ATL calls for more admin staff to reduce teacher workload

ATL released a survey of more than 2,200 teachers, senior leaders and support staff from primary and secondary schools and school sixth forms. The survey found 79 per cent of respondents agreed more administration staff would cut workload pressures significantly.

The survey found 81 per cent of teachers and 85 per cent of senior leaders insisted their workload was ‘unimaginable’. Figures also suggest that 77 per cent of teaching staff believe schools should introduce ‘work-life’ balance policies.

Respondents claimed tasks such as attending meetings and data entry analysis were required by head teachers but were ultimately of little benefit to pupils.

Data shows that workload was slightly more manageable in secondary schools than primary schools, with 84 per cent of primary staff considering leaving the profession compared to 80 per cent in secondary schools.

Mary Bousted, ATL general secretary, said: “ATL has developed a workload tracker to help teachers, support staff, school and college managers and other education staff identify the top five things that are taking up their time, so they can check with colleagues common issues in their school or college and try to find solutions.

“We want stories of primary teachers crying from exhaustion on their kitchen floor to become a thing of the past, and an end to teachers being told that working until 11pm every night is just the way it is in teaching.”

Furthermore, 46 per cent of primary school respondents maintained they would spend more time talking to individual pupils or parents, if their workloads were reduced.

Bousted maintained ‘little has improved for school staff’ since the government’s Workload Challenge last year.

She said: “Teachers, support staff and school managers expect they will have to work hard and a heavy workload and stress are nothing new. But the current situation is hugely damaging and unsustainable. The excessive workload is damaging teachers’ health, making many want to leave the profession and means they are often exhausted in class.

“The government needs to acknowledge it is responsible for much of the current workload because staff have to keep re-planning what they are doing to keep up with changes to the curriculum.

“The cruel irony is much of the work school staff are doing is not making them better teachers or improving children’s education, it is photocopying, preparing resources and data analysis. If teachers could free up their time they would be able to spend more time doing things that make the most difference to children’s learning such as actually talking to their pupils and their parents, working with other colleagues and learning from other colleagues’ teaching practice.”

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