Kent Scheme Pay (including Pay Strategy)

Annual Kent Scheme Pay Award

We were not able to reach agreement with our recognised Trade Unions on the overall pay award, as part of the local pay bargaining process.

Kent Scheme Pay Award Information for Schools

KSA has increased to £12.71 per hour or £24,513 per annum, to reflect and continue to exceed both the rising National Living and Foundation (real) Living Wage. This represents a 5% increase to KSA.

The Kent Scheme pay bands have been increased at the top by 3%. Exceptions to this are KSA to KSD, which have been increased by a higher percentage to maintain our pay policy principles and to accommodate the increase at KSA.

The new grade bandings apply to Voluntary Controlled and Community Schools. Where a school does not follow the KCC pay award timeline - an appropriate pay policy needs to be in place. In any event, schools cannot pay beneath the new statutory minimum from 1 April 2025, as has been the case in previous years. Foundation and Voluntary Aided schools are not obliged to follow Kent Scheme Pay and Progression.

View the Kent Scheme Pay Scale for 2025-26 here (PDF, 14.9 KB)

Pay and Progression for Kent Scheme Terms and Conditions

As part of the KCC’s new pay strategy, all staff will transition to the new pay structure on 1^st April 2025.

However, KCC has decided there are some circumstances where the 2025/2026 pay award will be withheld on 1^st April for staff as follows:

• Those with a live disciplinary warning at 31^st March 2025, providing it hasn’t already impacted on the 2024/25 TCP rating
• Those in a formal performance (non-health related) process on 31^st March 2025.
• Those who have been in a formal performance process (non-health related) during 2024-2025 which concluded before 31^st March 2025, but have not shown sustained performance for at least 6 months after the formal process closed. Once 6 months of sustained performance has been achieved, your manager or Head Teacher will liase with their payroll to apply the pay award from this date (the pay award will not be backdated).

From April 2025 onwards, the updated rules on pay and progression apply.

The above is based on an April pay cycle so relevant dates will need to apply for a September pay cycle.

Performance Assessments

We recommend you discuss your performance assessment with your manager, to understand how you have performed and can reflect on the difference you have made. It also provides an opportunity to identify performance objectives, discuss what good performance looks like and what development, performance and wellbeing support you may need throughout the year.

Pay Progression for Kent School employees employed on Kent Scheme Terms and Conditions

Every school should have a pay policy explaining how pay progression operates for teaching and support staff. HR Connect has produced a model pay policy for schools which can be viewed by contacting hradvisory@hrconnect.org.uk. The Local Authority expects that all Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools will use the model document as the basis of their Pay Policy.

Please refer to the Managing and Supporting Performance Guidance for Schools (PDF, 157.1 KB) and Pay and Progression Rules for Schools (PDF, 256.6 KB) for further details.

Pay and Progression, Managing and Supporting Performance and Allowances Documents