Today (Friday 5th March 2021), school leaders’ union
NAHT releases findings from a recent survey of their members on
working hours and in-school attendance.
The survey, which had 3,328 responses from school leaders,
revealed that:
- Virtually all (96%) school leaders have been working in
school, since the beginning of this term;
- Almost half (49%) of respondents reported that the vast
majority (81-100%) of their staff worked on-site during the week
surveyed;
- Almost two thirds (64%) of school leaders surveyed indicated
that they have worked on average at least 6 additional hours per
week since the beginning of term as a result of the coronavirus
pandemic;
- Over a third (38%) of respondents said they have worked an
average of 51-60 hours a week since the beginning of term;
- The overwhelming majority (91%) of respondents said that the
percentage of pupils attending their setting on-site has greatly
increased or increased since the beginning of the current
lockdown;
- Almost half (46%) said a third or more of their usual cohort
was attending class physically – this is an increase of 12% from
an NAHT survey taken at the beginning of the year.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT,
said: “These figures prove once and for all that schools are not
and have never been closed. Teachers and school leaders have in
fact been working harder than ever to juggle the demands of
remote teaching for pupils at home, while also caring for those
vulnerable and key worker children in school.
“The worry is that the workload and pressure on school staff at
the moment is simply unsustainable – and could threaten the
education recovery to come. This is potentially the most
important moment of the pandemic for children and young people –
the point at which we finally see the light at the end of the
tunnel and prepare to throw everything we have into providing the
best conditions possible for pupil recovery. We need teachers and
school staff refreshed and ready to be the very best and
brightest they can be for the pupils relying on them
“It is vital that we take a long-term view of recovery and don’t
rush into quick fixes that could do more harm than good. Both
children and educators need time to heal and recover – time to
get back to what they know best before more pressure is piled
onto them. Recovery won’t happen in a single summer. The biggest
driver of educational success for children is great teaching by
great teachers. The best thing the government can do now is to
value and invest in all teaching staff.
“This new data proves that the teaching profession has gone the
extra mile for pupils during the pandemic. Their efforts should
be recognised. The continued efforts throughout the recovery
require the full support of the government in the years ahead.”
