The National Education Union (NEU) has welcomed a government announcement that teachers will receive an above inflation pay rise of 5.5 per cent.

Teachers in Cumbria forced some classrooms and schools to close across the county through strike action in 2023 and had been unhappy with pay and workload.

Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “A 5.5% pay award is a necessary first step in the reversal of the real terms pay cuts inflicted upon teachers and school leaders during the Conservatives’ time in office.

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“Clearly, there is still some way to go to restore what teachers and school leaders have lost since 2010 and we will expect this to be addressed in future pay rounds.

“This announcement is however a strong signal to the profession about a new course of direction in education. 

“The £1.2 billion investment to fund this pay award will be welcome news to school leaders who are juggling overstretched budgets resulting from years of funding cuts.”