Please will you let me know teacher salary progression (post-qualification)

[ChangeAhoy]

DH is ditching his city career. And his city salary. He will get a £25K tax free bursary whilst qualifying then I think the salary is just over £25K (minus tax and minus pension/union etc) for his first year.

DH says he has been reassured by Teach Now that his salary will increase by a couple of grand every year or so once he qualified so within a few (? how many?) years will be on early/mid 30K. But they are very vague with details. He has zero interest in climbing the management ladder in teaching - so although may take on some extra responsibility it will not be aiming for SLT etc. Can see online the paygrades - M1/M2/M3 etc - which give us the amount of £ - but not the timescales...how long to go from M1 to M2? M2 to M3 - is it yearly? Every 2 years?

We have MSE budgeted. With my salary as well we can cover essentials and a bit of saving for emergencies. Nothing for high days and holidays in the early years though.

He is staying in the city job for a few months so the plan is to save, save, save on the higher salary so we can "cover" the lack of holiday etc funds with a £3k/4k a year from this savings pot for a few years.

Makes me a bit uncomfortable - but it seems the best solution. But what would really help would be to know how teacher (secondary) salary actually does progress in the early years?

How much (roughly) in Y2/Y3/Y4 etc

In essence we need to work out how many years worth of savings are we likely to need before he is on 30K+? So we need savings 8K or 16K - what do we need to work on?

Thank you

To answer questions that may come up:

1. I cannot change jobs for a 2-3 years (complicated, but we have discussed and agreed) - but then (and only then), yes, I too can increase my salary- but just not doable now.
2. I am 100% behind the change. HUGE salary drop, but we have paid the mortgage off and I'd rather have him happy and less ££ than stressed/depressed and ££££
3. He knows it will be bloody hard work and long hours for the first few years - but he is doing that at the moment and feeling unfulfilled and miserable. He wants to do something worthwhile.

Generally yearly as long as you are performing okay.
Although I'm not sure if that is the same for academies/ free schools/ private schools etc.
So 4th year of teaching is M4.

Main scale, M numbers, one every year, subject to performance mgmt.

Go through threshold to get to upper pay scale, UPS - in some schools this is a formality, in other more difficulty. UPS has three points on the scale, once every two years.

However, academy chains have apparently made it more difficult to take your point on the pay scale to other schools and negotiation to keep your pay point may be tougher, especially if you are UPS.

There is also a lot of talk of people on UPS3 (top point) being pushed out to make way for cheaper teachers. I never experienced this and was UPS3 for years, but I don't doubt it happens

Totally depends on the school to be honest.
I am lucky that I have moved up every year on the Mscale however, he will stop on M6 if not going into Leadership.
Some schools however you have targets etc before they will move you up and some don't move up because of "budget" it really does depend on school pay policy.

I had a ten year career as a teacher and ended on U3 (London weighting) with a TLR2. I earned around £48k.

Teaching is incredibly stressful. Incredibly.

I would recommend DH does a bit of work experience in a school prior to deciding on career in education.

I burnt out eventually.

@picketingpanic

Teaching is incredibly stressful. Incredibly.

I would recommend DH does a bit of work experience in a school prior to deciding on career in education.

I burnt out eventually.

This.

@Fameinaframe

Totally depends on the school to be honest. I am lucky that I have moved up every year on the Mscale however, he will stop on M6 if not going into Leadership. Some schools however you have targets etc before they will move you up and some don't move up because of "budget" it really does depend on school pay policy.

Not quite true- everyone is eligible to apply for UPS after M6 whether going for SLT or not. I achieved UPS3 for many years without any additional roles and just stayed as classroom teacher. I worked in an academy. I go back in occasionally to do a bit of cover and the deputy head did tell me though that although they were sad to see me go ( my choice) I had saved them a lot of money! You don’t say what he will be teaching and what relevant skills he has already - I’ve trained many student teachers and have known lots of them ask for higher pay scale when they start due to experience etc. One went straight in at M6! So it’s worth asking this at interview.

I can’t help with progression question, but this might be helpful to note. Depending on when he qualifies- he may reach £30k sooner than you expect (if you believe announcements). schoolsweek.co.uk/spending-review-treasury-now-says-30k-starting-salary-pledge-pushed-back-a-year/

My advise is look at other providers not just teach first. Lots of routes into teaching as a career changer that suit different people.

I did a uni based pgce and really liked the support and structure that offered with still loads of class room time.

If he is in an in-demand area, and has relevant experience he might be able to start at higher than m1. I have a physics PhD so started on m3 aged 41.

It is hard work and long hours but you can set your own boundaries and accept good enough is good enough! I love it.

He has a 2:1 in Computer Science and a 25+ years career in the same - so looking at high demand area.

So very interesting to know he could start at a higher pay grade due to this.

@ChangeAhoy

He has a 2:1 in Computer Science and a 25+ years career in the same - so looking at high demand area.

So very interesting to know he could start at a higher pay grade due to this.

I was a Computer Science teacher - yes very in demand! Definitely a subject that will accommodate experience etc. I went down the PGCE route - found it very supportive. Best of luck to him - I really enjoyed it - just got old 😂😂

Has he ever sat at the front of a room full of fifteen year olds though?

His subject knowledge is approx 10% of the job.

I'm a teacher and wanted to add my experience. It used to be the case that you progressed up the pay scale automatically (yearly for main pay scales and every two years for upper). This is no longer necessarily the case, especially at academies (they can make up their own rules). At my current school to move on to the upper pay scale you have to provide evidence that you are making a difference to the whole school. It is therefore difficult to say how many years it would take for your DH to be earning a certain salary. Good luck to him.

@picketingpanic

Has he ever sat at the front of a room full of fifteen year olds though?

His subject knowledge is approx 10% of the job.

Wow. No really? He had not realised at all he will have to deal with teenagers? I must mention that to him.......

Thank you everyone. This has been very helpful.

And yes, DH has thought very, very carefully about this. And visited several schools. So he is not completely clueless about what he is getting into.

And if it doesn't work out...well...we will cross that bridge if it happens.

My husband has many years in industry before he became a teacher and he has just started his ECT year on M3.

It wasn't a given, he had to ask for it. But the principal at the school he did his training in was really impressed with how quickly he picked it up and his behaviour management and so on.

He did his training via schools direct on one of the teacher training schemes that big academy chains do. He would recommend that route as there is usually a guaranteed job at the end of it in one school or another in the chain and he got a lot more classroom experience than students doing the pgce route. He was teaching classes from day 1.

My DH's independent school would probably take him unqualified, so difficult are they finding it to pin down a computer science teacher. The pay scale is significantly above the state sector. However, there is a considerable amount of co-curricular required.

Good luck to him. My DH did it the other way round -7 years of teaching before retraining in IT. I think what different people find fulfilling varies massively and teaching is something you live or hate but it's all consuming regardless.

7 years teaching and TLR2 was £37k 7 years ago outside London, DH was just discussing going through the UPS.

Generally one year per pay point until UPS when some places want 2 years and shit loads of evidence.

OP when you post something like this 2) I am 100% behind the change. HUGE salary drop, but we have paid the mortgage off and I'd rather have him happy and less ££ than stressed/depressed and ££££ it is understandable that people point out the stresses and difficulties of teaching - and they don't go away after the first few years, sadly. No need to be nippy.

Be aware that the estimate is that one in six teachers quit after their first year, and of those remaining a further one in four will have left after four years. Next time you visit a school have a guess as to the age of the teachers there, you will probably notice that while many are in their twenties and early thirties there are relatively few in their forties or fifties, and of those most will be in management rather than in the classroom. It is a tough job with a high wastage. I would advise your OH to by all means go for it, and I hope he succeeds because when it goes well it is the best job in the world, but make sure he keeps in contact with former colleagues and keeps up to date with developments in his present job in case he needs a plan B.

Such a huge amount depends on the school you're in. I've worked in 3 and been v lucky to have had great line managers that have smoothed any bumps in the road. I've never been bullied or worked til midnight or lost all my holidays to planning, but I know many teachers do. I know it's not the q you asked but I just wanted to say that he should remember that if he struggles with workload or staffroom politics or anything like that. No two schools are the same.

I know you say he has visited schools but does he have any experience of volunteering or working in a school? Visiting doesn't really give a good reflection on the teaching career.

Teaching is a very very rewarding job. However, I don't think the stress and demands will be necessarily less than his current job - different, yes, but less, unlikely.

Wow. No really? He had not realised at all he will have to deal with teenagers? I must mention that to him......

Good luck to him OP.

Teaching is stressful but I’m guessing he can always go back to a different role if it’s not for him.