Thousands of teaching assistants set for pay rise as workforce plan published

Teaching assistants play a vital role in supporting teaching and learning in our schools and settings. Working with local authorities and unions, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle has today (March 18) confirmed that the Welsh Government will fund the salary increase for level 1 teaching assistants to move to level 2, subject to local consultation*. Future teaching assistant roles will also be recruited at a minimum of level two.

Alongside increased pay, the move will ensure consistent teaching assistant role descriptions and will support improved recruitment and retention.

The announcement comes on the same day the Strategic Education Workforce Plan for Schools is published. The plan outlines a shared vision of developing a confident, resilient, and well‑supported education profession, responding directly to feedback from practitioners, unions, local authorities, Estyn, the Education Workforce Council (EWC) and other key partners.

To support the current and future workforce, the plan sets out a range of actions for Welsh Government and partners to take forward under five themes, which are - 

• Ensuring quality of teaching and learning
• Addressing workload issues
• Responding to new challenges for the school workforce and ensuring access to support through a specialist and pastoral workforce
• Ensuring that teaching, supporting teaching an educational leadership are attractive career pathways
• Ensuring effective use of data and evidence to inform workforce planning

The well-being of staff is addressed under each theme and is central within the plan. 

Actions outlined within the plan include a commitment to establish career-long national professional learning pathways for teachers, leaders and teaching assistants working closely with Dysgu. The initial teacher education incentives and pathways into teaching will also be reviewed to support recruitment of future teachers.

There’s also a commitment to understand alternative models for supporting teachers with time away from the classroom, and to support the appropriate use of generative artificial intelligence in learning and to reduce workload.

The plan also recognises new challenges the school workforce is facing in supporting learners outside of their day-to-day teaching duties. This includes strengthening multi-agency collaboration to support the school workforce to respond to wider societal changes.  It also commits to investing and supporting non-teaching pastoral roles including Family Engagement Officers and the work of Community Focused Schools Managers.

Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle, said: “Today is a milestone day for education with the plan outlining key commitments that will benefit the sector in many ways in the short and long term.

“The plan has been developed in collaboration with the sector and will support our leaders, teachers, and support staff now and in the future.  Equipping them with the skills they need to meet the needs of learners, with wellbeing support for the staff at the heart of the plan.

“I am also pleased to announce the uplift for level 1 teaching assistants today, this is the first step towards the long-term goal of pursuing fairer pay and conditions for all teaching assistants.”

Councillor Lis Burnett, WLGA Spokesperson for Education, said:

“Teaching assistants are at the heart of our schools, building trusted relationships with pupils and providing the day-to-day support that helps children feel confident and ready to learn. We welcome this funding from Welsh Government to support the move from level 1 to level 2 roles, recognising the important contribution they make. It’s vital this sits alongside ongoing work to ensure fair and equitable conditions across the whole workforce, so staff feel properly valued and supported in the role they play in children’s lives.”