What are the NJC teaching assistant and HLTA pay scales for 2026/27?

The 3.3% NJC award for 2026/27 was agreed on 28 August 2026 and is backdated to 1 April 2026. Most councils and academy trusts include the back-pay in payslips from September or October 2026 onward.

SCP stands for spinal column point. The NJC pay spine is a ladder of numbered points, each with a full-time equivalent salary attached, and every school support role is graded to a range of points. Your SCP is the rung you are on; the table above gives the 2026/27 salary for each point a teaching assistant is normally appointed to.

FTE means full-time equivalent: the salary for 37 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. Almost all teaching assistant contracts are term-time only and fewer than 37 hours, so the FTE is pro-rated by your hours and your paid weeks. The worked example above shows the formula; 80 to 85% of FTE is typical.

Divide the FTE salary by 52.14 weeks and then by 37 hours, which is the standard NJC divisor. The hourly figures in the table are calculated that way. Term-time-only working changes your annual pay, not your hourly rate.

The bottom of the NJC spine is now SCP 3 at £25,614 a year full-time equivalent, which is £13.28 an hour. SCP 2 was deleted on 1 April 2026 to keep every point at or above the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour.

Level 2 teaching assistants typically sit on SCP 3 to SCP 6, worth £25,614 to £26,847 FTE in 2026/27. Level 3 teaching assistants typically sit on SCP 7 to SCP 11, worth £27,274 to £29,071 FTE. Actual take-home is 80 to 85% of these figures because most TA roles are term-time only. Compare Level 2 and Level 3 in full →

Most schools grade Level 3 roles to SCP 7 to SCP 11, with senior Level 3 posts at SCP 11 or 12. A Level 3 qualification is usually the minimum the school asks for before appointing to that band; see "What moves you up" above. View the Level 3 Teaching Assistant course →

Higher Level Teaching Assistants typically start around SCP 12 or SCP 13 (£29,542 to £30,023 FTE) and can progress up to SCP 24 or SCP 25 (£36,581 to £37,563 FTE) in senior or specialist HLTA roles. Term-time-only working means actual annual pay is usually 15 to 20% lower than these FTE figures. Read the HLTA salary guide →

HLTAs are typically paid two to four SCP points above Level 3 teaching assistants. The exact starting point is set by the school. Entry-level HLTA positions usually sit at SCP 12 or SCP 13, with experienced HLTAs on the upper range up to SCP 24. See the HLTA pay scale table above. View the HLTA Level 4 course →

The 3.3% award applies to every point, but this guide only publishes the points we can verify against the LGA employer circular for roles a teaching assistant is realistically appointed to. SCP 14 to 23 are mostly senior support, pastoral and administrative grades. The full spine is in the LGA circular linked in the sources.

For local authority schools, yes: teaching assistants, cover supervisors, administrators, technicians and pastoral staff are all graded to the same NJC spine. Academy trusts are not legally bound to it, but most mirror it. SEN teaching assistants are usually graded one or two points above the standard band for the same level, set by the school. How to become an SEN teaching assistant →

Yes. Local authorities inside Greater London add an Inner or Outer London weighting on top of the NJC point, and some fringe authorities add a smaller fringe allowance. The amount is set by the employer and shown in the job advert; our salary guide explains how it changes the headline figure. How much does a teaching assistant earn in the UK? →

Yes. Term-time-only contracts spread annual salary evenly over 12 monthly payments, so you still receive pay through the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays. The formula pays you for term weeks plus a pro-rated share of statutory holiday, which is then divided into 12 equal instalments.

Three things move you up: a higher qualification (Level 3 is usually the entry to SCP 7 and above), extra responsibility such as SEN specialism or cover supervision, and annual increments within your band each April. HLTA status opens SCP 12 and above. Get free course advice →

Using the NJC 2026/27 spine, HLTA-graded roles run from about £15.31 per hour at SCP 12 to £19.47 at SCP 25. Term-time-only contracts don't change the hourly rate: they reduce the number of paid hours across the year.

Yes. School support staff on NJC terms are eligible for the Local Government Pension Scheme, with the employer contributing on top of your salary, and occupational sick pay that increases with service under the NJC Green Book. Academies may set their own, usually similar, terms.

It hasn't been agreed yet. NJC pay is negotiated each year between unions and the Local Government Association, and awards are typically settled in the summer and backdated to 1 April: the 2026/27 award (3.3%) was agreed on 28 August 2026. We update this page when the 2027/28 figure is confirmed.

No. NJC support staff pay is agreed by the National Employers for Local Government Services and published through the Local Government Association and the unions, not on gov.uk. Gov.uk publishes the teachers' pay scales (STPCD) only. The 2026/27 NJC figures are in the table above.