Alma Economics supported the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body (IWPRB) in delivering its Seventh Remit report (2026), providing analytical expertise to inform recommendations on teachers’ and school leaders’ pay in Wales. The project was undertaken against a backdrop of education reforms and ongoing challenges in teacher recruitment and retention.

We developed a robust, multi-faceted evidence base combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. This included detailed analysis of workforce datasets, recruitment and retention patterns, and pay comparators across Wales and the UK. We also assessed macroeconomic trends such as inflation and earnings growth, alongside public sector pay awards, to ensure recommendations were grounded in the wider economic context. This analysis was complemented by synthesis of stakeholder evidence from unions, employers and the Welsh Government and comparative assessment of total reward and labour market competitiveness.

Our work directly underpinned the IWPRB’s recommendations, including proposed pay uplifts and wider reforms to pay structures and workforce conditions. The report informs Welsh Government decisions on teacher pay and contributes to shaping long-term workforce policy, supporting the sustainability and attractiveness of the teaching profession in Wales.

Read the report here.