Teachers: Pay

Department for Education written question – answered at on 26 February 2015.

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Photo of David Davies David Davies Chair, Welsh Affairs Committee, Chair, Welsh Affairs Committee

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons the salary sacrifice scheme available to teachers does not cover the purchase of cars.

Photo of David Laws David Laws The Minister of State, Cabinet Office, The Minister for Schools

Academies, including free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools, have the freedom to set their own pay and conditions policies, and so are free to offer their teachers access to car purchase salary sacrifice schemes. Currently 15% of all primary schools and 62% of all secondary schools are academies.

In local authority maintained schools, changes to the statutory pay and conditions of teachers must first be referred to the independent School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). Recent STRB referrals have focused on fundamental reforms to the overall pay and conditions framework for teachers. Following the STRB’s recommendations, these reforms have given schools much greater freedom to attract and retain the best teachers and to reward individuals in line with their contribution to improving their pupils’ achievements.

The demands on the STRB’s time and resources in the reform process mean that the Government has had to make hard decisions on the issues it refers to STRB. In light of the focus of the important referrals above, we have not prioritised revisions to the existing salary sacrifice arrangements. However, the Government will consider whether the issue should be included in future referrals to the STRB.

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