SCHOOL leaders in Wales could consider industrial action after the Welsh Government rejected an independent recommendation for teachers and headteachers to receive a 4.25% pay rise.
NAHT Cymru condemned the decision as “fundamentally wrong-headed” after Education Minister Anna Brychan announced that ministers would instead consult on a 3.5% increase from September 2026.
The union said it would now consult its members over its next steps and would take “whatever action is appropriate” to defend school leaders, teachers and pupils.
Unqualified teachers would receive a larger 5% increase under the Welsh Government’s proposals.
Additional funding has been promised to councils and schools to support the award, although the government has not yet published details of how much money will be provided or whether it will cover the full cost.
The Independent Welsh Pay Review Body had recommended that all teachers’ salaries and allowances rise by 4.25%.
However, Ms Brychan said the recommendation was not affordable within existing budgets and that the government had been forced to balance financial constraints against the need to recognise and reward the education workforce.
NAHT Cymru said the rejection raised fundamental questions about the purpose and credibility of the independent review process.
Rob Kelsall, the union’s assistant general secretary, said: “The Welsh Government’s decision to depart from the recommendation of the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body is deeply disappointing and fundamentally wrong-headed.
“The review body was established to provide independent, expert advice based on the evidence presented to it about recruitment, retention, workload and the wider challenges facing the education workforce.
“If ministers are prepared to disregard that advice when it becomes inconvenient, then it is entirely reasonable to ask what the purpose of the process is.”
Mr Kelsall said ministers could not claim to value independent scrutiny while ignoring the conclusions of the body established to advise them.
He added: “Doing so undermines confidence in the integrity of the system and risks reducing the entire process to little more than a political exercise.”
The union said teachers and school leaders had submitted evidence to the review body in the expectation that its conclusions would carry genuine weight.
It argued that the Welsh Government should provide a detailed explanation if it believed the independent recommendation was incorrect.
Mr Kelsall said: “Simply setting aside its recommendation damages trust and raises serious questions about the credibility of future pay reviews.
“At a time when schools are facing significant recruitment and retention difficulties, this is precisely the wrong signal to send to the profession.”
‘Perfect storm’ facing Welsh schools
NAHT Cymru also warned that the pay dispute came as schools faced growing pressure from staff shortages, rising workloads and what it described as a crisis in additional learning needs provision.
The union said demand for ALN support was increasing, while the needs of children entering the system were becoming more complex.
It claimed years of underfunding had left schools struggling to provide adequate support for some of Wales’s most vulnerable pupils.
Mr Kelsall said: “The reality facing schools is that we are experiencing a perfect storm.
“Demand for ALN support continues to grow, the complexity of need is increasing, schools are facing workforce pressures, and years of chronic underfunding have left provision stretched to breaking point.”
He said teachers and school leaders remained committed to supporting every child, but warned that goodwill could not compensate for insufficient funding.
NAHT Cymru has called for at least £100m in additional investment to begin addressing pressures within the ALN system.
It also expressed concern about proposals to divide additional funding equally between councils and schools, arguing that money intended for frontline provision did not always reach the pupils it was meant to support.
Mr Kelsall said any additional investment should be transparent, accountable and directed towards the areas of greatest need.
He said: “Schools are best placed to identify need and provide support quickly and effectively.”
Union to consult members
Paul Whiteman, NAHT’s general secretary, accused the Welsh Government of treating education as a peripheral concern.
He said: “Consistently diverting funds earmarked for education away from schools and now deliberately underpaying the very professionals that equip and inspire the next generation for the challenges of the future is a reckless recipe for disaster.
“We will now consult members on next actions and the NAHT will do whatever is appropriate to defend the education of young people and the rights of those that deliver it.”
The union has not yet said what form any action could take.
The Welsh Government’s proposal remains subject to consultation, which is expected to begin when schools return in September.
Ministers have also announced plans to consult on a single pay scale for classroom teachers, which would allow annual progression, and changes intended to protect the weekends and holiday periods of school leaders.
Funding will also be offered to support a doubling of the period during which teachers receive full maternity pay, provided councils and unions agree to amend employment contracts.
Ms Brychan said: “I am mindful of the difficult financial circumstances affecting schools and colleges and the implications that unfunded pay awards would have on budgets and staff numbers.
“In coming to my decision, I have had to balance the available budget with the need to recognise and reward our workforce.”
