conduct an ALNCo survey to assess
progress with specific questions regarding protected
time, challenges and barriers.
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RECOMMENDATION 8
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that,
subject to agreement by an existing appropriate group,
the wording of the list of administrative and clerical
tasks in Annex 3 of Section 2 of the STPC(W)D be updated
as set out in Appendix D by September 2024.
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Accept in principle subject to consultation
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Welsh Government will update Annex 3 with revised text as
recommended by IWPRB and consult on changes with
stakeholders through the consultation process.
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RECOMMENDATION 9
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that the
list in Appendix D should be extended to include
reference to headteachers and leaders through the
updating of 46.1 of the STPC(W)D by September 2024 to
include reference to all teachers' overarching rights of
paragraph 51, as follows:
Unless expressly provided for in their contract of
employment or elsewhere in the STPC(W)D, assistant
headteachers, deputy headteachers, headteachers and other
leaders will be entitled to the rights conferred in
paragraphs 51.8 and 51.9
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The rights conferred by Paragraph 51 are conferred to
all teachers which includes
headteachers, and other leaders who are employed as
teachers in a school.
Therefore, unless anyone is excluded from paragraph 51
they should benefit from the rights conferred by that
paragraph.
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Welsh Government will confirm this as part of the
consultation.
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RECOMMENDATION 10
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that
conditions of service for leaders should be further
explored as part of our 2025-2026 remit.
In the interim period, the IWPRB recommends to the Welsh
Government that it reminds local authorities and relevant
bodies of their responsibilities as employers, and in
particular the need the need for leaders to have periods
of uninterrupted rest.
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Accept in principle subject to consultation.
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Welsh Government will write to employers to remind
them of the obligation under paragraph 51.4 of the
STPC(W)D and of the working limits set out in
the Working Time Regulations 1998.
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RECOMMENDATION 11
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that a
briefing paper be prepared that schedules the annual pay
review process. The briefing paper and associated impact
assessment should be discussed with all relevant parties
during 2025-2026 to agree the way forward.
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Accept in principle subject to consultation
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Welsh Government to draft a paper setting out options for
changing the timing of the pay review for discussion with
relevant parties during 2025 -2026.
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RECOMMENDATION 12
The IWPRB refers the Welsh Government to its previous
recommendations that were endorsed by the Minister for
Education and Welsh Language, and recommends that the
Welsh Government urgently reviews the monitoring and
reporting of equality legislation at school and local
authority level, and considers whether changes are
required to the STPC(W)D and school pay policies, to
ensure that schools and local authorities carry out their
statutory duties regarding equality.
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Accept in principle subject to consultation
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Welsh Government officials are currently working with
Local Authorities and Welsh Government equality teams to
review what information is currently/or could be
available at school or local authority level and how we
could strengthen the reporting process. Stakeholders will
be kept up to date with developments.
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Annex 2
IWPRB Strategic Review of the Structure of Teachers' and
Leaders' Pay and Conditions in Wales.
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Recommendation
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Decision to accept
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Actions
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RECOMMENDATION 12
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that the
requirement for line management responsibility for a
significant number of people (paragraph 20.5 of the
2024-2025 STPC(W)D) is broadened by adding:
or equivalent significant additional levels of
responsibility and accountability in key areas of the
school.
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Accepted in principle on 9 April 2024
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The Welsh Government will draft changes to the STPC(W)D
and consult on the changes with key stakeholders.
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RECOMMENDATION 13
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that
paragraph 20.3 and Section 3, paragraph 54, of the
2024-2025 STPC(W)D should be amended to stipulate that
TLR3 allowances should not be awarded for longer than two
years.
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Accepted in principle on 9 April 2024
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The Welsh Government will draft changes to the STPC(W)D
and consult on the changes with key stakeholders.
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RECOMMENDATION 14
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that Section
3, paragraph 51 of the 2024-2025 STPC(W)D is replaced by:
TLR1s and TLR2s should only be awarded to teachers placed
in the specified posts in the staffing structure and to
the cash value set out in the pay policy. Where such TLRs
are awarded to part-time teachers they will be paid pro
rata at the same proportion as the teacher's part-time
contract or, with agreement of the part-time teacher and
the employer, will be paid in full if the teacher
undertakes the full duties associated with the allowance.
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Accepted in principle on 9 April 2024
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The Welsh Government will draft changes to the STPC(W)D
and consult on the changes with key stakeholders
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RECOMMENDATION 15
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that
paragraph 20.4 of the 2024-2025 STPC(W)D should be
extended to cover pastoral or well-being responsibilities
and the safeguarding of children.
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Accepted in principle on 9 April 2024
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The Welsh Government will draft changes to the STPC(W)D
and consult on the changes with key stakeholders.
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RECOMMENDATION 21
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that the
STPC(W)D (paragraph 51.10) is revised to link the CPD
needs of teachers and leaders to the Professional
Standards for Teaching and Leadership and the National
Professional Learning Entitlement.
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Accepted in principle on 9 April 2024
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The Welsh Government will draft changes to the STPC(W)D
and consult on the changes with key stakeholders.
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RECOMMENDATION 24
The IWPRB recommends to the Welsh Government that the
STPC(W)D be redrafted, to include hyperlinks to key
guidance to the information contained within the
statutory section of the document.
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Accepted in principle on 9 April 2024
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The Welsh Government will draft changes to the STPC(W)D
and consult on the changes with key stakeholders.
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RECOMMENDATION 26
We recommend that the Welsh Government urgently reviews
the monitoring and reporting of equalities legislation at
school and local authority level, and considers whether
changes are required to the STPC(W)D and school pay
policies, to ensure that schools and local authorities
carry out their statutory duties regarding equalities.
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Accepted in principle on 9 April 2024
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Welsh Government officials are currently working with
Local Authorities and Welsh Government equality teams to
review what information is currently/or could be
available at school or Local Authority level and how we
could strengthen the reporting process. Stakeholders are
kept up to date with developments.
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