Kate Hepplewhite
Teacher workload has long been a topic of discussion in the education world: from teaching unions to news outlets, social media to government documentation, it’s maintained a steady amount of coverage.
The National Foundation for Educational Research’s (NFER) latest report found that teacher retention and recruitment is suffering, largely in part due to the increasing pressures of teacher workload, in spite of the previous government’s pledge to make reduction a priority (NFER, 2024).
The Department for Education’s (DfE) Workload Reduction Taskforce Document, released in January 2024, is a key piece of literature when looking at how the government are planning to reduce teacher workload. You can find the link at the bottom of this post – if you are a teacher or working in education, it will be of great importance to you.
What is the document all about?
The document stems from a previous review group back in 2016, whereby it was decided teacher workload could be reduced in three key areas: marking, planning and data management. The aim is to reduce teachers’ workload by “five hours per week within three years”, scrapping laborious administrative tasks and instead placing focus and efforts back into teaching.
In September and October of 2023, meetings took place to look further at the initial recommendations, involving a taskforce including various teachers’ union representatives and the Minister of State for Schools, Damian Hind.
Key Points from the document
Perhaps the key takeaway from this document is the section at the end, which lists 23 administrative tasks which teachers should not be required to do. These include:
“1. Managing data and transferring data about pupils into school management systems (e.g. Question Level Analysis) or printing electronic records for paper filing.
2. Reformatting data or re-entry of data into multiple systems.
3. Production of photographic evidence of practical lessons e.g. for assessment purposes or to ‘evidence’ learning.
4. Creation or duplication of files and paperwork perceived to be required in anticipation of inspection, such as copies of evidence portfolios, or regularly updated seating plans.
5. Administration or data analysis relating to wraparound care and preparation of food / meals.
6. Administration of public and internal examinations.
7. Collating pupil reports e.g. reports of pupil examination results.
8. Producing and collating analyses of attendance figures.
9. Investigating a pupil’s absence.
10.Responsibility for producing, copying, uploading and distributing bulk communications to parents and pupils, including standard letters, school policies, posts on electronic platforms.
11.Administration relating to school visits, trips and residentials (including booking venues, collecting forms and recording lunch requirements) and of work experience (but not selecting placements and supporting pupils by advice or visits).
12.Organisation, decoration and assembly of the physical classroom space e.g. moving classrooms, moving classroom furniture, putting up and taking down classroom displays.
13.Ordering, setting up and maintaining ICT equipment, software, and virtual learning environments (VLEs), including adding pupils to VLEs and online subscription platforms.
14.Ordering supplies and equipment.
15.Cataloguing, preparing, issuing, stocktaking, and maintaining materials and equipment, or logging the absence of such.
16.Collecting money from pupils and parents.
17.Administration of cover for absent teachers.
18.Co-ordinating and submitting bids (for funding, school status and the like).
19.Administration of medical consent forms and administering of medication on a routine or day-to-day basis.
20.Taking, copying, distributing or typing up notes (e.g. verbatim notes) or producing formal minutes.
21.Producing class lists or physical copies of context sheets.
22.Keeping and filing paper or electronic records and data e.g. in school management systems or physical office files.
23.Bulk photocopying.”
As an ex primary school teacher looking at this list, I remember completing every single one over the five years I worked in a school. Some would be required daily (3. Producing photographic evidence of learning), some weekly (23. Bulk photocopying) and others on a more ad hoc basis (12. Decoration of the classroom). Not only did they increase my working hours quite drastically, but many of the tasks could also be mentally strenuous, and sometimes take me out of my comfort zone – number 11, for example, requiring teachers to produce documents related to school trips and the legalities around health and safety that coincide with this. I was never shown how to complete such forms, yet I knew how vital it was to get all of the information correct and how the school (and myself!) could be held liable if things didn’t go to plan.
Interestingly, many of the tasks listed above do not necessarily link to the original statement within the document of “reducing workload in marking, planning and data management.” This highlights further how many tasks teachers are currently completing outside of those key areas!
If not teachers…then who?
Whilst the document is very specific about the tasks teachers should not be completing, it does tend to leave a significant question on everyone’s lips; if teachers are not to complete these tasks, then who will be?
The School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (DfE, 2023a) claims that “many activities in schools require a mixture of professional and administrative input.” Historically, teaching assistants would complete many of the tasks on the list. Yet teaching assistants now take on a much more multifaceted role (Zhao et al, 2022) and are more heavily involved in pedagogical practise, particularly post Covid (Hall and Webster, 2023). This means there is less time within their working hours to complete such administrative tasks.
With school funding decreasing for many schools, particularly in primary and EYFS settings (Financial Times, 2023), it suggests the chances of employing additional administration staff to complete these tasks are drastically reduced. So, without extra paid teaching assistant hours or administration staff – who will complete these tasks if teachers don’t? This remains to be answered.
Scrapping Performance Related Pay (PRP) as we know it …
Another key takeaway from this document is the abolition of PRP in the UK. Initially introduced in 2014, it required teachers to “prove” they had met the standards required by the school, usually through a heavy evidence-based system, if they were to achieve a pay increase. This added many hours onto a teacher’s workload, to simply show what they were already doing and evidencing daily. The School Teacher’s Review Body (DfE, 2023b) themselves said the “burden of administering it [PRP] exceeds any benefit that it is achieving”.
Instead, schools will be able to choose their own method to determine pay rises. This was said to be implemented by the beginning of the academic year 2024-2025, so it will be interesting to see how this pans out.
Final Thoughts …
With the formation of a new government in July 2024, new policies and plans have, and will continue to be, released. It is uncertain yet whether all of the document will be adhered to, or if this will be revised again. After being appointed as the new Secretary of Education, Bridget Phillipson has said “I want this moment to mark a reset in our relationship: under this new government, education will once again be at the heart of change and the forefront of national life.” Will this involve reducing teacher workload? For now, we’ll have to wait and see …
Here is a link to the Workload Reduction Taskforce’s Initial Recommendations.
References:
DfE. (2023a). Teachers Pay and Conditions Document.“Annex 5 – list of administrative that teachers should not be expected to undertake The School.” Available at: https://rb.gy/u16y5k [Accessed: 25th July 2024].
DfE. (2023b) The School Teachers Review Body 33rd Report. Available at: https://shorturl.at/NQzmL. [Accessed: 25th July 2024].
Financial Times (2023) “Falling pupil numbers add to primary school budget pressures in England.” Available at: https://rb.gy/jc1kna [Accessed: 25th July 2024)]
Hall and Webster, 2023, ‘It’s properly changed, and I think it’s going to continue.’ How the pandemic and the cost of living crisis remade the teaching assistant role.” Available at: https://rb.gy/ckps81 [Accessed: 25th July 2024].
National Foundation for Educational Research, (2024), “Teacher recruitment and retention crisis shows no signs of abating, new report reveals.” https://rb.gy/hjlrs0 [Accessed: 25th July 2024].
Phillipson, B. (2024). Letter to the education workforce from Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. Available at: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/07/08/letter-to-the-education-workforce-from-education-secretary-bridget-phillipson/ [Accessed: 25th July 2024]
Zhao, Y., Rose, R., & Shevlin, M. (2022). Paraprofessional support in Irish schools: From special needs assistants to inclusion support assistants. In R. Webster & A. de Boer (Eds.), Teaching assistants, inclusion and special educational needs. International perspectives on the role of paraprofessionals in schools (pp. 11–28). Routledge.
