STEM teachers at low-performing schools to get £3000

STEM teachers at low-performing schools to get £3000 ‘levelling up’ bonuses

Significant new payments for teachers of STEM subjects in disadvantaged areas are set to be rolled out.

This will be paired with funding for over 1,400 schools to improve the quality of their buildings.

Maths, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in their first five years of teaching will be able to claim up to £9,000 over three years in tax-free bonuses from September, if they work in disadvantaged schools.

The government says this ‘Levelling Up Premium’, expected to be worth £60 million over the three years, is intended to improve pupil outcomes across the country by helping to retain specialist teachers working in disadvantaged areas. High quality STEM teaching, delivered by teachers specifically trained in these subjects, will also more effectively support pupils who fell behind during the covid pandemic.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “The quality of pupils’ education in crucial subjects like maths and science should not be dependent on where they live, and teachers shouldn’t feel that they must leave their local area for a better paid job.

“Our Levelling Up Premium will help give children and young people the best specialist teaching in maths, physics, chemistry and computing, while supporting jobs in low-income areas, helping to level up education for all and grow the economy.”

Teachers working in the 55 local authorities designated as Education Investment Areas (EIA) will be able to claim the maximum bonus of £3,000 per year, if they also work in one of the 30% most disadvantaged schools in the country, determined by the number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium.

Up to 7,000 teachers across around 4,500 schools in England will benefit from the premium. Teachers will receive scaled bonuses if they work in less disadvantaged schools or outside EIAs.

The Levelling Up Premium comes alongside other policies set out in the Schools White Paper to train and support teachers. As part of these, the government aims to provide 500,000 teacher training and development opportunities by 2024, including two new specialist National Professional Qualifications in literacy and early years leadership, as well as a £30,000 starting salary for teachers to be attracted and retained by schools.