Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 60
60
Accepted in Part
Paragraph: 242
Monitor implementation of workload reduction strategies across schools and review progress by Spring 2025.
Conclusion
The Department should also put measures in place to monitor the implementation of strategies and solutions across schools and trusts. The listed recommendations from the Workload Reduction Taskforce should be introduced as a matter of urgency with the Department reviewing progress on this by Spring 2025.
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges workload drivers and states it has made good progress implementing the Workload Reduction Taskforce's initial recommendations, including removing Performance Related Pay and launching a new online service. It notes ongoing activity regarding SEND reforms and the Child Poverty Taskforce but does not explicitly commit to specific monitoring measures or a review of all recommendations by Spring 2025.
Paragraph Reference:
242
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
The government recognises that workload is one of the biggest drivers for teachers and leaders leaving the profession and is driven by a range of complex and systemic drivers at national and local level with no single solution. We appreciate the significant time and contributions by members of the Workload Reduction Taskforce in reviewing this important matter and building a collective understanding of the current drivers of high workload across the school system and what this means in practice for individual teachers, leaders and schools. We have made good progress in implementing the Workload Reduction Taskforce’s initial recommendations which were published in January 2024, including following an observation from the School Teacher Review Body, from 1 September this year, we have removed the requirement for schools to use Performance Related Pay. We have also launched our new Improving Workload and Wellbeing online service in spring this year and continued to promote the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter with nearly 4000 schools now signed up. The findings from the Taskforce provide a strong foundation for addressing some of the longstanding and often systemic workload issues and much activity is already underway across the Department and wider government to tackle these issues, for example: The number of pupils experiencing complex barriers to learning has increased and this has workload implications, such as in adapting teaching, administrative tasks and wider social support to children and their families. In July, we announced a new Child Poverty Taskforce co-chaired by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education. The Taskforce will publish its strategy later this year. Our reforms to special educational needs and disability will improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.