The school support staff pay rise for 2026/27 has now been settled at 3.30%, effective from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 for eligible employees covered by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services.
The consolidated increase also applies to relevant allowances and should be backdated to 1 April where it has not already been included in salary payments. This replaces the previous 3.20% award for 2025/26 and means the 2026/27 rise is no longer under negotiation.
GMB and UNISON have reluctantly accepted the employers’ final offer after attempts to reopen negotiations were unsuccessful, and employers have been asked to implement the new pay rates as quickly as possible.
Is The 2026/27 School Support Staff Pay Rise Now Agreed?
Yes. The National Joint Council confirmed the agreement on 24 August 2026.
The settlement provides a permanent 3.30% increase on NJC pay points 3 to 43, along with a 3.30% increase on the relevant NJC allowances. Locally determined salaries above the main pay spine but below deputy chief officer level are also covered by the uplift.
The previous 3.20% figure still appearing in older information relates to the 2025/26 pay settlement, which took effect on 1 April 2025. It should no longer be described as the current school support staff pay rise.
This settlement also means earlier warnings that industrial action could determine the final 2026 award are now outdated. You can see how this developed alongside the wider union campaign in UNISON pay rise 2026 coverage.
What Are The New NJC Pay Rates From April 2026?
The official NJC agreement shows the following examples of how selected spinal column points changed. These figures are based on the standard 37-hour working week.
| NJC Pay Point | April 2025 Annual Rate | April 2026 Annual Rate | New Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | £24,796 | £25,614 | £13.28 |
| 5 | £25,583 | £26,427 | £13.70 |
| 10 | £27,694 | £28,608 | £14.83 |
| 20 | £32,597 | £33,673 | £17.45 |
| 30 | £40,777 | £42,123 | £21.83 |
| 43 | £54,495 | £56,293 | £29.18 |
Your actual annual salary may be different if you work part-time, term-time only or under a locally determined grade. In those cases, the percentage increase still applies where you are covered by the NJC agreement, but your salary is normally calculated according to your contracted hours and weeks.
How Did The 2026 Pay Negotiations Reach A Settlement?
The final agreement followed months of disagreement between unions and local government employers.
| Date | What Happened |
|---|---|
| 1 December 2025 | Joint unions submitted the 2026/27 pay claim |
| February–March 2026 | Employers considered feedback from councils and schools |
| 24 March 2026 | Employers made a full and final 3.30% offer |
| 10 April–22 May | GMB conducted its member consultation |
| 28 May | GMB confirmed members had rejected the offer |
| 9 June | Employers responded to the unions' rejection |
| 23 June | GMB said employers had refused to reopen negotiations |
| 21 August | GMB and UNISON reluctantly accepted the offer |
| 24 August | Formal NJC agreement was issued |
GMB said a majority of its regions initially supported rejection, but participation was not high enough for the union to progress in the way it had planned towards a formal industrial action ballot.
Its consultation information had told members that at least half of members needed to vote for rejection before it would move to that next stage.
This distinction matters. The initial GMB consultation was not itself the final statutory industrial action ballot.
What Did The Unions Ask For And What Was Rejected?
The joint union claim was considerably higher than the final 3.30% settlement.
Employers rejected the additional demands, including:
- At Least £3,000 Or 10% across NJC pay points, whichever was greater
- £15 Minimum Hourly Pay through a plan to raise the bottom of the pay spine
- Two-Hour Working Week Reduction without a reduction in pay
- One Additional Day Of Annual Leave for all staff
- Term-Time Leave Day allowing school support staff to use at least one annual leave day during term time
- Level 1 Teaching Assistant Abolition with Level 1 staff moved to Level 2
All of these elements were rejected when the 3.30% offer was made.
One figure sometimes connected to the £15 demand needs clarification. Employers previously said reaching £15 at the bottom of the scale would have required a 22.35% increase over 2025–27, with knock-on costs further up the pay spine.
However, that explanation appeared in the employer response to the 2025/26 claim, so it should not be presented as new reasoning issued for the 2026/27 settlement.
Why Was NJC Pay Point 2 Deleted?
Pay point 2 was removed from the national NJC pay spine on 1 April 2026, meaning point 3 is now the lowest remaining national point. The deletion was agreed as part of the previous 2025/26 settlement rather than the new 3.30% award.
The wider issue has not disappeared. Rising statutory wage floors continue to narrow the distance between the National Living Wage and lower NJC pay points.
The three unions and employers have therefore agreed to continue a wider review of the NJC pay spine, with GMB describing this as a priority because of the impact of the National Living Wage.
The current UK minimum wage increase for 2026 provides useful context for why compression at the bottom of public-sector pay scales has become increasingly important.
There is currently no confirmed decision to delete pay point 3.
How Does Support Staff Pay Compare With Teacher Pay?
Teachers and school support staff are receiving different pay settlements in 2026.
| Area | School Support Staff | Teachers |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Increase | 3.30% | 3.50% |
| Effective Date | 1 April 2026 | 1 September 2026 |
| Following Year | Not yet agreed | Further 3% from September 2027 |
| Type Of Settlement | One year | Multi-year |
| Main Pay System | NJC/Green Book | Teacher pay framework |
| Geographic Position | England, Wales and Northern Ireland NJC employers | Teacher award applies to England |
The teacher settlement provides 3.5% from September 2026 and another 3% from September 2027. The government says average teacher salary will exceed £52,800 from September 2026 and £54,400 from September 2027.
That makes the comparison important. Teachers have greater certainty over the next two years, while the school support staff pay rise currently covers only 2026/27. Earlier developments in the teacher negotiations are covered in teacher pay rise 2026.
How Is The Pay Rise Being Funded?
The government announced an additional £700 million for schools in 2026/27, rising to about £1.1 billion in 2027/28, alongside the teacher pay settlement. The funding is intended to help schools meet staffing pay pressures, including support staff costs.
However, schools are not simply being handed enough new money to cover every part of the award automatically.
The funding approach expects schools to find the first 1% of pay costs through productivity and better value from existing budgets, with another portion absorbed through existing resources before additional government funding covers the remaining national pressure.
This helps explain why support staff unions have continued to argue that stronger pay settlements require reliable government funding rather than relying heavily on individual school budgets.
What Is The School Support Staff Negotiating Body?
The School Support Staff Negotiating Body, or SSSNB, is likely to become one of the biggest changes to school support staff pay and conditions in years.
Instead of school support workers in England relying primarily on the wider local government NJC system, the SSSNB will provide a dedicated national negotiating structure covering areas such as pay, terms and conditions, training and career progression.
The government’s SSSNB consultation outcome was formally published on 9 July 2026. A further GMB update responding to it was published on 27 August, which is likely the source of some reporting using the later date.
The new arrangements will cover directly employed non-teaching staff who support the operation of state-funded schools in England. This can include teaching assistants, administrators, technicians, catering and facilities staff and centrally employed academy trust support staff.
Executive academy trust leaders, certain senior strategic staff and employees already covered by other national negotiating bodies are expected to remain outside its scope.
Agency staff are not automatically being brought into the initial structure, although their future inclusion remains under consideration.
Importantly, the SSSNB does not replace the 2026/27 NJC settlement. Existing arrangements remain in place for this financial year, with the earliest SSSNB-negotiated outcomes expected from 2027/28. The body is expected to be formally constituted during autumn 2026.
Does The Pay Rise Apply To Academy Support Staff?
It depends on your academy trust’s contractual arrangements.
Many academy trusts follow NJC or Green Book pay arrangements in practice, so staff employed under those terms should normally receive the 3.30% settlement.
Academies that operate their own pay structures are not automatically bound by every NJC award simply because they are academies.
Check your contract, pay policy or HR information to confirm whether your salary explicitly follows NJC rates.
The longer-term position should become more nationally consistent once SSSNB outcomes begin applying, as the new system is intended to establish a stronger national framework for support staff across state-funded schools in England.
When Will Staff Receive Backpay?
The award applies retrospectively from 1 April 2026, so eligible employees who have not yet received the higher rate should receive salary arrears when their employer implements the agreement.
The NJC has told employers to implement the award as swiftly as possible, but it does not specify one nationwide payroll date. Payment timing can therefore vary between councils, schools and academy trusts.
The settlement also specifically recommends paying eligible backpay to former employees who left after 1 April 2026 if they request the money owed between 1 April and their final day of employment.
Could Backpay Affect Universal Credit?
It can. Universal Credit is calculated using earnings reported within each monthly assessment period, so receiving ordinary wages plus several months of backpay together can produce unusually high earnings for that assessment period and may reduce that month’s Universal Credit payment.
If you receive the backpay and the earnings shown in your Universal Credit account do not look right, check your statement and raise the issue through your Universal Credit account rather than assuming the change is permanent.
Does The Deal Apply Across The Whole UK?
No. The NJC settlement discussed here covers relevant workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Scotland operates separate local government pay negotiations and should not be treated as being covered by this 3.30% NJC agreement.
The new SSSNB is narrower again because it applies specifically to state-funded schools in England.
What Happens With School Support Staff Pay In 2027?
Attention is already beginning to shift towards the 2027/28 pay claim.
GMB has proposed that the unions begin work on the next claim immediately and seek earlier face-to-face discussions with employers. That reflects frustration with the 2026 process, where unions argued that employers moved quickly to a full and final offer rather than carrying out substantial negotiations.
No 2027/28 percentage or formal settlement has been agreed yet.
The difference next year is that the developing SSSNB could begin reshaping how support staff pay is negotiated in England, while the NJC pay-spine review may also address pressure at the lower end of the scale.
School Support Staff Pay Rise Over Time
| Pay Period | Settlement | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | Flat-rate NJC award | Settled |
| 2025/26 | 3.20% | Settled |
| 2026/27 | 3.30% | Confirmed |
| 2027/28 | Not yet agreed | Future negotiations |
The important change for anyone checking the school support staff pay rise 2026 is that 3.20% is now the previous year’s figure. The current confirmed award is 3.30% from April 2026.
Conclusion
The school support staff pay rise for 2026/27 is now settled at 3.30%, effective from 1 April 2026. It applies to NJC pay points 3 to 43 and relevant allowances, with employers being encouraged to implement the increase and backpay quickly.
The settlement closes the 2026 negotiation dispute, but it does not settle the wider debate over support staff pay. The £15 minimum rate, shorter working week, additional leave and Level 1 teaching assistant changes were all rejected.
Attention now turns to the NJC pay-spine review, the 2027/28 claim and the introduction of the SSSNB in England, which could make the next round of school support staff negotiations significantly different.
FAQs
What Is The School Support Staff Pay Rise For 2026?
The confirmed NJC pay rise is 3.30% from 1 April 2026, covering pay points 3 to 43 and relevant allowances.
Is The 2026/27 School Support Staff Pay Rise Confirmed?
Yes. The NJC formally confirmed the 2026 pay agreement on 24 August 2026.
Will The 3.30% Pay Rise Be Backdated?
Yes. The new rates apply from 1 April 2026, so eligible staff should receive arrears where the increase has not yet been paid.
Does The Pay Rise Apply To Teaching Assistants?
Yes, where the teaching assistant is employed on NJC or Green Book terms. Academy staff should check their contractual pay arrangements.
Was The £15 Minimum Hourly Rate Agreed?
No. Employers rejected the union demand for a plan towards a £15 minimum hourly rate.
Does The 3.30% Award Apply In Scotland?
No. Scotland has separate local government pay negotiations. This NJC agreement covers relevant workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
When Will The SSSNB Start Setting Support Staff Pay?
The body is expected to be constituted from autumn 2026, but existing arrangements remain for 2026/27 and its first negotiated outcomes are expected from 2027/28 at the earliest.
