What Do PE Teachers Earn in Primary Schools? A Helpful Guide for School Leaders and Teachers
When we think about what makes a brilliant primary school, we often focus on the core subjects, but high-quality physical education is just as vital. Delivering inspiring PE lessons takes far more than simply setting out cones and organising games. From planning progressive lessons, managing varied abilities, running extracurricular sport, and ensuring pupil safety, PE teachers in primary schools draw on a wide range of skills every day.
With that in mind, it’s only fair to ask: What is the average PE teacher pay in the UK? Whether you’re a senior leader budgeting for next year or a teacher curious about pay across different settings, it helps to know the bigger picture.
What’s the National Pay Scale for Primary PE Teachers?
Most PE teachers in state primary schools are paid according to the national classroom teacher pay scale for England and Wales. As of the 2025/26 academic year, this means:
- M1 (Main Pay Range, new teachers): Around £30,000 – £32,500
- M6 (Experienced classroom teacher): Around £41,000 – £46,000
- Upper Pay Scale (UPS): For more experienced teachers or those with additional responsibilities — typically £46,000 – £52,000
These are ballpark figures; salaries vary slightly by local authority and can include additional leadership or subject responsibility payments.
Regional Differences
Like other teaching roles, pay for PE teachers in primary schools can differ quite a bit across the UK, so it is not a one-size-fits-all for the salaries PE teachers make. Schools in London pay more to account for the higher cost of living, while rural areas or smaller MATs may stick closer to the national minimum.
Here are a few broad examples of how salaries can shift:
- Inner London: Usually £3,000 – £6,000 higher than the national scale.
- Outer London: Slightly less uplift than inner London, but still above the base pay.
- North East & North West: Typically stick closer to the minimum or mid-point of the national pay scale.
- South East & South West: Can vary significantly depending on the local authority and competition for teachers.
What Are TLRs and How Can They Support PE Roles?
In many schools, Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payments are used to recognise and reward teachers who take on additional responsibilities beyond their standard classroom role. For PE teachers, this might include leading the subject across the school, managing sports clubs or fixtures, overseeing the PE and Sport Premium budget, or driving whole-school initiatives around physical activity and wellbeing.
There are three types of Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payments, each designed to reflect the nature and scope of the additional responsibilities a teacher takes on:
· TLR1 and TLR2 are awarded to teachers with ongoing, sustained leadership responsibilities, such as subject leadership or whole-school coordination roles.
· TLR3 is used for short-term or one-off projects, such as leading a school improvement initiative or a time-limited programme.
As of the current pay framework, the values are:
· TLR3: £706 to £3,477
· TLR2: £3,527 to £8,610
· TLR1: £10,173 to £17,215
These payments help recognise the additional time, expertise and impact required from teachers taking on wider roles within the school community.
If a PE teacher effectively acts as the subject lead, planning the curriculum, supporting colleagues, and reporting on progress, a TLR can be a fair way to reflect that leadership. Including a TLR in your staffing structure is also a useful strategy for retaining skilled practitioners and recognising the value of PE within your school.
Independent and International Schools
More and more graduate teachers are looking to work overseas so you might wonder how much does a PE teacher earn in other countries? Independent schools sometimes set their own scales and may offer salaries above or below the national average, depending on size, location and reputation. Some offer benefits such as subsidised accommodation or enhanced CPD budgets to attract high-quality PE specialists.
For those looking to teach abroad, pay can be very different again. Many British international schools align pay with UK national scales, but others pay more, especially in the Middle East and Asia, and may include housing, flights, or health insurance as part of the package.
Attracting and retaining brilliant PE teachers is essential if schools want to deliver an enriching and inclusive curriculum. Understanding what fair physical education teacher pay looks like is part of that. For senior leaders, having clear information on pay helps with planning, budgeting, and recruitment, and for teachers, it can help them feel confident about their next career step.
If you’d like more support planning your PE curriculum or exploring how to get the best value from your PE budget, we’re always here to help.