HR professionals working in or supporting the education sector should take close note of a significant legal development currently progressing through the House of Lords. The Employment Rights Bill - now at Committee stage - proposes the establishment of a statutory School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB). This new body would have far-reaching implications for pay, terms and conditions, training, and career progression for tens of thousands of school support staff in England’s maintained and academy schools.
The Government’s consultation, launched on 11 June 2025 and open until 18 July 2025, seeks input on three key areas:
Defining who qualifies as ‘school support staff’.
Understanding current pay and conditions.
Considering whether agency workers should fall within the SSSNB’s future remit.
What Is the SSSNB — and why does it matter?
The SSSNB will be a statutory negotiating body, similar in status to the School Teachers’ Review Body, but focused on non-teaching staff. It represents a decisive move toward standardising employment practices for support staff in schools—a group often overlooked in national negotiations.
The body will cover a wide range of roles including administrators, teaching assistants, site managers, IT technicians, and more. Notably, teachers, executive leaders, and staff governed by other negotiating bodies (e.g., Soulbury Committee, Youth Workers under the NJC) are explicitly excluded from its scope.
For HR teams, especially in academy trusts and local authorities, this development signals a likely shift away from locally determined terms and toward national bargaining—with inevitable implications for pay structures, job evaluation frameworks, and contractual flexibility.
Key consultation topics: what HR should consider
1. Who Should Be Included?
The consultation proposes that only staff whose pay isn’t already governed by other national bodies be covered. But it goes further:
Included: Central trust staff (e.g., HR or finance teams) based outside schools but whose roles directly support schools.
Excluded: Executive leaders (e.g., CEOs, CFOs), sixth form college staff, and skilled trades staff governed by alternative pay frameworks.
Action for HR: Audit your current workforce to identify roles likely to be covered. Consider which contracts might be affected and how this may impact recruitment or retention strategies.
2. Understanding current pay frameworks
The Government wants to understand how pay and conditions are currently set, particularly whether employers use the NJC ‘Green Book’ and related pay spines.
They’re asking:
Are NJC pay spines in place?
If not, what alternatives are used?
How are pay points determined (e.g., job evaluation, benchmarking)?
Are there concerns about contractual variations if SSSNB terms override current ones?
Action for HR: Prepare to respond to the consultation with data on your current approach. Begin internal discussions about how national bargaining might affect existing contracts, particularly where bespoke arrangements have been negotiated locally.
3. Should agency workers be included?
Although not part of the current Bill, the consultation raises the possibility of future legislation to include agency workers within the SSSNB’s remit.
That would mean:
Agency contracts must reflect SSSNB-agreed minimum pay and conditions.
Agencies and agency workers would need to be represented on the SSSNB.
Employers would need to justify agency hiring practices within a more regulated framework.
The consultation asks:
Should agency staff be included?
Should this apply only to staff with school-based contracts?
What conditions or limitations should apply?
Would this affect how and when you hire agency workers?
Action for HR: Reflect on your organisation’s reliance on agency workers. Consider the potential impact of increased regulation—especially cost, flexibility, and supply chain considerations.
What HR should do now
With the consultation window closing 18 July 2025, now is the time for HR professionals to:
Engage with the consultation—Submit your organisation’s views via the official consultation portal or through industry bodies such as the LGA, CIPD, or ASCL.
Review employment contracts and policies to assess where changes may be needed if SSSNB terms become binding.
Start internal conversations with finance, operations, and governance teams about long-term workforce planning and budget implications.
Monitor developments, particularly any secondary legislation that may define (or redefine) the scope of the SSSNB after the Bill is enacted.
Final thoughts
The proposed SSSNB is more than just another regulatory layer—it is a potential game changer for how schools and trusts recruit, retain, and manage their vital support workforce. For HR professionals, this is a moment to lead strategically—by shaping the response to the consultation, preparing for change, and ensuring your organisation remains compliant and competitive in a shifting employment landscape.
Need help navigating these changes? HR professionals using platforms like Lex HR can track legislative updates, benchmark policies, and prepare compliant documentation ahead of time.
Don’t forget: Submit your consultation response before 18 July 2025.
