Low pay forcing school support staff out of ‘job they love’
Catherine Gaunt
Friday, November 26, 2021
A quarter of school support staff have taken on second, or even third jobs, to make ends meet, findings from a survey by Unison suggests, with the union warning of an exodus from the sector.
More than 4 in 10 (42 per cent) of teaching assistants, caretakers, cleaners, and other school support staff, are currently looking for other better-paid jobs due to low pay and the rising cost of living.
The findings reveal an overwhelming majority (96 per cent) say the rate of pay for their school job isn’t enough for them to cope with rising costs. Three in ten (31 per cent) say they only take home between £1,000 and £1,199 each month. A similar proportion earn less than £1,000 a month.
More than two thirds of survey respondents (71 per cent) were worried about paying utility bills and council tax, with just under half (47 per cent) worried about paying the mortgage or rent.
Four in ten (41 per cent) said they’ve had to cut back on spending and 35 per cent have borrowed money from friends and family just to get by.
According to the findings, 22 per cent of respondents had taken on an extra job and 3 per cent had two extra jobs.
Some said they’ve had to sell possessions online, others are working in nail bars, call centres, bars, restaurants and supermarkets, in addition to their job in school.
One respondent said, ‘I have taken on jobs in the gig economy, primarily food delivery. Often I can spend all weekend working to earn about an additional £100, without which I cannot sustain my family. The knock-on effect of that has been me neglecting my child and their needs. It has put strains on my relationship and is having a heavy impact on my mental health.’
More than two fifths (42 per cent) said they were actively looking for better paid work elsewhere. When asked what industries they had been looking in, the following responses were given:
Source: School support staff pay survey 2021, Unison
Comments left by school support staff who took part in the survey highlight the impact of the rising cost of living on them and their families.
Some school employees said they were living with no heating or hot water because of broken boilers they could not afford to fix, while others are relying on food banks.
Some said they were struggling with the cost of childcare, which one respondent said was ‘half their wages’.
‘I cannot even pay my rent on my wages. I am renting a tiny two-bedroom place for £1,100 a month with my husband who has cancer and cannot work full time,’ said another.
Another respondent said, ‘As a single person, I am just over the threshold for any financial help from the government and struggle to keep on top of bills. I panic whenever I have to visit the dentist or optician.’
‘I can only cope financially as my youngest son, who is 25, is still living at home. He contributes 50 per cent towards all the bills and groceries. When he eventually moves out, I have serious fears about how I’ll cope,’ said another.
A total of 6,398 school support staff responded to the online Unison survey between 3 and 12 November.
Most responses came from staff working in primary schools (59 per cent), with 27 per cent in secondary schools, 10 per cent in special schools, 3 per cent in nurseries and 1 per cent in pupil referral units.
The release of the survey findings coincides with Unison’s Stars in our Schools celebration of school support staff today (Friday), which thousands of schools across the UK are taking part in.
Unison assistant general secretary Jon Richards, said, ‘School support staff are a dedicated workforce who go the extra mile every day and work incredibly hard. Schools couldn’t operate without them. But many have reached a point where they simply can’t afford to stay in the job they love.
‘Schools risk an exodus of support staff, as people reluctantly seek better-paid jobs. This is a terrible state of affairs, given the tireless work of support staff throughout the pandemic, ensuring schools remained open and free school meals were still provided.
‘But the rising cost of bills, food and travel means many of the stars in our schools risk falling into serious debt or losing their homes. They simply don’t earn enough for the incredible job they do. The government must make extra money available to enable schools to keep the support staff they’re so dependent upon by paying them properly.’
Unison is currently balloting school support staff over possible strike action on a 1.75 per cent pay offer put forward by the local government employers. The consumer price index rate of inflation currently stands at 4.2 per cent.
The value of school support staff pay has been declining for a decade and for many it’s now 25 per cent lower than in 2010, according to Unison.
- The School support staff pay survey 2021 report is available here
