ASCL responds to EEF teacher workload reports

Commenting on the reports published by the Education Endowment Foundation on teacher workload and flexible working, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“The evidence is clear that the answer to addressing very high levels of teacher workload – one of the main causes of teacher shortages – lies to a large extent with the government.

“The review on managing workload finds that most schools are already adopting most of the available workload reduction strategies and says that attention should now turn to examining the external reasons for teacher workload.

“It says some of the main drivers come from outside the school – primarily from the government and Ofsted – and says that insufficient funding and staff capacity is the top barrier to workload reduction.

“And the ability of schools to offer flexible working opportunities as an approach to staff retention is also affected by financial costs, staff availability and workload.

“It is a vicious circle which always comes back to the same root cause – the government’s terrible record on resourcing the education system over the past 13 years.

“Ministers must accept the evidence and invest in schools, colleges and the workforce.”