What the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) means for you

If you work with support staff in schools or academy trusts, you’ll likely have heard of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body, or SSSNB. In July 2026, the government published fresh detail on how it will work, who it covers, and when changes take effect.

This blog explains what the SSSNB is, who’s in scope, what the July update confirmed, and what school and trust leaders should do next.

What is the SSSNB?

The SSSNB is a new statutory negotiating body, created under the Employment Rights Act 2025. It brings employer and employee representatives together to negotiate minimum pay and conditions for school support staff in both MATs and state-funded schools in England, and to advise on training and career progression.

It isn’t a disputes body. Schools and employers will continue to manage day-to-day workforce issues themselves.

Once established, the SSSNB will negotiate the next annual pay uplift for support staff. Its first priority is maternity pay – the government says this will be the first national improvement to maternity provision for school support staff in 25 years.

The SSSNB isn’t entirely new, either. It was first set up in 2009, then abolished by the incoming government before its agreements took effect. The government describes the current plans as reinstating the body, but for most school and trust leaders, this will feel like a new approach.

Who counts as school support staff?

The government has confirmed that ‘support staff’ means directly employed staff, other than teachers, who support pupils, school facilities, and school processes, up to and including middle leadership roles. This covers teaching assistants, administrative staff, school business professionals, technicians, catering staff, caretakers, and pastoral support staff.

Academy trust employees working from locations other than a school site are also included – for example, administrative or finance staff based in a trust central office.

Executive leaders and senior non-teaching staff with strategic responsibilities, such as finance directors, are excluded. Agency workers aren’t in scope for now either: the government’s initial focus is on staff directly employed by local authorities, governing bodies, and academy trusts in England.

What did the July 2026 update confirm?

The government published its consultation response in July 2026, following a consultation that ran from 11 June to 18 July 2025. It received 2,891 responses: 2,677 from individual support staff and 214 from organisations including schools, trusts, local authorities, and trade unions. The update confirmed:

• The SSSNB will cover directly employed support staff, other than teachers, up to and including middle leadership roles
• Academy trust staff working away from a school site are included
• Executive leaders and senior strategic staff are excluded
• Agency workers aren’t included at this stage
• Maternity pay will be the first working condition negotiated
• Support staff remain on existing arrangements for the 2026 to 2027 financial year
• The first contract improvements are expected from the 2027 to 2028 financial year at the earliest

Will current pay and conditions be protected?

The SSSNB sets a statutory floor, not a ceiling. Staff already on more favourable terms should keep them. Where terms fall below the new minimum standards, they’re expected to be uplifted to match. Employers can still offer more than the statutory minimum to respond to local needs and labour market conditions.

When will the SSSNB start?

The SSSNB is expected to be formally established in autumn 2026, once secondary legislation is in place. There’s no immediate action required: support staff stay on existing arrangements through the 2026 to 2027 financial year, and the first changes from SSSNB negotiations aren’t expected before 2027 to 2028. The government has said it will publish further guidance in the autumn term to help employers understand which staff are covered.

What academy trusts need to think about

For trusts, the biggest change is that support staff working from central offices, not just school sites, are now confirmed as in scope. Confederation of School Trusts Chief Executive Leora Cruddas said that “the SSSNB must have the trust of both unions and employers if it is to succeed” and that it should properly reflect “the talent and diversity of support staff, and the rich variation of their work across the system”.

As more guidance lands, trusts will need to work out which central roles are covered, how current arrangements compare with the coming minimum standards, and what that means for workforce planning.

What school and trust leaders should do now

There’s no need to act immediately, but this is a good time to prepare:

• Review which directly employed support staff roles could be in scope
• Identify central trust roles that might meet the confirmed definition
• Check your current pay, conditions, and maternity provision for support staff
• Watch for government guidance expected this autumn
• Think through how future minimum standards could interact with your existing arrangements

Getting a clear picture of your current support staff arrangements now will make it easier to respond once the SSSNB’s first proposals land.

How Every HR by IRIS can help

When the SSSNB’s first proposals land, schools and trusts will need to update pay, terms, and policies, and communicate those changes clearly to support staff. Every HR by IRIS keeps employee records, contracts, and policies in one place, so your team can implement changes accurately, communicate them to staff, and keep the records you need to stay compliant, without extra admin.

Discover more about Every HR by IRIS or speak to one of our specialists about how we can support your school or trust through the SSSNB changes.

Simon Freeman

Managing Director for Education

Simon Freeman is Managing Director for Education at IRIS, where he leads the strategic evolution of the organisation’s education portfolio. He is responsible for leading the team to deliver innovative, technology‑led solutions that support schools, multi‑academy trusts and independent institutions worldwide to be more effective, and improve student outcomes.

Driven by a strong commitment to improving outcomes in education, Simon brings extensive senior leadership experience from large‑scale technology and services organisations.

Simon is focused on positioning IRIS as the partner of choice for institutions navigating increasing operational, financial and regulatory complexity.