Teaching has always been more a vocation than a job. The commitment needed to manage the competing demands of such a demanding role are substantial. There are times in the school year when school staff can sit back and reflect on what has been achieved, usually around mid August! But much of the time is spent juggling competing priorities and immediate issues.

Workload concerns have plagued the profession, often driven by changing government priorities or the inspectorate. The Dfe school workload reduction toolkit published in 2018 provided an audit, templates and case studies, encouraging school leaders to consult staff on workload pressures. The Ambition Institute last week reported on a poll of over 1000 primary and secondary school teachers across the UK asking questions about their workload and attitudes toward professional development. The findings show that teachers placed meetings and administration, lesson planning, and marking at the top on a list of thirteen contributing factors to workload and participating in professional development activities last. The Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders survey of over eleven thousand leaders and teachers published last year showed full time school leaders reported working more hours on average than teachers. Most reported spending too much of their time responding to government policy changes, while around half reported that they spend too much time on general administrative work. Most teachers and leaders disagreed that their workload was acceptable and that they had sufficient control over it.

There is clearly some way to go before those working in schools feel a greater sense of work life balance. There has been recent research that suggests partnerships can reduce workload. Developing leadership capacity including the role of the school business manager and strong administrative systems can also go some way to help but there are no quick and easy answers. There are few other professions that offer the privilege of gaining such trust and insight into young peoples lives, or many that can have such an fulfilling and immediate impact. It is this that keeps so many in the profession and is not something easily left behind. Working in intensive 6–8 week blocks becomes a routine, but the half term is finally here. This brings an opportunity to remember yourself. Make sure you do something you enjoy, and if you can, enjoy the strange sense of time on your hands – you have earned it!

Stephen Hall

Chief Executive Officer, Camden Learning