School support staff lost more than £2 million in wages last year: ‘They are being discriminated against’

School support staff in the UK missed out on more than £2.2bn of potential earnings last year because they were only paid in term, according to new analysis.

Research by the GMB union has found that annual wages for teaching assistants, cleaners, caterers and administrative staff could increase by as much as £4,094 if they were paid for a full 52 weeks instead of 44 weeks.

The union, which represents more than 100,000 school support staff, calculated that this collective shortfall for around 800,000 workers on term contracts amounts to £2.2 billion for 2024/25.

Stacey Booth, GMB national officer, said: “Employed school support staff are being discriminated against because of these fixed-term contracts.

“They miss out on more than £4,000 per person every year.

“The teachers they work with or the municipal employees who are put in the same category for their salaries do not have to put up with this.”

Unison, Unite and GMB have called for school and council workers to receive a pay rise of at least £3,000 or 10% (whichever is greater) for 2026/27, as well as a minimum hourly wage of £15.

Unions have previously said the real value of local authority wages has fallen by more than 26 per cent since 2010, leaving many people struggling to cope with rising housing costs and energy bills.

Currently, school support staff, like council staff, negotiate pay and conditions with the National Joint Council (NJC).

The government has committed to creating a dedicated School Support Staff Negotiating Body, but this is not expected to cover the pay and conditions of support staff until 2027/28.

GMB said the NJC had agreed to meet with unions this month to discuss wages.

Meanwhile, parents are set to receive new government-backed guidance on how to formally complain to their child’s school in a bid to stem a significant rise in escalating and often aggressive disputes.

The comprehensive five-step process, developed by the Department for Education (DfE), charity Parentkind and schools watchdog Ofsted, aims to develop a more “positive and respectful way” for parents to address their concerns about educational institutions.