A series of projects undertaken by researchers at IER investigated differentials in pay and progression for teachers in England with ‘protected characteristics’ (i.e. women, teachers from minority ethnic groups, in the older and younger age groups and having disabilities) following the abolition of automatic annual salary increments in 2013.

The first of these projects was the most comprehensive, involving a wide-ranging evidence review, together with interviews, focus groups and a web survey of union members, supplemented with statistical analysis of survey data sets and the Department for Education’s School Workforce Census. The latter component has been repeated as new data from the SWC has become available, with the latest analysis being for the period 2010 to 2016. It is planned that this analysis will be updated as newer data becomes available.

The research found strong evidence for disadvantage for women and younger teachers in terms of pay and progression and weaker evidence of discrimination for teachers from minority ethnic groups and having disabilities.

The findings of the research have been published on the NASUWT website and have been used by NASUWT in the evidence they have submitted to the School Teachers Review Board which considers the annual pay awards for teachers in England. Findings have also been presented to more than 50 civil servants, public sector HR managers and trades union representatives at the IDR-OME Pay in the public services conference in September 2016.