Category: Information for Members

SNCT Extended Joint Chairs – Pay Update

The SNCT Extended Joint Chairs (SSTA, EIS, COSLA and the Scottish Government) met on Friday 5 September following the rejection of the latest pay offer by the Teachers’ Side.

The rejected offer was:

• 4% from August 2025
• 3.5% from August 2026

This proposal failed to deliver a real-terms increase above inflation, particularly in the second year, and did not include an adequate restorative element.

The Teachers’ Side highlighted the following concerns:

• A 4% increase in year one is close to or below current inflation (CPI and RPI).
• The offer is not regarded as a restorative pay increase.
• The 3.5% increase in year two is unacceptable without a reopener clause, given the unpredictability of future inflation. Without this safeguard, the offer risks becoming a pay cut in real terms.

The next meeting of the SNCT Extended Joint Chairs will take place during the week beginning 15 September.

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SPPA 2025 Annual Benefit Statements

The SPPA has confirmed that all active members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme should have received communication regarding their 2025 Annual Benefit Statement. The SPPA used the contact details currently held on its system.

If you have not received your statement, please:

1. Log in to the SPPA website.
2. Check and update your contact details if necessary.

The SPPA has also launched a new online member portal, Engage, which enables members to register and view their most recent (2025) statement.

The 2025 pension statements have been redesigned to provide greater clarity. Contributions made between 2015–2022 are now shown as returned to the original ‘legacy’ scheme, alongside contributions to the CARE scheme.

Please note: Members who joined the Teachers’ Pension Scheme after 1 April 2015 entered directly into the CARE scheme and did not contribute to the legacy scheme.

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SSTA Pupil Behaviour Survey – Final Reminder

The SSTA Pupil Behaviour Survey has already received over 800 responses.

Early findings indicate:

• 80% of members report experiencing threatening verbal aggression from pupils at least once a month.
• Only 18% of members felt that issues were resolved when a pupil was returned to class.

The results show that verbal aggression is too often treated as a normal and accepted part of school life, with few meaningful consequences.

⏳ The survey will close on Friday, 12 September. We strongly encourage all members who have not yet taken part to complete the survey and ensure their views are represented. Any member who has not received the link to complete the survey, please email info@ssta.org.uk to request the link

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Recruit a Member

The start of the new term brings fresh faces to our staffrooms. Please take a moment to welcome new colleagues and encourage them to join the SSTA. One new member in every school makes a real difference. There are several great offers for new members—just direct them to the SSTA website, where joining is quick and easy.  www.ssta.org.uk/join

SSTA Membership Offers

• ALL NQTS – Free Until January 2027
• ALL New Members – 50% off subscription fees for the first 12 months
• ALL Part-time members – Pay a reduced subscription of 50% off the full-time subscription (unique to SSTA)

SSTA Pupil Behaviour Survey – Update

The SSTA Pupil Behaviour Survey has already received more than 600 responses. Early results show that defiance (including refusal to work) is reported as the most significant challenge for teachers. This is followed by disrespect and grandstanding (clowning), wandering (in classrooms and corridors), and mobile device misuse.
 
When asked “Have you seen an improvement in challenging pupil behaviour since the introduction of the Action Plan?” most members indicated that they have not noticed any change.
 
⏳ The survey will remain open until Friday, 12 September. We strongly encourage all members who have not yet taken part to complete the survey and ensure their views are represented. Any member who has not received the link to complete the survey, please email info@ssta.org.uk to request the link.

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Education Scotland – Professional Learning Programme – Applications extended to 12 September

Education Scotland requested that we circulate information on its range of professional learning offers for educators in Scotland.

Attached is an email which outlines some of these, including details on some of our programmes which are currently open for applications.

The programmes we’re currently recruiting for are as follows:

• Building Racial Literacy
• Leading Professional Learning
• Aspiring to Middle Leadership (facilitated cohort)
• Leading the How of Change

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Recruit a Member

The start of the new term brings fresh faces to our staffrooms. Please take a moment to welcome new colleagues and encourage them to join the SSTA. One new member in every school makes a real difference. There are several great offers for new members—just direct them to the SSTA website, where joining is quick and easy.  www.ssta.org.uk/join

SSTA Membership Offers

• ALL NQTS – Free Until January 2027
• ALL New Members – 50% off subscription fees for the first 12 months
• ALL Part-time members – Pay a reduced subscription of 50% off the full-time subscription (unique to SSTA)

The ‘Delivering the 90 Minutes and Protecting Secondary Teachers’ consultative survey received 2,811 responses. Members’ contributions provided invaluable insights that will strengthen our campaign to reduce excessive teacher workload. The failure of employers and the Scottish Government to engage constructively and work towards implementing the 90-minute reduction in class contact time has led to a formal dispute being declared and the need to gauge members’ support for potential industrial action.

Together with sister teacher unions, the SSTA has been consulting members on their willingness to take industrial action. The response from SSTA members clearly demonstrated the strength of feeling on this issue. In the survey, 92% indicated they were prepared to take part in ‘action short of strike action’, while 72% were prepared to take part in strike action to resolve the ongoing dispute with employers.

As reported this week, discussions have begun with COSLA and the Scottish Government, with the first negotiating meeting held on Thursday 28 August and two further meetings planned in the coming weeks. However, if these meetings fail to make sufficient progress, unions will return to members to escalate pressure on the employers.

Monique Dreon-Goold, SSTA President, said:

“The response from SSTA members in the consultative survey—and their willingness to achieve a reduction in class contact time—has placed significant pressure on the Scottish Government to bring employers ‘whining and complaining’ to the negotiating table.

COSLA’s continued failure to employ teachers on permanent contracts, and to fully utilise all available teachers, is a damaging tactic designed to justify claims of a ‘lack of teachers’ to deliver the reduction in class contact time. We know that many new teachers seeking employment are being pushed out of the profession by these actions.

We have already wasted four years trying to secure this vital improvement to teachers’ working conditions. Now is not the time for words—it is the time for action.”

The SNCT Teachers’ Side received an Employers’ Side pay offer on 16 June. The proposal was for a two-year settlement, with an undifferentiated 4% increase in the first year and a 3.5% increase in the second year.

At the SNCT Extended Joint Chairs meeting (SSTA and EIS, COSLA and Scottish Government) on 23 June, the Teachers’ Side sought clarification on the offer and raised a number of concerns. These included:

• greater flexibility in the pay figures offered,
• a commitment to a restorative pay element above inflation, and
• the inclusion of an inflation reopener clause.

The Teachers’ Side also made clear that it was not committed to a two-year pay award.

Since then, the SNCT Teachers’ Side has been awaiting a response from COSLA. While it is understood the matter was reported to COSLA Leaders on 25 June, no response has yet been received.

On 27 August, the SNCT Teachers’ Side met and unanimously resolved to reject the 16 June pay offer and seek further negotiations. Each teacher union was asked to confirm the decision overnight to allow a collective response ahead of the COSLA Leaders meeting tomorrow (Friday, 29 August). The SSTA Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee was consulted and confirmed its support for the rejection. The SNCT Teachers’ Side has today formally confirmed its rejection in writing.

Peter Brandon, SSTA Salaries Convenor, said:
“The opportunity to reach a pay settlement in time for the August settlement date has been wasted. The lack of urgency from the employers to reach agreement shows little respect for the teachers in their employment. I hope negotiations restart quickly and that a settlement is reached soon, allowing the pay increases to reach teachers’ pockets.”

Delivering the 90 Minutes and Protecting Secondary Teachers – Consultative Survey

Thank you to the more than 2,800+ members who took part in the recent SSTA consultative survey. Your contribution is invaluable and will help strengthen our campaign to reduce excessive teacher workload.

📝 The initial findings of the survey are set out below.

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Initial Survey Findings – Teacher Workload

The survey revealed that all teachers are working beyond their 35-hour contractual week:

• 18% work up to 5 extra hours per week
• 43% work up to 10 extra hours per week
• 25% work up to 15 extra hours per week
• 14% work more than 15 extra hours per week

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Contact Hours

• 49% of members reported being asked occasionally to go beyond the existing 22.5 contact hours.
• 3% said they are asked to exceed this maximum on a regular basis.

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Management Time Allocation

A quarter of survey respondents hold management positions, but the time allocated for management duties varies significantly. The SNCT is currently considering national guidance on management time, as practice differs widely across the country:

• 9% – No management time
• 16% – 1–2 periods per week
• 21% – 3–4 periods per week
• 20% – 5–6 periods per week
• 33% – More than 6 periods per week

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Next Steps

Further information will follow on:

• Teachers working outside their specialist subject
• The number of primary-qualified teachers working in secondary schools, and their areas of responsibility

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SSTA Membership Offers

• ALL Part-time members – Pay 50% of the full-time subscription (unique to the SSTA)
• ALL NQTS – Free Until January 2027
• ALL New Members – 50% off subscription fees for the first 12 months

Reduction in Class Contact Time – Some Progress
 
The SSTA, along with other teacher unions, has finally received the COSLA report Reduction in Class Contact Time and the Scottish Government’s Proposal for the Next Steps on Reduced Class Contact Time (RCCT), ahead of a special SNCT meeting on Wednesday, 20 August. Both documents raise significant issues that must be addressed.
 
The COSLA report was confusing, misleading, and lacked the necessary detail to support the practical implementation of reduced class contact time. Many would consider the paper “incompetent,” given that it took more than six months to produce despite the involvement of senior experts. Teachers would face severe criticism if they failed to complete a report within such a timescale.

By contrast, the Scottish Government’s paper offered a number of proposals and, most importantly, set out a work plan for the SNCT RCCT subgroup. This subgroup is tasked with urgently developing a clear route map for the delivery of RCCT. The SNCT Teachers’ Side reminded both COSLA and the Scottish Government that it remains in dispute over RCCT, with consultative surveys on industrial action already underway. The priority, therefore, must be meaningful engagement on how RCCT will be implemented.
 
The SNCT Teachers’ Side has not agreed to any of the proposals presented in the papers, pointing out that these issues could and should have been addressed at any point during the past six months. A series of meetings is now being arranged to develop a delivery plan, but any further delays risk triggering ballots for industrial action. While RCCT alone will not solve the problem of excessive teacher workload, it represents an important first step.
 

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Delivering the 90 Minutes and Protecting Secondary Teachers – Consultative Survey

The SSTA member survey is a vital part of our campaign to reduce excessive teacher workload. The survey closes on Thursday, 28 August, and we strongly encourage all members who have not yet responded to take part and ensure their views are heard.

If you have not received an invitation to complete the survey, please contact SSTA Head Office at info@ssta.org.uk

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Education Scotland’s Professional Learning Sessions – New guidance

Education Scotland has requested that we highlight the following professional learning sessions on the new guidance published in June are now live for school staff. The sessions can be booked via the following links:

• New Guidance: Fostering a positive, inclusive and safe school environment – 27th August 2025 | Events | Education Scotland
• Violence, aggression and dangerous behaviour risk assessment guidance – 3rd September 2025 | Events | Education Scotland
• Addressing Racism and Racist Incidents: New Guidance and Practice Tickets, Wed, Sep 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM | Eventbrite

There will also be an initial professional learning session on Thursday 21^st August which will outline the national educational policy landscape, the relationships and behaviour action plan and guidance, and information about Education Scotland’s supporting professional learning programme ‘It’s all about relationships’ running between now and December 2025.

Relationships and behaviour: policy, guidance and professional learning – 21st August 2025 | Events | Education Scotland

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Recruit a Member

The start of the new term brings fresh faces to our staffrooms. Please take a moment to welcome new colleagues and encourage them to join the SSTA. One new member in every school makes a real difference. There are several great offers for new members—just direct them to the SSTA website, where joining is quick and easy.  www.ssta.org.uk/join 

SSTA Membership Offers

• NQTS – Free Until January 2027
• New Members – 50% off subscription fees for the first 12 months
• Part-time members – Pay a reduced subscription of 50% off the full-time subscription.

The SSTA continues to hear from members that disruptive behaviour by young people is a growing barrier to effective learning and teaching. Such behaviour not only impacts learners’ attainment but also increases stress and anxiety for teachers. The SSTA has consistently pressed the Scottish Government for a unified approach to supporting teachers in meeting the needs of young people in our schools, and we welcome the introduction of the Relationships and Behaviour Action Plan (see below).

We now wish to hear from members whether the Action Plan has made a difference in managing challenging behaviour in schools. The SSTA previously conducted a pupil behaviour survey in 2023, and this follow-up survey will inform our discussions with the Scottish Government and contribute to the further development of the Action Plan. 

Email invitations to take part in the survey were sent to members on Wednesday 20 August at approx. 12.45pm

The Scottish Government published the Relationships and Behaviour Action Plan in August 2024. The 3-year action plan was developed by the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) Improving relationships and behaviour in schools: ensuring safe and consistent environments for all Joint action plan 2024 – 2027

As part of the action plan the following documents have been published.

• Gender based violence
• Guidance on Mobile Phones in Scotland’s Schools 
• ‘Respect for All’ – Anti-Bullying
• Restraint and seclusion

As part of the next stage of the action plan on the 17 June the Government published Fostering a Positive, Inclusive and Safe School Environment guidance (the ‘consequences’ guidance) and the Violent, Aggressive and Dangerous Behaviour Risk Assessment guidance.

• “Fostering a Positive, Inclusive and Safe School Environment guidance”.
• “Guidance on risk assessments for violent, aggressive and dangerous behaviour”

Reduction in Class Contact Time – ‘More Excuses’ 

The SSTA, alongside other teacher unions, has been waiting for four years to discuss the proposed 90-minute reduction in teacher class contact time—without success. The most recent SNCT meeting, held on 25 June, saw no progress, as COSLA refused to share any documentation.

Throughout the summer, however, information not shared with teacher unions has been freely circulated via the TES. These articles are worth reading (links provided below).

Misinformation and assumptions have been shared publicly while unions remain excluded from the discussion. This only strengthens concerns that decisions—or excuses—are being developed to block the implementation of this critical measure to reduce teacher workload.

Our ‘Delivering the 90 Minutes and Protecting Secondary Teachers’ member survey is a vital part of our campaign. Thank you to the thousands of members who have already responded. Reminders will be issued shortly for those yet to participate.
Related articles:

• Swinney threatens councils to cut class contact time (16 July 2025)
• Revealed: Government contact time proposal rejected by councils (22 July 2025)

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SNCT Pay Claim 2025–2026 – ‘Late Again’

Scottish teaching unions have expressed their frustration over the lack of progress in pay negotiations. As a result, the deadline to implement higher salaries by the start of August has been missed.

The SSTA’s concerns were featured in a TES article on 3 July 2025, which included a statement from COSLA claiming a two-year deal had been offered to the entire Scottish local government workforce—including teachers. This raises serious questions: is COSLA again undermining and bypassing the SNCT pay negotiating process?

Related article:

• ‘Swift’ Scottish teacher pay deal sought after summer of uncertainty

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National Qualifications – ‘Teachers Have Done Well

Scottish secondary teachers have once again demonstrated professionalism and dedication in delivering this year’s national qualifications. Every effort has been made to ensure all students had the opportunity to fulfil their potential. This marks the second year of full course assessment since the Covid pandemic.

Read the SQA’s statement here:

• Results Day: 2025 marks ‘landmark year’ of achievement by Scotland’s learners

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Recruit a Member

The start of the new term brings fresh faces to our staffrooms. Please take a moment to welcome new colleagues and encourage them to join the SSTA. One new member in every school makes a real difference. There are several great offers for new members—just direct them to the SSTA website, where joining is quick and easy.  www.ssta.org.uk/join 

SSTA Membership Offers

• NQTS – Free Until January 2027
• New Members – 50% off subscription fees for the first 12 months
• Part-time members – Pay a reduced subscription of 50% off the full-time subscription

The June 2025 SSTA Newsletter is available for members to download. The newsletter contains information on:

• Presidential Address to Congress
• Report of the General Secretary at Congress
• Cabinet Secretary at Congress
• Motions Passed at Congress 2025
• Behaviour Action Plan Presentation
• Pauline Stephen, GTCs at Congress
• Health & Safety Walkabout in Secondary Schools
• Financial Statement to members for period ended 31 December 2024
• National Awards

Press Release – 23 June 2025

As part of the SSTA’s campaign to reduce teachers’ class-contact time by 90 minutes, the “Delivering the 90 minutes and protecting secondary teachers” member survey was launched last week. Within days, the SSTA received nearly 1,700 responses.

Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary, said:
“The survey shows that all secondary teachers work beyond their 35-hour contractual week and provide huge amounts of ‘free overtime’. Yet the employers (COSLA) fail to recognise the significance of the Scottish Government’s promise to reduce contact time by 90 minutes for teachers’ wellbeing and effectiveness. Despite government funding, COSLA continues to ‘fiddle while teachers burn,’ watching teachers leave the profession exhausted and burnt out.”
 
Seamus added:
“The teaching profession in Scotland is in crisis. The failure to recruit in the secondary sector—and the exodus of many teachers before retirement—are a massive indictment of COSLA’s inability over the past four years to implement a ‘no-brainer’ solution to retain and recruit teachers. The survey also shows the strength of feeling among members: 92% are prepared to take industrial action (the survey is still live).”
 
Peter Brandon, SSTA Salaries and Conditions of Service Convener, said:
“Scottish teachers teach well above the OECD average, yet our employers seem unable to understand how much better teaching and learning would be with less-exhausted teachers. Reducing class-contact time is vital in addressing excessive teacher workload. Our children suffer daily while this situation continues unchanged.”
 
[ENDS]
 

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Early Survey Findings

1. How many hours do you work beyond the 35-hour contractual week?
   
   • 18%: up to 5 extra hours
   • 43%: up to 10 extra hours
   • 25%: up to 15 extra hours
   • 14%: more than 15 extra hours per week
     
      
2. How many hours do you spend on planning, preparation, and correction during the school day?
   (Maximum contractual time: 7.5 hours/week)
   
   • 31%: less than 2 hours
   • 24%: less than 4 hours
   • 14%: less than 6 hours
   • 31%: receive the full 7.5 hours
     
      
3. Are you asked to teach or cover beyond your maximum 22.5 hours of class-contact time?
   
   • 48%: never
   • 49%: occasionally
   • 3%: regularly

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Member Comments

• “More planning time—well used by professionally motivated teachers—will surely lead to improved learner experiences and better educational outcomes.”
• “I work every night and weekend, far above my 35 hours.”
• “More than 50% of our school population has an ASN, yet we have fewer PSAs than ever. Some pupils arrive at secondary school still at an early level in literacy and numeracy. Trying to support these pupils in class and differentiate work appropriately is impossible within the current allocated time.”
• “Imagine someone in the private sector being expected to perform all day with no break between performances; no time to reflect on each performance and no time to prepare for the next. We are constantly on high alert with no headspace to plan, prepare, and reflect, yet we are expected to work miracles in our classrooms every day, managing all kinds of needs and abilities.”
• “As a teacher of 25 years, I feel the profession is failing. Teachers are under immense pressure to deliver BGE and national qualifications to classes so differentiated that the job has become completely impossible.”