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Head teachers accept England pay rise

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Members of a head teachers' union in England have accepted a 6.5% pay rise for teachers.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said 87% of members had voted to accept the pay rise from September, with a 46% turnout.

The leaders of all four teaching unions in the dispute, including the ASCL, have recommended their members accept.

The unions have been considering strike action in the autumn term, but ASCL has now called off its ballot.

Ministers proposed the offer last week and, in a joint statement with union leaders, agreed to "wider reforms" to reduce workload.

ASCL's first ever ballot on industrial action had been due to close on 31 July.

The vote, and the decision to call off the ballot, are another indication that further strikes are unlikely to go ahead in England in the autumn term.

Geoff Barton, ASCL's general secretary, said "the strength of feeling demonstrated by holding our industrial action ballot" was "instrumental in achieving the settlement to this dispute".

"While the settlement is a step in the right direction, it is not sufficient on its own to address the crisis in teacher recruitment and retention or the funding pressures being experienced by schools and colleges," he said.

He said the government must continue to "provide the resources and investment needed" and that ASCL was prepared to initiate another ballot on industrial action "as a last resort" in future.

Three other unions are yet to announce their members' responses to the pay offer, which union leaders have recommended they accept:

  • the National Education Union, which has held seven national strikes since February and has been reballoting members on further action
  • the NASUWT, which has a mandate for strike action
  • the National Association of Head Teachers, which is also reballoting members

The government says it will give schools an additional £525m in 2023-24 and £900m in 2024-25, from the Department for Education's budget, to fund the pay rise.

The prime minister's official spokesman said savings would come from "reprioritisation" within government departments.

Unions say money will not be diverted from special educational needs and disabilities or further-education provisions - or from funding needed to ensure school buildings are safe.