If you work with support staff in schools, you may have heard of the School Support Staff Negotiating Group (SSSNB).
The new forum is being set up as part of major changes introduced by the Employment Reforms Act 2025.
If you have questions about the SSSNB, this blog is for you. It looks at who is affected by the SSSNB, how it will work and when it will come into effect. It also explains how the organization fits into the wider law.
Why SSSNB is important for maintained schools and academies
The SSSNB is expected to have far-reaching effects. This appears as one of the sectoral measures in the Employment Rights Act, alongside other reforms aimed at job security and fair wages. Together they form part of the wider government’s Make Work Pay initiative.
Currently, the more than 800,000 school or academy support staff do not have a dedicated national forum where they can negotiate salaries, terms and conditions and basic conditions. Rather, they rely on local arrangements or the National Joint Council (NJC) framework. However, this organization was not designed with the school environment in mind.
Soon things will change. The Employment Rights Act 2025 authorizes the SSSNB to bring together employer and employee representatives to agree on the minimum conditions that each support staff member should receive. Once an agreement is reached, the Secretary of State ratifies it, and these protections are then written directly into the employment contracts of the managed schools and academies. It is also important to note that the new law prevents new minimums set by SSSNB from worsening the rights of existing staff.
Did the SSSNB not exist before?
This is indeed the case, but only briefly. It was created in 2009, before the new government abolished it. This meant that none of his agreements came into effect.
So even if the government says it is restoring the body, for all intents and purposes it will look like a change, even to those who went to school fifteen or more years ago.
Who counts as “school support staff” according to the SSSNB?
Under the Employment Rights Act, school “support staff” means anyone who is not a teacher. They must be employed by a maintained school or academy and work entirely at the school.
They include, but are not limited to:
- Office staff
- Business leaders
- Technicians
- Pastoral conduct
- The construction teams
- Cleaners
- Catering staff
If you are looking for further clarity, final details of who should be included will be revealed when the results of a consultation are announced (see the section on timelines below).
How will SSSNB work with school support staff and employers?
Everything is not yet decided. However, at this point we have a pretty good understanding of how SSSNB will work with staff representatives.
Essentially, school support staff and employer representatives will come together to agree the minimum wage and terms and conditions for school support staff.
As the SSSNB is established under the Employment Rights Act 2025, it operates under its own statutory framework rather than the NJC provisions traditionally used for support staff.
The Secretary of State has the authority to refer questions to the SSSNB. They can also ratify agreements between school staff and employer representatives via regulations.
Ultimately, this aims to improve the situation of staff. It cannot be used to make their situation worse or prevent employers from offering better than the minimum.
You should also know that there is a possibility for the Secretary of State to define training and career development via this body.
The calendar: when will the SSSNB start?
At this time, we know that school support staff will remain in their current arrangement for 2026-2027. Things won’t change until 2027-2028 at the earliest. In this way, secondary legislation can be passed, the body can be established and a transition can be put in place, moving the processes away from the NJC framework.
A public consultation considered the scope of who should be included, as well as pay and conditions. The results have not yet been released, but many have insisted that the top teams from the university trusts should not be included.
How does the SSSNB fit into the wider Employment Rights Act?
As we mentioned earlier, this body was established under the Employment Rights Act. The ambition is to increase work safety, improve wages and labor rights.
Other areas addressed by the Employment Rights Act are:
- Zero hour contracts
- What’s called “fire and rehire”
- Reduce the waiting period in the event of unfair dismissal to six months
- Making statutory sick pay available from day one
- Offer new rights, such as paternity from day one and unpaid parental leave
- The creation of the Fair Work Agency
What does the SSSNB mean for maintained schools and academies?
Clarifications will be provided by the SSSNB. You will have a national minimum ‘floor’ for the pay and working conditions of school support staff. These will come from a process and body specifically designed for schools, as opposed to local government.
But remember: anything considered a contractual right cannot be reduced. You either meet these requirements or exceed them. This provides preserved local flexibility.
If you are currently using the NJC as a reference point, you may wish to map against the SSSNB guidelines once they are released.
Discover IRIS HR solutions
There’s never been a more important time to get organized. Find out how IRIS can help you provide best-in-class HR and payroll support to your back office staff.
And talk to our specialists about our HR services for schools HR-DP@iris.co.uk
News
Berita Teknologi
Berita Olahraga
Sports news
sports
Motivation
football prediction
technology
Berita Technologi
Berita Terkini
Tempat Wisata
News Flash
Football
Gaming
Game News
Gamers
Jasa Artikel
Jasa Backlink
Agen234
Agen234
Agen234
Resep
Cek Ongkir Cargo
Download Film
Situs berita olahraga khusus sepak bola adalah platform digital yang fokus menyajikan informasi, berita, dan analisis terkait dunia sepak bola. Sering menyajikan liputan mendalam tentang liga-liga utama dunia seperti Liga Inggris, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, dan kompetisi internasional seperti Liga Champions serta Piala Dunia. Anda juga bisa menemukan opini ahli, highlight video, hingga berita terkini mengenai perkembangan dalam sepak bola.