Following the news that teachers in England and Wales will be striking over the coming months, it was also announced that here in Bristol schools will face a total of four days of strike days. These dates fall on February 1, March 2, March 15 and March 16 and it is expected that some 23,400 schools will be affected by the first day of industrial action.
The strikes come in protest of the government's 5% pay offer for the most experienced staff, which ultimately amounts to a 5% wage cut when you take into account the current high inflation, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. But just how much does the average teacher in Bristol get paid?
We've taken a look at teaching roles in primary and secondary schools here in Bristol, to see just where our city's teachers are ranking when it comes to pay.
Read more: When are teachers striking in Bristol? Full list of strike dates as seven days of walkouts planned
What is the average salary for a teacher in England?
Average salaries for teachers seem to vary by region, job title, experience and sometimes even the school itself. According to a report by INews this week: "A teacher on the main pay scale in England and Wales can earn anything from £28,000 to £38,810, rising to £44,756 in inner London.
"On the upper scale, a teacher will earn anything from £40,614 to £43,684, with London salaries again slightly higher."
According to Prospects and the gov.uk's 'get into teaching' site, a newly qualified teacher (NQT) in England and Wales starts at the lowest point of the pay scale for classroom teachers, which ranges from £28,000 to £34,502 depending on location - with higher pay rates in and around London. While the pay scales for qualified teachers are split into main and upper pay ranges, with NQTs being promoted up the scales in line with 'excellent performance'.
These ranges, from the main rate to the highest upper rate, differ across the UK:
- England (excluding London) and Wales - £28,000 to £38,810
- London - £29,344 to £40,083 (fringes), £32,407 to £43,193 (outer), £34,502 to £44,756 (inner)
- Scotland - £33,729 to £42,336
- Northern Ireland - £24,137 to £41,094
Supply teacher salary
England and Wales offer three rates of pay for supply teachers, based on levels of qualification and standards of teaching. These are:
- Unqualified - £18,169 to £28,735
- Main - £25,714 to £36,961
- Upper - £38,690 to £41,604
As work isn't guaranteed for the entire year, many supply teachers are paid on a daily rate, calculated on a pro-rata basis by dividing the annual salary of their bracket by 195 (the number of days a teacher is required in school per year). London-based supply teachers can expect higher salaries than this, with inner London positions offering up to £50,935 per annum.
Headteacher salary
The highest teaching salaries across the UK are paid to headteachers:
- England (excluding London) and Wales - £50,122 to £123,057
- London - £51,347 to £131,353
- Scotland - £52,350 to £99,609
- Northern Ireland - £47,381 to £117,497.
Public schools set their own rates of pay. State schools administer pay based on the age and number of children enrolled in the institution.
How much do teachers in Bristol get paid?
Salaries for teachers here in Bristol seem to vary on average. Glassdoor reports that the average salary for a teacher in Bristol is £34,064 per year, while job hunting site Indeed recently reported that the average salary for a teacher in Bristol was the far lower £12,937 per year - this could be due to the number of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in the region who start off at the lower end of the pay scale.
Adzuna reports that Bristol primary school teacher salaries average around £25,337, while secondary school teacher salaries in the area average £23,811. To give you some idea of the current teaching salaries on offer in Bristol, we browsed the teaching vacancies service on the gov.uk website and here are some examples of what we found:
- Full time Teaching Assistant at Wansdyke Primary School - pay scale is Grade 3 Point 5 - 6 £21,575 - £21,968 FTE, £15,745 - £16,032 actual pro rata
- Classroom Teacher at Chandag Infant School - pay scale is MPR1 to UPS2 (£25,714 to £36,961)
- Assistant Principal at Hanham Woods Academy - pay scale is L12 £58,105 - L17 £65,699 Per annum
- Teacher of Art, Design and Technology at King's Oak Academy - pay scale is M1 £28,000 - UPS3 £43,685
- Maths Teacher at Bridge Learning Campus - pay scale is M1 - UPS3 (£28,000 - £43,685)
- Part-time Science Teacher at Sir Bernard Lovell Academy - pay scale is MPR1 £25,714 - UPR3 £41,604
You can find out more about pay scales and what they all mean on the NASUWT Teacher's Union page here.
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