An authoritative new study from Cardiff
University and University College
London shows that teachers who believe an Ofsted
inspection is likely in the coming 12 months have a higher work
intensity with less control over their work and are more likely
to report always coming home from work exhausted than other
teachers.
The study, Working in Schools, job quality of
educational professionals before and after the
pandemic* commissioned by the NEU, also found that
teachers who already worked at a higher intensity than other
professionals and with lower flexibility have had no change in
their working after the pandemic, whereas other professionals
have experienced a significant reduction in their work intensity
and a significant increase in the flexibility of their working
hours.
The study has also looked at social deprivation and found that
teachers working in schools with high levels of deprivation have
higher work intensity, and lower task discretion than teachers in
other schools.
Commenting on the first findings, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint
General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“This study will come as no surprise to teachers; it proves what
they all know. Teaching is already exhausting work and the run up
to Ofsted makes work significantly harder and more exhausting.
“The Government cannot go on with a broken system. That is why
the NEU is calling for Ofsted to be replaced with a new system
that is supportive, effective and fair.
“This study also helps explain why teaching has become so much
less attractive to new graduates when many other professions have
had the flexibility to work at home for part of their week which
is not an option for teachers.
“To ensure continued recruitment to the profession, the
Government will have to compensate teachers with a fully funded
pay increase as the start of pay restoration for the profession.”
Prof Alan Felstead, Cardiff University, said,
“This study is unique in that it tracks how the jobs of teachers
have changed since the pandemic. It highlights how working
in schools has become relatively less attractive compared to
other professions – not just in terms of pay – but in terms of
work intensity and access to flexible work arrangements. The fear
of inspection makes the situation even worse.”
Prof Francis Green, University College London,
said,
“UCL research from before the pandemic showed that teachers’ work
had been intensified to a much greater extent than other
professional workers. In this new research, in collaboration with
Cardiff University, we found that teachers continued to work
after the pandemic at a very high pace and in worse conditions,
driven by excessive workloads and the fear of inspections. The
gap with other professions has widened. It is hardly surprising
that England is facing a drastic recruitment shortfall and
retains far too few of its newly trained teachers.”
Editor’s Note
*Working in Schools: Job
quality of educational professionals before and after the
pandemic
Prof Alan Felstead, Prof Francis Green and Dr Katy Huxley
