The national agreement

The national agreement is an historic settlement between government, employers and education unions, including ATL, to improve working standards for teachers and to tackle issues concerning workload.

A number of changes were rolled out in three stages over a three year period and constitute statutory changes to teachers’ contracts. The following changes had direct impact on teachers' workload.

• September 2003 saw the transfer of administrative and clerical tasks away from teachers’ workload.
• September 2004 introduced a limit on cover to 38 hours a year.
• September 2005 was the deadline for the introduction of a 10% timetable allowance for planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) and the abolition of invigilation duties   

What are the administrative and clerical tasks no longer expected of teachers?

From September 2003 schools have been required to transfer administrative and clerical tasks away from teachers and to have created adequate provision for a satisfactory work-life balance. 

Administrative and clerical tasks that may not routinely be required of teachers include the following:

1. Collecting money
2. Chasing absences (teachers are to pass on information to the relevant staff member regarding absences)
3. Bulk photocopying
4. Copy typing
5. Producing standard letters (teachers may be required to contribute as appropriate in formulating the content of standard letters)
6. Producing class lists (teachers may be required to be involved as appropriate in allocating students to a particular class)
7. Record keeping and filing (teachers may be required to contribute to the content of records)
8. Classroom display (teachers will make professional decisions in determining what material is displayed in and around their classroom)
9. Analysing attendance figures (it is for teachers to make use of the outcome of analysis)
10. Processing exam results (teachers will need to use the analysis of exam results)
11. Collating pupil reports
12. Administering work experience (teachers may be required to support pupils on work experience through advice and visits)
13. Administering examinations (teachers have a professional responsibility for identifying appropriate examinations for their pupils)
14. Administering teacher cover
15. ICT trouble shooting and minor repairs
16. Commissioning new ICT equipment
17. Ordering supplies and equipment (teachers may be involved in identifying needs)
18. Stocktaking
19. Cataloguing, preparing, issuing and maintaining equipment and materials
20. Minuting meetings (teachers may be required to communicate action points from meetings)
21. Co-ordinating and submitting bids (teachers may be required to make a professional input into the content of bids)
22. Seeking and giving personnel advice
23. Managing pupil data (teachers will need to make use of the analysis of pupil data)
24. Inputting pupil data (teachers will need to make the initial entry of pupil data into school management systems). 

The changes apply to all teachers working in primary and secondary schools in England and Wales. They are not optional, and schools are required to implement them. The above list is not exhaustive.

Limits on cover

An annual legal limit on the amount of hours a teacher can be asked to undertake cover has been set at 38 in a year. This cannot be exceeded.

The national agreement also states that it is a longer-term objective that teachers rarely be asked to provide cover.

No weekly or termly limit within the 38 hours is specified within the contractual annual limit. However, headteachers should seek to ensure, as far as practiciable, an even spread of cover throughout each term.

Headteachers need to ensure that cover for absent teachers is shared equitably among all teachers in the school (including headteachers), taking account of their teaching and other duties and the desirability of not using a teacher at the school until all other reasonable means of providing cover have been exhausted.

In summary, cover for absence should no longer be seen as an effective use of teachers’ time in school - in fact, the longer-term aim should be that teachers at a school should only rarely cover for absent colleagues.

The new provisions for planning, preparation and assessment

September 2005 was the deadline for phase three of the National Agreement which allocates teachers a guaranteed 10% of their timetable for planning, preparation and assessment (PPA). 

In addition to guaranteed PPA time, 2005 was also the deadline for the abolition of external exam invigilation duties for teachers.

The aim of this provision was to encourage collaborative professional activity in the preparation of high quality lessons and to increase the work/life balance of teachers.

Remember, as an NQT, you should not be teaching a full timetable anyway. You should end up teaching a timetable that is 81%of what a full teaching load for your level would be. This is because you are entitled to 10% reduced timetable for professional development as an NQT, and then a further 10% reduction in your 90% timetable for your PPA time.

What if my school is not complying with the national agreement?

Schools have a contractual duty to implement the changes defined in the national agreement by the deadlines given.

However, some schools may find these changes more challenging than others. If yours is such a school, you should call a meeting (either yourself or through your ATL rep) for all staff, including:

• the headteacher
• the senior management team
• teachers
• support staff.          

Consider the following:

• ask how far the school has got with remodelling and why teachers are still being asked to provide cover/perform admin tasks
• make a proposal on how the school might address certain remodelling issues
• present examples of best practice from other schools that have successfully tackled remodelling
• remind the school that the DfES has earmarked money for LAs specifically for remodelling and that help is available from The National Remodelling Team, your local LA Remodelling Advisor or a Remodelling Consultant
• don’t refuse to work.            

Help and support

For further advice on this issue, ATL members can speak to their school rep, their branch secretary or their regional official. They can also call the London (020 7930 6441), Cardiff (029 2046 5000), Belfast (028 9078 2020) or Edinburgh (0131 272 2748) offices or email info@atl.org.uk

For out of hours enquiries, call the out of office hours helpline on 020 7782 1612 (Monday-Friday, 5-8pm during term time).

If you are not a member, join now.