A snapshot poll shows that a majority of teachers (72%) have seen increased workloads so far this year, with most working between 50 and 69 hours a week during term-time.
The survey has been carried out by NASUWT and involves 7,000 of its members working in state schools in England.
Ofsted was once again named as the biggest driver of workload – by 60% of the respondents. Teachers also blamed a number of other factors for driving high workload, including:
- School/employer policies and procedures (50%)
- Not enough funding for schools (48%).
- Specific government policies (39%).
- A lack of support for pupils’ behaviour and mental health (35%).
Ultimately, only 10% of the 7,000 respondents from primary and secondary schools said that their working hours were manageable.
NASUWT has said that it will be “consulting members over the coming weeks” on how to continue its campaign and will ask them about potential industrial action on issues including workload and working hours, but also pay and wellbeing.
It comes after the National Education Union (NEU) announced its intention to hold an indicative strike ballot on March 2 over pay and school funding.
There has been substantial anger from the unions amid suspicion that the DfE will push for a 1 to 2% pay rise in September after its remit to the School Teachers Review Body in December urged restraint.
The pay settlement last year saw the DfE agree to a 6.5% pay rise, but much of that has been eaten up by high inflation.
Many teachers in the NASUWT research said that their contractual rights were not being respected with that the NASUWT called “widespread evidence of basic working time rights being flouted”.
The poll found that 37% of the respondents had not been provided with a Directed Time calendar and 81% said the calendar had not been discussed with them and that they had not been consulted on it.
A majority (71%) said they had no guaranteed lunch breaks, with 11% having no lunch break at all due to their workload. Furthermore, 30% said they were expected routinely to read and respond to emails in the evening, weekends or during holidays.
Overall, 60% of the respondents said that their working hours during term-time were between 50 and 69 a week; 65% had raised concerns about their workload with their school but of these, three-quarters said that nothing had been done.
The poll comes after the Workload Reduction Taskforce was set up as part of the negotiated settlement to 2023’s teacher strikes. Its stated aim is to reduce teacher working time by five hours a week in the next three years.
It has already brought about the end of performance-related pay from September and won agreement from the government to reinsert a list of 18 banned tasks into the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document.
The taskforce is now to look at the workload associated with inspection as well as how in-school practices drive working hours.
NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach welcomed the taskforce’s work but said that progress is too slow and that “immediate action is also needed”.
He continued: “There is increasing anger once again about the lack of progress being made by the government on workload, working hours, working conditions and pay.
“There is now a mountain of evidence that ministers cannot continue to ignore, showing how excessive workload pressures and long working hours, driven by inadequate funding levels and a high-stakes inspection and accountability system, are driving teachers and headteachers to breaking point.
“The government has allowed employers greater freedoms and flexibilities. But the result is that many teachers are being treated so shoddily that they are either being made unwell or are quitting the job entirely.”