Academy trust payroll, with the schools' rules worked in.
Paying school staff brings rules an ordinary payroll doesn't know: pay ranges and spines with increments and backdated awards, term-time contracts, the Burgundy Book and Green Book sick and maternity schemes, and two public service pension schemes with their own rates and returns. This guide sets them out, with what changes in 2027.
Sick pay: the Burgundy Book and the Green Book
Most teachers' sick pay follows the Burgundy Book scheme, and support staff's the NJC Green Book. Both are minimums: an employer can give more.
| Service | Teachers (Burgundy Book) | Support staff (Green Book) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year | 25 working days' full pay; after 4 months' service, 50 working days' half pay | 1 month's full pay; after 4 months' service, 2 months' half pay |
| 2nd year | 50 working days' full pay and 50 half pay | 2 months' full pay and 2 months' half pay |
| 3rd year | 75 working days' full pay and 75 half pay | 4 months' full pay and 4 months' half pay |
| 4th and 5th years | 100 working days' full pay and 100 half pay | 5 months' full pay and 5 months' half pay |
| After 5 years | 100 working days' full pay and 100 half pay | 6 months' full pay and 6 months' half pay |
The Burgundy Book counts working days in a sick leave year from 1 April to 31 March. The Green Book looks back over the 12 months before the first day of sickness, and takes the sickness already paid in that time off the entitlement.
Maternity pay
Both schemes pay occupational maternity pay to staff with at least a year's continuous service before the baby is due, with statutory maternity pay (SMP) included. The half-pay weeks are paid on condition that the employee returns to work afterwards.
| Teachers (Burgundy Book) | Support staff (Green Book) | |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1 to 4 | Full pay | 90% of a week's pay |
| Weeks 5 and 6 | 90% of a week's pay | 90% of a week's pay |
| Weeks 7 to 18 | Half pay plus SMP | Half pay plus SMP |
| Weeks 19 to 39 | SMP | SMP |
In February 2026 the government pledged eight weeks of full maternity pay for teachers and leaders from the 2027 to 2028 academic year, with equivalent improvements for support staff to be negotiated by the new School Support Staff Negotiating Body. The details weren't final when this guide was checked.
Pensions: the TPS and the LGPS
Teachers are in the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) and support staff in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Each has its own contribution rates and its own monthly returns.
| Teachers' Pension Scheme | Local Government Pension Scheme | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Teachers | Support staff |
| Employee rate | By salary tier (the tiers are under review) | 5.5% to 12.5%, by band of actual pensionable pay |
| Employer rate | 28.6% until March 2027, then 17.6% from April 2027 | Set for each employer by its pension fund |
| Returns | Monthly figures to Teachers' Pensions, and the end-of-year figures | Monthly data to the fund, often as an i-Connect file |
The TPS employer rate falls from April 2027, and schools' funding is reduced to match, by about £3 billion in 2027 to 2028, so budgets need both changes.
The LGPS bands for 2026/27, from 1 April 2026:
| Actual pensionable pay | Main section | 50/50 section |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £18,400 | 5.5% | 2.75% |
| £18,401 to £29,000 | 5.8% | 2.9% |
| £29,001 to £47,300 | 6.5% | 3.25% |
| £47,301 to £59,800 | 6.8% | 3.4% |
| £59,801 to £84,000 | 8.5% | 4.25% |
| £84,001 to £119,100 | 9.9% | 4.95% |
| £119,101 to £140,400 | 10.5% | 5.25% |
| £140,401 to £210,700 | 11.4% | 5.7% |
| £210,701 or more | 12.5% | 6.25% |
During sick leave or maternity leave on reduced or no pay, LGPS members keep building pension on assumed pensionable pay, worked out from their pay before the absence.
Pay ranges, spines and term-time pay
Teachers are paid on the pay ranges in the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document, where the trust follows it, and support staff on the NJC pay spine or the trust's own grades. Pay awards are often agreed after the date they apply from, so they're paid with arrears back to that date.
- Increments on the date your pay policy sets, with part periods paid at the right point
- Backdated pay awards worked out for each person, from the date they apply
- Term-time-only support staff paid for the weeks they work plus their holiday, spread over the year
- Allowances such as teaching and learning responsibility payments alongside the salary
Running payroll across a trust
A trust runs one payroll for staff in several academies, but each academy's budget needs its own pay costs. With each academy set up as a department, every confirmed pay run posts its costs to the books by academy, and the Income Statement and Trial Balance can be run for one academy or all of them.
Academy payroll in Clients Assistant
Put staff on a pay spine point or a spot salary, and each pay run works out their pay from it, including part periods, increments and backdated pay awards. Contract terms carry the sick pay, maternity pay and pension scheme each person is on, so the right scheme is used when they're off sick or on maternity leave, and a scheme's bands can be updated when national terms change.
- Pay spines, grades, annual increments and pay awards
- Allowances, and term-time pay for support staff
- Burgundy Book and Green Book sick pay and maternity pay
- Teachers' Pension contributions by tier, with the monthly and end-of-year figures
- LGPS contributions by band, assumed pensionable pay and i-Connect files
- Posts, reporting lines and the budgeted establishment
- Each academy's pay costs in the books, with reports by academy
Payroll is £6 + VAT a month including 5 employees, then £1.50 + VAT a month for each extra employee paid. Payroll + HR is £12 + VAT a month including 5 employees, then £2.50 + VAT a month for each extra one. Up to 2 employees paid in a month is free.
Questions people ask
Not at present: maintained schools follow national pay and conditions, while academies can set their own. Many follow the national schemes, and staff who moved across when a school converted keep their terms. The schools bill would require academies to follow national pay and conditions for teachers and leaders.
In the first year, 25 working days at full pay and, after 4 months' service, 50 at half pay. That rises to 50 and 50 in the second year, 75 and 75 in the third, and 100 days at full pay and 100 at half pay from the fourth year. The sick leave year runs from 1 April to 31 March.
In the first year, 1 month at full pay and, after 4 months' service, 2 months at half pay. Then 2 and 2 months in the second year, 4 and 4 in the third, 5 and 5 in the fourth and fifth, and 6 months at full pay and 6 at half pay after five years, less any sickness paid in the previous 12 months.
Under the Burgundy Book, 4 weeks at full pay, 2 weeks at 90% of a week's pay, 12 weeks at half pay plus SMP, then SMP. The government has pledged eight weeks at full pay for teachers and leaders from the 2027 to 2028 academic year.
28.6% until March 2027. From April 2027 it falls to 17.6%, and schools' funding is reduced to match.
Members pay 5.5% to 12.5% of their pay, by band of actual pensionable pay, or half that in the 50/50 section. The employer's rate is set for each employer by its pension fund.
Yes. Set each academy up as a department and each pay run's costs go to the books by academy, with the Income Statement and Trial Balance for one academy or the whole trust.
Usually for the weeks they work plus their holiday entitlement, spread evenly over the year so their monthly pay stays the same during the school holidays.
Checked against GOV.UK and the sources below on 10 November 2026. Sources: Teachers' Pension employer contributions: funding adjustment methodology (GOV.UK, 8 July 2026); Sick pay scheme for teachers (Burgundy Book), Dorset Council; Sick pay scheme for support staff (Green Book), Dorset Council; DfE pledges eight weeks' full maternity pay for school staff (Schools Week, 19 February 2026); 2026/27 employee contribution rates published (Buckinghamshire Pension Fund, 18 March 2026).
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