Persistent gender pay gap in teaching ‘grossly unfair’, union says
The persistence of the gender pay gap in schools is “grossly unfair”, a teaching union has said, as it called for the Government to urgently conduct a detailed pay equality analysis.
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There have been minimal improvements in the gender pay gap at headteacher level, but the gap has widened again this year for most teachers and leaders, the NAHT school leaders’ union said after analysing Department for Education (DfE) figures for International Equal Pay Day.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said: “The persistence of this unjust gender pay gap is a real cause for concern – especially given there is a clear national pay framework and the majority of all types of leadership and teaching roles are held by women.
“At a time when schools are struggling with a severe recruitment and retention crisis, this is really unhelpful as they try to ensure they attract and keep hold of the best and brightest talents.
“And it is quite simply grossly unfair for the women affected.”
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The average pay gap for all headteachers narrowed to £8,840 for 2024/25, the NAHT found.
However, the gap for women headteachers aged 60 has grown 10% since 2023/24 from £14,352 to £15,851, it said.
The pay gap begins to increase from ages 35-39, and the difference in average salaries more than doubles by age 40-44 from £3,596 to £7,819.
The headteachers’ union found the average pay gap for heads at both primary and secondary schools narrowed in both primary and secondary schools, but it said that the secondary pay gap remains the second largest in the last 14 years and progress must continue.
For other leaders such as deputy and assistant headteachers, the gender pay gap rose from £3,697 to £3,989, while for teachers it increased from £1,154 to £1,222.
Mr Whiteman said: “While there has been a small step in the right direction for headteachers over the last year, across all roles we have failed to see sustained progress in tackling this issue.
“We are calling on the Government to urgently conduct a detailed pay equality analysis for gender, and all protected characteristics, to begin to try and make inroads into addressing this important issue.”
The NAHT is calling on the Government to improve national data to allow analysis of all equality pay gaps, to review the equality implications of the current pay system, and for funding to be renewed to help provide support for women into more leadership roles.