JOINT TEACHER ASSOCIATIONS’ RESPONSE TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S INITIAL CONSULTATION ON THE STRB SPECIAL REVIEW OF APPROACHES TO REDUCING TEACHER WORKLOAD
FOREWORD BY THE GENERAL SECRETARIES OF ATL, NASUWT, NUT, PAT AND UCAC
In May 2002, the School Teachers’ Review Body published its Report, ‘Special Review of Approaches to Reducing Teacher Workload’.
The remit given by the Secretary of State called for an examination and report on four matters:
(a)whether it was possible to move to a meaningful guarantee of professional time, as part of ensuring that teachers have more time in the working week to plan, train, think and prepare; and that managers have more time for their responsibilities in leading schools effectively;
(b)whether it was possible to moderate the impact of paragraph 59.8 in the Pay and Conditions Document – which is open-ended and can lead to high demands on teachers over and above their annual 1265 hours. In reviewing the paragraph, it will be necessary to strike a balance, which helps make workloads more manageable while ensuring appropriate flexibility for headteachers and senior managers to meet the needs of pupils;
(c)whether changes to contracts would assist in embedding the role of continuing professional development in achieving higher standards of teaching and learning; and
(d)whether we needed to amend the basis on which teachers undertake professional activity outside the 190 pupils days.
This document is the response of the teachers’ organisations in this initial consultation called for by the Secretary of State following the publication of the Report.
The teachers’ organisations that are signatory to this response believe that rapid progress from the principles in the Report to detailed implementation with sufficient funding is essential to reduce teacher workload and to enhance teaching and learning.
We urge all those with an interest in advancing the education of our children to join with us in pressing the Government, in consultation with the representatives of teachers and their employers, to achieve that rapid progress.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely
PETER SMITHEAMONN O’KANE
General Secretary, ATLGeneral Secretary, NASUWT
DOUG McAVOYJEAN GEMMELLEDWYN WILLIAMS
General Secretary, NUTGeneral Secretary, PATGeneral Secretary, UCAC
Introduction
This response has been agreed jointly by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union for Women Teachers (NASUWT), the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) and the Undeb Cenedlaethol Athrawon Cymru (UCAC). It sets out the associations’ initial response to the Report of the School Teachers’ Review Body (Special review of approaches to reducing teacher workload).
In their joint submissions to the STRB, the teachers’ organisations set out the overwhelming evidence of the excessive workload of teachers. The STRB’s Report and recommendations clearly endorse the concerns expressed by the teachers’ organisations and provide a framework within which effective remedies can be formulated and implemented. The teachers’ associations believe that unless action is taken to put in place, with the minimum of delay, a range of improvements in the areas identified by the STRB, the already serious problems of teacher shortages will worsen.
Given the nature of the initial consultation prior to the statutory consultation this response does not seek to address in definitive detail the STRB’s recommendations. It seeks rather to set out a broad strategic approach.
The teachers’ associations emphasise that the case for substantial improvements to reduce all teachers’ workload is clear and unambiguous. Such improvements must not be made at the expense of worsening any existing entitlements and practices. The changes must produce real and substantial improvements on the present unacceptable working conditions faced currently by teachers, including those in the leadership group.
Standards
Standards in education depend crucially upon the requisite investment of resources and upon the recruitment, retention and motivation of the teaching profession. There is clear evidence that the current teacher shortages will not be resolved without significant additional resources and a significant reduction in the current excessive workload of teachers. The teacher associations have maintained consistently their commitment to high quality education for all children and young people. As Schools’ Minister, David Miliband, said in his speech to a recent Teacher Training Agency Conference, “the drive to raise education standards is at the heart of everything we do”.
STRB Recommendations
The STRB recommendations have the potential to make a significant contribution to reducing teachers’ excessive workload, without which the standards agenda is unlikely to thrive.
The teachers’ associations recognise that many of the recommendations raise highly complex issues which merit detailed consideration and discussion during the next phase of the consultation. In particular, it will be critical to construct an approach to delivery which will gain the confidence of teachers in all schools. At this stage, therefore, this response highlights key issues for each main STRB recommendation which the teachers’ associations believe the Secretary of State needs to take into account when producing detailed proposals for consultation.
Government Initiatives
The teachers’ associations welcome the recognition by the STRB that Government initiatives are a major contributory factor to the excessive burdens on teachers.
Therefore, in order to implement the STRB recommendations and to develop other appropriate strategies to minimise the adverse impact of initiatives on teachers and schools, the teacher associations believe that an implementation unit, supported by an advisory board on which teacher associations and employers are represented, should be established immediately by the DfES.
The deployment of additional support staff
The adoption and early implementation of the recommendation that additional support staff be deployed as soon as practicable in ways which have maximum impact on classroom teachers’ workload will be an important factor in enabling the transfer, from all teachers, of tasks which would be more appropriately carried out by support staff. As part of the deployment of additional support staff teachers should be given an entitlement to access administrative support.
11.The teachers’ associations welcome the Secretary of State’s recognition of the twenty-five administrative tasks which teachers should no longer routinely undertake and their recent publication to schools in England. Teachers in Wales have not officially received this information. In order to convince teachers that significant improvements are already underway these tasks should be transferred from September 2002 through a combination of prioritisation by school management of tasks currently undertaken by teachers and support staff and by the deployment of extra support staff provided through the provision of additional resources to schools. This would be a crucially important first step. Other tasks could undoubtedly be added to the list to be transferred from teachers in the light of the ongoing work of the School Workforce Remodelling Working Party.
Planning, preparation, marking and recording
The teachers’ associations endorse fully the STRB’s recommendation that, as a matter of urgency, all teachers should have a minimum entitlement to an allocation of time for PPMR and that some of this should fall within timetabled pupil weeks. The STRB did not find any objection in principle to a limit at an appropriate level on contact or teaching time. We therefore welcome the STRB’s recognition of the direct relationship between PPMR and effective classroom teaching.
PPMR is defined in paragraph 29 of the STRB Report and this requires further detailed discussion. In order to ensure that PPMR can be implemented effectively the detailed proposals will need to incorporate the following:
•the allocation of guaranteed PPMR for all teachers within the timetabled teaching week;
•the establishment of a direct relationship between the amount of time allocated and the amount of time-tabled teaching time of each teacher;
•guaranteed time which is protected from direction to other activities, such as cover;
•the provision that teachers are free to use their professional judgement to determine which aspects of PPMR will be undertaken in the time allocated.
All of these, and other important issues such as an agreed formula for determining the allocation of time, will need to be expressed explicitly in the STPCD and addressed in preparation for the introduction of PPMR from September 2003.
Pathfinders
We endorse the recommendation of the STRB that “pathfinder projects explore the considerations involved in addressing ratios in the context of new approaches to planning”. We believe the Secretary of State should act quickly to implement this recommendation.
Targets for the reduction in the average of teachers’ total weekly term-time hours working hours
The STRB places very high priority on reducing teachers’ working hours which it proposes should be implemented through the targets it recommends. The teachers’ associations do recognise that the STRB recommendation that a reduction in hours from the current level of around fifty two to 45 at the end of four years is an important acknowledgement of the imperative need to drive down the number of hours classroom teachers and those in school leadership roles currently work. We believe, however, that a target for a reduction in overall weekly working hours to 35 hours should be phased in from September 2003.
Setting agreed targets for Government and schools to reduce the overall working hours of all teachers within an agreed timescale would be an important lever for change.
In order to implement the recommendation the Government should set targets for a reduction in teachers’ total weekly term time hours, effective at school, local and national levels.
Implementation will need to be supported by the introduction of an agreed monitoring system. A number of the STRB recommendations, in particular the work/life balance proposal, will make a significant contribution to ensuring the targets are achieved.
A personal limit on cover
The teachers’ associations support the introduction of a clear limit on the amount of cover each individual teacher can be required to undertake. However, this support is subject to safeguards being incorporated into the STPCD in order to:
• enhance and clarify the current STPCD obligations upon employers to seek to provide supply teachers;
•provide a clear definition of what constitutes cover;
•ensure that the limit is clear and unqualified and the amount is quantified on the basis of robust agreed data;
•avoid excessive use over short periods of time;
•prevent the introduction of detrimental arrangements to implement the limit, such as an increase in class or group sizes;
•protect guaranteed time allocated for PPMR.
Management time for the leadership group
A similar approach to that proposed in paragraphs 12 and 13 for PPMR should be taken for the implementation of the recommendation that members of the leadership group are allocated sufficient time to carry out their responsibilities.
Moderating the impact of paragraph 59.8 in the STPCD
This important recommendation would provide a significant lever towards the introduction of the changes necessary to make improvements to teachers’ working lives.
The early introduction of agreed wording into the STPCD to replace the current provisions of paragraph 59.8 and to place a duty on governors and heads to have regard to work/life balance would have a significant impact. In addition, it would set the context in which other strategies for improvement and amendments to the contract would operate.
However, if it is to have real impact it must be supported by agreed, clear statutory guidance which should address the procedures needed at school level to effect change and promote alternative ways of working.
An effective monitoring system would also be required. The proposal for Ofsted’s involvement in this context is helpful but, given the timescale between inspections, additional agreed strategies would be required, linked to those introduced to assist in meeting the targets to reduce overall working hours.
Embedding the role of continuing professional development and undertaking professional development activity outside the 190 pupil days
The teachers’ associations welcome the recognition implicit in the STRB recommendation that teachers should be given an entitlement to CPD and access to financial support for professional development activities to meet their individual needs. They believe, however, that the Secretary of State should focus on the provision of CPD entitlement within the 195 days and reconsider the teachers’ associations proposals for the more effective use of the five teacher days, detailed in their joint evidence to the STRB. Any approach which suggests that CPD could be delivered in an additional five days is likely to be perceived as a lengthening of the working year which would present a real danger of undermining the benefits which other changes to working practices may bring.
The timetable for change
The timetable for the introduction of change will be a crucial element in gaining the confidence and support of teachers. Therefore, as part of an agreed package of measures to tackle teachers’ workload, it is necessary for a number of changes to be implemented from September 2002.
The teachers’ associations believe that the following could be introduced without delay:
•the transfer of the twenty five administrative tasks (see Appendix A);
•the amendment of paragraphs 59.8 and 47 in the STPCD to introduce work/life balance and its phased introduction from September 2002;
•the establishment of an implementation unit and an advisory board which includes teacher associations and employers, to monitor initiatives;
•the phased introduction from September 2002 of the agreed elements of the DfES/Cabinet Office joint red tape project proposals.
Funding
The effectiveness and the success of the measures arising from the STRB’s Report depend upon the provision by the Government of the requisite funding. We endorse the STRB’s view in paragraph 14 of their report that ‘its needs to be substantial’. It is equally essential that the mechanism by which such substantial additional funding is channelled to individual schools is equitable and transparent and that it meets the costs incurred by individual schools and local education authorities.
Future consultation
The STRB has done as requested and concentrated on principle rather than detail, but we believe that the complexity of the measures necessary to implement the outcome of the STRB Report far exceeds those arising from any previous report by the STRB. The next stage in the consultation process should include an opportunity for tripartite consideration of the issues. This would involve the government, the employers and the teacher associations. The practical benefits of involving teachers and employers representatives are considerable and will in turn facilitate a sense of ownership of the reforms which will further contribute to the success of the project.
Appendix A
DfES list of common tasks that need not be routinely carried out by teachers.
The Department for Education and Skills has produced a list of common tasks that ‘need not routinely be carried out by teachers and should, as soon as practicable, be transferred to support staff or ICT’.
The list is:
•collecting money;
•chasing absences;
•bulk photocopying;
•copy typing;
•producing standard letters;
•producing class lists;
•record keeping and filing;
•classroom display;
•analysing attendance figures;
•processing exam results;
•collating pupil records;
•administering work experience;
•administering examinations;
•invigilating examinations;
•administering teacher cover;
•ICT troubleshooting and minor repairs;
•commissioning new ICT equipment;
•ordering supplies and equipment;
•stocktaking;
•cataloguing, preparing, issuing and maintaining equipment and materials;
•minuting meetings;
•co-ordinating and submitting bids;
•seeking and giving personnel advice;
•managing pupil data; and
•inputting pupil data.