Full text of the letter
We write on behalf of the National Joint Council (NJC) Committee for Support Staff in sixth form colleges, to confirm that agreement has been reached on the pay settlement for all support staff for the 2025/26 pay year.
The sixth form college sector remains the most underfunded part of the education sector. According to the Institute of Fiscal Studies funding for students in sixth form colleges is now 26% lower than funding for students in secondary schools. Overall funding levels within the sector continue to restrict the Employer Side’s ability to meet the Staff Side’s claim in full. However, we received welcome confirmation of the Government’s position on school teachers’ and support staff pay for 2025/26, which confirmed that additional Government targeted pay funding to teachers and support staff is being provided to all NJC colleges.
This means it has been possible for the NJC to reach the following pay agreement for 2025/26:
From 1 September 2025
• An across the board increase of 4% on all NJC pay points
• A 4% increase on all relevant allowances
This is a competitive pay award that should not require colleges to make any efficiency savings, provides a pay increase for all NJC college support staff well above the rate of CPI inflation and more than the vast majority of other public sector workers. As part of this agreement the NJC agreed to continue to review and discuss the Staff Side’s concerns on current national minimum levels of annual leave.
As a result of this pay agreement support staff on the lowest pay point on the NJC pay spine will be paid above the statutory minimum wage for the duration of the pay year and beyond. The NJC will continue to monitor movements in the national living wage, which will be confirmed in the autumn budget on 26th November. We will continue to review the NJC support staff pay spine to address pay differentials and the grouping/bunching of staff on the lowest pay points and the NJC will discuss this issue in more detail during the autumn term with a view to any agreed amendments taking place for the 1st April 2026.
Colleges should continue to undertake local pay and grading exercises using the NJC recommended Job Evaluation scheme, which will support colleges to progress and resolve any local grading issues. The NJC will continue to encourage use of the recommended JE scheme in colleges.
We believe this pay agreement to be fair to hard working members of college support staff. However, to take account of the ongoing teacher pay discussions on the NJC Employer Side’s 4% pay offer for 2025/26, this agreement will include a reopener clause. This would be triggered by either side if, circumstances related to any NJC teacher pay offer change that would warrant a re-examination of the agreement.
The amended pay spine is enclosed in order to allow for immediate implementation of this pay agreement. Yours sincerely
Graham Baird Ben Thomas
NJC Joint Secretaries