SFCA responds to confirmation of £50 million boost for college teachers following legal battle

Responding to today’s announcement, Bill Watkin, Chief Executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said:

“Sixth form and further education colleges were seriously disadvantaged by the government’s decision in the summer to fund a pay award for staff in schools and academies but not colleges. In September, we took the decision to bring a claim for a Judicial Review of this decision. 

Following protracted discussions with the Department for Education we are pleased to have reached an agreement on future funding. The government will provide a £50 million grant for sixth form and FE colleges that can be used to increase teacher pay in the 2024/25 academic year and has made a commitment to raise the 16 to 19 funding rate in the 2025/26 academic year. As a result, we have agreed to withdraw our claim for a judicial review.

Since the start of this process, it has been our contention that all colleges, irrespective of their designation, should be supported in the same way as schools and academies. All are state-funded institutions that educate young people and employ hard-working teaching staff that do an incredible job. While the additional funding we have secured for 2024/25 will not enable colleges to match the pay award in schools and academies, it is a significant step in the right direction”.

Notes

1. In July 2024, the government accepted the recommendation of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) to increase the pay of teachers in schools by 5.5%. Schools and academies were provided with an additional £1.2 billion of funding to support the implementation of this pay award. Sixth form and further education colleges were excluded from this funding. 
2. In September 2024, SFCA sought a judicial review of the government’s decision to exclude colleges
3. SFCA has now agreed to withdraw its claim for a judicial review following the government’s agreement to a. make £50 million available in 2024/25 that can be used to increase the pay of college teachers and b. increase the 16 to 19 funding rate in 2025/26. The government formally confirmed these plans today.
4. The Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) is the established voice of dedicated sixth form education and the hub of a national network of sixth form providers. SFCA represents all sixth form colleges and 16 to 19 academies in England, as well as a growing number of FE colleges and 16 to 19 free schools. 
5. For more information, please contact James Kewin.