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Workload and wellbeing
- Alcohol at staff parties It’s for you to decide whether staff can drink alcohol at social events like Christmas parties. Find out what you should consider and how you might fund this, and see how some other schools approach this issue.
- Building relationships between staff How can we promote good relationships between staff? This article relays advice from 3 of our associate education experts on building relationships between staff, including with the senior leadership team (SLT). It also points to further advice on this issue, and to related articles from The Key.
- Case studies on reducing marking workload Are there examples of ways to ease marking workload? We set out case studies from primary and secondary schools that manage teacher workload associated with marking.
- Case studies on staff wellbeing and work-life balance How can schools improve the work-life balance and wellbeing of their staff? We feature case studies from 4 schools, with ideas that could help you retain staff and make savings on your recruitment budget. We also link to an article with advice on strategies to support staff wellbeing.
- Case study: how one 'outstanding' secondary school cut its marking workload by 75% Barr Beacon School cut down teachers' marking time to less than an hour a day by banning detailed written marking and improving the way staff give feedback to pupils. Read on and download this school's marking policy and other resources to learn how you can make this happen too.
- Case study: how to offer flexible working to attract outstanding staff and boost retention An innovative timetable enables Manchester Communication Academy to offer flexi days, staggered start times and part-time working – contributing to a 90% staff retention rate. Read on for ideas about how to implement flexible working in your school.
- Case study: save teachers 2 hours a day with strategic minimal marking Headteacher Clare Sealy stopped written marking in her primary school and made feedback and pupil self-assessment part of every lesson without compromising on pupil outcomes. This is how she did it, and how you can too.
- Conquer your inbox: tips and tricks Reclaim your evenings with expert advice on organising your inbox and changing your school's behaviour around sending emails.
- DfE report on workload and marking We summarise the Independent Teacher Workload Review Group's March 2016 report on eliminating unnecessary workload associated with marking in just one page. You can also download a copy of this QuickRead as a ready-made resource to share with colleagues.
- DfE report on workload and planning We summarise the Independent Teacher Workload Review Group's March 2016 report on eliminating unnecessary workload associated with lesson planning, in just one page. You can also download a copy of this QuickRead as a ready-made resource to share with colleagues.
- Effective flexible working arrangements How can flexible working arrangements benefit schools? We look at DfE and Acas guidance on how flexible working can improve staff retention and reduce the need for costly recruitment rounds. We also relay DfE guidance on how schools can overcome common concerns about flexible working.
- Flexible working: examples Job share arrangements can boost retention and reduce levels of absence, sickness and stress. We link to an example of how flexible working can be managed from a teaching union and further examples from schools and LAs.
- Flexible working for senior leaders Can staff in the leadership group have flexible working arrangements? We relay guidance on senior leaders’ rights and schools’ duties in relation to flexible working. You will also find expert advice on determining pay, hours and duties for a member of the leadership team who is working part-time.
- How to create a staff mental health and wellbeing action plan Know what good staff mental health and wellbeing looks like and get advice on achieving it. Use our template to help you create a staff mental health and wellbeing action plan.
- Improving staff wellbeing and work-life balance: strategies Follow these tips to improve the work-life balance of your staff, and learn how you can make sure your employees have a voice on workload issues.
- Managing workload (headteachers) How can headteachers better manage their workloads? We spoke to 3 of our associate experts, all current or former headteachers. They provided advice on delegation, communication and time management. You will also find an example of how one teaching school headteacher prepares for the school year.
- Marking: maintaining a work-life balance How can teachers manage their marking and maintain a work-life balance? We link to strategies for reducing time spent marking. We also look at statutory guidance on work-life balance and relay Ofsted's clarification on inspectors' expectations for marking and feedback.
- Marking mythbuster Meaningful feedback that improves pupils’ work does not have to be written. However, many school leaders are still telling us that they are struggling with reducing marking workload in their school. To help, we've put together this mythbuster to help you work out what you don't have to worry about.
- New headteacher's presentation to staff: content What should a new headteacher include in a presentation to staff? We relay advice from one of our associate education experts, Jenny Moss, on what to include in an introductory speech to staff. We also link to further articles for new headteachers.
- Poll comments: Easter holiday opening and activities Tell us more about about your school's plans over the Easter holidays.
- Poll: Easter holiday opening and activities Is your school staying open on Good Friday and Easter Monday? What activities, if any, are you setting for pupils over the Easter holiday?
- Poll results: how to reduce your teachers' workload School leaders like you have stopped many time-consuming tasks in their school without negatively impacting pupil outcomes. See what you and your team can stop doing too.
- Poll results: teaching assistants working from home What are you asking your teaching assistants to do if they aren’t going into school this term?
- Pre-flight meeting checklist Cut the time you and your staff spend in meetings by using our downloadable pre-flight checklist. It will help you to decide when you definitely need a meeting, who really needs to be there, and when to send a memo instead.
- Rewarding staff: payments, perks and incentives Learn the rules on financial and non-financial rewards for staff and read our advice on rewards and perks for staff.
- Slash teachers' workload: what to stop doing Cut out these 8 time-consuming practices and win back precious hours for your staff, without sacrificing learning or inspection outcomes.
- Staff retention Is there any advice on retaining staff? We relay advice and case studies from senior leaders at teaching schools, an executive headteacher, a recruitment specialist, and the headteacher of a primary school. We also highlight how good recruitment lays the foundations for boosting retention.
- Staffroom: promoting a positive environment How can we promote a positive ethos in the staffroom? We relay guidance from one of our associate education experts on creating a positive environment in the staffroom, including how to establish protocol and acknowledge concerns. We also link to articles on staff wellbeing and dealing with negativity.
- Staff survey pack Everything you need to create your survey – a statement bank covering a range of topics, a survey template and a letter to staff. Plus, examples from schools.
- Staff wellbeing days Are there examples of staff wellbeing and motivation days? We relay advice from one of our associate education experts and refer to examples of wellbeing days from a school and from universities.
- Staff wellbeing questionnaires Are there questionnaires for auditing staff wellbeing? In this article, we link to examples of staff wellbeing questionnaires. You will also find 2 case studies, including one showing how a school used survey results to plan changes to its working practices and environment.
- Start-of-year presentations and meetings for staff Is there advice on running start-of-year presentations and meetings? We relay advice from one of our associate education experts on what to include in such a presentation and link to examples of presentations. We also include advice from another expert on running start-of-year meetings.
- Strategies to combat stress for small school headteachers Endless to-do lists and no-one to delegate to? Running a small school is challenging, but you can reduce the impact your workload has on your health with these achievable strategies from our experts in leadership and wellbeing.
- Supporting trans staff How can we support a staff member who is trans? We outline schools' legal responsibilities towards trans staff, and relay guidance on topics including changing records, communicating about a transition to parents and pupils, and the use of toilets and changing rooms.
- Teacher workload audit tool Download our teacher workload audit tool to cut down on time wasted on ineffective or unproductive tasks.
- What not to do with pupil performance data Ofsted has warned against excessive use of data to assess pupil performance because it is not always reliable. Here are 5 common data practices that you could stop doing, and strategies to use instead, to identify what your pupils know and drive down teacher workload.
- Workload: get to the heart of what's overloading your staff with 'keep, tweak or ditch' Keen to address workload but don't know where to start? See the wood from the trees with Kensington Primary School's democratic, no-nonsense way to spot and solve the biggest burdens for everyone on your staff team.