NGA comments on its membership of DfEs new teacher and school leader workload reduction taskforce

NGA is proud to be joining 14 education sector leaders as members of the Department for Education's new teacher and school leader workload reduction taskforce.

As part of the DfE’s promise to school leader and teacher unions to end strikes last July, the task force aims to “… over the next three years to reduce working hours by five hours per week for teachers and school leaders”.

Teacher and leader workload and wellbeing have always been a concern for governors and trustees. NGA's 2023 annual survey highlighted the concerns of over 2,500 governors and trustees across England. When asked about their greatest staffing challenges, 46% of those governing in maintained schools identified workload and staff wellbeing as their top issue, and 47 % of local governors, SAT trustees and MAT trustees were primarily concerned with recruitment, local governing boards within MATs also prioritised workload and wellbeing.

Emma Balchin and Emma Knights, NGA’s joint chief executives, will represent NGA and the view of governors and trustees at the meetings.

Emma Balchin, co-chief executive, said:
“We have known for years that external pressures on school leaders, teachers and support staff significantly contribute to the persistent recruitment and retention challenges. High workload, well-being concerns and pay are cited by governing boards as the primary factors driving staffing difficulties for schools and trusts, greatly affecting their ability to attract and retain personnel.
Therefore, we are extremely pleased the Department, after urging from the unions, is taking this seriously. We look forward to hearing from those trusts and schools who have made a difference to staff workload”

Emma Knights, NGA co-chief executive, said
“It is clear that significant changes are needed to ensure that school staff have the time they need to do their jobs that we all need them to. Without a doubt this will require more investment than is currently the case and it really does need to happen alongside a comprehensive plan for pay and other incentives.
We also expect that the taskforce will consider additional demands which are being made of schools over and above the teaching of pupils in the light of the additional challenges for families at the same time as the diminishing of other specialist services.”

The first meeting of the task force will take place this week (18 September 2023)

Wellbeing

Staff

School structures

School & trust leaders