School staff demand parity with teachers' pay

School support staff have demanded parity with teachers following the pay award today [Thursday].

Teachers have been handed a 4 per cent award, while school staff including teaching assistants, caterers, admin staff and caretakers have been offered just 3.2 percent.

Research by GMB, which represents more than 100,000 school support staff across the country, shows teaching assistants earn an average annual salary of just £17,000.

Stacey Booth, GMB National Officer, said:

“School support staff are the forgotten army who look after our children, feed them and nurture them.

“They are shockingly badly paid and it’s a scandal this pay award means they will fall even further behind teachers.

“Our members demand parity with teachers.

“This is yet another crystal clear example of why we desperately need to reinstate the School Support Staff Negotiating body as soon as possible.”