Supporting teachers to reduce workload

Today’s Education in the Media looks at teacher workload and fire safety guidance.

Teacher Workload

Today, Wednesday 18 September, the UCL Institute of Education and the Nuffield Foundation published a report on teacher workload. The report says that teacher workload is too high and that one in four teachers works a 60 hour week. 

The new Ofsted framework will specifically address teacher workload, with inspectors considering staff workload as part of the leadership and management judgement.

We have also updated our practical resources to support schools to tackle workload issues.

A Department for Education spokesperson said:

As today’s report shows, the number of hours teachers work has remained broadly unchanged over the last 25 years. We have, however, been making concerted efforts to reduce workload driven by unnecessary tasks – 94% of surveyed school leaders report they have taken action to reduce workload related to marking and more than three-quarters say they have addressed planning workload.

And we will continue our work with the sector to drive down on these burdensome tasks outside the classroom so that teachers are free to do what they do best – teach.

Salaries for new teachers are also set to rise to £30,000 by 2022-23 and, this year, teachers and heads can receive a pay rise of 2.75% – above current rates of inflation. We have also launched the Early Career Framework to ensure newly qualified teachers are provided with early career support and development, including mentoring.

Fire Safety

Today, the Guardian published a piece based on insurance by Zurich Insurance which claims that two-thirds of schools in England have below par fire-protection systems.

A Department for Education spokesperson said:

Schools are fundamentally safe places, designed to be evacuated as quickly as possible in the event of a fire.

All schools are required to have an up-to-date Fire Risk Assessment and to conduct regular fire drills – and all new school buildings must be signed-off by an inspector to certify that they meet the requirements of building regulations. Where sprinklers are considered necessary, they must be installed.

https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2019/09/18/supporting-teachers-to-reduce-workload/