Workload reduction taskforce

The Secretary of State has established a workload reduction taskforce to support the government’s ambition to reduce teachers’ and leaders’ working hours by 5 hours a week within 3 years.

Role

The taskforce will build on the work of the 3 independent workload review groups and the teacher workload advisory group. It will make recommendations to government, Ofsted, and school and trust leaders by the end of March 2024.

Initial recommendations will be made by the end of October 2023 regarding:

  • updating and reinserting the previously removed list of 21 administrative tasks that do not require the professional skills of a teacher into the school teachers’ pay and conditions document
  • strengthening the implementation of the 2016 independent workload review groups’ recommendations and maximising sign-up to the education staff wellbeing charter

Recommendations

The workload reduction taskforce: initial recommendations were published on 15 January 2024. The final set of recommendations will follow in Spring 2024.

Membership

The members of the workload reduction taskforce are:

  • James Bowen, Assistant General Secretary, National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT)

  • Cassie Buchanan OBE, CEO, Charter Schools Education Trust

  • Jon Hutchinson, Director of Training and Development, Reach Foundation

  • Emma Knights OBE and Emma Balchin, Co-Chief Executives, National Governance Association (NGA)

  • Selena Lansley, Senior Advisor for Workforce and Negotiations, Local Government Association (LGA)

  • Stuart Lock, CEO, Advantage Schools

  • Sinéad Mc Brearty, CEO, Education Support

  • Darren Northcott, National Official, National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT)

  • Adrian Prandle, Director of Government Relations and Workforce Policy, National Education Union (NEU)

  • Steve Rollett, Deputy Chief Executive, Confederation of School Trusts (CST)

  • Janet Sheriff OBE, CEO, Collaborative Learning Trust

  • Dr Sam Sims, Lecturer, UCL Institute of Education - Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities

  • Sara Tanton, Deputy Director of Policy, Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)

  • Kate Treacy, English teacher, Parliament Hill School

Terms of Reference

The Workload reduction taskforce: terms of reference (PDF, 109 KB, 4 pages) were agreed and approved by ministers and General Secretaries of the 4 main teaching and leadership unions.

Meetings

The taskforce will meet regularly from September 2023 to March 2024.

Contact details

WorkloadReduction.TASKFORCE@education.gov.uk

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