As the Secretary of Education, Damian Hinds, remains silent on the rally outside Parliament to demand more money for schools.

 Having waited almost three months for an announcement on the teacher pay debate, headteachers from the Worth Less? campaign want to ensure that a possible pay increase is funded entirely by the government.

 The lack of funding for sixth forms and to support students with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND), particularly those with “high needs,” has led campaigners to also call for emergency funding.

The protest, which many are hopeful will encourage Mr Hinds to speak upon the matter, is due to commence on September 28^th at Parliament Square. A march to Downing Street to deliver a petition will subsequently take place on the day. In response to the rally, Headteacher and Founder of Worth Less?, Jules White said the event is “completely unprecedented” due to its large scale and the number of heads planning to commute from across the country to support the cause.  

Mr White insists that they are not campaigning for teachers’ pay rise, but for sufficient funding to pay for a fair settlement. In his message to the government, he said: “you will cripple us if you direct us to make (pay) increase without more funding.   “To run a really good school, you need the fundamentals of a strong supply of great teachers and support staff and enough money to fund the wraparound care for students.” He added: “Hundreds of millions has been wasted on structures, governance arrangements and pet projects, which provide little more than a positively spun sound bite to the general public.” While a decision is yet to be made, A DFE spokesperson has confirmed that the government are still considering the STRB report and will respond in due course.