Commenting on the publication by the DfE of the Independent
Workload Advisory Group report on data, Chris
Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT –
The Teachers’ Union, said:
“This report confirms the NASUWT’s longstanding concerns about
the unacceptable way in which too many schools use pupil
performance data in teachers’ performance management.
“While pupil assessment data has an important role to play in
teaching and learning, the Advisory Group is correct in its
finding that its use by schools in their performance management
systems is often poor. Teaching is a complex and
multifaceted activity that cannot be reduced to crude targets
based on pupils’ test or assessment outcomes.
“The Advisory Group’s message is clear: schools must stop using
assessment data to deny pay progression to teachers or to call
their competence into question. This data is simply not valid or
reliable enough to be used for highly consequential decisions
about teachers’ performance or their pay. The report notes
rightly that when data is used for this purpose, it often results
in burnout and attrition from the profession.
“There is no excuse for persisting with this debilitating and
entirely irrational practice. The NASUWT will continue to
challenge those schools and employers that choose to do so. The
Union will also press the DfE to take effective action to ensure
that the report’s findings are implemented in full in every
school.”
