Posted on: 6 May 2026

Dear Member,

We’re pleased to share some really positive news following our recent joint updates with UNISON and Unite about GLPC pay for support staff at Ark Schools.

As you may recall, the joint unions identified that, due to a processing error, Ark Schools had applied the national NJC pay award instead of the London‑adjusted GLPC pay award for the 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25 pay years. Put simply, this meant many London support staff were paid less than they should have been for several years.

Since raising this issue, the unions have been working persistently with Ark while the Trust sought the necessary approvals to put this right. We’re delighted to confirm that Ark has now received approval from the Department for Education to pay the full historic back pay owed.

What this means for you

This update applies to members who are not on TUPE contracts and are employed on Ark support staff contracts in London. Ark has confirmed that:

• You will receive a letter directly from your school or HR team setting out your individual back‑pay calculation
• Historic back pay will be paid in June

You will be offered a choice of:

• a one‑off lump sum, or
• four equal monthly instalments

If no option is selected by the deadline, payment will automatically be made as a lump sum.

The ability to choose between a lump sum and four monthly instalments was negotiated by the unions following feedback from members that lump sum payments can sometimes interfere with benefits payments.

Ark has also confirmed that staff who have left the Trust since September 2025 to March 2026 are still entitled to back pay and will be contacted separately and paid a one‑off lump sum.

This is a significant and welcome outcome, and a clear example of what collective union action can achieve. GMB, alongside UNISON and Unite, will continue to monitor the process closely to ensure members receive everything they are owed.

If you believe you may be affected and do not hear from Ark, or if you have questions once you receive your letter, please contact your GMB representative.

We will keep you updated, but for now this is genuinely good news to share.

Posted on: 24 March 2026

Dear Member,

As many of you may be aware, recently members of the joint support staff trade unions (UNISON, GMB, Unite) identified a discrepancy in pay scales for support staff working in the Greater London area for ARK Schools.

ARK schools in London pay the GLPC annual pay award and pay scales – which is effectively the NJC national pay award but with a slightly higher increase to reflect London weighting. This London weighting is then incorporated directly on to the London GLPC pay scales rather than paid as a separate allowance.

However, due to a processing error, ARK has mistakenly applied the NJC annual pay increase instead of the GLPC pay award for the 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25 pay years. These are the years in which the NJC and GLPC settlements differed because both were set as flat‑rate increases rather than percentage awards. As a result, ARK’s London pay scales have fallen below the correct GLPC rates. This issue affects not only the historic pay awards for 2022–23 to 2024–25, but also the 2025–26 budget, as the base pay scale used for forecasting and costing is incorrect. This impacts employees on Ark Support staff contracts only.

To put it simply, ARK should have been giving support staff the London adjusted GLPC pay rises. Instead, for three years they accidentally applied the smaller NJC pay rises. This means staff in London have been paid less than they should have been.

ARK agreed with the support staff unions that - subject to approval from the Department for Education and His Majesty’s Treasury - they would correct this underpayment and aim to pay the three years of back pay owed to London support staff. ARK has informed us that they are still awaiting confirmation that they can proceed with this payment.

On Friday 13th March, ARK informed us that while they continue to wait for approval for the historic back pay, they will correct the current year’s pay scales. This means members’ salaries will be adjusted from March onwards. Staff will also receive a lump‑sum payment covering back pay for the period September 2025 to February 2026. Each affected member will receive a pay letter explaining their individual back‑pay calculations. Your March payslip will show your revised salary and the lump‑sum back‑pay amount. Usual employer and employee deductions for National Insurance (NI) and pension contributions will apply to the back pay.

We are continuing to work with the trust to ensure that members receive the full historic back pay as soon as possible.

Jack Robinson

Stacey Booth

Clare Keogh

Posted on: 2 December 2025

Dear Members,

Following the rejection of this year’s Ark pay ballot, we wrote to the employer to request an urgent meeting to discuss the results and to seek an improvement in the original offer.

The trust responded on Tuesday morning to say that, unfortunately, due to significant financial constraints and challenges that are being felt nationally across the education sector they are not in a position to offer anything further at this time.

The trust has said they remain committed to continuing national level discussions to explore ways to improve benefits and working conditions.

GMB officers from across regions have met to discuss the response from the trust, the rejection vote and the percentage turnout and there was a consensus that all those factors combined fall short of what is required to go forward to a full formal postal ballot and, reluctantly, it was decided to accept the full and final offer which will now conclude this year's pay negotiations.

Thank you for your engagement in this year’s pay ballot, and welcome to those new members who joined us as we engaged you in this year’s pay negotiations.

If you want to become more involved in next year’s campaign or to campaign on an issue in your school, please get in touch by emailing schools@gmb.org.uk.

Thank you

Stacey Booth

National Officer for Schools and Academies

Posted on: 28 November 2025

Dear Members,

The Ark Schools 2025/26 pay ballot has now closed. Thank you to everyone who voted, and welcome to those who joined during the ballot period.

Members have voted to reject the offer. Please see the results below:

Accept – 40.54%

Reject – 59.46%

We have informed Ark Schools and have asked for a meeting. We will be in touch with next steps once we have them.

This pay offer is for all Ark members not covered by TUPE arrangements, this means those members who are contractually employed on Ark pay and conditions.

Kind regards,

Stacey Booth

National Officer

Posted on: 7 November 2025

Dear Members,

We have received a final pay offer from Ark Schools for 2025/26.

This offer is for those members directly employed on a Ark contract. If you are on a TUPE contract this offer does not apply to you.

The 2025 Ark Schools Support Staff Annual Pay offer is for one year and is as follows:

This offer is for those members directly employed on an Ark contract. If you are on a TUPE contract this offer does not apply to you.

The 2025 Ark Support Staff Annual Pay offer is for one year and is as follows:

• With effect from 1^st September 2025, a 3.2% increase on all support staff salaries.

• The removal of spine point two from September 2026.

For a summary of the employer’s response to our pay claim, and for details of the pay ballot, please read this bulletin: ark-ballot-comms-to-members-online.pdf 

Kind regards,

Stacey Booth

Posted on: 8 May 2025

Dear Members,

Thank you for your engagement with the Ark staff survey. This year’s pay claim has been compiled and submitted to the trust today based on the feedback you provided.

You can read the pay claim here: ark-support-staff-pay-and-conditions-claim-2025.pdf. 

This pay claim is for all Ark members not covered by TUPE arrangements, this means those members who are contractually employed on Ark pay and conditions.

Ark and the joint trade unions (GMB and Unison) will be meeting to discuss the claim in the coming weeks and any further updates will follow in due course.

If you have received this information in error, it might be that we do not hold accurate data for you and would strongly advise that to, prevent any future issues, you update your details through the My GMB section of the website, by logging in at Make Work Better | GMB Union.

If your employment has changed you will be unable to amend that online and would advise that you contact your GMB regional office. You can find your office’s contact details here: GMB Regions | GMB Union.

Finally, if you have any other questions or concerns, please e-mail schools@gmb.org.uk and we will respond to you directly.

Thanks,

Stacey Booth

GMB National Officer for Ark

Posted on: 15 May 2024

Dear GMB Member,

The Joint Union pay claim has been submitted to Ark Schools Trust for their consideration. You can read the pay claim here: ark-support-staff-pay-claim-2024-final.pdf

This pay claim is for all Ark Schools Trust members not covered by TUPE arrangements, this means those members who are contractually employed on ARK pay and conditions.

Ark Schools Trust and the Joint Trade Unions will be meeting to discuss the claim in the coming weeks and any further updates will follow in due course.

If you have received this information in error, it might be because we do not hold accurate data.

Please complete this short survey to tell us what contract you are on: https://forms.office.com/e/B0K...

In order to keep our records up to date please can you update your details if there have been any changes by logging into your GMB account

If there have been changes to your employment, please update your details by contacting your GMB regional office.

Thanks

Stacey Booth

National Officer