UOC – Teachers’ Union Details
🧩 Specialised Teaching & Education-Sector Unions
This guide outlines two key professional unions that support school and college educators, particularly those in leadership or post-16 settings.
1. Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)
📞 Contact Information
- Website: ascl.org.uk
- Telephone: 0116 299 1122 (Membership Enquiries)
💰 Membership Costs (from 1 Jan 2025)
| Role / Category | Annual Fee | Approx. Monthly Cost |
| Executive Head / CEO | £486 | £40.50 |
| Headteacher / Principal / Head of School | £468 | £39.00 |
| Deputy / Vice Principal | £378 | £31.50 |
| Assistant Head / Senior Postholder | £282 | £23.50 |
| Business Manager / Bursar / Senior Support Staff | £258 | £21.50 |
| Associate / Part-Time or Other Roles | £222 or lower | £18.50+ |
🎯 Key Benefits
- Tailored support for senior and strategic leaders across schools, colleges, and trusts.
- Confidential hotline and legal advice for employment, management, and leadership matters.
- Professional development, leadership training, and peer networking opportunities.
- Strong policy representation at national level on behalf of school and college leaders.
⭐ Best For:
Senior leaders, headteachers, and strategic education professionals working in schools, colleges, or multi-academy trusts.
2. University and College Union (UCU)
📞 Contact Information
- Website: ucu.org.uk
- Telephone: 020 7756 2500 (National Office)
💰 Membership Costs (1 Sept 2025 – 31 Aug 2026)
| Salary Band | Approx. Monthly Cost |
| £60,000 and above | £31.54 (+ local levy) |
| £40,000 – £59,999 | £29.50 |
| £30,000 – £39,999 | £25.25 |
| £22,000 – £29,999 | £18.88 |
| £15,000 – £21,999 | £10.48 |
| £5,000 – £14,999 | £4.54 |
| Below £5,000 | £1.00 |
🎯 Key Benefits
- Represents staff in post-16 and higher education: colleges, sixth forms, universities, adult learning.
- Offers collective bargaining, employment law support, and representation for members.
- Focus on workload, pay, and professional conditions.
- Membership fees are income-based and eligible for tax relief.
⭐ Best For:
College lecturers, sixth-form teachers, trainers, and academic staff in further or higher education.
💡 Summary Comparison
| Union | Focus Area | Ideal For | Average Monthly Cost | Main Benefits |
| ASCL | School & College Leadership | Headteachers, SLT, CEOs, Business Managers | £20–£40 | Leadership support, legal advice, national advocacy |
| UCU | Post-16 & Higher Education | College lecturers, sixth-form teachers, HE staff | £5–£30 | Employment protection, workload support, collective voice |
🧩 UK Teaching & Education-Sector Unions
This guide summarises six key UK unions, including contact details, membership costs, and key benefits for educators across schools, colleges, and early years settings.
1. National Education Union (NEU)
📞 Contact Information
- Website: neu.org.uk
- Telephone: 0345 811 8111
💰 Membership Costs
- Standard: ~£22.76/month (~£227.66/year) for full-time (>0.6 FTE)
- Free for students/trainees
- £1 for Early Career Teachers (ECTs) in first year
🎯 Key Benefits
- Advice & representation for workplace issues
- Professional development and training
- Member discounts: insurance, travel, home & IT
2. NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union
📞 Contact Information
- Website: nasuwt.org.uk
- Telephone: 020 7420 9670
💰 Membership Costs
- From 1 Jan 2025: ~£19.36/month (~£232.36/year) for full members
- New teachers may receive free/discounted first-year membership
🎯 Key Benefits
- Legal support and employment law advice
- CPD and training
- Member discounts: motoring, travel, home & garden offers
3. Ulster Teachers’ Union (UTU – Northern Ireland)
📞 Contact Information
- Website: utu.edu
- Telephone: 028 9066 2216
💰 Membership Costs
- Varies by salary/hours; ~£14–£22/month for full-time scale
🎯 Key Benefits
- Representation in Northern Ireland schools
- Legal advice & support
- Insurance & membership-plus discounts
- Field officers visiting schools
4. UCAC (Union of Teachers & Lecturers in Wales)
📞 Contact Information
- Website: athrawon.com
- Telephone: 01970 639950
💰 Membership Costs
- Up to ~£18.25/month depending on hours
- Free for trainee teachers and first-year teachers
🎯 Key Benefits
- Advice/support tailored to Welsh education settings
- Legal/industrial representation
- Field officer support and campaigning for teacher conditions
5. Community Trade Union (Education & Early Years sector)
📞 Contact Information
- Website: community-tu.org
- Main switchboard: +44 131 625 6000
💰 Membership Costs
- From ~£7.13/month for education professionals
🎯 Key Benefits
- Representation for teachers, tutors, lecturers, and early years workers
- Advice, support, and union discounts
- Sector-specific advocacy
6. UNISON (Public Services Union, including education workers)
📞 Contact Information
- Website: unison.org.uk
- Telephone: 0800 0 857 857
💰 Membership Costs
- From £1.30/month for lowest earnings
- Up to ~£22.50/month for higher salaries
🎯 Key Benefits
- Legal advice and help at work and home
- Advice lines and compensation schemes
- Discounts: holidays, retail, and training support
💡 Summary of Costs & Benefits
| Union | Approx. Monthly Cost | Key Benefits |
| NEU | £22.76 | Workplace representation, CPD, discounts |
| NASUWT | £19.36 | Legal support, CPD, member services |
| UTU | £14–£22 | NI-specific representation, legal advice, field officers |
| UCAC | Up to £18.25 | Wales-specific support, legal/industrial representation |
| Community | From £7.13 | Advice, representation, sector advocacy, discounts |
| UNISON | £1.30–£22.50 | Legal help, advice lines, training, discounts |
✅ Key Takeaways
- Costs vary by role, salary, and status (full-time, part-time, trainee).
- Common benefits: representation, legal support, CPD, discounts, and collective bargaining.
Key benefits across unions include:
* Workplace representation (disciplinary, grievance, contract issues)
* Advice lines / legal support
* Professional development / CPD opportunities
* Member discounts on insurance, motoring, travel, high-street offers
* Having a “voice” and collective bargaining power in the education sector
[1]: https://www.tuc.org.uk/unions/neu?utm_source=chatgpt.com “NEU | TUC”
[2]: https://neu.org.uk/membership-subscriptions?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Subscription rates | National Education Union”
[3]: https://neu.org.uk/latest/library/starting-out-teaching?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Starting out in teaching | National Education Union”
[4]: https://www.tuc.org.uk/unions/nasuwt?utm_source=chatgpt.com “NASUWT | TUC”
[5]: https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/about-us/subscriptions.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com “NASUWT | Subscriptions – What You Should Pay”
[6]: https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/about-us/why-join.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com “NASUWT | Why Join NASUWT?”
[7]: https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/about-nasuwt/why-join.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com “NASUWT | Why Join NASUWT?”
[8]: https://www.utu.edu/contact/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Contact”
[9]: https://www.utu.edu/uploads/files/UTU_Subscriptions_22-23.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com “MEMBERSHIP”
[10]: https://www.utu.edu/about/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Ulster Teachers Union – About us”
[11]: https://www.tuc.org.uk/unions/ucac?utm_source=chatgpt.com “UCAC | TUC”
[12]: https://community-tu.org/who-we-are/our-sectors/education-and-early-years/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “The education and early years union | Community Trade Union”
[13]: https://www.union.co.uk/contact?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Contact us | Union”
[14]: https://community-tu.org/who-we-are/our-sectors/education-and-early-years/teachers-tutors-and-lecturers/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “The union for teachers, tutors, and lecturers | Community Trade Union”
[15]: https://www.tuc.org.uk/unions/unison?utm_source=chatgpt.com “UNISON | TUC”
[16]: https://join.testing.unison.org.uk/membership-rates/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “How much does it cost to be a UNISON member? | Join UNISON”
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