From 2003 to 2019 this publication provided the framework for teachers’ pay in England and Wales, comprising the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (the Document) and statutory guidance. On 30th September 2018 the power to prescribe teachers’ pay and conditions for teachers in Wales was transferred from the Secretary of State to The Welsh Ministers by the Welsh Ministers (Transfer of Functions Order) 2018. Therefore, the devolution of teachers’ pay and conditions to the Welsh Government means that the 2018 Document was the last Document to apply to teachers in Wales as well as England. From the 2019 Document onwards, the Document is applicable to England only. The Document (Section 2) and the statutory guidance (Section 3) should be read together to provide a complete picture of pay and conditions for teachers in England.

The statutory requirements for teachers’ pay and conditions for maintained schools in England are set out in the Document, and schools and local authorities (LAs) must abide by these. The Education Act 2002 (the Act) gives the Secretary of State power to issue guidance on pay and conditions matters, to which those concerned must have regard. LAs and governing bodies are required to have regard to the statutory guidance, and in respect of guidance on procedural matters a court or tribunal may take any failure to do so into account in any proceedings. Broadly speaking, this means that any party not following this guidance would need to have good reason not to do so and would need to be able to justify any departure from it.