Shape the Future: Have Your Say on the School Support Staff Negotiating Body

The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a crucial consultation on the Setting up the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB), inviting views from a wide range of stakeholders across England. This body is set to become the dedicated forum for negotiating pay, terms, conditions, training, and career progression for school support staff in all state-funded schools. The consultation, which opened on 11 June 2025, is a vital opportunity to influence how the SSSNB operates and how it will help achieve the government’s "Plan to Make Work Pay and Opportunity Mission".

Defining 'school support staff': A key area of focus

A particularly significant aspect of this consultation is the definition of 'school support staff'. The DfE is seeking to refine this definition, with notable implications for central academy trust roles. Previously, chief executives and central team staff could fall within the definition of support staff under legislation. However, the government is now proposing to remove roles such as CEOs, COOs, and CFOs from this definition. The consultation documents acknowledge that these roles "have distinct characteristics and needs that differ from those of support staff".

Conversely, the DfE plans to include other central trust staff within the SSSNB's scope. This means that HR officers or administrative staff working from a head office, whose work would otherwise be in scope, and those carrying out work in other locations such as maintained schools, would be brought into the definition. This clarifies and potentially broadens the scope for many central operational and administrative roles within trusts, while narrowing it for executive leadership.

Other critical consultation areas

Beyond the definition of 'school support staff', the consultation is gathering evidence and views on:

• Current pay and conditions arrangements for school support staff, which will help inform the transition to the new system.
• Whether to include agency workers within the scope of the SSSNB in future legislation.

The DfE believes including agency workers could mean their contracts would need to change, entitling them to "at least the minimum pay, and the core conditions agreed for support staff," and they would also need representation on the body.

While the SSSNB will determine the precise way it operates and sets pay once launched, this consultation is fundamental to its setup.

Your input is essential

The DfE stresses that the views of school support staff, school leaders, employers, and the wider sector are crucial for shaping the SSSNB's effectiveness. This consultation is aimed at a diverse audience, including headteachers, governors, school support staff, local authorities, governing bodies and academy trusts, and employers. Your participation is vital to ensure that the transition to the SSSNB "does not disadvantage school support staff or move them onto less favourable terms".

The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 18 July 2025. Don't miss this opportunity to provide your insights and help shape the future of pay, conditions, training, and career progression for school support staff across England. Please click here to participate.