Union welcomes steps to reduce teacher workload in Wales
A union has welcomed steps to help reduce teacher workload in Wales.
Education Minister Jeremy Miles MS has confirmed that several measures will be introduced to tackle staff workload and reduce bureaucracy.
It comes off the back of industrial action which has seen teaching unions calls for fair pay and improved working standards.
In a written statement the minister outlined how meetings had taken place between the Welsh government, local authorities, unions and Estyn to discuss what action needs to be taken.
Jeremy Miles MS said that a workload impact assessment will be “at the forefront of Welsh government policy development”.
This includes the creation of a professional learning programme for policy makers, which will be operational in September.
Work is also underway to develop a digital tool to gather evidence from headteachers based on questions about what creates workload.
Reporting and engagement
The Welsh government will establish a national forum chaired by Welsh Government to ensure schools are supported appropriately.
Its role will include ensuring that there is clarity of purpose of all engagement in discussion with heads, and to foster purpose-driven collaboration to improve standards collectively.
The Welsh government will also develop a more coherent and simpler process for reporting to reduce burden, which it says will be grounded in the school improvement guidance.
Estyn
The inspectorate has met with has met with education unions, local councils and regional Consortia and Partnerships and has agreed the following areas for further work:
- Revision of the information Estyn requires schools and PRUs to present at the pre-inspection stage;
- Concerted communication campaign to ensure that schools and PRUs are clear about the requirements.
- A more consistent approach to supporting schools post inspection, particularly if they go into a statutory category. This will include ensuring a closer link between the school’s post-inspection action plan and the local authority’s statement of action.
Conditions of service
It has been agreed that conditions of service for leaders will form part of the IWPRB Pay Review Remit for 2024/25.
Teacher unions have also agreed to include a list of administrative and clerical tasks in STPC(W)D for 2023.
School funding
Jeremy Miles MS has confirmed that ministers are working with councils and regional partners to help “simplify and streamline the reporting of grant funding and other reporting out-turns, bringing as much as possible into a single reporting space.”
Work is also underway to review the Education Improvement Grant and Pupil Development Grant with a view to simplifying the direct allocation of funding to schools.
Education Minister Jeremy Miles MS
Jeremy Miles MS said: “We are continuing to implement the recommendations from the Review of School Funding in Wales, including consideration of local authority school funding formulas and the School Funding Regulations with the aim of providing more flexibility to allow local authorities to better support schools to manage their budgets and provide greater transparency, comparability and consistency in the system.”
Additional learning needs
The minister has confirmed that he has already taken action by announcing additional funding for schools and an extension to the implementation of the ALN system from three years to four years.
This is alongside funding being doubled for education partners for the ALN implementation.
In his written statement, the minister said: “We are alert to concerns about the increased workload placed upon ALNCos and the need for schools to ensure there is sufficient support around the ALNCo to prevent them becoming isolated and overwhelmed with caseloads.
“The ALN Code makes clear that the designation of an ALNCo does not remove the responsibilities of the wider workforce.
“An ALNCo task and finish group made up of practitioners and trade union representatives is underway and will review and provide recommendations on ALNCo pay and non-contact time by December 2023.”
Professional development
Additional INSET days have already been introduced to support the Curriculum for Wales, ALN reform and Equity in Education.
Alongside this the Welsh government has committed to developing and improving “equity of access to professional learning in line with the National Entitlement.”
It has also been confirmed that the minister has worked with “practitioners and the education workforce unions to revise the guidance for performance management to ensure that this is a meaningful process that supports practitioners to continuously develop themselves as committed professional learners.”
Jeremy Miles MS said: “Tackling staff workload and reducing bureaucracy is a key priority set out in Our National Mission Action Plan.
“To achieve this, discussions have taken place over the past few months with our education leadership and teacher unions, local authorities, regional partnerships, Estyn and other key stakeholders
While much has been achieved, we will continue to meet with stakeholders, continuing our constructive discussions, working in partnership to deliver tangible change.
“We will be restructuring and refocussing the Managing Workload and Reducing Bureaucracy Group in the autumn to give it a more strategic role and I will make a further statement in the Autumn on progress.”
The efforts to reduce workload has been welcomed by teachers’ union NEU Cymru.
Senior Wales Officer, Debbie Scott, said: “NEU Cymru members will be pleased with the progress we have made with the Welsh Government on workload in schools.
“Our discussions have been productive, as we all know that the focus in schools should be on children and their learning, not unnecessary bureaucracy.
“We know the Minister is listening to us on workload, and his written statement shows he is speaking to the unions and taking action in key areas – such as funding, Additional Learning Needs (ALN) reform, administration tasks, and Estyn.
“We have been in discussions about workload since our members took strike action back in the Spring term.
“When we speak to our members workload is a critical issue – which we hope our discussions will continue to address.
“We will keep Welsh Government focused on this critical area for our members and we hope to make more progress in the coming months as there is still more to do – after all, workload pressures are key to retaining our workforce.”
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