Work survey splits teacher unions

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Education unions have drawn different conclusions from the latest survey of workloads in England and Wales.

The survey - by the Office of Manpower Economics - showed "no statistically significant changes" in full-time teachers' hours since last year.

Secondary heads' and deputies' hours had gone up, however. Heads and teachers in primary schools were working less than in recent years.

Unions differed over the success of the workload agreement with the government.

The survey of a representative cross-section of 2,003 staff in primary, secondary and special schools was carried out for the School Teachers' Review Body, which advises ministers on pay and conditions.

Planning time

The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), which is the strongest advocate of "social partnership" with the government, regarded it as "important confirmation of the success" so far of the national workload agreement.

The biggest change this agreement brought over the past year was the introduction of so-called PPA time.

This gives teachers 10% of their working week out of lessons for planning, preparation and assessment.

Nevertheless even the NASUWT said the data showed there was more to be done to reduce the workload burden.

'Serious disappointment'

The National Union of Teachers (NUT), which opposed the agreement, said it had brought only "tiny benefits" to date.

General secretary Steve Sinnott said: "The government and its so-called social partners hailed this agreement as bringing a sea-change in teachers' lives. It has done nothing of the sort.

"A gain of two minutes 24 seconds for secondary teachers does not deliver a work-life balance.

"This agreement is a serious disappointment. It has brought minimal benefits to primary and secondary teachers and none at all to head teachers in either sector."

'Deluge'

At the Association of School and College Leaders, general secretary John Dunford said it was no surprise the figures showed secondary heads working 2.5 hours a week longer over the past year and their deputies almost three hours more.

"This is a direct result of the non-stop deluge of government initiatives over the last few years - including the workforce agreement, where the burden of implementation has fallen mainly on heads and deputies," he said.

"The heavy workload is matched by a significant increase in responsibilities. These are major factors in the current difficulty in recruiting secondary heads.

"This situation cannot continue."

The review of school leaders' pay and conditions by consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers, due out in December, must address the issue, he said.

'Untenable'

His union released its own survey of 638 of its members, suggesting 51% believed their job was having a negative effect on their health.

Despite this, more than four in five said they enjoyed their job most or nearly all of the time.

Dr Dunford said it showed they were devoted to what they did but the workload was "becoming untenable".

The Department for Education and Skills said it was clear that workforce reform was having a positive impact on schools.

There were more teachers and their pay had increased.

"However, these figures show that more needs to be done to ensure that heads benefit from our reforms," a spokesman added.