Unions argue that the public sector pay cap is contributing to an ever growing recruitment and retention crisis in schools.

Leaders are calling on the government to fund an immediate 5% pay rise for teaching staff in an attempt to halt a growing recruitment and retention crisis in schools.

Writing to the education secretary, Justine Greening has put forward the case that teacher pay is significantly behind that of other graduate professions which is directly causing teacher supply issues

The letter largely states what the School Teachers’ Review Body or STRB had said previously. The STRB being responsible for recommending changes to ministers about teacher pay. Greening has described the situation as “critical” and representing “a substantial risk to the functioning of an effective education system”.

Teacher salaries have been held back ever since the 2010 pay cap that has also suppressed pay among the NHS and other public sector workers.

In a joint letter, the Association of School and College Leaders, the National Association of Head Teachers, the National Education Union, UCAC and argue that after seven years of pay cuts in real-terms teacher pay isn’t competitive in a strong labour market with increasing opportunities for graduates.

The “education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers,” the letter states. England are “failing to recruit sufficient trainee teachers, particularly in the EBacc subjects”.

The letter continues.

“The situation is now so critical that it requires firm and decisive action, In order to support and secure recruitment and retention, teachers’ pay levels must be restored at least to the levels that existed before the start of pay restraint in 2010”.

The situation seems likely to improve as Liz Truss, the chief secretary to the Treasury, wrote to the STRB in September stating that skills shortages in some areas meant the government would accept a pay rise above the 1% limit for 2018-19.

However, this pay rise would not be enough, the government would also have to provide extra funding so that the teacher pay rises can be accommodated otherwise money would have to be found from elsewhere in an already over-stretched budget

The government has pledged to give schools an additional £1.3bn but unions argue that it is not enough.