M1 is the entry point of the qualified teacher main pay scale — where every newly qualified teacher (ECT) in England starts unless they have previous service that maps to a higher point. For 2026/27 the M1 salary is £34,068 (England, the 3.5% STRB uplift applies from September 2026). Most M1 teachers are also in their first or second year of teaching and sit on Plan 5 student loan repayment (threshold £25,000), which is why we default the calculator to Plan 5 below.
Below the tool shows your live M1 take-home. Underneath, we've added an M1 → M2 → M3 three-year progression table so you can see what your monthly pay actually does over your first three years — including the Teachers' Pension Scheme contribution that rises from 7.4% to 8.9% when you cross the second tier. For the full M1–M6 scale, see the Teacher Salary Calculator; for the London-weighted points see Inner / Outer London M1+.
Updated for the 2026/27 tax year (M1 England £34,068 including the September 2026 3.5% uplift; TPS tiers from 1 April 2026).
Inner London M1 is higher due to the London weighting uplift.
Most new teachers from 2023 start on Plan 5.
Annual Take-Home Pay (M1)
£0
Monthly: £0
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Weekly: £0
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Effective rate: 0%
Base salary (M1)
£0
TPS rate
0%
TPS contribution
£0
Where Your Money Goes
0%
Take-home
Annual Breakdown (M1)
Teachers' Pension Insights (M1)
TPS Contribution Tiers (2026/27)
Pensionable pay range
Rate
Your contribution
Source: Teachers' Pensions — 3.8% Pensions Increase applied to bands from 1 April 2026. Employer contribution: 28.68% (incl. 0.08% admin levy).
Your first three years: M1 → M2 → M3 (England main scale)
Most teachers move up one main-scale point each September until they reach the top of the main scale (M6). The table below uses our calculator with the 2026/27 England M1–M3 rates, no TLR, no SEN allowance and a Plan 5 loan. The TPS employee rate jumps from 7.4% to 8.9% at M3 because pensionable pay crosses the second contribution tier.
Scale point
Gross salary
TPS contribution
Take-home / year
Take-home / month
M1 (year 1)
£34,068
£2,521 (7.4%)
£26,032
£2,169
M2 (year 2)
£35,430
£2,622 (7.4%)
£26,932
£2,244
M3 (year 3)
£36,851
£3,280 (8.9%)
£27,429
£2,286
The 3.5% September 2026 uplift is already baked into these M figures. Moving M1→M2→M3 adds about £1,397 to your annual take-home over three years, before any TLR, responsibility point or London weighting. Run your own numbers with the calculator above.
Figures generated with the same engine as this calculator (HMRC 2026/27 rates, TPS tiers from 1 April 2026). For illustration only — not financial advice.
How the Teacher M1 take-home calculation works
The calculator builds your net (take-home) pay in four steps, using 2026/27 rates:
Start with the M1 point. The entry main pay scale salary (England & Wales M1 for 2026/27).
Apply Income Tax. UK bands 20% / 40% / 45% apply, with the Personal Allowance tapering above £100,000.
Deduct National Insurance. Class 1 NI uses UK-wide thresholds and rates (8% main / 2% above the upper earnings limit).
Subtract pension and student loan. The Teachers' Pension Scheme is deducted via net pay; a Plan 2 loan repays 9% above £29,385.
UK Income Tax bands 2026/27
Band
Rate
Taxable income
Personal Allowance
0%
£0 – £12,570
Basic
20%
£12,571 – £50,270
Higher
40%
£50,271 – £125,140
Additional
45%
£125,141+
The Personal Allowance is withdrawn by £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000, creating an effective 60% marginal rate between £100,000 and £125,140.
Worked examples (standard 1257L, no pension, no loan)
Gross salary
Income tax
NI
Take-home / year
/ month
£25,000
£2,486
£1,512
£21,002
£1,750
£35,000
£4,486
£2,832
£27,682
£2,307
£50,000
£7,486
£4,632
£37,882
£3,157
Figures are rounded estimates for a standard 1257L code with no pension or student loan. Adding the TPS lowers the tax and NI bill further.
2026/27 policy notes for new teachers (M1)
M1 is the entry main pay scale point; the September 2026 uplift applies from the start of the school year.
The Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) is a net pay arrangement, so contributions get full income tax relief automatically.
Most teachers move from M1 to M2 automatically the following September (subject to satisfactory performance), then M2→M3, and so on up to M6. So an M1 is typically a year-1 position. If you join mid-year or with previous teaching service, your school may place you higher — always check your contract's pay policy.
Does M1 include a TLR or responsibility payment?
No. M1 is the bare main-scale point with no TLR (Teaching and Learning Responsibility payment). TLR1 (£9,679–£18,830) and TLR2 (£5,151–£8,776) are added on top for specific responsibilities and would lift both your gross and your pensionable pay. The calculator above lets you model a TLR amount.
Is M1 the same in London and Scotland?
No. The £34,068 figure is England (outside London). Inner London M1 is £43,224 and Outer London M1 is £36,837 for 2026/27 because of the London weighting uplift; Scotland uses the separate SNCT scale (£34,890 M1). See the full Teacher Salary Calculator for every region.
If I go on maternity leave, do I drop back to M1?
No. Statutory maternity pay and occupational maternity pay do not move you down the scale — you return to the point you left. M1 only changes if your school's pay policy sets a different starting point when you return from a break, which is unusual for qualified teachers.
How much student loan comes off M1 pay?
Most new teachers are on Plan 5 (repayment threshold £25,000, 9% above it). On M1 £34,068 that's 9% of £9,068 ≈ £816/year. The calculator defaults to Plan 5; switch to Plan 2 (£29,385) or none using the Student Loan dropdown.