The teachers’ pay award (STPCD) is live
The Department for Education has published the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) 2025, which will come into effect from 1 September 2025 as planned. This statutory guidance outlines the pay and conditions framework for teachers in maintained schools across England and reflects the recommendations from the School Teachers’ Review Body’s 35th report.
Key updates for 2025
- 4% pay award across all pay and allowance ranges.
- Revised calculation for TLR1 and TLR2 payments, allowing greater flexibility based on the proportion of responsibility undertaken.
- Updated advisory pay points for the Main Pay Range (MPR), Upper Pay Range (UPR), and Unqualified Teacher Range (UR).
- Additional guidance on flexible working, safeguarding, and administrative tasks teachers should not be expected to perform (paragraphs 89-92).
What schools need to do next
To ensure compliance and readiness for implementation, schools should:
- Review the STPCD 2025 document and statutory guidance available here.
- Update your School’s pay policy to reflect the new pay ranges and conditions.
- Communicate changes to staff and ensure leadership teams understand the implications for pay progression and allowances.
- Consider the impact on budget planning, especially in light of recruitment and retention challenges highlighted in the STRB report.
- Notify EPM of your Implementation To ensure that the pay award is implemented or backdated appropriately from 1 September 2025, please complete the Teaching Staff Pay Award Survey on the EPM Portal under the Pay Award tab. If applicable, you should also complete a survey for Leadership Pay.
Notification deadlines for EPM payroll customers
To ensure timely application of the award, please submit your decision by the 1st of the month prior to the payroll month in which you want it applied.
| Month you want the award applied |
Deadline to notify EPM |
| September 2025 |
1 August 2025 |
| October 2025 |
5 September 2025 |
| November 2025 |
1 October 2025 |
| December 2025 |
1 November 2025 |
| (and so on) |
1st of the prior month |
Please do not confirm the expected pay award date to staff until we have confirmed the finalised payroll schedule with you.
Implementation Timeline
- 18 July 2025: STPCD 2025 laid before Parliament
- 7 August 2025: End of statutory “praying period”
- 1 September 2025: STPCD 2025 comes into force
If you have any questions or need support to implement these changes, we’re here to help. Please contact your named EPM Adviser, which is confirmed on the Portal homepage. Alternatively, you can submit any queries through the ‘Pay Award Queries’ sub-category via our Customer Communications Platform.
