Fiona has welcomed plans announced by the Secretary of State for Education, Damien Hinds MP, to tackle teacher workload.

The Education Secretary has pledged to strip away workload which does not add value to classroom teaching and given teachers more time to focus on teaching. It was announced that the Department for Education will work with teaching unions and professional bodies to devise strategies focused on attracting, and keeping, the brightest and best graduates. It was also announced that there will be no new tests or assessments for primary schools and no changes to the national curriculum, GCSE or A levels for the remainder of this parliament, beyond those already announced.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said:

“There can be no great schools without great teachers to motivate children and inspire curiosity. Teaching is still a top destination for graduates and there are more teachers in our schools than ever. But I recognise that recruitment and retention is difficult for schools and that one of the biggest threats to this is workload. Above all else, the key to education is the person standing at the front of the class. I believe we need to get back to the heart of successful teaching – to strip away the workload that doesn’t add value and give teachers the time to focus on what actually matters. Together with Ofsted and the Association of School and College Leaders, we will take collective responsibility for this issue and tackle the workload burden on our schools.”

Fiona said:

“Teacher workload is a key issue as I know from discussions I have had with teachers in this constituency and I welcome the commitment and plans announced by the Education Secretary. It is important that we retain and continue to attract the best teachers, so our schools can continue to deliver the high standard of education our children deserve.”