Welsh Ministers have made the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions (Wales) Order 2026, establishing the statutory basis for teachers’ remuneration and specified employment conditions in Wales. The instrument was made on 4 February 2026 and comes into force on 6 March 2026. It applies to “school teachers” as defined in sections 122(3) to 122(6) of the Education Act 2002 and is signed by Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education.
The Order is made under powers in sections 122(1), 123 and 124 of the Education Act 2002, functions now exercised by the Welsh Ministers following the Welsh Ministers (Transfer of Functions) Order 2018. Its legal effect is targeted: for the purposes of determining pay and other conditions related to professional duties and working time, only the provisions set out in section 2 of the relevant pay document have effect.
Two revised versions of the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions (Wales) Document 2025/26 are specified. The “revised – February 2026” version governs the period from 1 September 2025 to 7 March 2026. From 8 March 2026, it is replaced by the “revised – March 2026” version. This sequencing allows schools to rely on the February text for the first part of the 2025/26 academic year and then adopt the March text without overlap.
The instrument provides limited retrospective effect, permitted by section 123(3) of the 2002 Act. Practically, this means pay determinations and applicable employment conditions must be applied from 1 September 2025 in accordance with the February 2026 revision, even though the Order itself starts on 6 March 2026. From 8 March 2026, the March 2026 revision must be used.
For payroll and HR teams, the operational steps are clear. Ensure that all payments, allowances and pay points up to and including 7 March 2026 align with the February 2026 revision. Update systems and contractual references so that, from 8 March 2026, determinations reflect the March 2026 revision. Schools should check that directed time calculations and statements of particulars match the version in force for the relevant dates.
The scope of the Order is specific. It applies to school teachers in Wales and concerns remuneration and other conditions that relate to professional duties and working time; it does not create wider employment obligations beyond those purposes. The document referred to contains guidance alongside the legal provisions, but only section 2 of each named revision has statutory effect via this Order.
Process requirements have been followed. In accordance with section 126 of the Education Act 2002, the Welsh Ministers consulted such persons and bodies as appeared appropriate before making the instrument. The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on Regulatory Impact Assessments was applied and a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared, setting out likely costs and benefits of compliance.
To avoid concurrent frameworks, the Order revokes the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions (Wales) Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/1016 (W.176)). The revised 2025/26 document therefore sits on a single statutory footing for the periods specified. The two named revisions are published on the Welsh Government site (gov.wales/teaching-and-leadership). Copies of the regulatory impact assessment can be obtained from the School Practitioner Division, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ.