Responding to the government’s announcement today on teacher pay, Nick Harrison, Chief Executive of the Sutton Trust, said: 

“It’s welcome news that the government has accepted the pay review body recommendations for increased teacher pay. Children should not be missing school and this decision means the strikes should now come to an end.

“But the pay increases must be fully funded from day one. Schools are already struggling to manage within their budgets, with many having had to cut teaching assistants and extra curricular activities in the past year, as well as using their pupil premium funding to plug general budget gaps. If they have to cover the pay increase without adequate extra funding, this will place further pressure on schools, likely having the biggest impact on those in the most deprived areas.”