The Evaluation of the Transforming the School Workforce Pathfinder Project

Transcription

1 RESEARCH The Evaluation of the Transforming the School Workforce Pathfinder Project Professor Hywel Thomas, Dr Graham Butt, Antony Fielding, Julie Foster, Dr Helen Gunter, Ann Lance, Dr Rachel Pilkington, Liz Potts, Dr Steve Powers, Dr Steve Rayner, Dr Desmond Rutherford, Dr Ian Selwood, Chris Szwed School of Education, University of Birmingham Research Report RR541

2 Research Report No 541 The Evaluation of the Transforming the School Workforce Pathfinder Project Professor Hywel Thomas, Dr Graham Butt, Antony Fielding, Julie Foster, Dr Helen Gunter, Ann Lance, Dr Rachel Pilkington, Liz Potts, Dr Steve Powers, Dr Steve Rayner, Dr Desmond Rutherford, Dr Ian Selwood, Chris Szwed School of Education, University of Birmingham The views expressed in this report are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department for Education and Skills. Queen s Printer and Controller of HMSO Published with the permission of DfES on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to The Crown Copyright Unit, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ. ISBN

3 CONTENTS PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 1. Context and Design 1 Page PART TWO: TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS 2. Teachers and Workload 7 3. Schools and Workload 28 PART THREE: PATHFINDER CASE STUDIES 4. Beacon School: distributed leadership Lakeside School: using support Meadow School: re-modelling learning Park Vale School: re-modelling learning Small Schools: workforce modernisation and ICT Summarising the case studies 74 PART FOUR: CONCLUSION 10. Standards and Cost-Effectiveness Summary and conclusion 84 References 87 Annex 1 89 ii

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction In Spring 2002, the DfES launched an initiative called the Transforming School Workforce Pathfinder Project (TSW Project). It was a pilot project in 32 schools with a further nine comparator schools. The Project aimed first, to secure significant reductions in the current weekly hours worked by teachers; and second, increase the proportion of teachers working week spent teaching or on tasks directly related to teaching. These aims were to be secured by supporting change in schools and providing resources to initiate new working practices: providing schools with consultancy support (school workforce advisers); training head teachers in change management; allocating funds for employing additional support staff; providing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) hardware and software; funding the bursarial training of school managers; and providing schools with capital build resources. The Project in the 32 pilot schools and the training in change management was overseen by a team from the London Leadership Centre led by Dame Pat Collarbone. A team of 12 at the School of Education, University of Birmingham, under the leadership of Professor Hywel Thomas, was contracted to evaluate these interventions. Key Findings Overall, the Project made an impact in reducing the working hours of teachers, led to change in role boundaries between teachers and other members of the school workforce and made support staff more prominent and effective in schools. Additional ICT resources were beneficial but levels of training and support appear not to have been sufficiently matched with these resources. A concern was the sustainability of several initiatives that were supported by additional funding. Teachers and workload Classroom teachers across all types of schools reported a reduction in hours worked, ranging from 3.7 hours per week in the primary schools, 3.5 hours in the special schools and 1.2 hours in the secondary schools. There was evidence of reduction in time devoted to tasks that could be done by others. There was no systematic relationship between job satisfaction and hours worked. Access to ICT equipment improved and, while there was no consistent relationship with increased access and total hours worked by teachers, there was a positive relationship between greater access at home and the use of ICT in working directly with pupils and in other pupil contact. Schools and workload There was great diversity between schools in the change in reported working hours. Special schools and primary schools showed a systematic relationship between a decline in hours and positive views among teachers on the quality of leadership, decision-making and change management in their schools. i

5 Across all the schools there was a consistent relationship between good quality ICT training and support and reduction in hours. Perspectives from the case studies There were many examples of re-modelling and modernisation evident in the case study schools. These included: re-modelling staff roles and responsibilities; staff reviewing their work and workload; re-structuring the school day and week; using ICT to support learning, such as the use of electronic whiteboards; and the process of change, which was itself seen as a valuable outcome, creating a mood shift towards change. There were concerns about sustainability and whether the additional resources that supported many of the immediate changes would continue and, if not, whether the schools would be able to sustain the changes they had introduced. Standards and cost-effectiveness There was no evidence that the Project had a short-term effect on educational standards but there was confidence among some teachers interviewed that the changes can contribute to raising standards. There were examples of cost-effective initiatives, although schools found it challenging to provide quantifiable measures of outcomes for some of their initiatives. Conclusion The Project appeared to have made an impact in reducing teachers working hours between the early summer of 2002 and the same time in However, the level of impact differed between schools and between types of schools with larger reductions in the special and primary schools compared with secondary schools. There were also other marked differences between the special and primary schools compared with the secondary schools in terms of factors related to reductions in hours, such as experience of working with teaching assistants and perceptions of change management, leadership and decision-making. The Project also made the role of support staff more prominent and effective in schools. The additional ICT resources were viewed as beneficial, although the scale of impact, so far, was relatively modest and there was a need to ensure that training and support matched the provision of additional material resources. The case studies illustrated the diversity of initiatives that developed as a result of the Project and ways of developing the modernisation initiative. However, there was also a concern about the future, most notably on the sustainability of the changes that have been introduced, in part, through the provision of additional resources. Nonetheless, the evidence in this Report shows that schools were able to take the opportunity offered by the Project and initiate and successfully implement new ways of working together. ii

6 PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 CONTEXT AND DESIGN 1.1 Background Concern about workload, job satisfaction, efficiency, recruitment and retention are all key issues affecting the contemporary labour market for teachers. They are longstanding and shared concerns between the DfES, LEAs, employers, professional associations and other stakeholders, all of whom recognise the key role of teachers in raising the quality and standards of achievement of young people in schools. Their significance for these groups are evidenced by the STRB (2002) report, Special Review of Approaches to Reducing Workload and the DfES autumn 2002, publication, Time for Standards. Reforming the School Workforce, leading to the National Agreement signed by employers and school workforce unions in January, 2003 and the subsequent publication in April, 2003, Time for Standards: Consultation on Implementing the National Agreement. 1 One component of the response to these issues is the Transforming the School Workforce Pathfinder Project (TSW Project) where a total of 32 schools, four special schools, 16 primary schools and 12 secondary schools became part of a national project designed to explore different ways of working in schools. A further nine schools were selected as comparator schools with the intention of comparing change in these schools with the 32 Project schools. The TSW Project had two main elements. The first element was the provision to schools of consultancy support, led by the London Leadership Centre, to give advice, guidance, training and support in the management of change in the schools. Schools were encouraged to think radically about the use of human and physical resources. The second element was in the form of resources. This included funds for employing additional support staff and provision of ICT hardware and software to bring all the schools to an agreed standard, notably that all teachers had a laptop computer. Access to training programmes for selected groups of staff, particularly teaching assistants and those fulfilling a bursar-type role, were also made available and some schools secured funds for capital projects. These elements were intended to contribute to changes in the pattern of work of those employed in schools. Ideally, it should contribute to enriching the work of all and add to job satisfaction and commitment but, for teachers in particular, the Project had the aim of securing significant reductions in weekly hours worked and increasing the proportion of teachers working week spent teaching or on tasks directly related to teaching. In relation to the TSW Project and these elements, the evaluation team from the School of Education, University of Birmingham, had a dual role. One role is embodied in this Report and earlier interim and supplementary reports of providing an assessment of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of this Project. A second role has been to provide information to the change management consultants and each school, whilst ensuring that the relationship maintains a distance appropriate to ensure an independent assessment of the Pathfinder Project. The first major function was to undertake an initial survey of school workforce activity and attitudes and prepare a set of 32 individual school reports so that each school received a document showing the response of its own staff to the survey compared with the aggregate profile of the other schools from the sector that were members of the TSW Project. For example, each special school received a document showing its individual response compared with the overall profile for the four special schools in the TSW Project. Each report was confidential to the school and intended to assist each school prepare an action plan by the end of June 2002, in which initial proposals for change from September 2002 were outlined. The work undertaken and the preparation of various reports has been guided by the two main elements of the TSW Project and issues identified by earlier studies, reports and commentaries. 1 Annex 1 sets out 25 tasks that teachers should not routinely do as reflected in the National Agreement. The Table also includes the schedule of items about teachers work that are used by the Office of Manpower Economics in their bi-annual surveys as well as the items used in the surveys undertaken as part of this evaluation. iii

7 1.2 Literature National and international work has shown evidence of overload on teachers in terms of volume of work and the nature of this work and, arising from this, the need to find ways to enable them to focus on their core purposes. The UK is also entering a period when the age profile of the teaching profession means the retirement of a large cadre of teachers over the next decade. It will make the recruitment of sufficient numbers of teachers a major challenge for schools. The development of ICT also has implications for schools both inside and outside the classroom and will have consequence for the work of teachers and others that need examination. These three sets of factors combine to make it timely to review the working patterns of teachers and the boundaries of their work with other members of the school workforce. A recurring dilemma for teachers is defining the boundary of their work and managing this boundary in ways that enable them to focus on their core purposes (Cockburn, 1994; Earley and Fletcher-Campbell, 1989; Hargreaves, 1994). The load on teachers has been highlighted by recent studies, including work for the DfES by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC, 2001) and by the Office of Manpower Economics (OME) for the School Teachers Review Body (STRB, 2000). The PwC Report concluded that: Teachers and headteachers work more intensive weeks than other comparable managers and professionals. On an annual comparison, teachers work at similar levels to other managers and professionals.headteachers own workloads are higher than average by some hours a year (pp. 1-2). In addition to the amount of work and its intensity, the same report recognised concerns related to the pace and manner of change, a perception of an inadequate level of professional trust, a view that headteachers do not recognise the need to help in managing the workload of their staff, rising expectations about what schools can achieve and a lack of ownership of many current initiatives. In the context of this analysis, the report made a number of recommendations, including re-designing aspects of school work, changing the distribution of who does what among categories of staff, greater use of ICT and the use of external advice to support change (PwC, 2001: 3). These recommendations added to the growing emphasis on seeking ways by which teachers could focus upon their core role. In 1998, for example, the DfES produced a list of 25 items that classroom teachers should not routinely do, a list subsequently ratified by the STRB (DfES, 1998). The challenge of bringing about these changes should not be underestimated, particularly since established working practices are a complex mixture of a dilemma of consciousness based on personal teacher obligation combined with organisational responsibilities and requirements (Campbell and St J. Neill, 1997:104). This is not to say that change cannot be secured. Work commissioned by the DFE a decade ago showed 25 case study schools using associate staff in innovative ways, making use of the then recently introduced flexibility of local management of schools (Mortimore, Mortimore with Thomas, 1994). A study of good practice in resource management, commissioned by the DFE in 1993, further evidenced the ability of some schools to use their local responsibility for resources to good effect (Thomas and Martin, 1996). Yet, these pathfinders did not lead to the extensive and radical changes in the work of teachers that may have been anticipated. Moreover, although major studies of the early years of local management of schools showed changes in patterns of resource use, they failed to show any substantial impact on educational standards (HMI, 1992:11; Levacic, 1995 and Bullock and Thomas, 1997). Of course, there is a need to recognise that the changing demands on schools over the last decade may well have led to a re-casting of the work of teachers and others. In other words, without site based management, the patterns of work reported by PricewaterhouseCoopers (2001) may otherwise have shown teachers undertaking even more work that was not directly related to teaching than is currently the case. Whether or not this is the case, there is little doubt that securing significant change in working practices is a challenging task and, for this reason, the TSW Pathfinder Project has included School Workforce Advisers as a source of external advice and support for managing change. iv

8 Such support is also appropriate for developing the use of ICT in schools. Since the publication of the Stevenson Report (1997), there have been several government initiatives designed to encourage the widespread use of ICT in schools. Schools are being supported to become equipped with modern ICT facilities and for teaching staff to become confident and competent in using ICT within the curriculum (Ofsted, 2002). There is already some evidence of the beneficial impact of ICT on pupil achievement. A preliminary report on the impact of ICT in secondary schools suggested that the more widely a school uses ICT across the subject curriculum, the better its GCSE results (Becta, 2001). More recently, however, emergent findings of the IMPACT2 project suggest that, while there is a positive relationship between ICT use and educational achievement, the relationship is complex (DfES, 2001). Thus, it is not simply the amount of ICT use in a subject that is important but how it is used (Harrison et al., 2002). These issues were pertinent for the pilot schools in the Project as some invested in ICT, such as electronic whiteboards, for direct use in teaching and learning. More significant for this Project may be the use of ICT in supporting management and administration, an area where both the DfEE (1997) and the TTA (1998) have identified the uses and benefits of using ICT for administration and management. Yet, evidence of optimal use is doubtful and the potential of the Project in exploring this issue is significant. The School Workforce Advisers and the opportunities for headteachers to share ideas may be important here, not least as studies show the importance of schools networking locally, nationally and internationally, if they are to regenerate and sustain developments within diverse communities (Fullan, 2001; Kickert et al., 1997). It is against this background and context that this study evaluates the elements of the Transforming School Workforce Pathfinder Project and the extent to which the Project s aims have been achieved. The approach was underpinned by a methodological framework that guided the work undertaken. 1.3 The framework for the evaluation The evaluation of the TSW Pathfinder Project is based upon a single framework within which the different components of the Project have been incorporated. It is an overarching framework representing the range of categories that have to be taken into account in a school and, therefore, whilst it guides the work undertaken, it includes a number of elements that are not included in this study. It is represented by Figure 1: Linking resources to learning. The Figure gives primacy to the standard and quality of learning and how they are dependent upon the curriculum, pastoral care, continuity and assessment. The nature and quality of these factors is, of course, dependent upon the other components of Figure 1, the means by which ideas become realities, and the immediate focus of this Project is on change to these components. Teachers and associate staff are the principal budgetary resource in schools whose number, quality and commitment are central to achievement in any school. A major focus of the Project is to reduce the pressures on teachers and shift certain tasks to members of the support staff. One aspect of this Report will be to review changes in the distribution of work over the duration of the Project. Administrative systems are also critical, for example in maintaining pupil records and enabling teachers to learn about the progress pupils have made in earlier years; the evaluation will seek to identify developments here. The physical resources used by a school includes learning resources and the premises it occupies and all draw upon external support in a variety of forms, such as the support provided by the external consultants. The contribution of teachers and associate staff also has a non-financial dimension: the goodwill they bring to their work will differ from one school to another and have an effect on what a school can hope to achieve. The perceptions of the school workforce about their own school and their place in it can be expected to influence their response to the proposed changes and will be monitored during the evaluation. v

9 The standard and quality of learning Curriculum and pedagogy. Pastoral care and mentoring Quality and continuity of learning. The nature and effectiveness of assessment Leadership, Leadership, management management and planning planning and Teachers and associate staff Physical resources: premises and learning materials Administrative support systems External relations and support Financial and non-financial resources Figure 1: Linking resources to learning Leadership, management and planning are shown on the left and right side of Figure 1. These are the means by which the link is made between resources and learning. Its location in the Figure is intended to emphasise its distinctive place in schools. It is through leadership that schools define their aims and purposes and decide how they are to be achieved. Given the importance of organisational change embodied in the Project, this will be an important area for enquiry. For this evaluation, the selection from the framework is determined by the essence of the TSW Pathfinder Project and this is embodied in two words: resources and change. First, the Project provides schools with a variety of additional resources. Second, and more crucially, by working with a school s leadership capacities, it is intended to alter the way existing resources are used, changing the amount and deployment of teacher time and enabling teachers to focus more directly on learning and teaching. Viewed in this way, there are four critical tests of the Project s success. Above all others, the most important test was whether the hours of teachers fell during the year. In the context of its aims, evidence of a fall in hours or the expectation that changes will lead to a fall in hours must be a defining aspect of the Project. Linked to this are questions about the distribution of teacher time to different activities and whether this altered. The second test examined change in the school s leadership, management and planning capacities. The presumption of the Project was that changing working practices in schools required appropriate skills and capacities in change management by school leaders and, moreover, that these capacities needed to be developed and supported by external consultants. Change in school organisation and whether and how this was related to changes in hours was, therefore, examined. In effect, the relationship between change in hours in schools and the nature and change of school leadership was tested. vi

10 The third test referred to educational standards. Whilst the principal goals of the Project were to reduce the hours worked by teachers and to alter the distribution of work within the school workforce, these needed to be achieved without compromising the overriding national goal of improving the educational standards achieved by pupils and students, as measured by examination and test scores. The Project team approached this issue recognising that the timescale is such that improvements in educational standards as a result of new ways of working were unlikely. Moreover, a properly designed examination of the relationship between these resource changes and educational achievements would require a longitudinal and pupil-based methodology that was not part of this evaluation. The focus, therefore, was a limited comparison of two groups of pupils and students who took examinations and Key Stage tests in 2002 and 2003, complemented by observational comments from teachers about the impact of the TSW Project on the quality of teaching and learning. The final test was whether the Project generated initiatives that represented value for money. In that context, some of the schools provided good quality data that showed how different deployment of members of the school workforce contributed to more cost-effective deployment of staff time without loss of quality. 1.4 Method The data in this Report are based upon information collected from the 32 pilot schools with some data on hours worked by teachers at nine comparator schools. All teachers and support staff working in the 32 pilot schools and nine comparator schools were asked to complete a substantial questionnaire on two occasions. For the 32 pilot schools, the first was at the beginning of the summer term, 2002 and the second at the beginning of the summer term, In both years, visits to the comparator schools were later than to the Project schools. The data from the 2002 survey were provided in earlier reports and are not repeated here. In this Report, the emphasis has been on showing the responses to the 2003 survey and, where possible, comparing these with the 2002 data so that changes in the course of the year are shown. In 2003, a total of 2077 questionnaires were distributed to the pilot schools and 1578 were completed, a response rate of 76 per cent. In the special schools, 173 were completed from a total of 202, a response rate of 86 per cent. In the primary schools, 440 were completed from 498 distributed, a response rate of 88 per cent. In the secondary schools, 969 were completed from a total of 1377, a response rate of 70 per cent. When data from 2002 are compared with 2003, only data on individuals who reported at both points are shown. As a result of staff changes and turnover, this means that the number for whom there are data at both points are lower than the total number of responses in each of 2002 and The questionnaire data are in two forms. There are large amounts of quantitative data but there are also qualitative data from open questions in the 2003 questionnaire. The use of these has been selective with inclusion related to their relevance to the four critical tests. When the 32 schools were visited, interviews were undertaken with a range of staff and their outcomes are included. There were a total of 359 interviews, 40 in the special schools, 122 in the primary schools and 197 in the secondary schools. In all these schools, the departure of staff was monitored and information from 126 exit questionnaires are included in the Report. In a further set of schools, additional visits were made and the interviews and meetings in these schools provide a group of case studies. In addition to interviews with 56 teachers, support staff and governors, there were focus group meetings with students. All these data are drawn upon in the conclusion. 1.5 The structure of the report The structure of the Report reflects the main goals of the Project and does so in a way that seeks a distinction between the responses of individual teachers from the overall response of the schools in which they work. Part One contains Chapter 1 in which the context of the study and its design are set out together with an outline of the structure of this Report. Part Two has two Chapters. In Chapter 2, patterns of change among teachers are examined with particular reference to their behaviour, knowledge and attitudes. In Chapter 3, the emphasis is on the impact of organisational factors on the behaviour of teachers in particular vii

11 schools. Here the level of analysis is the school and whether there are school level attributes affecting the hours worked by teachers. Part Three of the Report Chapters 4 to 9 - draws on the more qualitative component of the study with five chapters of case studies. Four of these are about the experience of individual schools while one examines the experience of a set of small schools that shared their experiences as a consortium. These chapters provide a more qualitative and individual case study perspective on the experience of the schools during the first year of the TSW Project. Part Four contains two chapters. In Chapter 10, data on educational standards and costeffectiveness are reported. It draws upon evidence provided from the surveys, case studies and data collected on budgets and educational attainment. It has already been noted that the data on educational standards are limited. They are not pupil-level data that would enable an appropriate analysis of change; they are the aggregate measures of outcomes for Key Stage tests and GCSEs in 2002 and Their purpose would be to act as no more than a signal for possible other work on the relationship between the changes sought by the Project and their consequence for educational attainment. The Chapter also includes examples of initiatives in the 32 schools where their cost has been identified and related to their effect. They provide indicators of ways the experience of the 32 schools can be applied elsewhere. The concluding Chapter 11 draws together the data from all components of the study, relating these to the core themes of resources and change and assessing them in relation to the critical tests of hours, organisational change, educational standards and cost-effectiveness. viii

12 PART TWO: TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS 2 TEACHERS AND WORKLOAD This Chapter begins by examining the data collected on teacher hours and how these changed between the two main survey points of early summer, 2002 and early summer, These data are reported in a way that distinguishes groups of teachers and whether they are based in special, primary or secondary schools. Data are also included on the responses of teachers to sets of statements on job satisfaction and quality of life, as improvements in these areas were important aspects of the overall aims of the Project. The movement of staff are also examined. At the end of each term, a survey was undertaken of members of the workforce who left the schools and the outcomes of that survey are reported. Finally, as part of seeking to understand the reasons for changes in hours, the relationship between reported hours and the views and experiences of teachers are examined. These include analysis of key changes, notably whether teachers experience of clerical work and access to ICT has changed and how these are related to hours worked. 2.1 Reported weekly and holiday hours In Table 2.1, the reported hours of work are shown for all teachers who responded to the survey. These data arise from replies to the question: Thinking of the second half of the spring term, how many hours per week do you normally work (include all work related activity in school and elsewhere)? Responses were to a range of options (e.g hours; hours, etc.) and the mid-point has been assumed as the basis for the final calculation. Table 2.1: Reported weekly hours by teachers Occupation N 2002 Mean hrs 2002 N 2003 Mean hrs 2003 N 2002 & 2003 Change in hrs. Primary Headteachers Deputy heads (1) Class teachers (2) Secondary Headteachers Deputy heads (1) Heads of Faculty (3) Class teachers (4) Special Class teachers (2) Notes: (1) All leadership group except headteacher (deputy, assistant head, leadership group) (2) All other teachers, excluding trainees (3) Management points, recruitment and retention points, advanced skills teachers (4) NQTs, main scale, upper scale The Table shows three sets of data about reported hours worked. The first two columns show the number of headteachers, deputies and classroom teachers who responded to this question in the 2002 survey and the average number of hours they reported as normally working. For example, classroom teachers in primary schools reported working an average of 52.7 hours each term time week. The next two columns report the comparable figures for Thus, 133 primary classroom teachers responded and reported working an average of 50.1 hours each term time week. The last two columns are based on replies from those who responded in both years. In the case of primary school classroom teachers, therefore, there were 124 who replied in both years and their responses show an average fall of 4.1 hours in their reported hours of work. Indeed, the data in these last two columns report a fall in reported hours across all categories with the exception of Heads of Faculty in secondary schools who reported a small increase of 0.3 hours. ix

13 In relation to the overall objectives of the Project, these are very positive outcomes, all the more in that the change was apparent in all groups except for Faculty Heads in secondary schools. However, data from the secondary schools in the comparator set also show this change. In the comparator secondary schools, data from 72 class teachers who completed this question in 2002 and 2003 show a reduction of 1.9 hours worked each week, as against a reduction of 1.3 hours for the same group in the Project schools. How are we to interpret these data? First, we need to be cautious about the nature of the comparator schools. These were not selected randomly to be a control group but had expressed an interest in being part of the Project. It may be, therefore, that they were particularly interested in the purposes of the Project and already alert to the issue of workload. Second, data from the comparator schools were collected later in the summer term than in the Project schools. As the question on which these data were based asked teachers to think of the second half of the spring term, the longer time interval may make recall difficult. Three other factors may also be significant. One is that the intervention with the questionnaire made the issue more prominent for these teachers who became more critical and questioning of hours worked and, second, this may have been re-enforced by the greater profile given to the issue by the National Agreement in January, Finally, it is important to recognise that there is a range of error in any survey and, on the same issue, the larger the survey the smaller the degree of uncertainty about the results. As the main data set contains information from 311 secondary school teachers and the comparator set data from 72 teachers, the range of error will be greater in the comparator schools. Notwithstanding these qualifying comments, the reported fall in hours should not be set aside. The change in hours appear to be related, in its broadest sense, to the Project and it is important to note that the change in hours in the Project schools was not only reflected in the response to this question but in others that related to work in the evening and weekends as well as outside term time. Table 2.2 shows the reported change on work outside term time. Table 2.2: Reported work by teachers outside term time Occupation N 2002 N 2003 Mean days 2002 Mean days 2003 N 2002 & 2003 Change in days Primary Headteachers Deputy heads (1) Class teachers (2) Secondary Headteachers Deputy heads (1) Heads of Faculty (3) Class teachers (4) Special Class teachers (2) When the data for 2002 with 2003 were compared, six of the eight groups showed no change or a slight decline while secondary headteachers and heads of faculty showed a small increase. For example, the 11 secondary school headteachers who replied in 2002 reported 25 days of work outside term time and the nine replying in 2003 reported 26 days. However, when the data for those who reported in both years were compared, there was a fall in working time reported for each category, ranging from an average of 5.7 days for primary school deputy heads to 0.6 of a day for heads of faculty in secondary schools. Of these two ways of reviewing the data, the second method is the more reliable because the change data are based only on replies from the same people like is being compared with like. By comparison, the 2002 data includes returns from some staff who made no return in 2003 and the 2003 returns includes responses from those who made no return in The differences between these groups may have arisen because of staff turnover or staff absence on the day of the survey. In any event, the like-for-like comparison is the more reliable and, on the basis of these returns, provide grounds for encouragement that the Project had an impact on teachers work. x

14 xi

15 2.2 Evening and weekend work Teachers were asked to indicate the time you normally work during the school week against three categories evening, Saturday and Sunday with options ranging from zero to more than three hours. Their replies for 2003 are shown in Table 4.3 together with the mean working hours for 2002 and For those who replied in both years, the change in working hours are reported. Table 2.3: Evening and weekend work (response shown as a percentage) Time in Hours N 2003 No Resp. 0 < > mean 2003 mean change Special Eve Schools Sat Sun Primary Eve Schools Sat Secondary Schools Sun Eve Sat Sun Patterns of work during the week and weekend show 95 per cent of teachers doing some work at these times. The pattern of work was similar across all types of school. The mean for a typical evening in 2003 was 1.7 hours in special and primary schools and 1.9 hours in secondary schools. These must to be aggregated to obtain a total for the week and such an aggregation would depend on how many weekday evenings teachers work. For example, if teachers normally worked on four evenings, excluding weekends, these data indicate 6.8 hours of work in special and primary schools and 7.6 hours in secondary schools. In terms of change from 2002, the evidence points to a small decline in each sector with the total for all weekdays again depending on the number of evenings worked. Thus, if work occurs on four weekday evenings, the reduction amounts to about 80 minutes in special schools, 53 minutes in primary schools and 29 minutes in secondary schools. With respect to Saturday, the mean hours in 2003 was 1.3 (special), 0.9 (primary) and 1.2 (secondary); and for Sunday, the mean was 2.1 (special), 2.1 (primary) and 2.3 (secondary). In terms of change between 2002 and 2003, there was a modest fall in hours across all school types ranging from 0.11 per cent (less than seven minutes) to 0.67 per cent (about 40 minutes). 2.4 The nature of teachers work In both surveys, teachers were asked to respond to a set of detailed questions about the distribution of their time to different activities. 2 This Report cites the outcomes for the survey undertaken in Annex 1 provides further information on these activities. In devising the questions for the questionnaire survey, comparability was sought with those used by the OME in their bi-annual diary survey. xii

16 Special Schools 13% 12% 6% 15% 10% 44% Teaching Other Pupil contact Supporting School/Staff management General Administration Other Duties In the pilot special schools in 2003, teachers reported that they spent 44 per cent of their time teaching and a further ten per cent in other forms of pupil contact, including registration, supervision, pastoral work and out-of-hours clubs. About 15 per cent of their time was committed to supporting learning, activities that include planning and preparing lessons, tests and assessments, marking class work, homework, exams and tests, keeping records of pupil performance and preparing pupils work for display. Twelve per cent of time was spent on school and staff management and six per cent on general administration, including organising resources and different forms of clerical work. Less frequent other activities, such as staff training, writing term reports, liaison with governors and parents added up to a further 13 per cent of time. In assessing change between 2002 and 2003 in the distribution of time to different activities, data were provided by 41 full time teachers who replied in both years and, with respect to time spent on the items in the teaching category, there was a negligible decline of 0.7 per cent. Whilst this global perspective showed little change, further analysis of some items was more illuminating. Underlying each of these six main categories were 85 sub-items and, of these, eight were selected for further analysis because they could clearly be done by members of the school workforce who were not teachers. These were: (1) preparing pupil work for display; (2) mounting pupil work for display; (3) clerical work photocopying; (4) clerical work filing; (5) clerical work database entry; (6) clerical work routine form filling; (7) collecting money from children school trips; and (8) collecting money from children clubs. If schools had reviewed the type of work that teachers were doing that could even should - be done by others, these six items might be expected to show change. In interpreting these data, however, it is necessary to recognise that estimates of time to different activities are often over-estimated so that, for example, the total time estimated for the 85 items were greater than the answer given to the question how many hours per week do you normally work. For that reason it was more appropriate to monitor the direction of change among those teachers who replied to these questions in both years. When these eight items were examined in the special schools, the most notable finding was that for all except one of the items, teachers reported a fall in time spent on all but one of these activities. The first two of these items preparing and mounting pupil work for display showed a total fall of about 40 minutes per week among the 33 teachers reporting in both years. The remaining six items were clerical functions and these showed a total fall 45 minutes among the 25 teachers reporting in both years; the one item showing a rise was an increase of only one minute. It is important to be cautious in using these numbers. Estimates of time devoted to specific tasks are just that estimates and subject to error. However, the direction of change is illuminating. On average, those teachers reporting on the distribution of their time in 2003 compared with 2002 showed a marked decline in hours spent on tasks that can clearly be done by other members of the school workforce. xiii

17 Primary Schools 12% 9% 6% 20% 11% 42% Teaching Other Pupil contact Supporting School/Staff management General Administration Other Duties In the pilot primary schools in the Project, teachers reported in the 2003 survey that they spent 42 per cent of their time teaching. Eleven per cent of their time was reported as being committed to other pupil contact and 20 per cent to supporting learning. School and staff management absorbed about nine per cent of their time, six per cent on general administration and 12 per cent on other less frequent activities. When the results of the 106 teachers who provided data in 2002 and 2003 were compared, there was a small increase of three per cent in the time allocated to the teaching category. Analysis of changes between 2002 and 2003 to the eight items of activity that could clearly be done by non-teaching members of the school workforce showed a fall in time devoted to these tasks. For the two items on preparing and mounting pupils work for display, the mean fall in time reported by 83 teachers was 52 minutes per week and, for the 81 teachers reporting on the six clerical items, a fall of 58 minutes was reported. Whist over-reliance on the actual numbers would be unwise, the direction of change for all these items, except for a negligible increase for one, indicated a trend that was clearly positive in the way teachers were re-thinking the distribution of their time. Secondary Schools 13% 6% 6% 20% 44% Teaching Other Pupil contact Supporting School/Staff management General Administration Other Duties 11% xiv

18 Secondary school teachers in the pilot schools reported that in 2003, 44 per cent of their time was committed to teaching and 11 per cent to other forms of pupil contact. Supporting learning, activities such as planning and preparing lessons, tests and assessments, marking class work, homework, exams and tests, keeping records of pupil performance absorbed 20 per cent of their time with six per cent committed to school and staff management and six per cent to general administration. About 13 per cent of the time of class teachers was spent on less frequent other activities. In reviewing the responses from those who replied in 2002 and 2003, there was almost no change. For the 282 teachers who provided data in both years, there was a negligible increase of 0.2 per cent in time allocated to the teaching category. When changes to the eight non-teaching tasks were examined, the profile among secondary school teachers was markedly different from their special and primary school counterparts. Their response to the two items on pupil display showed a fall of only three minutes by the 206 teachers who replied in both years. For the other six clerical items, the 177 teachers who responded to these in both years reported a decline of 22 minutes, 15 of these on the item clerical work photocopying, and an overall fall that was lower than in the special and primary schools. Reviewing the data across the three sectors, the biggest difference was on the time devoted by teachers to preparing pupil displays. On this task, teachers in special and primary schools reported a large fall in time while secondary school teachers reported no change. The effect of this was to make the 2003 returns more comparable across all three sectors. Thus, in 2003, the 390 secondary school teachers reported spending 66 minutes per week on pupil display compared with 72 minutes in primary schools and 64 minutes in special schools. Whilst these estimates must not be interpreted too literally, the overall profile of no change in secondary schools and marked change in the special and primary schools suggests that these were items available for quick wins in the use of time in those schools with teachers transferring functions to support staff. With respect to the clerical items, while secondary school teachers reported a decline of 22 minutes, this was lower than the decline of 58 minutes among primary school teachers and 45 minutes in the special schools. Moreover, comparisons of the responses by all teachers in 2003 showed these items as taking more time among secondary school teachers with the biggest difference in two items: clerical work database entry and clerical work routine form filling. On these items alone, secondary school teachers reported spending 66 minutes per week compared with 33 minutes by teachers in special and primary schools. While these data must not be interpreted too literally, they do point to activities in secondary schools that might more appropriately be done by members of the clerical staff. Taken as a whole, therefore, a review of the eight items that could be transferred to nonteaching members of the school workforce, suggest two initial conclusions. First, it would seem that there were some quick wins that were implemented in special and primary schools with respect to pupil display and where the fall in time between 2002 and 2003 may have contributed to the larger fall in total hours in those schools. Second, there would seem to be some evidence that there was routine activity related to database work and form filling in all schools - but particularly in secondary schools - that could be transferred to non-teacher members of the school workforce. This conclusion was re-enforced when teachers personal observations on their workload were examined. 2.5 Teachers views on workload The second questionnaire survey was conducted in the early summer term, 2003, complemented by interviews with a range of staff. The survey and the interviews gave staff opportunities to comment on workload and these are reported in this section. A total of 1,578 questionnaires were returned and 359 interviews undertaken Teachers views on their own workload The first question asked in each interview during the 2003 visits was: What for you are the main issues in relation to your role and your workload since the introduction of the Pathfinder Project? xv

19 In the 40 interviews with teachers in the special schools, six teachers said that their workload had been reduced during the last year while five teachers said that their workload had increased. This appears to contrast with the overall profile from the survey which shows an overall reduction of about four hours in the length of the working week of class teachers in the special schools. There are a number of factors that may explain this difference. First, a decline in the average profile can still mean that the hours of some teachers increased. Second, it may be that those interviewed were more involved in managing change and this meant an increase in hours for them. Third, the difference may be a result of sampling, as 11 were selected for interview whilst 47 gave data where we could compare replies in both years. Fourth, it may be that reflections during an interview differ from an assessment made when responding to a survey. This is more likely where the interviews involved a perception of change over the year while the data from the questionnaires were from two sampling points. Three of the teachers interviewed reported that ICT had helped to reduce their workload, enabling them either to undertake tasks more efficiently or allowing them to pass tasks to others. Two teachers said that it had increased their workload, as they became more familiar with applications or were developing new materials. Twelve of those interviewed said that a benefit of the Project was an increase in planning time and six mentioned the benefits arising from the appointment of additional staff, such as teaching assistants and administrative staff. In the 122 interviews with teachers in the primary schools, ten said that their workload had been reduced during the last year compared with 21 who said that their workload had increased and 13 who said that there was little or no change. There is a contrast here with the 124 teachers for whom we have data on time in both years. The questionnaire data points to a reduction of about four hours in the length of the working week. Thirteen teachers interviewed said that ICT had helped to reduce their workload, of which seven cited laptops as the reason for this. Twelve teachers reported that a benefit of the Project was an increase in planning time while eleven said that a benefit of the Project was the role of teaching assistants and eight mentioned the appointment of additional staff, of whom five cited the appointment of a resources manager. In the 197 interviews with teachers in the secondary schools, 18 said that their workload had been reduced in the last year while 22 said that their workload had increased and a further 20 said that there was little or no change to their workload. This compares with the data from the questionnaire survey where information from 311 teachers from both years points to a small reduction of just over an hour in working time. A substantial number - 42 of the teachers interviewed - said that ICT had made a positive impact on their work and 18 that Teaching Assistants had had a positive impact on their work. Examples included assistance in personal organisation, preparation and planning. ICT had also helped improve the quality of work, in appearance and content and in providing electronic access to school databases. Some commented that electronic whiteboards had revolutionised their approach to teaching Teachers views on workload in general At the end of the questionnaire, teachers were asked to give their views on the causes of excessive workload. The views given during the 2003 survey are summarised below. From the perspective of the 66 teachers in special schools who provided written comments, a range of factors were cited as the main causes of excessive workload: Forty cited bureaucracy and paper work (marking, monitoring, record keeping, planning, form filling) with little or no support. Twenty two identified too manytasks not directly related to teaching. Sixteen said curriculum demands involved in the creation of resources and the need xvi

20 to produce differentiated learning programmes of work. Other factors included: nine who mentioned too many meetings; five who said insufficient protected non-contact time; a further five cited unrealistic expectations such as inappropriate targets and tasks that were poorly matched to time allowances for their completion. Three reported inappropriate accountability demands (OfSTED, National Curriculum, performance tables, lesson planning, record-keeping, and marking moderation) and two identified too many government initiatives as the cause. Two hundred and six (206) primary school teachers completed the open questions on the causes of excessive workload and identified several factors as causing this. Seventy-six cited paperwork and administration as the main cause of workload. Fifty-two teachers commented that planning and differentiation causes excessive workload. Thirty-seven identified too many government initiatives and curriculum overload. Twenty-nine identified marking, monitoring and assessment as a problem. Twenty-one said that there is too much record keeping. Other factors included 15 who thought planning and the preparation of resources is the main cause of workload problems; 15 stated that there are excessive accountability demands (including Ofsted); 14 cited the lack of non-contact time and that the role is still too demanding with insufficient time to do the job; 12 stated that there was too much managerial activity across school (meetings, review, planning); nine suggested that expectations on teachers are too high; nine mentioned the completion of tasks not directly related to teaching; seven that class size is too big; and six suggested that teachers need to develop time management skills. Other items mentioned by a small number of teachers were: low levels of resource (human and non-human); excessive demands when preparing for a mixed key stage class; insufficient ICT and lack of administrative staff. Across the 592 secondary school teachers who responded to this question, several issues were identified as causing excessive workload. Two hundred and nineteen identified bureaucracy and paper work as a principal cause, including record keeping, planning, and form filling with little or no support. One hundred and twenty six said school discipline, such as pupil misbehaviour, attendance, pastoral issues and working with external agencies. Ninety-eight perceived accountability demands as a major factor, including Ofsted, National Curriculum, performance tables, report writing, record-keeping, and marking moderation. Sixty-four said that class sizes are too large. Fifty-eight cited unrealistic expectations such as inappropriate targets and tasks that are poorly matched to time allowances for completion. Forty-three pointed to change initiatives fatigue both government and school generated. Thirty-three identified the time involved in ICT take-up and systems conversion from paper to e-media. Thirty thought the low numbers of teaching assistants/ support staff/ teachers was a cause. Other factors included 20 who mentioned cover and non-contact time; 16 identified inefficient systems of school administration and communication; 11 identified preparation for practical lessons without support staff assistance; ten felt there was the need for more ICT skills; eight believed there were too many or unnecessary meetings; and others mentioned the changing demands of the curriculum, the culture that expects teachers to work out of school hours and that there is too much teaching and pupil contact time. xvii

21 2.6 Solutions for Excessive Workload In addition to asking for views on the causes of excessive workload, teachers were also asked to give their views on possible solutions to workload problems and their responses are summarised below. Among the 66 teachers in special schools who responded, twelve items were mentioned as possible solutions. Nineteen who responded to the question identified the need to cut paperwork by streamlining or by focusing on the planning of lessons rather than record keeping. Eighteen suggested employing additional clerical and administrative staff. Ten identified employing more teachers and/or teaching assistants as a solution. Other suggestions included seven who proposed fewer meetings and more protected non-contact time (for marking, preparation, administration); six identified a general reduction in the number of non teaching tasks completed by teachers; six proposed a reduction in aspects of monitoring, assessment, recording, reporting and accountability; five mentioned increasing the levels of professionalism with appropriate training and continuing professional development for support staff; five proposed the continuing development of ICT systems, infra-structure and software provision; and five identified better provision and management of resources (human and non-human). A small number also mentioned: better defined job specification/role responsibility across the school work force; fewer or no new initiatives; and a need for a more creative use of time for planning. The 181 primary school teachers who responded to this question made a total of 18 suggestions for ways of reducing excessive workload. Sixty proposed more non-contact time. Thirty-six identified the need for more learning support staff to work as teaching assistants. Thirty-six suggested more streamlined planning and preparation as well as the use of centrally prepared lesson plans and resources. Twenty-eight teachers thought improvements to ICT and use of laptops were a solution. Nineteen wanted a reduction in assessment, testing and marking. Thirteen identified the need to reduce administration and paperwork. Eleven thought developing the role of the teaching assistant an important option. Ten said there needs to be a slimmed down and more flexible curriculum. Among other proposals, there were nine who identified the need to reduce class size; nine proposed re-modelling OfSTED; seven identified the need for more administrative staff; and six said there is a need for less team planning while four suggested the opposite that there is a need for more team planning. Other suggestions included fewer administrative tasks; a need to stream or set for class grouping; change in the culture that expects teachers to work out of school hours; improved parental contact before school and an end to annual changes by the Government. The 592 secondary school teachers who responded to the question on solutions for excessive workload identified 17 items as options to consider. One hundred and eighty six said that more teaching assistants and clerical support staff to take up administrative work/ assist with lesson preparation. One hundred and twenty three teachers proposed more protected non-contact time. Ninety-nine identified smaller classes. Seventy identified the need to reduce the amount of administration and paperwork linked to formal assessment, marking and record keeping. Sixty-one proposed enhanced use of ICT. Forty-five identified improvements in pupil behaviour and the system of school discipline. Twenty-one proposed a reduced teaching timetable. xviii

22 Seventeen proposed more streamlined planning and preparation as well as the use of centrally prepared lesson plans and resources. Other ideas included: 16 who identified a need for realistic expectations and more even distribution of targets and a better match of time allowance to complete tasks required of teachers; eight mentioned the need for less coursework; seven proposed improvements to systems of school administration and communication; and six identified the need for a reduced number of meetings in school. A small number also suggested better planned and appropriate continuing professional development; fewer initiatives requiring constant change; that the focus of teachers should be on teaching; less homework and reduced use of ICT. 2.7 Job satisfaction In addition to seeking a reduction in the hours worked by teachers, the Project was also concerned to enrich teachers own work and increase their job satisfaction and commitment. In that context, the questionnaire included a set of statements that represented attributes of a job where satisfaction would contribute to an overall sense of satisfaction about work. Teachers were asked to respond to a set of statements and to indicate their responses on a six-point scale from Very Strongly Dissatisfied (VSDis) to Very Strongly Satisfied (VSSat). In the Report, this scale has been reduced to a binary divide of satisfied and dissatisfied. The statements on job satisfaction have been divided into two sets, one that is focused on items related to an individual s own job and the other focused on their views of how some organizational issues impact on their job satisfaction. The tables show three types of data: the pattern of response in 2003 to each statement as a percentage of those replying; the mean response in 2003 and then the change in the mean response for those who completed the same statements in 2002 and The mean is calculated by scoring all the responses on a scale from 1 (very strong dissatisfaction) to 6 (very strong satisfaction); on this basis, the mid point score is 3.5 so that any mean above that level represents a level of satisfaction whereas a mean below 3.5 would indicate a level of dissatisfaction. The number of respondents that is reported refers to those who replied in Each statement shows the response by type of school: special, primary and secondary. Table 2.7: Teachers Job Satisfaction Personal (response shown as a percentage) Please indicate what you N Dissatisfied Satisfied 2003 think about each statement: Type mean change The actual job itself Spec Prim Sec The degree to which you feel Spec motivated by your job Prim Sec The kind of work you are Spec required to perform Prim Sec The degree to which you feel Spec you can personally develop or Prim grow in your job Sec The degree to which your job Spec taps the range of skills which Prim you feel you possess Sec The degree to which you feel Spec extended by your job Prim Sec The first two statements in the Table refer to satisfaction and motivation and it is apparent that the overall assessment of teachers about their work was positive, though there are differences across the three types of schools. Thus, on all responses to the six positively worded personal statements, the highest level of satisfaction was from teachers in special xix

23 schools. In 2003, these range from a mean of 4.53 to 4.94, while the final column on change since 2002 shows these as negligible. The responses of primary school teachers were next highest in level of satisfaction, ranging from 4.49 to 4.73 with the change from 2002 to 2003 also showing negligible change. Whilst the responses from the secondary school teachers in the Project were the lowest of all three sectors, ranging from 3.93 to 4.45, they were all positive with the change from 2002 also negligible. Relationships between working hours, job satisfaction and motivation are complex and some highly motivated people gain much satisfaction from their work and choose to work long hours. However, given the publicly expressed concern about the hours worked by teachers and the Project s goal of reducing hours, it was reasonable to propose an hypothesis that for most teachers, job satisfaction and motivation would be negatively correlated with hours worked. In other words, longer working hours would be associated with less job satisfaction and lower motivation. Further analysis was undertaken, therefore, to examine the relationship between job satisfaction and hours worked. Among the six statements in Table 2.7, attitudes to the first two the job itself and motivation were judged to be more likely to be related to or influenced by working hours. The hypothesis was applied in three ways. The first two comparisons examined the relationship between hours worked and levels of job satisfaction and motivation in 2002 and In 2002 and 2003, no significant relationships were established between reported hours and levels of job satisfaction and levels of motivation; this was the case in special, primary and secondary schools. However, when change in hours between 2002 and 2003 was examined, the results for teachers in secondary schools showed a significant correlation between job satisfaction and change in hours worked and it was in the expected direction with job satisfaction increasing as hours fall. There was no comparable change in the results for the statement on motivation or for either statement among teachers, in special and primary schools. These results indicate the complexity of these issues. The response of secondary school teachers to a fall in their hours indicates that the relationship cannot be ignored. Yet, it is clear that there is no simple predictive general relationship between hours worked or even change in hours worked and a sense of job satisfaction or motivation. Table 2.7 shows that there were higher levels of job satisfaction in special and primary schools compared with secondary schools, but these cannot be explained by differences in hours worked. More likely is that teachers sense of satisfaction and motivation is embedded in a larger set of beliefs and attitudes, such as commitment to teaching, working relations with children and colleagues or the ethos of the school, and that securing higher levels of satisfaction involves a wider set of changes than focusing on hours alone. Table.2.8: Teachers Job Satisfaction Organization (response shown as a percentage) Please indicate what you N Dissatisfied Satisfied think about each statement: Type mean change Communication and the way Spec information flows around your Prim organization Sec The style of supervision that Spec your superiors use Prim Sec The way changes are Spec implemented Prim The way in which conflicts are resolved in your organization The psychological feel or climate that dominates your Sec Spec Prim Sec Spec Prim organization Sec xx

24 The design or shape of your organization s structure Spec Prim Sec The pattern of response to the statements on satisfaction with the organization were similar to the pattern for the statements more directly linked to a person s job; special schools reported the highest level of satisfaction and secondary schools the lowest. In all three types of schools, however, the satisfaction scores were in a lower range. In special schools, the mean scores for each statement ranged from 3.81 to 4.46, all showed a level of satisfaction but lower than for the personal statements. The change from 2002 was small with four showing a negligible fall and two a small increase in the mean score. For the primary schools in the Project, the mean responses all showed some level of satisfaction with the range from 3.88 to The change from 2002 showed a very small fall in every mean score with the exception of one item that showed a small rise. In the case of the secondary schools, the mean scores for the six statements ranged from 3.32 to For two of these scores, one on communication and the other on how change is implemented, levels of dissatisfaction were higher than levels of satisfaction; for the other four statements, the average scores reported a level of satisfaction but only slightly above the mean. The change from 2002 was negligible. 2.8 Quality of life A set of statements on quality of life included items that were related to work but also included items that locate the consequences of work in the broader context of a teacher s personal life and aspirations. The statements are presented in a different format to the original survey with Table 2.9 showing the responses to a set of positive statements and 2.10 to more negative statements. Table 2.9: Quality of Life Positive Please indicate what you think about each statement: I effectively manage my working time I feel that my work in this school is valued I enjoy my work most of the time I feel that the work I do is a good use of Type N Disagree Agree 2003 Mean Change Spec Prim Sec Spec Prim Sec Spec Prim Sec Spec Prim my time Sec Spec Prim months ago Sec Spec Prim Sec I enjoy work now more than I did 12 I know that if my workload is too much I can discuss it with a senior manager in school The six statements in Table 2.9 are positive statements about work and the working environment. The overall response to these statements was positive with most of the mean scores for 2003 greater than four and represented a position between agreement (a score of four) and strong agreement (a score of five). The least positive response was to the statement I enjoy work now more than 12 months ago. Here, the mean response was less than four, in the range between disagree (three) and agree (four). Moreover, the change from 2002 showed a marked shift towards a more negative position with the special schools xxi

25 showing a negative shift of 0.91, primary schools a fall of 1.05 and secondary schools a fall of In terms of other changes since 2002, negative movements occurred in relation to three other statements: whether work is valued, whether it is a good use of time and whether workload problems can be discussed with senior managers. By contrast, there was a positive shift in relation to the statement on enjoying work and, in special and primary schools, to the statement on time management. To balance the positive quality of life statements in Table 2.9, those in Table 2.10 are typically couched in a negative form, as in the first statement: I find it difficult to unwind at the end of a work day. This means that high disagreement scores are the preferred outcome. For example, the responses to the seventh statement ( I would like to leave teaching within the next year ) show quite high levels of disagreement, 75 per cent in special schools, 85 per cent in primary schools and 79 per cent in secondary schools. These levels of disagreement and the low mean scores in the penultimate column are clearly the preferred response. Similarly, a large negative change in the final column is preferred as it shows that, in 2003, teachers were less likely to want to leave teaching compared with a year earlier. Across all three types of schools, responses to the eight statements are all in the same direction. With respect to the first statement, I find it difficult to unwind at the end of work day, teachers were somewhat more likely to agree than disagree with those in secondary schools most likely to agree that they found it difficult to unwind. Change since 2002 was small. In terms of doing things that are not part of my job, attitudes were evenly divided in special and primary schools with secondary school teachers more likely to agree; change since 2002 reflected this profile with the teachers in special and primary schools more likely to disagree with the statement than a year earlier. The third statement on reduction in hours elicits a very high level of agreement across all three types of school and also shows a higher level of agreement in 2003 compared with a year earlier. Table 2.10: Quality of Life - Negative Please indicate what Type N Disagree Agree 2003 Mean Change you think about each statement: I find it difficult to Spec unwind at the end of a Prim work day Sec I am expected to do Spec things that are not part Prim of my job Sec I want to reduce the hours Spec I work Prim Sec I feel unable to do things Spec which I think should be Prim a part of my job Sec I feel I should have the time Prim to do the job as it should Spec be done Sec After I leave work I still worry about job problems I would like to leave teaching within the Spec Prim Sec Spec Prim next year Sec My job makes me feel Spec A score of one (1.0) in column labelled change represents a large change. For example, if the mean score on an item in 2002 was five (strongly agree), a fall of one represents a shift to a new mean score of four (agree). This is a shift of one full category within a six-category scale. xxii

26 exhausted by the end Prim of the workday Sec The next statement was I feel unable to do things which I think should be part of my job. Attitudes were fairly evenly divided in response to this statement but there was a marked change from 2002, the negative sign in the final column indicating that teachers were much more likely to disagree with the statement. The second statement was I feel I should have the time to do the job as it should be done. Responses here were overwhelmingly in agreement with the change in the final column quite large for the secondary schools indicating a stronger view on the issue compared with a year earlier. The sixth and eighth statements refer to worrying about job problems after leaving work and feeling exhausted at the end of the workday. On both statements, there were high levels of agreement, indicating unsatisfactory positions. Change since 2002 show different profiles, however, the small negative shift on the first statement indicating less likelihood to worry about job problems but the opposite shift on the final statement, a more troubling outcome. 2.9 Workforce Turnover In May and October, 2002 and March and June, 2003 each school was asked to complete an audit sheet of staff leaving and destinations. The schools reported that 231 teachers left their employment. This represents a turnover rate of 11.1 per cent in the academic year 2003 and compares with a turnover rate of 14.1 per cent, identified in the calendar year 2002 from a nationally representative sample of schools, in a study by Smithers and Robinson (2003). Of these 231 teachers, 94 moved to other schools, principally for promotion or to teach elsewhere, a further four left to teach part-time or to a less senior post and four to do supply teaching. This left 129 who left full time teaching in a school. Among these, the principal departures were to go abroad to travel or work (25), for unspecified personal reasons (24), retirement (22) and end of contract (19). Table 2.11: Teacher Turn Over and Wastage Primary Secondary Special Total Key: 1: Promotion/stay in school teaching 7. Left teaching for personal reasons 2: Retirement 8. Pursue studies 3. Left teaching 9. Go abroad to travel or work 4. End of Contract 10. Work in other ed. institution (LEA; FE) 5. Part time or demotion in teaching 11. Not known 6. Doing supply teaching 2.10 Perspectives on clerical staff Some of the additional resources made available to the Project schools were to be used for the employment of additional clerical staff as a means of re-thinking existing patterns of work and re-distributing work from teachers to clerical staff. While there was evidence of reduction in routine clerical activity being undertaken by teachers, it was also important to monitor attitudes, and change in attitudes, as these may underpin the changes that were occurring as well as contributing to greater change in the future. It is in that context that the responses of teachers to the position of clerical staff in their school are reported, as well as an analysis of the relationship between attitudes and changes in the hours worked by teachers. Table 2.12: Teachers Attitudes to Clerical Support xxiii

27 Please indicate what you think about each statement: Type N Disagre e Agree (4) 2003 Mean Change I want teachers to spend less Spec time on clerical and Prim administrative work and more Sec time on teaching and learning I have too much routine Spec clerical work to do Prim Sec I feel that better use of clerical Spec and administrative staff will Prim reduce workload Sec I feel that having more clerical Spec and administrative staff will Prim reduce workload Sec xxiv

28 The first statement refers to teachers using less of their time on clerical tasks and more on teaching and learning. It was not surprising that teachers strongly agreed with this view and there was little difference between different types of school. However, what was noteworthy was the substantial change in opinion among those surveyed in 2002 and The final column in the Table showed a marked shift in views effectively from agree to strongly agree possibly reflecting the greater salience of this issue as a result of the Project. The response to this first statement was complemented by the response to the second as to whether teachers have too much routine clerical work. In special and primary schools, the mean opinion in 2003 was on the mid-point between disagree and agree with secondary school teachers more likely to agree with the statement; in special and primary schools, the change from 2002 reinforced the view that teachers feel more positive about this issue, although this was not the case with secondary school teachers. The last two statements refer to better use of and more clerical and administrative staff as means of reducing workload. For both statements, the response of teachers was clear agreement. When change from 2002 was examined, in special and primary schools there was a small positive shift that better use of these staff could reduce workload while teachers in secondary schools believed this more strongly. With respect to whether more staff would help in reducing workload, there was support for this view but, across all school types, this was less firm than in Staff interviewed were also asked their views on the current use of clerical support. In the special schools, 13 teachers and five members of support staff stated that clerical support has improved over the period of the Project and four teachers specifically noted the value of the Media Resources Officer appointed to their school. In the primary schools, 36 teachers and 18 support staff all stated that clerical support had improved in the last year. Among staff in secondary schools, 53 teachers and 17 members of the support staff stated that clerical support had improved during the course of the project. However, there were ten teachers and four support staff who believed that there had been no change, and two teachers who stated that support from clerical staff had declined in the last year. Five teachers and five members of support staff said that they did not receive any clerical support while four teachers and one member of the support staff expressed the view that more clerical support was needed. The last three statements in Table 2.12 were subject to further analysis. The relationship between hours worked in the 2002 survey and attitudes in 2003 towards the statement on routine clerical work was analysed as it reflected perceptions on the nature of current work. In the secondary and primary schools, the analysis showed the positive relationship that might be expected; those with high stated hours of work were more likely to agree that they have too much routine clerical work. 4 Among teachers in special schools, however, there was no significant correlation between these two variables. The other two statements represent attitudes towards the potential role of clerical support in reducing workload. The analysis showed that beliefs in whether or not clerical support would reduce workload in the future were not correlated with hours worked. 5 Change in hours between 2002 and 2003 were analysed against changes in attitudes to the three statements. As with the data for 2002, there was an appropriate and statistically significant relationship between these changes among teachers in secondary and primary schools: a fall in hours worked was positively correlated with a fall in levels of agreement with the statement I have too much routine clerical work to do. 6 There was no statistically significant relationship among teachers in special schools, although the direction of change was the same. As with the 2002 data, there was no significant relationship between change in hours and attitudes on the potential benefits of clerical staff on teacher workload. 4 Significant at the 0.01 level among secondary school teachers and 0.05 level among primary school teachers. 5 Among secondary school teachers there was a correlation at the 0.05 level between hours worked and agreement with the statement that more clerical staff will reduce workload. 6 At the 0.01 level in secondary schools and 0.05 in primary schools. xxv

29 Taken together with the findings on change in hours devoted to the eight items discussed earlier, these re-enforced the view that substantive changes have occurred in hours devoted to routine clerical tasks and that teachers recognised the change Perspectives on Teaching Assistants A second major focus for expenditure on additional support was in the employment and deployment of teaching assistants. It was in that context that the survey included statements that would provide a perspective on teachers views of teaching assistants. These are reported and analysed. Table 2.13: Teachers Attitudes to Teaching Assistants Please indicate what you think about each statement: Type N Disagre e Agree (4) 2003 Mea n Change I feel that classroom/ Spec teaching assistants Prim need more training Sec I feel that working with Spec classroom/ teaching Prim assistants reduces my Sec workload I feel that classroom/ Spec teaching assistants are Prim under used Sec Working with Spec classroom/ teaching Prim assistants allows me to spend more time teaching Sec The response to the first statement in Table 2.13 showed general agreement that teaching assistants need more training. This view was consistent across all types of school. There was also consistency in the change since 2002 with a marked increase in the agreement levels shown in the final column. Amongst special and primary school teachers, there was also strong agreement with the second statement on whether teaching assistants reduced the workload of teachers. During the year, their view on this became more positive, notably in the special schools but only slightly in the primary schools. Teachers in the secondary schools were markedly less positive in their response; not only did only 55 per cent agree with the statement but views became more negative during the year. While the majority of teachers in special and primary schools disagreed with the statement that teaching assistants are underused, those in secondary schools strongly agreed. Moreover, during the year, special and primary school teachers became more likely to disagree with the statement, while secondary school teachers were more likely to take the view that teaching assistants were underused. A crucial issue is whether having teaching assistants allows teachers to spend more time teaching. In the special and primary schools, teachers clearly believe this to be the case with 80 per cent and 87 per cent, respectively, agreeing with the statement. Moreover, their attitudes became more positive during the year, as indicated by the changes of 0.45 and 0.13 in the final column. Teachers in secondary schools are not only less positive with 61 per cent agreeing with the statement, but the direction of change during the year was towards a more negative view. When staff in special schools were interviewed, 13 teachers and nine members of support staff expressed the view that the role of teaching assistants had improved during the duration of the Project, although three teachers raised concerns about the developing role of teaching assistants. In the primary schools, there was a clear view that there had been improvements in the role of teaching assistants, 41 teachers and 26 support staff expressing this opinion. Opinion was less clear cut in the secondary schools, reflecting the greater ambivalence of the questionnaire responses. Among those interviewed, 33 teachers and 13 support staff xxvi

30 interviewed stated that support from teaching assistants had improved. However, 16 teachers and five support staff reported that that there had been no change in relation to support from teaching assistants. For four teachers and three support staff, the main issue was the need for more teaching assistants, and six teachers commented that they did not have access to support from teaching assistants. The relationship between working hours and the statement that teaching assistants reduces my workload was examined. Teachers who work many hours might be expected to be less positive that teaching assistants would reduce their workload. The results were not consistent. Applied to the 2002 survey data, the relationship was in the expected direction across all schools with those working more hours less likely to agree with the statement. Applied to the 2003 survey data, however, the relationship held for secondary schools but not for special and primary schools. Finally, change in hours was examined against change in attitudes and here there was a consistent but weak relationship between a fall in hours worked and a more positive view that teaching assistants can reduce workload. There was, however, no consistent relationship between number of hours worked and responses to the statement that teaching assistants allows me to spend more time teaching Perspectives on Bursars and Financial Administration In the questionnaire survey, there was one statement that related directly to bursars and the response of teachers to this statement is shown in Table Table 2.14: Teachers Attitudes to Bursar Support Please indicate what you think about each statement: Type N Disagre e I feel that having a bursar (or equivalent) Agree 2003 Mean Change Spec Prim reduces workload Sec There was clear agreement from teachers across all types of schools that having a bursar (or equivalent) reduces workload. In special and primary schools, there was clear agreement in response to this statement with teachers in secondary schools in agreement but less so. The change from 2002 was positive in special and primary schools while secondary school teachers showed a very small decline in their agreement with the statement. When special schools were visited, staff were asked their views on the administration of finance in the schools. Eight teachers and three members of the support staff were positive about the financial systems in their schools. Five teachers and three support staff noted improvements in the financial systems while two teachers expressed the view that the system that was already in place was fine. One member of support staff maintained that workload in this area was a matter of concern. In the primary schools, 17 teachers and 12 support staff were positive about the existing financial systems. Two schools among the 16 primaries did not employ a bursar and another purchased the additional support needed as a service rather than employ someone directly. Eighteen teachers and six support staff in secondary schools expressed the view that there have been improvements to the financial systems in their school over the last year. Another group of 14 teachers and two support staff reported that the systems were already in place and efficient prior to the Project while 13 teachers and four support staff said that the systems had not changed. Among secondary and primary school teachers, there was a positive correlation between stated hours of work in 2002 and agreement with the statement that a bursar reduces workload ; there was no significant relationship among special school teachers. 7 When the relationship between change in hours and change in attitudes was examined, there was no significant relationship. That these results differ from the responses of teachers to statements 7 At the 0.01 level in secondary schools and 0.05 in primary schools. xxvii

31 on clerical staff may not be surprising as bursars were likely to have less of an impact on most teachers as compared with change in clerical support Access to ICT Increased access to ICT and its use in relation to teaching and administration was another part of the Project s initiatives. Greater use in administration was seen as a means for improving operating efficiency and reducing administrative pressures on teachers. For example, if the recording of more pupil data could be done directly on to ICT equipment, the use of the time of teachers in some of these tasks could be reduced. It was also hoped that easier access to a computer would encourage teachers to make greater use of web-based learning and teaching resources, such as the teachernet and curriculum on line. In this context, the surveys included many questions on the use of ICT, the applications to which teachers had access and changes that occurred in use and access between 2002 and While these data have been reported to the DfES and individual schools, in this Report the focus is on the relationship between selected changes and their impact on hours worked by teachers. Table 2.15: Teachers Access to ICT at Home Hardware Item Laptop computer N Access N Access in Access in Access in Type in but not 2003 both years 2003 but not 2002 Spec Prim Sec Table 2.15 shows how home access to a laptop computer changed between 2002 and It showed that 91 per cent of teachers in special and primary schools and 74 per cent in secondary schools had home access to a laptop computer in When these data were compared with the last two columns, it was evident that there had been a substantial increase in access in 2003 compared with 2002: 51 per cent of special school teachers and 64 per cent and 49 per cent respectively of primary and secondary school teachers. Analysis of the relationship between improved access to a laptop computer against hours worked by teachers showed no consistent or significant patterns. Whatever impact access to a laptop had on teachers, it was not apparent in terms of hours worked, although it may have an effect on their use of ICT and the work they do Use of ICT While access to ICT clearly improved, readiness to make greater use of applications was likely to depend on a set of factors. These would include an individual s assessment of their competence, their belief in the capacity of ICT to assist in their own productivity, and access to and quality of training and support. These are all items where teachers were asked for their views, enabling an analysis of the relationship with reported hours of using ICT. Teachers were asked How many hours do you currently spend using ICT for your work each day? The response to this question is shown in Table 2.16 together with data on changed levels of use reported by those who replied in 2002 and It shows that daily use of ICT applications ranged, on average, from 2.28 hours by teachers in special schools to 2.46 hours in primary and 2.51 hours in secondary schools. In terms of the distribution of hours, the majority of teachers used ICT for between one and three hours daily. This range covered 73 per cent of teachers in special schools, 53 per cent in primary and 57 per cent in secondary schools. xxviii

32 Table 2.16: Teachers hours spent using ICT Hrs. per day Teachers All Special All Primary All Secondary Total N mean hrs < 1 hour hours hours hours hours > 6 hours Hrs. per day Teachers Change Total N Mean change Dec. of 2 hrs. or more Dec. 1-2 hours Changes either way of < 1 hour Inc. of 1-2 hrs Inc. of 2-3 hrs Inc. of 3-4 hrs Inc. of 4 hours or more When changes since 2002 were reviewed, there had been an increased level of use across all school types, from 11 minutes in special schools (0.178 of an hour) to 65 minutes in primary schools (1.089 hours) and 33 minutes in secondary schools (0.542 hours). These were substantial changes, particularly in the primary and secondary schools and likely to reflect the emphasis on ICT in the Project. In terms of the distribution of change, 35 per cent of teachers in special schools reported increased use compared with 59 per cent in primary schools and 44 per cent in secondary schools. An important feature of the Project was improved access to ICT and, in particular, providing teachers with laptops. In that context, the relationship between improved access to a laptop at home and the use of ICT in working directly with pupils and in other pupil contact was examined. 8 What emerged was that improved access appeared to make teachers more likely to use ICT when working directly with pupils and in other forms of pupil contact. Specifically, those with greater access in 2003 were more likely to use ICT in working directly with pupils. While these relationships were not statistically significant, in all types of schools the direction of change was in the expected direction with more access linked to greater use. For other pupil contact, the changes were also in the same direction and were statistically significant. Enabling easier access to ICT, particularly personal use of a laptop, seemed to be an important step in extending the use of ICT in schools. A limiting factor, however, may be the competence of teachers, their access to training and technical support Competence and Workload In the interviews in the special schools, ten teachers confirmed that they had received ICT training during the year and that its effectiveness was variable while in the primary schools, 8 Working directly with pupils primarily refers to use in teaching and other pupil contact includes use in contacting parents and registration. xxix

33 31 teachers said that they had received ICT training arising from the project and 13 said that this training was effective and seven that it was ineffective. From the interviews with teachers in secondary schools 52 said they had received ICT training arising from the Project, 22 of whom said that this was effective and 12 that it was not effective. Sixteen of the teachers reported that their ICT training had been informal and on-the-job. Training and competence were also issues included in the questionnaire and the analysis examined the relationship between level of use of ICT and teachers assessment of their competence, their level of training and their belief in the contribution ICT can make to their productivity. Teachers were asked to rate their competency, their assessment of whether they had been trained in areas relevant to their work and their belief on the value of ICT in making them more productive. Responses to these items are presented in Table 2.17 together with information in the last three columns on changed perceptions since Table 2.17: Teachers Views on the Use of ICT Please indicate what you think about each statement: Type N Dis. Agree 2003 mea n I am a competent user of ICT I believe that my use of ICT makes me Decreased agreement or increased disagreem ent Sam e scal e Increased agreement or decreased disagreem ent Spec Prim Sec Spec Prim more productive Sec I have been trained Spec in all aspects of ICT Prim necessary for my work Sec Responses to the statement in Table 2.17 showed most teachers viewed themselves as competent users of ICT with teachers in secondary schools taking this view slightly more strongly than those in special and primary schools. About half of those who replied in both years did not change their views about their competence during the year while more registered an increase in the assessment of their competence compared with those registering a decline. Teachers were also positive on whether ICT makes me more productive with 76 per cent of teachers in special schools reporting agreement compared with 79 per cent in primary and secondary schools. The change since 2002 was similar across all types of school: about 40 per cent did not change their view; about 20 per cent became more negative and between 30 and 37 per cent were more positive on the productivity benefits of ICT. Attitudes on training were less positive with just over half agreeing with the statement in special and primary schools and only 41 per cent in secondary schools. Change since 2002 showed almost half of teachers in special and primary schools and one-third in secondary schools became more positive in their views. Levels of use of ICT - as shown in Table 2.16 were correlated with the attitudes reported in Table 2.17 and most showed a statistically significant relationship. This emphasises the importance of competence and the role of training. Data collected during the study showed quite low levels of access to formal training and a good deal of criticism of the training that was accessed. If ICT is to provide the benefits anticipated of it, then policies must not only include the provision of resources but also need to ensure that teachers and others in the school workforce are equipped to make effective use of those resources Conclusion Teachers reported a clear fall in hours worked between the two survey points with those in special and primary schools reporting a larger fall than their secondary school counterparts. xxx

34 There was a consistency in the pattern with teachers also reporting a fall in hours worked outside term time and during evenings and weekends. However, the data from a much smaller number of teachers in comparator schools also showed a fall. There were only small changes in the percentage of time devoted to teaching. However, detailed analysis of eight items that could clearly be done by non-teacher members of the school workforce showed a marked shift away from these tasks being undertaken by teachers. This change was greater among special and primary schools where the opportunity has been taken for achieving quick wins by reducing teacher time preparing and mounting pupils work for display. These changes reinforced the interview findings that teachers can identify tasks where they could spend less time and the Project gave them the opportunity to do so. Teachers scored high rates of agreement to statements on job satisfaction and there was little change of opinion between the two survey points. There was also no systematic relationship between job satisfaction and hours worked although, among secondary school teachers, there was a relationship between a fall in hours worked and an improvement in their satisfaction from the job itself. These findings support the proposition that job satisfaction is dependent upon a more complex set of factors than hours worked. Amongst primary and secondary school teachers there was a clear and positive relationship between hours worked and the view that teachers have to do too much routine clerical work. There was also a clear relationship between a fall in hours worked and a more positive view about the volume of clerical work. Together with the changes in the eight items, there was evidence of substantive change in hours devoted to routine tasks and this was recognised by teachers. Teachers in special and primary schools were positive about the contribution of teaching assistants with secondary school teachers less so. There was a weak relationship between a fall in hours worked and a more positive view on the potential of teaching assistants reducing workload. Teachers were also generally positive about the role of bursars in schools and their contribution to reducing the working hours of some teachers. There has been a clear growth in access to ICT as a result of the Project and very high percentages of teachers now have access to a laptop at home. There was no consistent relationship between increased access and total hours worked by teachers but there was a positive relationship between greater access at home and the use of ICT in working directly with pupils and in other pupil contact. Teachers who perceived themselves as competent users of ICT and those who believed they had been suitably trained were more likely to make use of applications, an issue that is relevant to ensuring a good match between the provision of ICT and suitable training in its use. xxxi

35 3 SCHOOLS AND WORKLOAD 3.1 Introduction In Chapter 2 the focus was on the workload, experiences and attitudes of individual teachers, such as the relationship between a teacher s workload and perspectives on job satisfaction and quality of life. In this Chapter, the focus moves from the experience of individual teachers to an analysis of the school as an organisation. While the basic data remains the experience, attitudes and perceptions of teachers, these were aggregated into a set of school level variables in order to examine their relationship with the hours worked by teachers in a school. This different focus is reflected in Table 3.1. Where Chapter 2 began with a Table setting out the mean hours worked by different categories of teachers, this shows the mean hours worked by class teachers by school. Table 3.1: Mean hours per week by school Mean 03 Change Mean 02 Mean 02 Mean 03 Change Special Prim Special Prim Special Prim Special Prim Sec Prim Sec Prim Sec Prim Sec Prim Sec Prim Sec Prim Sec Prim Sec Prim Sec Prim Sec Prim Sec Prim Sec Prim The Table shows mean hours worked per week in 2002 and 2003 as well as the change in hours between the two survey points. The change data were based only on those who provided data in both years and explains why the mean hours of change were not the result of simply subtracting the 2003 data from In the course of the year, staff turnover meant that a different group of people completed the survey whilst, for reliable and valid comparisons, change data need to be based only on those who replied in both years. All the data showed a wide range of hours worked in the 32 Project schools but the primary focus will be on the change in hours between 2002 and In the special schools, the change was in a range of 8.1 hours from a fall of 8.7 hours to a fall of 0.6 hours; in primary schools the range was 15.5 hours from a fall of 13 hours to an increase of 2.5 hours and in secondary schools the range was 7.7 hours from a fall 5.6 hours to an increase of 2.1 hours. These school level mean hours mask great diversity within schools as, even in the same school, some teachers will work longer hours than others. Nonetheless, this diversity between schools raised important questions. Are there factors that will help in understanding these differences? The rationale for the choice of factors will be explained in the relevant sections but in summary, the factors are: school size as measured by number of pupils; percentage of teacher time spent teaching; timetabled non-contact time; timetabled non-contact time normally achieved; approaches to the management of change; the quality of school leadership; organisational processes; decision-making; and the quality of ICT support. It is also important to note the sample size. While there were 32 schools in the Project, these were further divided into three groups with only four in the special school set. It is important to be cautious, therefore, about the conclusions drawn from the analysis, particularly those for the special schools. xxxii

36 3.2 School size and teaching hours The 32 Project schools varied substantially in size. The four special schools ranged from 59 to 233 students; the 16 primary schools from 38 to 740 students and the 12 secondary schools from 542 to 1606 students. School size may bring additional pressures, whether the school was large or small or on more than one site. Small schools face the problem of there being many tasks that have to be distributed among fewer staff and there are no economies of size available. However, large schools also have problems arising from size, not least one of communication and the need to devote time to ensuring that people are appropriately consulted. The issue of size and communication may be pertinent to the Project, in terms of the extent to which teachers in larger schools absorbed its message and developed ways of working that reflected its priorities. The relationship between the number of students in a school and hours worked in 2003 was examined. In the four special schools and 16 primary schools, there was a negative relationship, meaning that teachers in smaller schools worked longer hours; the correlations, respectively, were and In the secondary schools the relationship between hours and size was positive but the correlation was very small. Given the number of schools in these three data sets, it is necessary to be cautious about the conclusions that are drawn but they raise the issue of whether teachers in smaller schools typically work longer hours and, if that is the case, it potentially raises questions about resource levels in those schools. It was also hypothesised that the smaller schools may have been more effective in securing a bigger change in hours, the assumption being that communicating this aim of the Project would be easier in smaller schools. This hypothesis was supported in the secondary schools (correlation was 0.262) and the special schools (0.540) but not in the primary schools where the relationship was in the opposite direction, though the correlation was very small. The assumption that communication was easier in smaller schools held in special and secondary schools but not in primary schools. This raises the question whether change may take longer in larger schools because it takes longer to communicate the purpose of a new development and bring about its goals. 3.3 The use of time The Project was concerned not simply to reduce the working hours of teachers but to increase the proportion of their time spent teaching. In addition to examining this relationship, it was also hypothesised that schools that were effective in managing a reduction in the working hours of teachers would also be more likely to manage other parts of their time, notably their non-teaching time. With respect to time spent teaching, the relationship between total working hours and the percentage of time committed to teaching was analysed. 10 The assumption was that schools that were becoming smarter at reducing the hours worked by teachers would also seek to ensure that this was not done at the expense of the time spent teaching. It might be expected, therefore, that a fall in overall working hours was accompanied by a higher percentage of that time spent being used for teaching. The data did not support this hypothesis. In the secondary schools the relationship between reduction in hours and the proportion of time spent teaching was in the direction hypothesised but the correlation was very weak while, in the primary (0.424) and special schools (0.783) the correlation was stronger but not in the expected direction, The data were also analysed to examine the hypothesis that the school s that were more effective in terms of having lower working hours were more likely to provide teachers with a certain amount of non-contact time to undertake work outside the classroom. In the event, across the three groups of schools, those that had higher levels of protected time were also the schools with higher working hours. This was the case when the relationship was 9 These Pearson correlations are large but not statistically significant. That the relationships are not statistically significant arises in large part because of the sample size (four and 16) but should not be a reason to disregard the correlation relationship. For this reason, larger correlations will be cited in this Chapter even where they are not statistically significant, although where correlations are statistically significant, this will be noted. 10 Teaching was defined as teaching own lessons, covering another teacher s lessons or assisting a student in another teacher s lesson. xxxiii

37 examined for 2002 and 2003, though the relationship was not statistically significant. The correlations were high for both years: and for special schools and an identical and for both primary and secondary schools with the correlation of in 2003 close to significance at the 0.05 level. A further analysis examined the relationship of working hours with protected time, which is the amount of non-contact time that teachers actually received in practice. Here, the hypothesis was that schools that had lower working hours would be more effective in protecting noncontact time. The analysis showed correlations that were very similar to those reported on non-contact time with the 2002 data close to significance at the.05 level. The relationship between change in hours worked between 2002 and and the amount of protected time actually achieved showed no strong relationship in the primary and secondary schools and were inconsistent across the four special schools. 3.4 Change management Change management teams An important feature of the Pathfinder project was the creation of change management teams in all the participating schools and, in the 2003 survey, staff were asked whether or not they were members of the school s change team. Responses to this question are included in Table 3.2. They represent a high level of participation and an interesting distribution of membership. The level of membership of school change teams was high. Of the 838 teachers who responded to this question, 189 were members of their school s change team, 23 per cent of all those responding. Among the 683 support staff who responded, 130 were members of their school s change team, 19 per cent of those responding. Table 3.2a Teachers and change teams Are you a member of the School Change Team (or Teams) for the Pathfinder Project? Gender N Primary Headteachers (1) Deputy Heads (2) Class Teachers (3) Secondary Headteachers (5) Deputy Heads (6) Heads of Faculty (7) Class Teachers (8) Special All Special Yes No No Response (NR) Don t Know (DK) Teachers Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male xxxiv

38 Table 3.2b Teachers and change teams Support staff Are you a member of the School Change Team (or Teams) for the Pathfinder Project? N Yes No NR DK Special Primary Secondary In the primary schools, all head teachers were members of their school s team but in the secondary schools, only half of the eight male head teachers said they were members of the team. Among deputy heads, those in primary schools were more likely to be members than their secondary counterparts while female deputies in secondary schools were more likely to be members than their male counterparts. In the other categories of staff, the gender balance was more equal with female class teachers in primary schools and special schools being slightly higher than males but, in secondary schools, males being slightly more represented than females. Among support staff, the percentage distribution of membership was lowest in special schools at 11 per cent with primary schools at 24 per cent and secondary schools at 18 per cent. During the school visits, those interviewed were given opportunities to comment on their experience of the change management teams. The response in the special schools was clearly positive, ten teachers and seven support staff commenting that the change management teams had been effective and in one school, the whole staff had worked together on the Project and regarded the process as having been effective. Opinion in the primary schools was more mixed, although the dominant view was also positive. Among those interviewed, 30 teachers and 25 support staff said that the change management teams had been effective while ten teachers and three members of the support staff raised concerns about their effectiveness. This mixed assessment also occurred in the secondary schools where 42 teachers and 18 support staff said that the change management teams had been effective while 23 teachers and ten members of the support staff raised concerns about their effectiveness in supporting the change process. Views on change and management The questionnaire survey included several statements about change and the approach to its management within the schools and responses to these are shown in Table 3.3. The first three statements on change and its management highlight perspectives on the school s approach to managing change and its readiness to recognise that change was necessary. On all these statements, the responses of teachers in special and primary schools were similar but different from those in secondary schools. In special schools, 76 per cent agreed that the school had an effective approach to managing change, similar to the 73 per cent in primary schools but higher than the 58 per cent in secondary schools, perspectives that were also reflected in the mean scores for There was, however, more agreement across schools on the need to accept change and, indeed, that change is a must. Thus, in special and primary schools, 78 per cent and 77 per cent, respectively, agreed with the first of these statements and 73 per cent and 75 per cent with the second. The agreement rates in secondary schools were only slightly lower at 70 per cent and 72 per cent. xxxv

39 Table 3.3: Teachers Views on change and management In this school, there is Type N Disagree Agree DK and NR An effective approach towards managing change A readiness to accept changes to the way work is An acceptance that change is a must Mean change Spec Prim Sec Spec Prim carried out Sec Spec Prim Sec Spec Prim A good approach by senior staff to holding people accountable for their work Sec A problem solving approach within the staff Spec Prim Sec Spec A strong culture of improvement Prim Sec A welcoming approach to Spec external advice and support Prim to bring about change Sec Good experience of working Spec with external advice and Prim support Sec The fourth statement in Table 3.2 refers to management and accountability. Here, special and primary school teachers showed a high measure of similarity in their response with 70 per cent and 74 per cent agreeing that the approach was good. In secondary schools, however, the agreement rate was only just above half at 52 per cent and this was also reflected in the low mean score of The next two statements refer to approaches to change and whether staff perceived a problem solving approach and a culture of improvement. Here again, the special and primary schools had similar responses. On problem solving, 88 per cent of teachers in special schools agreed with the statement compared with 81 per cent in primary schools, while the agreement rate among secondary school teachers was 65 per cent. On a culture of improvement, 89 per cent of teachers in special schools agreed with the statement compared with 81 per cent in primary schools and 71 per cent in secondary schools. The last two statements were designed to capture views on how the school responded to external advice and the nature of that experience. In the special schools, 82 per cent of teachers agreed that the school had a welcoming approach to external advice and 82 per cent that their experience of external advice had been good. The comparable responses in primary schools were 83 per cent agreement to the first statement and 82 per cent to the second. In the secondary schools, 75 per cent agreed with the first statement and 71 per cent with the second. In terms of the change between 2002 and 2003, this was negligible in most cases. It is worth noting, however, that the larger changes were among teachers in special schools where, for four of the items readiness to accept change, change is a must, a problem solving approach and a culture of improvement - the changes ranged from 0.20 to There are equivalent to a percentage change in the level of agreement of between five and seven per cent. xxxvi

40 The issue of change was also raised in interviews during the school visits. In the special schools, ten teachers and nine support staff said that staff attitudes to change had been positive and supportive, although five teachers and three support staff identified concerns among some staff about aspects of the change process. Others mentioned specific developments that they felt had assisted the change process. For example, three mentioned the appointment of a media resources officer as a gain that made staff feel positive about the change process while three others referred to the introduction of more non-contact time as a positive move that affected attitudes to change. Other developments seen as assisting the change process included improvements to management systems and improvements to ICT provision. There was also mention of change in the role of support staff as an important aspect of the process, an issue that was evident from the case studies in later sections of this Report. During the interviews in the primary schools, 21 teachers and 15 support staff reported that, in their view, staff attitudes to change had been positive and supportive. This contrasted with a smaller number, five teachers and two support staff, who identified resistance amongst staff as a problem in the change process. Views on change management were also associated with views on the quality of leadership and management in schools and here the opinions expressed in interviews were more evenly balanced. Thus, seven teachers and nine support staff identified aspects of leadership and the management of change as positive, while eight teachers and three members of support staff identified concerns about the quality of leadership and the management of change. There were also staff that associated specific changes in human and physical resources as influencing their view of change. For example, eight members of the workforce mentioned the increased numbers of teaching assistants as a key part of change, while smaller numbers mentioned increased access to ICT resources, developments in the curriculum and staff appointments other than teaching assistants. In the secondary schools, there were 16 teachers and ten support staff who said that staff attitudes to change had been positive and supportive, much higher numbers than the four teachers and five support staff who identified staff resistance as a problem in the change process. There were also 21 teachers and 16 support staff who identified aspects of leadership and the management of change in the schools as positive and contributing to the success of the Project. This level of response was in marked contrast to the six teachers who identified concerns about leadership and the management of change in their school. Another group, six teachers in all, referred to additional resources as having been the reason for the success of the Project and the change process in their school, while ten other teachers and two support staff argued that the training that had been provided was a key factor in the success of the changes in their school. Finally, there were staff who defined success in terms of additional resources. Thus, there were 17 teachers and 10 support staff who said that developments in ICT were the tangible benefits of change, while six teachers and four support staff said that creating a Learning Centre was the significant tangible benefit of change for them. In a further analysis of the survey data, it was hypothesised that schools that responded more positively to statements on change were more likely to have responded to the Project s aims and would show a larger reduction in hours than those schools where attitudes to change were less positive. Three statements in Table 3.3 were selected to test this hypothesis: the first two in the Table on an effective approach to managing change and a readiness to accept changes to the way work is carried out and the fifth statement that there was a problem solving approach within the staff. The change in hours worked between 2002 and 2003 was tested against three ways of measuring these statements: attitudes to change in (1) 2002, (2) 2003 and (3) the change in these attitudes between 2002 and The primary schools showed a clear and consistent relationship between change in working hours and the three measures of change. In all cases the relationship was in the expected direction and, for the relationship between attitudes in 2003 and change in hours, it was significant at the 0.05 level for an effective approach towards managing change and a readiness to accept changes to the way work is carried out. There was also a strong relation between change in hours and change in attitudes with a statistically significant relationship to xxxvii

41 the statement on accepting change in ways of working. The results for the special schools also showed these relationships. It was the secondary schools that did not follow this trend and, with a single exception, the correlations pointed in a different direction to the special and primary schools. The exception was to the statement on accepting change in ways of working, where the relationship between a fall in working hours and change in views between 2002 and 2003 was in the expected direction. These results showed the special and primary schools with the expected relationship between change in hours and attitudes to change; that is, reduction in hours was correlated with positive attitudes to change. While this may reflect a greater readiness to accept change and make the Project s purposes a reality, it may also be that these schools were more familiar with working with teaching assistants and were, therefore, better positioned to make the change. It was also noted earlier that these schools secured more quick wins in moving some work towards support staff and that this may reflect a greater opportunity to do this quickly. External agencies and support School Workforce Advisers (SWAs) were an important agent of external support provided to the schools and, during the interviews in the schools, questions were posed on their role and impact. In the special schools, the overwhelming view among those we interviewed was that the SWAs had been effective. Eleven teachers and two support staff expressed this view and there was little negative comment. In terms of other forms of external relations, staff in two schools said that the LEA had not been interested in the Project while those in three others reported improvements in collaboration with parts of the local community and some local agencies. In the primary schools, 20 teachers and 12 support staff said that the SWAs had been an effective part of the Project and there were negative comments from five schools that the role of the LEA had been limited or non-existent. Staff in 11 schools reported improvements in collaboration with the local community and some local agencies in the course of the year. Finally, in the secondary schools, just 11 teachers and three support staff said that the SWAs had been effective while four teachers and two support staff expressed concerns about their effectiveness. 3.5 Leadership and management in school The quality of leadership in the schools was clearly a part of their capacity to manage change and introduce the changes associated with the Project. In both surveys, therefore, statements were included on aspects of the leadership and management of the schools. The results are reported in Table 3.4. What was apparent from the responses to the statements was the similarity of views among teachers in special and primary schools compared with those in secondary schools. The first two statements represent perceptions about direction and purpose and, in special schools, 77 per cent of teachers agreed with the first statement and 80 per cent with the second. In primary schools, the responses were very similar at 79 per cent and 81 per cent. In secondary schools, however, the agreement rates were markedly lower at 55 per cent on clarity of direction and 65 per cent on clarity about aims and purposes. In terms of change from 2002, there was no change in special schools and negligible change in the secondary schools; in primary schools, the decline of 0.31 was equivalent to a shift of about seven per cent in agreement levels. xxxviii

42 Table 3.4: Teachers views on school leadership and management In this school, there is Type N Disagree Agree DK and NR Mean change A clear sense of Spec direction for staff Prim Sec Clarity about its aims Spec and purposes Prim Sec Good leadership Spec Prim Sec Good support for Spec staff Prim Sec A good school image Spec with parents and the Prim community Sec A good relationship Spec between the staff Prim and governors Sec A collaborative Spec approach within the Prim staff Sec The third and fourth statements refer to leadership and support. On leadership, 82 per cent of special school and primary school teachers agreed that there was good leadership, whereas the agreement rate in secondary schools was 57 per cent. On support for staff, 80 per cent of teachers in special schools agreed that support was good compared with 84 per cent in primary schools and 61 per cent in secondary schools. On both these items there was effectively no change in the responses of teachers in special schools but small changes elsewhere. With respect to the statement on good leadership, the decline in agreement rates in the primary (0.27) and secondary schools (0.2) was equivalent to a fall of about six per cent in primary schools and about five per cent in the secondary schools. School image in the community was seen as good by 94 per cent of teachers in special schools and 90 per cent of the teachers in the primary schools, whereas only 66 per cent of secondary school teachers agreed with this statement. An aspect of the relationship with the community was the relationship between governors and staff. In special schools, 81 per cent believed this to be good compared with 76 per cent in primary schools and 62 per cent in secondary schools. In terms of change since 2002, there was negligible change in the response to the statement on image but, on relations with governors, there was an improvement of about seven per cent in the agreement rate among teachers in special schools. On the extent of collaborative working relations among staff, this was viewed positively by 85 per cent of special school teachers and 80 per cent of teachers in primary schools compared with 70 per cent in secondary schools. Comparing the responses of 2002 with those of 2003, there was no marked change in views. Given the focus of the Project, it might be anticipated that schools reporting clarity of direction and purpose were more likely to show an effective response in securing a reduction in hours worked. In that context, the relationship between hours worked and change in hours were analysed against all the items in Table 3.4, except those that refer to school image and relations with governors. xxxix

43 The analysis showed a similar response from the special and primary schools. Higher mean scores on the five attitude statements on leadership and management correlated in the expected direction with change in working hours. That is, the relationship was negative, which meant that high scores on the attitude statements correlated with larger falls in working hours. This was the case for all the correlations. For the primary schools, the correlations between attitudes in 2003 and change in hours was particularly strong and, with the exception of the statement on a collaborative approach among staff, were all significant at the 0.05 level. The relationships between change in hours and change in attitudes between 2002 and 2003 were also strong; all were greater than -0.4 with the statement on collaborative working showing the largest change at and significant at the.05 level. The correlations for the special schools were high but given their small number, the results are not cited in detail. In the secondary schools, none of the correlations between the attitude statements in 2002 and 2003 were in the expected direction. However, the relationship between change in hours and change in attitudes between 2002 and 2003 were in the expected direction but, with the single exception of the item on collaborative working, the correlations were low. These results raise important questions about the relationship between staff views on school leadership and the extent to which some of the principal goals of the Project have been secured. Might it be that in those schools where the quality of leadership was assessed more highly, and the purposes of the Project were communicated more effectively, change was supported and this contributed to the reduction in working hours? 3.6 Schools as Organisations The nature of the schools as organizations is the focus of the six statements in Table 3.5. Statements were posed that were designed to elicit views, for example, on how the school decided on priorities, how performance was evaluated and the approach to securing the views of students. Table 3.5: Teachers views on organisational processes In this school, there is Type N Disagree Agree DK Mean change Spec A good process for deciding Prim between priorities Sec Open and reflective Spec evaluation Prim of its performance Sec A good match between Spec what Prim people do and their skills Sec Good work in finding out Spec the Prim Views of parents/students Sec A purposeful approach Spec To meetings Prim An effective strategy For record keeping Sec Spec Prim Sec When teachers were asked to respond to the statement on how good were the processes for deciding between priorities, 67 per cent of those in special schools agreed that the process in their schools was good, compared with 72 per cent in primary schools and 44 per cent in secondary schools. These responses differed little from those in In response to the statement on the quality of systems for evaluating performance, attitudes were somewhat more positive with 76 per cent of teachers in special schools agreeing with the statement, 77 per cent in primary schools and 58 per cent in secondary schools. As with the previous xl

44 statement, attitudes did not really alter between 2002 and The third statement referred to perceptions of whether there was a good match between what people do and the skills they possess. Here, 81 per cent of teachers in special schools agreed with the statement, 78 per cent in primary schools and 62 per cent in secondary school. When the responses of those who replied in 2002 were compared with their responses in 2003, there was no change of significance. The fourth statement in the Table refers to the work done to find out the views of parents and students. Responses to this statement were fairly evenly distributed across the three types of school, showing agreement rates of 72 per cent in special schools, 76 per cent in primary and 68 per cent in secondary schools. As with the earlier statements, responses in 2003 showed no significant change from As to how purposeful was the conduct of meetings, in special and primary schools 70 per cent of teachers agreed with the statement compared with 62 per cent in secondary schools, responses that showed no notable change from On the final statement, that In this school, there is an effective strategy for record keeping, 79 per cent of teachers in special schools agreed, 72 per cent agreed in primary schools and 67 per cent agreed in secondary schools. Changes from 2002 were more notable than with the other five statements. In the special schools, the improvement of 0.33 was an improvement of about eight per cent in the mean agreement score and in primary schools the shift of 0.20 was equivalent to an improvement of about five per cent in the mean score. Three statements were selected from Table 3.5 to test an hypothesis that schools that had been effective in reducing working hours were more likely to be effective in deciding between priorities (item 1 in the Table), matching people to their skills (item 3) and had a purposeful approach to meetings (item 5). Responses to these three statements were analysed against three measures of working hours: (1) hours worked in 2002; (2) hours worked in 2003; and (3) change in hours worked between 2002 and If the hypothesis was supported, it could be expected that the schools with the higher agreement rates to the statements would be those with lower working hours in 2002 and 2003 and to have secured the greater fall in hours; the expected relationship would, therefore, have a negative sign. Applied to the statement that the school had a good process for deciding between priorities, the primary and special schools with the higher scores on this statement showed the highest level of fall in hours. The correlations were consistently in the same direction for the three measures of working hours. The correlation for primary schools in 2003 was and statistically significant at the 0.05 level; it was also large for the change between 2002 and 2003 (0.528). The correlations were very high for the special schools on all three measures. For the secondary schools, however, the relationship with hours worked in 2002 and 2003 was not in the expected direction, however for the change in hours, the relationship was in the expected direction (at ). For the statement that there is a good match between what people do and their skills, the primary school correlations were in the expected direction and, for the measures of working hours in 2002 and 2003, were high and statistically significant; the expected relationship occurs when change in attitudes was related to change in hours but it was not statistically significant. The four special schools also showed the same pattern of correlations. In the secondary schools, however, all the correlations were positive (as against the expected negative relation) but were not large. For the special and primary schools, the relationship between all three measures of working hours and whether the school had a purposeful approach to meetings was in the expected negative direction. In the primary schools, the correlation of views with working hours in 2003 was significant at the 0.5 level. The relationship was not in the expected direction for the secondary schools. In brief, these results showed that the schools viewed by their teachers as good at setting priorities, matching people to skills and using meetings purposefully were those most likely to have reduced working hours between 2002 and In reflecting on these results, it is worthwhile noting that it was the special and primary schools that secured the largest change in hours in the eight items reported in Chapter 2, possibly reflecting a better approach to skill xli

45 matching and setting priorities on the use of time. Of course, they were also schools with the greater experience of working closely with teaching assistants and, in terms of the eight items, the biggest change was in relation to display. Special and primary schools secured more quick wins but it may be that they were better placed to secure these early changes in working practices. xlii

46 3.7 Decision Making in Schools The set of statements in Table 3.6 show the responses to a range of statements on issues related to decision-making in schools. They include statements on delegation, appraisal, consultation, communication, roles and planning. Table 3.6: Teachers views on decision making In this school, there is Type N Disagree Agree DK and Appropriate delegation to staff at all levels An effective approach to staff appraisal Consultation with staff on key decisions Good communication and people are well Clarity in roles and responsibilities Joint planning between teachers and classroom/learning assistants Mean change NR Spec Prim Sec Spec Prim Sec Spec Prim Sec Spec Prim informed Sec Spec Prim Sec Spec Prim Sec When teachers were asked whether there was appropriate delegation to staff at all levels in their school, 74 per cent of teachers in special schools agreed that there was, compared with 75 per cent in primary schools and 56 per cent in secondary schools. Changes in views since 2002 were negligible in primary and secondary schools and quite small in the special schools. In the special schools, 80 per cent of teachers agreed that there was an effective approach to staff appraisal in their school, compared with 76 per cent among primary school teachers and 64 per cent among the secondary school teachers. Change between 2002 and 2003 was small in all three types of schools. In responding to the statement that there is consultation with staff on key decisions, 63 per cent of teachers in special schools agreed that there was, compared with 72 per cent of the primary school teachers and 48 per cent of the secondary school teachers. Change in views since 2002 was negligible for primary and secondary schools and, at 0.28, small in the special schools. On whether there is good communication and people are kept well informed, 55 per cent of teachers in special schools agreed with this statement, as against 61 per cent of the primary school teachers and 43 per cent of teachers in the secondary schools. Change since 2002 was negligible in the primary and secondary schools and small in the special schools. Sixty-seven per cent of teachers in the special schools agreed with the statement that there was clarity in roles and responsibilities in their school. In the primary schools, 73 per cent of teachers agreed with this statement and, in the secondary schools, 54 per cent agreed with the statement. Change from 2002 was negligible in the secondary schools and quite small in the special and primary schools. The responses to the final statement in the Table showed 77 per cent of teachers in special schools and 66 per cent in primary schools agreed with the statement that there is joint planning between teachers and classroom/learning assistants. In the secondary schools, xliii

47 only 37 per cent agreed with this statement, a low score but one that probably reflected the lower incidence of classroom assistants in secondary schools, so that the issue of joint planning did not arise as frequently. When change since 2002 was examined, the direction of change was positive for all school types and quite large in the special schools Schools that responded effectively to the Project s aims might be expected to be more effective in clarifying roles and responsibilities and in supporting joint planning between teachers and classroom assistants. It was in that context that the responses to these statements were correlated with the changes in working hours between 2002 and If the relationship was in the expected direction, the schools that were better at clarifying roles and in joint planning would have a larger fall in hours. The analysis showed that the primary schools had a clear and consistent relationship between high agreement rates to both statements and a larger fall in hours. The relationship between change in hours and the responses in the 2003 survey were particularly strong ( and ) and were significant at the 0.05 level. The correlations between change in attitudes and change in hours were and but were not statistically significant. The analysis of the special schools had similar results with high correlations but a data set of only four schools. For the secondary schools, the relationships were not strong or consistent with some of the results pointing in the opposite direction to the primary and special schools. The correlation between views in the 2003 survey on joint planning and change in hours was not small at and were in the expected direction. As with several of the analyses in this section of the Report, the primary and special schools showed a clear relationship between changes in hours and factors that might be expected to be associated with more effective adoption of the Project s goals. This should not understate the changes that occurred in the secondary schools but it may assist in understanding the greater extent of change in the primary and special schools. 3.8 Quality of ICT support An important element of the Project was the support and encouragement given to making greater use of ICT in teaching, learning and administration. In that context, Chapter 2 reviewed the use of ICT by individual teachers. Here, the level of support and the quality of training are examined and whether they are related to working hours and change in working hours. In Table 3.7 the views of teachers on their training and whether they felt this covered all aspects of their work are reported. When teachers were asked their views on the quality of their ICT training in the last 12 months, 81 per cent of those in special schools responded that the quality had been good. This compared with 71 per cent agreement from the teachers in primary schools and 53 per cent in the secondary schools. In terms of change since 2002, the final column shows that 49 per cent of teachers in the special schools had become more positive about their training, compared with 45 per cent in the primary schools and 37 per cent in the secondary schools. Table 3.7: Views on ICT training Please indicate what you think about each statement: Type N Dis. Agre e The training I have received in ICT in the last 12 months has been good I have been trained in all aspects of ICT necessary for my work 2003 mea n Decreased agreement or increased disagreeme nt Sam e scal e Increased agreement or decreased disagreem ent Spec Prim Sec Spec Prim Sec xliv

48 Based on the assumption that competent use of ICT would assist teachers to work more efficiently, further analysis was undertaken to assess whether good quality training had led to a larger decline in working hours. One test examined the relationship between views on training and the reported change in hours between 2002 and A second test examined the relationship between the change in views between 2002 and 2003 with the reported change in hours over the same period. In the special schools, the correlations were in the expected direction and high for both tests with the relationship between change in hours and views in 2003 significant at the 0.5 level. In the primary schools, the relationships were in the expected direction but not as strong as for the special schools. In the secondary schools, the correlations were in the expected direction and, for the first test, the correlation of was significant at the 0.5 level. When teachers were asked whether they felt they had been trained in all aspects of ICT necessary for my work, 52 per cent of those in special schools agreed with the statement, compared with 53 per cent in the primary schools and 41 per cent in the secondary schools. In terms of change since 2002, 46 per cent of teachers in special schools had become more positive in their response to the statement compared with 48 per cent among primary school teachers and 33 per cent in the secondary schools. Further analyses were undertaken to test the relationship between this statement and working hours. The first test examined the relationship between training and change in working hours between 2002 and The second test examined the relationship between change in views between 2002 and 2003 with the change in working hours over the same period. In the special schools, the correlations were in the expected direction and high for both tests with the relationship between change in hours and views in 2003 significant at the 0.5 level. In the primary schools, the relationships were in the expected direction but not as strong as for the special schools. In the secondary schools, the correlations were in the expected direction and, for the first test, the correlation was significant at the 0.5 level. As with the data in the previous Chapter, these point to the importance of training contributing to using ICT in ways that can assist in securing reductions in working hours. In Table 3.8 we report data on teacher views on the suitability of hardware, software and technical support. When teachers in the special schools were asked whether the hardware available was suitable for their needs, 92 per cent agreed that it was. This compared with an 88 per cent level of agreement from teachers in primary schools and 83 per cent in secondary schools. When they were asked whether the software was suitable for their needs, 92 per cent of teachers in the special schools agreed that it was, as against 89 per cent in the primary schools and 85 per cent in the secondary schools. In terms of change since 2002, the last column shows negligible change in the primary and secondary schools and a small positive change in the special schools. Responses to the final statement on whether technical support is suitable for my needs showed 93 per cent of teachers in the special schools in agreement compared with 87 per cent in primary schools and 73 per cent in the secondary schools. Data comparing views on technical support between 2002 and 2003 was not available. Table 3.8: Views on ICT support Please indicate what you think about each statement: Type N Disagree Agree 2003 mean change The hardware in Spec school is suitable to Prim my needs Sec The software in Spec school is suitable for Prim my needs Sec I believe that the Spec * technical support is Prim * suitable for my needs Sec * xlv

49 * figures for 2003 only Good quality support in terms of hardware and software should make working with ICT more efficient and, on this basis, contribute to lower working hours. Therefore, it was hypothesised that higher levels of agreement with the first two statements in the Table would be associated with greater decline in hours between 2002 and The test that was applied compared the change in attitudes between 2002 and 2003 with the change in working hours over the same period. If the result was in the expected direction, it would show as a negative relationship. The analysis showed that the relationships between change in hours and change in attitudes between 2002 and 2003 were in the expected direction for all three sets of schools. In the secondary schools these correlations were high ( and ) and significant at the 0.05 level. For the primary schools, the correlations were also in the expected direction, though smaller than for the secondary schools ( and ) and not statistically significant. In the special schools, the relationships were also in the expected direction. In the primary and special schools, the relationship between views in 2003 and change in hours were significant at the 0.05 level. Across the three sets of schools, therefore, teachers views on having access to hardware and software that meets their needs were consistent with our assumptions. It was in those schools where teachers felt their needs were being met that secured the highest decline in hours. 3.9 Conclusion This Chapter began with a Table that showed the diversity of hours worked between schools and the range of change in hours that occurred between 2002 and Understanding why schools should differ in these ways led to an analysis of whole school factors that may have contributed to these differences. In doing so, it is important to recognise the small size of the three data sets and, while this means that few relationships are likely to be statistically significant, it should also not lead us to disregard the higher correlations but consider them as indicative evidence of what may be contributing to these differences. The first hypothesis examined the relationship between school size, as defined by number of students, and the total number of hours worked by teachers. In the special and primary schools, the relationships pointed to teachers in smaller schools working longer hours, raising potential questions about load and resource levels in smaller schools. The second hypothesis was that the quality of communication might be related to school size and this, in turn, affected the implementation of change and its impact on working hours. On this, the assumption held in special and secondary schools but not in the primary schools. While the correlations in the special and secondary schools were not significant, they do raise questions about communication strategies, all the more in the secondary schools where data in Table 3.6 showed more than half of teachers indicating dissatisfaction with communication strategies. A third hypothesis was that schools that had been effective in managing a reduction in working hours would be more likely to manage other parts of teacher time, notably their nonteaching time. However, this hypothesis was not supported as it was schools with higher working hours that had higher levels of protected time. While no immediate explanation is available for this finding, it is an issue for further enquiry. The subsequent sections of the Chapter examined four aspects of the school as an organisation. The main test that was used examined the relationship between changes in working hours between 2002 and 2003 and measures of change, leadership, organisational processes and decision-making. There was a consistency in what emerged from these analyses. Special and primary schools showed the same pattern of response and it was in the expected direction. For example, the primary and special schools that scored more highly on positive attitudes to change were more likely to have larger changes in hours. These relationships also occurred on the items related to leadership, organisational processes and decision-making. The analyses of the secondary schools, on the other hand, showed a more mixed response, sometimes opposite to the direction expected but with no consistent pattern. xlvi

50 These suggest greater heterogeneity among the secondary schools and patterns of change and organisation that were more difficult to discern. The last two sections of the Chapter examined relations between ICT support and changes in working hours. The analyses showed that better training and support were related to greater change in working hours between 2002 and These results were consistent across all three sets of schools and support a general conclusion consistent with the findings on teacher use in Chapter 2 - that ICT could assist more efficient ways of working and help in reducing hours worked but the training needed to be appropriate and teachers needed access to suitable hardware and software. xlvii

51 xlviii

52 PART THREE: PATHFINDER CASE STUDIES Further visits were made to eight schools, cited below, and their experiences are presented as five case studies that demonstrate the range of responses to the Project. Beacon Hall School: a co-educational comprehensive school with beacon status in a semi-urban area. Lakeside High School: a co-educational comprehensive school in a large town. Meadow School: a large primary school in a large city. Park Vale School: a specialist secondary school for children with special educational needs. Small Schools Cluster: four small primary schools located in a rural area. 11 The case study schools were selected in order to investigate changes within context. Each school is different in relation to geographical location and status (size, catchment, phase, specialist/non-specialist). In writing up the case studies the focus was on describing the Project within a context and identifying particular features of how the school embraced its aims and related them to their ongoing development strategy. They present an opportunity to understand the complexity of change by identifying how schools not only gave attention to the types of choices to be made but also the processes by which they went about making them. 4 BEACON HALL SCHOOL: DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP 4.1 Context Beacon Hall School is a co-educational, comprehensive school of about 1,100 pupils. Interviews with a group of pupils showed in the eight comments below that they are happy at school, feel well supported and have a real pride in their school s achievements. There is a nice atmosphere in this school. I feel I can work independently when I want to - I have my own area on the computer and I m trusted to get on with my work. Expressive Arts and PE is good here - we have lots of shows. The school has private areas and the Atrium; it also has social areas where we can talk. The school offers good opportunities for sports. There are a wide range of extra curricular activities The teaching staff are very supportive and the quality of education is good The school is successful and sets itself high standards. The head teacher and senior management team have a clear vision of the changes needed in the school and of the ways in which to achieve lasting change. The purpose of strategic planning for change was made clear to staff who were, therefore, aware of the immediate, medium and long term goals that were being set for the school. It is also a school that is familiar with initiatives and has been involved in several, including: using ICT to improve teaching and learning; academic mentoring; pupil reporting and monitoring; literacy and numeracy; supporting gifted and talented pupils; strategic planning; and initial teacher training and support for newly qualified teachers and continuing professional development. It is clear that some of these are well matched with the aims of this Project. The case study is focused on how the school used the Project to facilitate further advances in its approaches to school management and leadership, particularly within the area of distributed leadership. It was pursued by establishing several Change Management Teams (CMT) as means of instigating change during the life of the Project. All 89 members of the school s staff were allocated to one of six teams and each was tasked to investigate the 11 The names of the schools are pseudonyms. xlix

53 possibilities of change in a particular aspect of school life; all teams contained teaching and support staff. 4.2 Change processes Staff at Beacon already had a positive view of the pace and manner of change within the school. In the Project s baseline survey, 82% of teachers and 58% of support staff (compared with 57% and 55% in other secondary schools) expressed satisfaction with the way changes and innovations were implemented. Eighty-nine per cent of teachers (52% in all schools) were positive about the psychological feel of the school. Interviews with staff showed why the implementation of change was generally successful at Beacon Hall School, as well as reasons why it could sometimes be hindered. These responses to the questionnaire survey were supported in the interviews. The staff at the school considered that they were managed in an open, participatory and democratic way: The head has always tried to involve staff in the decision making here (Teacher). I think that this is a school that expects and embraces change (Teacher). The CMT is really an extension of the ways we worked in the past on some things (Teacher) However, towards the end of the Project staff also acknowledged the usefulness of introducing new management ideas and methods in helping to move forward the process of change. The Project has been worthwhile as it has made staff look at change and has enabled them to do things differently. The school can now build upon what has been learnt (Senior Manager). Pathfinder has been useful and has introduced some good ideas. It has made people think differently (Teacher). 4.3 The six change teams. The focus for the six change teams shifted throughout the life of the Project, either as they met their original goals, re-assessed the direction of their work or moved into an action phase. At a whole school training day in November 2002, the Head teacher clarified their remit and outlined the progress already made. Homework and alternative Key Stage 3 structures. ICT developments. The classroom of the future. Maintaining the Beacon Hall promise. The ethos and culture of the new school day. Supporting learning in the Curriculum During the day opportunities were given to staff to discuss the progress made by each of the teams, share ideas and reinforce the need to move forward into a deeper phase of change. It was clear that the teams would have a limited life and that after a phase of blue skies thinking they were expected to move into action planning and integration of their ideas into the existing School Development Plan. The need to effect real change was clear. Some of the teams were reconfigured during the life of the Project either to consider new problems and issues or to encourage a greater focus on the original questions being considered. This had a mixed effect. The first change team was good, but not necessarily that productive. It was very interesting for me to hear different views and I found out a lot about what was going on in the school. However, the new team has not been that successful. There has been some negative reaction about the idea of getting rid of homework. Nonetheless I m very l

54 positive towards the idea of mixed change management teams - this should be done more (Support staff 3). 4.4 Re-modelling the change process The strategy in the school was to re-model the way in which change occurred, particularly with respect to the leadership and management of change. The aim was to: encourage blue skies thinking and finding innovative solutions to problems; include all staff within change teams and expecting them to make a valuable contribution to these teams; enable change teams to take ideas further than had previously been possible; expect open and honest debate about the ideas put forward; and introduce into the school innovation with respect to management, leadership and change. Underpinning these aims on the ways in which leadership and management of change occurred in the school was a drive to alter the ways in which people worked. This has been achieved through changing the number and roles of support staff and extending the hours they work, by increasing the managerial roles and responsibilities of many staff and by creating a focus on the role of the teacher. Key features of this remodelling included a focus on the process of change, the changing role and status of staff, changes to teachers work culture and realistic planning of change for the short and the long term. It is significant that many staff considered that most of the aims of the Project were already being met to some degree by the school. These included providing schools with consultancy support, training the head teacher and teachers in change management, allocating additional funds for employing additional TAs, providing ICT hardware and software, and funding the bursarial training of school managers. The initiatives were simply taking the school further down a path it had already chosen. Transforming the School Workforce has not had a major impact, because most of the initiatives were already in place. It s just deepened the experience (Teacher). I think that all Pathfinder has really done is to improve further a really good school. In many ways a lot of the thinking has not really been that different to what went on before (Support staff 3). The Project is typical of the style of management that already exists in the school. The approach has happened before and is already a part of the ethos of the school (Teacher). 4.5 Engaging staff in change While the Project helped accelerate changes the School had already embarked upon, it also generated new opportunities for development. The Head teacher was clearly the Project leader and was committed to working with the school s workforce in driving forward strategic developments. He was open, honest and confident around his staff and welcomed change and innovative ideas, and a key strategy was to increase the involvement of others through the CMTs, moving towards a culture of more distributed leadership within the workforce. The composition of the CMTs and their collective approach to development was challenging for some teachers and support staff. Nonetheless, the teams were widely regarded as having been successful and staff have grown in confidence through their contribution to change. The change management teams were the most significant part of the Project. For the first time the school could pull together all of its employees. The six teams came up li

55 with some fantastic ideas, with high levels of thinking and ownership of the particular projects. This was an excellent part of the initiative and showed an interesting way of managing change in schools. It needed to involve all of the staff (senior manager). Change management team initiatives are the way forward. The issue now (for this school) is how to maintain the progress (Teacher). The change teams have been fantastic! People have been constructive and helpful and it s good to have the ideas from a cross section of staff. It s an interesting model of change, but the Head is seen as being supportive and open minded about the change management process so this has helped. We are an open school that embraces change and staff have been kept well informed and interested in being involved (Middle manager). While some roles and systems have changed, it was recognised that some changes take time and many staff have to be guided through the change process. The problem was that some of the ideas the change teams were persistent about would never work! (Senior manager). Often teachers have wanted instant change - which is unrealistic (Middle Manager). There were others who felt that some of the ideas for change were too controversial. We went through a muddled phase but have now got back on track - the draft changes for the school day caused a lot of ripples because what was suggested was often unrealistic (Senior Manager). There were major concerns about timetable changes, which held the process up (Teacher). Some staff also acknowledged that there was some resistance to the role of the change teams or felt the initial impetus for change was lost during the life of the Project. I had no real contact with my change team. I was part of the team initially but it was teacher centred. I went to one of three meetings but did not feel that administrative staff had a real role to play (Support staff 3). The change management teams brought out some good ideas and things have changed as a direct result. However, lots of things we talked about were change for changes sake - some things we changed actually worked alright already (Teacher). What happened to the little ideas? Some of the ideas we had have not been followed through from the change management teams (Support staff 3). I think we got led down a pre-determined route. The head and SMT just took the ideas they agreed with (Support staff 3). Despite these concerns, the majority of staff were positive about the role and function of the change teams, particularly as most had succeeded in involving a cross section of the schools staff in the change process. Getting a mix of people in teams to brainstorm problems was fantastic. The key stage 3 team worked very effectively and was listened to by the senior management team. We always gave them (the senior management team) feedback and they were usefully involved. It was nice to be encouraged to think without any restrictions for once (Teacher). The team meetings were good because they were mixed groups. I attended to resolve problems and raise issues and this made me, and others, more aware of other lii

56 departments and their problems. Everyone was encouraged to state how they thought change would help - support staff did feel included and part of a team. There was some resistance though from people who still regard support staff as just support staff. It s important to get teachers to realise that they can t work without us (Support staff 2). The change teams have worked well in getting ideas from the bottom-up and the agenda for change has been clear. Cross-school involvement has worked well and has often given responsibility to new staff. No one appears to have been threatened by change (Middle manager). Clearly, there were risks associated with distributed leadership and some staff acknowledged these. The ethos of change existed within the school previously, but it can be a risk putting diverse groups of staff together to solve problems. Usefully the staff soon realise that ideas for change need discussion, mean difficulties and call for hard talk! (Senior Manager). Some staff have difficulty in thinking outside the box they can be very conservative about change (Senior Manager). 4.6 Future developments As with any Project a number of concerns were identified. Many staff wondered what would happen after the Project ended with a particular concern that the head teacher was to leave the school at the end of the academic year. I wonder whether these approaches (to leadership and management) will continue with the change of head? (Support staff 3) The success of the Project for me is that it s been about the team approach to problem solving and decision-making. It s not just for the senior management team to make the decisions it s about all the staff being involved (Teacher). There were also immediate concerns linked to workload reduction, as many staff reported that the initial effects of the Project were to increase rather than decrease the work done by teachers and support staff. I haven t seen any shift in my workload yet, if anything I think it s probably got more because of the extra meetings (Teacher). Workloads for support staff have increased I m not sure whether that is going to be a long-term thing though (Support staff 3). I can see that in the future these changes will have a real impact on teacher workload. At present there has not been a real shift (Middle manager). Others were mindful of the pace of change and feared that not all the staff could be carried along at this speed. There is a danger of losing some people along the way and of change fatigue (Support staff 3). The variable success of change teams and the initial encouragement to engage in blue skies thinking left some concerned that proposed changes would not happen. We lost what I considered to be some of the best suggestions for change within our team. I realise that the school can t make all the changes we suggested, but it seemed liii

57 that we did not fully consider all of the suggestions that team members made (Teacher). Funding to sustain developments after the Project ended was also a concern. There are sustainability issues beyond the life of the Project. The teaching staff will soon get used to the level of support they have been given (Senior Manager). You can t set up systems that people rely on and then let the money dry up. It will definitely need more money to keep these initiatives going (Support staff 3). Nonetheless, the overwhelming feeling amongst staff was positive, as typified by the following statement. I m very positive towards the change management approach as it has helped to build teams amongst the staff. There is now a massive fund of ideas that can be used to move the school forward. But it needs an effective process to capture and filter these ideas and then move forward with them (Senior manager). 4.7 Conclusion Beacon Hall School set itself challenging but achievable aims for the Project. Real change was seen and will continue into the future, including: the launch of the Year of the Teacher; innovative use of ICT; reduction of class sizes; additional two non-contact periods for teachers every 14 days; employment of additional TAs and clerical support staff; and extension of the roles of existing support staff. Easing teacher workload was a familiar theme in the work of the majority of the change teams and these changes should each have an impact on teachers job satisfaction and workload. The head teacher and senior managers clearly embraced the need for change as enthusiastic innovators. However, they also showed that they were realistic, mindful of resource implications, the need to involve staff in the change process and encourage those who were reluctant to change. Teaching and support staff felt they had a large degree of ownership of the change process in the school and saw how the Project integrated with the existing strategic plan. The importance of maintaining the process of change was often mentioned. Of all the projects we have been involved in, this one has worked. It s the only one, really. The reason for this is that it was process led, not product driven. There is a longterm advantage in establishing the process because it accelerates the change that the school wants (Senior Manager). It s not all about money. The really clever bits were not financially driven (Senior Manager). We would have brought about many of these changes without the Pathfinder initiative, but the process adopted is important (Middle Manager). There has been a reduction in the number of meetings, even though change management team meetings have been put in. There has been about a 20% reduction in the number of meetings and although this might have affected the normal efficiency liv

58 of communication to some degree the change management teams have definitely been successful (Senior Manager). The Project has opened up the way in which we think (Teacher). The Project has had a positive impact on the school, its workforce and the quality of learning. It has been supported by the effective leadership of the head teacher and senior managers in partnership with staff and governors, combined with the resources invested through the Project. Although many staff acknowledged that distributed leadership, representation of all staff on change teams and motivation to change were key factors in the success of the Project, some also noted other important factors. The Head s personality made it work that and a young staff, who are ambitious and IT literate! (Support Staff 2) lv

59 5 LAKESIDE HIGH SCHOOL: USING SUPPORT 5.1 Context Lakeside High is a co-educational comprehensive school in an urban setting with over 1000 students on role. The students had very positive views about the school, as illustrated by these four comments: We have good relationships with our teachers. They are friendly and work hard for us. There s a good atmosphere in this school. We have good facilities for sport here in the gym and we have lots of playing fields. It s good that sixth formers don t have to wear uniform. This school used the Project to reduce teacher workload and support a policy of student inclusion. The case study is focused on the change process: through establishing a CMT, using ICT to monitor student attendance and assessment, appointing support assistants, including an Inclusive Learning Unit Officer, and building an Inclusive Learning Unit and extra office space. 5.2 Change processes The driving force behind the Project in the school was the CMT. The head teacher described the CMT as an energetic group that included staff at all levels. Members of the team clearly felt positive about the experience: There clearly has been a change for the better. Things have improved with the money and the Change Team (Teacher). I have enjoyed being part of the Project and got loads of ideas from other schools. The sharing of good practice is the way ahead - not re-inventing the wheel (Teacher). In addition, the majority of staff interviewed reported that they felt positive about the way in which the CMT had operated. Nearly half of the teachers and three-quarters of the support staff interviewed felt positive about the way in which the CMT had worked. The Change Team provided a wider forum to bring issues to the fore. I believe this to be a good thing (Teacher). There is a tradition in the school that you don t often volunteer so it is good to see the increased levels of participation linked to the Change Management Team. It s been a useful contribution (Middle Manager). It s been a strong CMT. At each stage we ve asked the whole staff for their views. Every strategy has meant asking staff through survey, questionnaire and meetings (Teacher). However, there was some criticism of the CMT from teachers in relation to the pace of change, conflict between the SMT and CMT and the manner in which the change team was selected. These were counterbalanced by other comments that were positive about the team membership and representation of different roles within the school. The strategy in the school was to place the CMT at the centre of developments, which included: providing laptops for teachers that enabled them to develop their own teaching resources; share good practice with other partner schools in the area; access the internet from anywhere in the school; record and access administrative information; save time through increased efficiency and effectiveness in generating resources. the introduction of an E-communication Attendance and Reporting (ECAR) system to give staff more accurate and readily available information about students; reduce overall absence and in-lesson truancy; identify students who arrive late in school; communicate lvi

60 more accurate information to pastoral staff and parents; use it as a grade book, internal assessment record and for report writing; and give staff access to facility to support the passing on of essential information quickly and effectively. the appointment of a range of new support staff including an Inclusive Learning Unit Officer, Technical Support Assistant, Creative Assistant and part-time Bursar assistant; and to set up an Inclusive Learning Unit with new offices for support staff. Underpinning these changes was the desire to reduce workload of staff both through support from ICT and TAs and in managing behaviour of students at a central point to reduce the time spent in supporting disruptive students. 5.3 Developments in ICT Nearly half the teachers interviewed said that the distribution of laptops to the teaching staff had been a significant outcome of the Project, and that ICT had helped streamline tasks related to planning and assessment. I love having a laptop. I would like us to use more on-line resources (Teacher). I couldn t go back to paper systems. It s good in terms of knowing about pupil progress across the board (Teacher). The ICT has helped us recognise what resources are out there and training has helped that (Support staff 1). The group who had completed the diary were also interviewed and reported that ICT, and laptops in particular, had influenced ways of working. They also highlighted the point that having instant information did not necessarily provide them with the time to take immediate action. It speeds up work but doesn t necessarily reduce it. It makes information available much more quickly, but also implies action should be taken more quickly. It is most beneficial in terms of teaching and learning. We now have more experience of using ICT, but the long-term benefits for the school are yet to be seen (Diary group). In general, the Project has reduced workload, particularly with ICT and registration and report writing (Teacher). Nearly half of the teachers and three-quarters of support staff identified developments using ICT as having contributed to improvement in pastoral administration and attendance, particularly through the use of the ECAR system. By contrast, one of the student groups interviewed felt that ECAR was not necessary and did not work, this view was not shared by the staff. Electronic registration has given much more information and has improved school systems. It did increase workload at first (adding lots of new information) but the Student Officer has taken some responsibility for this (middle manager). These benefits from ECAR were appreciated by many others. The Project has improved attendance and our ability to track student behaviour, and therefore has probably influenced learning (middle manager). ECAR has given me a lot of work. My workload has increased, but teacher workload has probably decreased. It is brilliant, but it involves a lot of follow up work. (Support staff 1) lvii

61 I now work on computer much more than before the Project - but on ECAR. The distribution of laptops allows quick ing to all staff. (Support staff 3) Within the school the Student Officer had found her role more demanding with the onset of ECAR, partly because so much more data on pupil attendance was now available. Her role was clearly appreciated by the students who were interviewed. Every school should have a Student Officer. She helps with all aspects of students needs (student group). Teachers also spoke positively about other changes in support. 5.4 Additional support staff One-third of the teachers interviewed felt that the appointment of additional learning support staff had helped improve administration and organisation within the school. More than half the teachers and half the support staff interviewed felt that the improved quality of the learning environment achieved by support workers directly impacted upon standards of teaching and learning. The work of the Display Coordinator has improved the environment and may have improved behaviour. Also youngsters have done better work - knowing the display will look good (Teacher). The display boards around school must give encouragement to students. They look at displays much more than they used to (Support staff 1). More than half the teachers interviewed felt that clerical support had significantly improved and been beneficial for many staff. More clerical bursar support has freed up time to develop ICT skills in my lead role (Senior manager). Two-thirds of the teachers and half the support staff interviewed thought that the Inclusive Learning Unit and the employment of the Officer in charge, would improve the management of pupil behaviour in the long term. I feel behaviour has improved a lot with the Unit and its head does the administration for these students. (Teacher). This has been good because it has created a more positive environment within the school (Teacher). I suspect that the Unit has kept some students in school who would otherwise not have attended (Support staff 3). As the Unit was newly established it was early days to assess its long-term impact and some staff interviewed felt that it would not be the answer to all issues related to behaviour management. Inclusion is a real problem and the issue is not targeted by the Project. I am very concerned about how we will deal with problem children. There is also the additional problem with supply teachers (middle manager). What would have been good is if the faculties had time to get together to work out procedures and processes that they could all agree (Teacher). 5.5 Future Developments lviii

62 Looking to the future, sustainability is a major concern of staff, and there is some feeling that the effort will not have been worthwhile if it cannot be funded beyond this initial period. Yes, the Project without a doubt has been worthwhile. But there are huge concerns about it being a short-term Project. It is difficult to recruit high calibre staff when posts are advertised for only two years (middle manager). There s a problem of losing support staff after the Project money has gone (diary group). 5.6 Conclusion From the evidence gathered for this case study, it seemed that the majority of staff perceived the Project to have been beneficial in relation to the introduction of ICT and the ECAR system. Staff have embraced the use of ICT in recording student absence, so that students who were absent for whole days or who disappeared between lessons can be easily identified, and both their parents and the school have a clear picture in relation to their pattern of attendance. Generating this information increased the workload of some support staff in following it up but, in general, it was felt that this was beneficial to the students and the school as a whole. The full potential of the ECAR system is yet to be realised in terms of pupil assessment and targeting but many staff believed this development will be beneficial to the progress of students. The contribution offered by new support staff appointees and additional physical resources was appreciated. Some good initiatives have come out of the Project. Laptops are now used widely. I don t know if teacher workloads have reduced. Extra staff have improved the image and environment of the school (display person) and helped teachers with routine jobs. The school Change Team has benefited the school and it is good that it is not all senior management (Support staff 1). It has been an absolutely worthwhile Project for the school. It now depends on the extra staff provided. Teacher workload has been reduced to a degree. Extra staffing has made more difference than the laptops up till now (Support staff 3) Others saw benefits in terms of how the school had reviewed existing practice. From my perspective the Project has been worthwhile. It has made the school evaluate its systems. The biggest bonus on an everyday level has been the laptops. Teaching assistants have helped but I am still really unsure about their roles. Overall, the Project has had a very positive effect on this school (Middle Manager). Staff and students were also pleased with the improvement in the physical environment of the school, in corridors and other display areas. This was felt to be having an impact on students work, knowing that their work will be valued. Display areas were also perceived to be more effective foci for learning with more students taking an interest in well presented information. The establishment of the Inclusion Unit (otherwise referred to as the Centre) was also seen by many staff as already being, or having the potential to address, issues relating to the management of more challenging students. There was some scepticism on the part of a minority of staff that this will not address some bigger issues which face the school. One of these was the recruitment and retention of staff which some see as more significant for student behaviour. Even where that scepticism was present, however, there was an acknowledgement that the presence of the Unit Officer had reduced the amount of time which other staff spend in dealing with the day-to-day management of behaviour issues. Some were altogether more negative, such as the member of the support staff who commented: The Project has created too much extra work. OK, it s the price to pay for extra funding. But has it all been necessary? It would have been better if some of the paper work could have been trimmed down (Support staff 3). lix

63 More typically, the Project has led people to review their work more fully, particularly those who completed a diary recording their work in two one-week periods. It made staff more aware of the breadth of their roles and also gave hope that the Project had already begun to impact and would continue to do so. It has made me realise how many different tasks I do. It has confirmed that teachers have a huge workload and that change in teachers tasks will not come quickly. The Diary has made us realise how much we do in a day. The Project has made a difference and we will see even more change in the near future. lx

64 6 MEADOW SCHOOL: RE-MODELLING LEARNING 6.1 Context Meadow School is a primary school that was well respected in the community with a staff committed to change and pupils who were happy and positive about the school. The strategy in the school has been to remodel learning. Each teacher had a laptop and support staff had access to desktops and laptops. The resources room has been improved in both size and facilities that supports all staff, but in particular has provided a work base for support staff. A resources manager has been appointed who oversees the production of learning resources. The appointment of additional administrative and in-class support, and the change in roles for support staff. Networking of the school so that there was access to administrative and teaching software from machines around the school. Underpinning these tangible changes to the type, deployment, and support of work was a drive to reduce bureaucracy regarding communication through , and the restructuring of the number and conduct of meetings, including Governors. A more substantial change that has contributed positively to remodelling was the change to the school day with formal lessons from 8.30 to 2.30 followed by school clubs until There were a number of key features to these changes and in this case study these are examined in turn: the process of change; the changing role and status of support staff; changes in teachers work; improvements in resources; impact on teachers lives; and the position of the school in the locality. 6.2 Change Processes There was a positive atmosphere in school as illustrated by five comments from a group interview with pupils. We get involved in projects and charities. We feel safe here, we feel like we are at home. Everyone is treated in the same way. There are special days like sports days. We like the after school clubs and we can play and chill out after school. The school regarded the Project as an opportunity to accelerate an existing process of remodelling the context of learning and many comments illuminated the approach to and focus of change. What a governor described as a mood shift in the school reflected a view about change summarised by one senior manager who said that they had managed to show people that change was good. Others also reflected positively on the link between the Project and change: The Project has sharpened our thinking (Senior manager). We were improving but the Project enabled us to go quicker. It made everyone open up and think about things (Support Staff 3). The school has focused on learning and teaching with changes in types of staffing and role clarification combined with significant changes in how learning was thought about and organised. This included addressing the structure of the day, as observed by one middle lxi

65 manager who said that the Project had given the freedom to experiment with the timetable. A member of the support staff observed that: We couldn t have changed the School day without the Project. It helped us to think differently about the day, and made us realise that we can make changes. We don t have to be the same as other schools. This attitude to change was wide ranging: The Project has opened up our eyes to possibilities, and we don t have to do things in the way we have always done them (Middle Manager). The Project has given the School the permission to think further about its roles, and has increased the professionalism of the staff, especially in ICT (Governor). We have changed the way we do things we are allowed to plan in different ways. We have shown that you can be flexible, that you don t have to do unnecessary things, but you can still be accountable (Middle Manager). These attitudes are leading to a re-shaping of roles and approaches to learning and teaching. The Project has changed our ideas on what teaching and learning is I would find it difficult now to work in a non-project school (Senior manager). The focus has been on lesson planning and to encourage willingness for learning. The School is a happy environment, and the pupils do take on responsibility for learning (Governor). We now have after-school clubs: maths, drama, study skills, football, samba, martial arts, cookery, Spanish, French, computers, swimming, films and free time this is different to lessons, it is fun and we can work with different people (group interview with pupils). It is an approach that has been assisted by the pupils and the community that the school serves. The children here show good behaviour and are good attendees. Parents support us and have gone with us. So the focus has been on teaching. Teachers here with the Project have really benefited (Senior Manager). The Head teacher has clearly led the Project and was committed to working with the workforce and community in driving forward the development of the School. A key strategy was to increase the involvement of others through the CMT and to begin to shift towards a culture of more distributed leadership within the workforce. The change team was made up of team leaders from all parts of the School and it was challenging for teachers and support staff to be involved in a collective approach to development. This was regarded as having been successful and staff stated that they had grown in confidence through their contribution. I like the change management team and how it works, it is open (Middle Manager). The management of the school has changed in a positive way, the change management team has more positive ideas. Management has changed for the better. It is a more positive school (Support Staff 1). Pupils have also been involved, particularly in the change to the time of the school day: The change in time has affected us all. Our parents agreed 91 per cent were in favour of the change. We had a say-so, we all agreed to the change (Group interview). lxii

66 While roles and systems changed, Project decisions were inclusive. It had also been recognised that change takes time and some staff have raised concerns and were being supported through the change process. lxiii

67 6.3 Changing role and status of support staff Remodelling learning was based on an increase in the number and type of support staff, and changes to role and status. Change was evident in the work of TAs, clerical staff, and the appointment of a resources manager: Support staff are on the telephone booking visits, organising, writing letters. They have moved from washing paint pots to real hard work. However, the salary structure does need to change (Senior manager). Administrative support had been strengthened through a development to the role of the Senior Administrative Officer, more clerical help and training: The clerical assistant has made an impact through doing letters and answering the phone. They are a godsend. They take the workload away from teachers (Middle Manager). The office has become more efficient and the Senior Administrative Officer undertakes important work regarding the provision of information for the budget and the monitoring of the budget that has relieved senior managers so that they can focus on decisionmaking. Resources manager is a new appointment and is seen as a great boost to teaching and learning. The resources manager does save time and is effective (Senior Manager). Changes for TAs were quickly put in place and it was agreed that they made a large difference. They supported learning in the classroom, took registers, and some covered lessons to release teachers for planning and meetings. It was very clear that that role of the teacher regarding designing and assessing learning remained paramount: I am responsible for all the class, I report to parents, set targets, assess children, and devise strategies for learning. The Teaching Assistant works in alliance with the teacher to deliver the targets, they play a supporting role (Teacher). There is more flexibility, some Teaching Assistants take classes, and this has created time for teachers and those of us who go to planning meetings. Teaching Assistants have been given more responsibility, an increase in workload but we have learned more skills (Support Staff). Hence TAs work within the learning framework devised by the teacher: The Project has made a big difference. It has not reduced my workload because I work on ICT all the time; but it has made it easier. It has made it easier for teachers who can hand me stuff to get on with. I have increased confidence in my ability to do my job (Support Staff 1). Pupils support the development of the role of TAs. The teacher has a helper teacher and this is a new thing. The teaching assistant is not around all of the time and only works with certain people. The teaching assistant can take over if the teacher is away, but only the teacher can work with us all and can control us, tell us our work and give us our targets. Teaching assistants can do marking of homework but they don t discuss it with us, the teacher goes into detail (Group interview). There was support for the development of TAs and for the employment of more in School: lxiv

68 I would like to see more teaching assistants, next year will be SATs and I have an extra programme to boost reading, I need a teaching assistant (Teacher). However, there were a number of issues that were raised from across the school workforce regarding the development of TAs: first, the need to look at pay differentials between teachers and TAs; second, the need to look at pay differentials for TAs as some were more experienced and were nearly teachers compared with others; third, TAs needed training so that they had a wider repertoire of skills to support how children learn in different ways; fourth, some TAs were close to being teachers or even exceeded the standard expected and this needed to be given recognition. 6.4 Changes in resources There were positive comments about the new Resources Room and how it helped TAs develop their role. The resource room is a great help, it is used as a base for the Teaching Assistants, it has given them credence and status. They make good use of the room (Senior manager). The resources room and laptops, printer and online are excellent. There are no distractions, the room is better laid out with good equipment (Support Staff 1). There were also several comments on the value of the changes in ICT provision and, most notably, the introduction of laptops. We have really got to grips with . Staff don t use paper so much, is very heavily used now (Middle manager). The laptop has reduced my workload. I am now saving about 90 minutes to 2 hours a day on planning (Teacher). Teachers are working differently. The laptops and lack of paperwork is freeing them to teach more (Support Staff 1). 6.5 Changes in teachers work Changes to the culture of how teachers go about their work and understand their role as leaders of learning was also central to how remodelling had taken place in this School. These changes were intertwined with the change in the role and status of support staff. While teachers had laptops that made a huge difference to their work (volume and timing) and meetings, and planning have been made more efficient with guaranteed planning time in the school day, it was how the teachers now saw their role that was regarded as the biggest gain. Important issues had been tackled: A mental shift in teachers was needed. They work long hours and are committed. Now because of the early opening of school we say: unless you need to be here, take your laptop and go. It is important to do this because our work never finishes, it is constantly in your head (Senior Manager). This has been facilitated by a redeployment of work: We ve impacted on teachers, they don t do display, only one playground duty, they don t tidy up, do photocopying or produce letters. They have gained a lot out of it. On the Inset day we look at the list of 25 things that teachers should not normally do and asked the question: what do we do anyway? There is a minimum of two hours noncontact, there is the laptop, we finish early. We use report writer for reports. If teachers have a workload problem then they create it themselves (Senior manager). It had also been enabled through conceptualising the role of the teacher as leader: lxv

69 It has been important to develop the teacher as a leader of teams. We have worked to get teachers to understand that what they do or not do has a knock on effect. They have a part to play in the vision and not just in a single cell classroom (Senior Manager). Integral to this was the relationship between whole school leadership and learning by senior managers: The systems are working and this means I can get on with working with children this means my knowledge of teaching and learning is greater, and we have staff meetings about teaching and learning. I have been able to return to the leading professional role because of the systems being in place I can be in the classroom, on the corridor, I can model how to deal with things, and I can access information quickly (Senior Manager). The learning that has gone on amongst the teaching staff has been personal and shared: We have been able to ask serious questions about how we spend our time. I set time to work at home and stick to it, I set boundaries to time (Diary debrief meeting). Filling in the research diary has made me look at what I do. I do too much administration and not enough teaching I restructured my time and it was a great exercise. I have started to adjust my time, and I am working at home on lighter work. I can avoid the traffic because I leave earlier (Diary debrief meeting). These changes were facilitated by developments in ICT and a resources room. 6.6 Teachers lives The Project has had a clear impact on the lives of teachers and the relationship between the two had improved for many staff: I now leave at 4 pm and collect my own children. I used to leave at 6 pm. I collect, feed and bath them and by 8 pm I can use my laptop. This has not reduced my workload but it has reorganised it, and it has remodelled my life. I have my life back with my children. I am a workaholic but I am leaving school earlier (Senior Manager). Laptops enable teachers to leave school earlier, but we take our work home now (Middle Manager). I am keen on the change to the timetable. I get here before 7 am and stay until 6 pm. I now go home earlier and there is more time for me and the family (Middle Manager). Pupils have noticed the impact of these changes on teachers and, more importantly, on their work in the classroom. The teachers have their own laptops and it helps them with their work. They do planning for the half term, they are more organised. The teachers are less busy, and they have more time for us, the teachers support you. They are in the classroom and you don t have to have a supply teacher (Group interview). 6.7 The school and the locality The School had always been a part of its community but the Project has enabled status and a sense of pride in what was being achieved to be better disseminated and understood by lxvi

70 parents, other schools, the local authority, and also nationally through the London Leadership Centre global events and networking. There has been the opportunity to meet other Heads and people on the Project. This has added to my awareness. We have hosted a visit by local Heads, I am very proud of the staff here (Senior Manager). It was also recognised that the School had always been a place where teachers have gone onto promotion elsewhere, and that the Project had supported this aspect of professional development. Also the School had not found it difficult to attract high calibre staff to take up new appointments. Finally, the learning that had been done in School was a resource for other schools in the locality and it was argued that this opportunity should be seized by the LEA. 6.8 Future Developments Whilst the Project was clearly viewed very positively at Meadow School, sustainability was an issue regarding funding, and strategic thinking and action was in place regarding this. The school day can be sustained. Clubs can be funded by NOF. The lap tops will have to be built into the budget, the resource manager is in the budget, and we lost a teacher and replaced him with the resource manager and two teaching assistants. The teaching assistants covering for staff are doing a good job (Senior manager). Overall, the School was optimistic about how changes would be sustained and built upon. 6.9 Conclusion There have been gains through the additional resources (e.g. laptops), gains through new ideas (e.g. changing of the day), gains through the effective use of the existing budget (noncontact time for planning and meetings). The Project has had a positive impact on the School, the workforce and the quality of learning experience for the pupils. Mental models about how a School should be organised have been challenged and new ways of thinking about learning have been generated. As the Project encouraged schools to think differently, the school developed the idea and strategy for changing the timing of the school day. This not only had a huge impact on worker and learner lives but also boosted confidence in how the School could move forward and achieve new goals. The Project had been supported by the effective leadership of the head in partnership with the staff and governors combined with the resources invested through the Project. Developments have been hindered at times through the challenge that change generated in a School, and it was a disappointment that the Project did not fund electronic whiteboards for the School. However, there remained concerns that the Project has not tackled particular issues. The job is still hard because of what is expected of us, such as league tables. The Project has not removed the demands, there is still the issue of accountability. I still feel frustrated about having to comply. The Project has not removed the people related issues, and how we cause stress (Diary debrief meeting). Hindrances were not allowed to become barriers. The lasting legacy was a commitment to continue to challenge what can be done and take control over teaching and learning. Teachers should be free to devise their own ways, to think differently (Middle Manager). The Project brought resources and my knowledge developed. We have a new workspace in the resources room. We ve got a lot out of ICT, I ve got a lot out of it (Support Staff 1). lxvii

71 Irrespective of the funding, the Project brought opportunities into reality. As long as we deliver the national curriculum, then it is up to us how we do it. We can do things differently without it all falling about our ears. We now have an early start to the day and it all didn t come crashing down (Senior manager). lxviii

72 7 PARK VALE SCHOOL: RE-MODELLING LEARNING 7.1 Context Park Vale School is a special school with over 200 children aged 11 to 18. The major aims of the Project were to reduce teacher workload and improve the school curriculum. These were to be secured through: a re-structured school week; and staff development and remodelled roles and responsibilities. Changes to the timetable for students provided extension and enrichment opportunities on Wednesday afternoons led by experts employed in Arts, Drama, Sport, Leisure and Life Skills activities. This also allowed teachers time to meet and plan developments during the school day, seen as a major development for the school curriculum and teachers working practice. On staffing, a full-time bursar was appointed in place of a half-time post. There was also a Placement Officer who organised and supported all work experience; a Reprographics Technician; and two domestic assistants to work on practical hygiene activities with students and supply refreshments to staff at break and lunch times. There have also been changes to the terms and conditions of TAs (known Special Needs Assistants, SNA) and a re-structuring of their role to provide specialisation and a career path. The majority of staff interviewed in the school were cautiously positive about their initial involvement in the Project. I am excited about the Project. It is an opportunity to develop the way we work in school. Our involvement in the Project is something to be proud of it is a national initiative with implications for the whole educational system. (Support Staff 1) This included a member of the support staff whose post was vulnerable. The changes brought in by the Project have been good, because I'm now full time rather than term time and paid 37 rather than 30 hours. I now get paid the hours I work. When we now work in the holidays we have an incentive. It's only for a short time. I'm not worried about the end of Pathfinder because we were told it was probably only a short-term increase for the duration of the Project. The school established a CMT with members representing the governing body and whole school workforce. The case study is focused on how the school had brought about changes to the organisation of the school week and the remodelling of the workforce. 7.2 Change processes The process of change was identified as a major product of the Project and was captured in the following statement: If the Project can be made to help with our desire to proscribe student contact hours leaving time for meeting and planning during the working day, it will help improve the running of a complex school. This will help reduce problems of communication and collaboration that should see levels of stress fall in the school staff. (Senior Manager) lxix

73 The CMT consisted of members from across the school workforce and had a regular schedule of meetings. A weekly CMT was started in week 3 of the autumn term, which contrasted with what the SWA told us was happening in other Project schools (one per term)! Don t really understand how this can allow a bottom-up collaborative process to take place. However, it has to be acknowledged that our approach has seen an increase in pressure and added workload. This was reinforced by the generation of some very complex issues related to our change strategy (e.g. the re-structuring of the professional status of the SNA). (Senior Manager) At the end of every CMT meeting we had union meetings. The LEA was involved through the co-option of a representative to the CMT. This was partly political but also to keep the LEA informed. There was also co-option of a member of the governing body. This was important as the active involvement of a school governor reporting to the governing body was felt to be essential. (Senior Manager) There were others, however, who had a less positive view about the CMT and the agenda it developed. The whole process of the Project s thinking on school change was disappointing. The management was disappointing. High expectations about radical thinking have been steered to meet ideas that were floated around in the school management s heads. Some of the brainstorming was lost in the senior management team sifting process. The choice of the CMT was unconventional. It was set up as membership by invitation. The constraints of time on the Project were ludicrous. The whole thing s been a nightmare. It had all the appearance of democracy in action but it wasn t. The same thing is happening with the Exit Strategy Committee. (Middle Manager) The assessment of the change process and its management was seen differently across the school with one manager recognising the changes in perspectives that occur. The process of change management has gone through the cycles you'd expect. We started with huge excitement as a CMT. We then moved into some conflict - took a dip; then levelled out into a kind of we re in it now and need to maintain momentum. The tight time scale dictated this course. We haven't had time the Project actually ended on flat note. (Senior Manager) A governor saw its benefits in encouraging new thinking. I think the process of change strategy introduced by the Project has made people think about purpose and function in a new challenging way. It does seem as if it might be a once in a lifetime opportunity to reflect on development across the board in school. It can mean a genuine attempt at holistic development. (Governor) However, some comments reflected perceptions that special schools differed in their needs. One frustration has been the lack of real understanding of how a special school functions with a constant push to accept and take up a mainstream model for managing change and school development. (Senior Manager) There was also frustration at proposals not being accepted whilst having a significant impact on the school. It was a shock to have the change plan proposal to re-structure the school year accepted in July and then rejected. This gap between the instruction to think blue sky, then face a grey mass of rain was very disappointing. To some extent, this was made worse by the DfES pushing for regular reports of progress, making it seem as if we were being asked to dig up the seed every week to check for growth. There was an lxx

74 obvious need for trust and a little show of belief in the school. Above all, the pace and time frame of the Project meant we were often pushing against the grain. (Senior Manager) The change process was also perceived as time consuming. The Project has produced a big rise in the number of meetings taking place in school. On the other hand, it has also produced a string of good ideas for school development. (Support Staff 1) Change and development was a whole-school matter. Observing a CMT meeting showed a brisk approach to management, at a pace that allowed some time for development and discussion, although not to the liking of the whole team and, while a consensus was generally achieved, points of disagreement also occurred. There was, nonetheless, an unmistakeable sense of commitment and shared purpose that supported a business like endeavour but had concerns that too much was expected in the time. The pressure from the Project was evident but not all saw this as negative. The Project gave us the opportunity to make changes on a huge scale in a very short space of time. Experiences of change and learning about change have both been unprecedented. It has taught me a lot about myself. The Head needs a huge reservoir of confidence to manage this process, especially to take forward a capacity for working in a distributed leadership fashion. (Senior Manager) Indeed, the Project was viewed as acceptable by most if it was eventually to lead to workload reduction and school improvement. There was a continuing sense of change being necessary. Furthermore, staff said that a sense of balance was required in school development with a need for a shared understanding of an acceptable and appropriate level in the pace of change. Moreover, the involvement of staff in the management of change was highly valued by most respondents. However, there were staff who felt they were not in the loop as far as the Project was concerned. This did not matter for some but others commented that communication and involvement was not working as well as hoped. I don't feel I know enough about Pathfinder and its outcomes. CMT minutes are available. My role means the bigger picture isn't so apparent to me. I don't work on reception now and my role is more confined to the office. (Support Staff 3) An important perspective on the change process came from the governors who saw the merit of continuing with this approach to change. The governing body is considering carrying on with the CMT. They are also part of the exit strategy committee. This makes the changes all open. But the governors may need to decide whether the CMT is viable for example how will they control budgets if the CMT takes up some of the decision-making that has implications for the school budget. (Senior Manager). 7.3 Re-modelling the week A significant initiative was the development of a new Wednesday Afternoon programme of study, managed and delivered by SNA staff. It became known as Thank God it s Wednesday, of which one member of staff commented. Thank God it s Wednesday has really worked well in my opinion. It has led to much more personal involvement with teaching the children. It has included an educational trip to Durham City, people coming in to help children including driving instructors; sports instructors and football coaches while the teachers have time they need and pupils have an interesting experience. (Support Staff 2) lxxi

75 Another stated that, The gains won from the Project included the introduction of an Enrichment Curriculum on Wednesday afternoon - this has been very successful for staff and students. (Senior Manager) Others also commented. Wednesday afternoons are now used as dedicated meeting/personal preparation time This means I m not exhausted by Thursday. Meetings are more focused and times are limited. Agenda are far tighter meetings are more business like. During Wednesday afternoons I can also have team meetings or attend a meeting with parents or other professional meetings. (Middle Manager) The change to the Wednesday timetable was an idea that appeared to have been supported by all staff. Nonetheless, the process of change and the implementation of the Wednesday afternoon programme as a way of guaranteeing non-contact time for teachers did not always work. On the other hand, the programme did seem to introduce a new and welcome dimension to the school curriculum. 7.4 Re-modelling the workforce: Special Needs Assistants The greatest impact of the Project on teaching and learning appeared to have been through the re-structuring and development of the SNAs. The role of SNA has changed which means I have an SNA assigned to me permanently. This allows for continuity; she is familiar with the software packages. She doesn t need to be told what to do. It s helped my workload immensely. There is also continuity for children s learning and relationship building, which is beneficial. (Middle Manager) The enhanced role of the SNA in the classroom led to their greater involvement in classes and more direct support for pupils. SNA reorganisation has led to my being involved in class more. Since the start of the Project I ve been more involved with the children. (Support Staff 2) With the change in the role of the SNA there has been a more focussed support for students. It's helped with organisational climate There really has been some tremendous growth within this group. (Senior Manager) In order to reflect their new position, their pay structure had been revised and role redefined. SNAs have been given more responsibility under a new pay structure. For example, additional responsibilities for managing pupil transition; a second example is working with groups of children. They ve had their confidence boosted. Some have taken this on really well. But you can sometimes give them too much responsibility and they sometimes do more then they should. On the whole the balance is working well. This brings support for children. The pastoral roles are being covered by people other than teachers, freeing up more time for teaching. (Middle Manager) However, both the potential and the limits of their role were commented upon. I personally think Teaching Assistants can follow a plan set by a teacher and because of their knowledge of the pupils they can manage the situation to support learning. I worry about health and safety issues and legality in relation to PE, Science, or Technology. I actually feel happier, however, for a trained SNA to take my class than a supply teacher. (Middle Manager) lxxii

76 Without any disrespect to SNAs, and although I know that some SNAs could do it, it s not a question of managing behaviour it s a question of subject knowledge. We haven t been to training college for nothing. (Middle Manager) Not all these changes were seen as positive and some staff noted loss of support in some areas. I think the change plan has enhanced teaching and learning. This doesn t apply to areas where help has been withdrawn but in Maths, English and ICT there has been a significant improvement. (Middle Manager) The changing role of the SNAs was an example of the changing boundaries between members of the school workforce that was at the heart of the Project. It was a perspective appreciated by some of those interviewed. Most teachers are traditionalists by heart, with a genuine feeling for the children. But these approaches are rightly questioned and challenged. We live in a changing world. We do want to see reflective practitioners being developed in school. Boundaries for professionals do need to be defined but they also need to be flexed, if we are genuinely going to see a relationship between quality and time in this development. (Governor) The Project has helped encourage radical reflection on approaches to teaching. (Teacher) 7.5 Re-modelling the workforce: Administrative support The Project had included a review of administrative support and the development of existing posts. The appointment of a bursar was seen as a means of strengthening the administrative systems in the school. The Project has allowed the creation of a full time post of school bursar. This has helped to make financial management more accessible and transparent. There is also greater access to resource management for all staff. Secondly, there have been new lines of management introduced for the office staff. Out of school working for administration, previously paid for by good will, has been introduced. Over all, there have been definite improvements in the structures for support work. (Support Staff 1) While it was a role that had been extended, it was also seen as presenting new problems. The Project has had a particular impact in the sense that the Bursar now writes job advertisements. Sometimes there are glitches that develop - things fall through the net - some gaps have opened up. One of the things the Project has done is to increase the role of the Bursar so that economic principles are now more likely to drive the decision making- they become the key determinant of the decisions. (Senior Manager) This concern extended to the role of clerical staff. The Project has seen a new closed door policy for the office area which has left some staff unhappy, but it makes it much better for the administration staff. (Support Staff 1) Nonetheless, the principal response to these changes was positive. Further gains for the teaching staff were identified as a result of the enhancement of office staff and clerical support. In my management role, having clerical support during holidays means I can get support at crucial periods e.g. timetables. My workload has been reduced. (Middle Manager) lxxiii

77 7.6 ICT Developments in ICT did not receive much comment, although one member of staff focused upon its additional benefit. We ve got laptops but it s only useful for those whose laptops are working. We need a full time technician to support us. The technician is very good and she s made our work easier. I can work at home on my laptop. For report writing it is helpful. A technician is currently developing an ICT assessment package. (Middle Manager) However, there was an expression of concern about the impact of the Project on technicians. Nothing has been achieved for technicians we would benefit from a career path. (Support Staff 2) 7.7 Future developments The Project involved a considerable commitment form the school. The school workforce had engaged with a substantial programme of change. Gains have been realised but the question asked by many was: would they last? A concern about the Project is sustainability - extra staff have been taken on - staff working on Wednesday afternoons. The laptops - they will need replacement/upgrading - there were 19 bought through Pathfinder. These won't last forever. (Support Staff 2) I d like to see initiatives carried on. To be able to share positive outcomes with other schools, locally in the first place, and nationally ultimately. It helps with school s morale both as providers and receivers of such dissemination. (Middle Manager) There was a view that much can still be done to develop and restructure the school workforce, including developing a para-professional group of support staff. The value of the Project rests in the extent to which it facilitates a radical overhaul of the teaching profession. This should entail an evolution rather than revolution. The transformation needs to carry with it the capacity for sustainability. (Governor) An eye to the future and concern for the longer term was also reflected in the comments of a school manager. The whole thing has been fascinating. But it will really be of value if we can fully implement the change plan. We need to enable a cultural shift, to have the change embedded in the school by the end of the Project. (Manager) 7.8 Conclusion Reflecting upon their experience of the Project, staff were consistent in their view that the Project was inappropriately time-framed and pressured. However, there was a sense of clear impact and change and, while this was perceived positively, it was tempered by uneasiness about sustainability. The initiatives have been received positively and are having an impact. New staff have been appointed. People have made quality of staff room life more pleasant, less stressful. Teachers need to have time to teach. Staff have been very adaptable in a time of great change. Other staff (SNAs) who didn t get jobs were disappointed but have accepted it with good grace. People will be on less money, out of work, post- Project and this won t be good. It s like giving out a prize for a year, seeing how wonderful it is and then taking it all away. (Middle Manager) lxxiv

78 The Project has made us take more calculated risks than we might have Wednesday afternoons have made us more aware of the school workforce as a whole, and led to thinking about adults other than teachers working with children. There is now an added breadth and balance to the curriculum. More time is spent on teaching and less on administration. (Middle Manager) Other concerns were frustrations at being encouraged to think big and then experiencing restraint and reduction and operational restriction. This was further reinforced toward the end of the Project as the need to plan for resource-neutral sustainability and an exit strategy laid bare real concerns regarding staffing, as well as structural and systemic changes to the school timetable and working week. Typical of these perspectives was the following statement. The DfES told us to think out of the box but they rejected some ideas because they didn t fit in the box. (Middle Manager) lxxv

79 A final observation captured the perspectives of many staff in the school. I feel we need less initiatives and a clearly defined period of consolidation. There is also a desperate need for more trust to be shown in the professional s judgment an acceptance that the teacher is well placed to know what is appropriate for the needs of pupils and much less rhetoric and spin. (Middle Manager) lxxvi

80 8 SMALL SCHOOLS: WORKFORCE REMODELLING AND ICT 8.1 Context For small schools as well as large, the Project provided its challenges and opportunities and, in reporting on their approach, the accounts of four of the smaller schools have been consolidated into a single case study. It is an approach that can both assist in identifying common themes and issues as well as in maintaining the anonymity of schools and members of staff. In all four schools a range of members of the school workforce, governors and pupils were interviewed and across these schools, the dominant themes are the remodelling of the workforce and the use of ICT in the curriculum. In addition to these, there are also secondary themes related to internal and external relations and to changes to the premises. 8.2 Change Processes All four schools reported having change management teams (CMT) and the general view in relation to the management of change internally was positive. The CMT is in theory the whole school. Three meetings broken into strands; SMT each has a strand and lead the groups. Teaching assistants are part of it; very positive. Meetings are good because of the focus they provide. (Senior Manager) Another head commented on the changing relations arising from the Project...there has been a levelling of responsibilities. The head has been able to pass more work to others.more time for planning together. There is a sense that this has grown, although not new, and at a higher quality. (Senior Manager) The sense of change was also recognised by others, some of whom described the year as being one of massive change. I think Pathfinder has got everybody focused. We ve worked well as a team. When we were working on job descriptions for TAs it was good to examine our roles. (Support Staff 3) Massive change this year the way we do things, relate to people, the way the school operates. (Support Staff 1) There was also a view that things had gone well. The organisation of the change has gone well. People are prepared to put up with the upheaval during building because of the future benefit. (Support Staff 1) Change has involved everyone and has been smooth. (Support Staff 1) These views were not universal and there was some expression of dissent, one commenting that communication had been poorer in the last year than in earlier times and another that dissenting voices were not always heard. I haven t found it an enjoyable experience. I find myself being perceived as negative because I ve asked questions about it. I ve found it frustrating. I ve found the whole process very unsettling. Glib statements about the Pathfinders influence on standards have appeared in the press. No mention of people s doubts on the shortcomings of the Project. (Teacher) These were minority views, however, and more typical was the comment by one Head that more voices were now being heard. lxxvii

81 I m now taking on board the voice of teaching assistants. (Senior Manager) The changing position of support staff had clearly filtered through to the children who, in one interview, engaged in a debate as to whether the lunchtime staff were called dinner ladies anymore and concluded that they were now known as ancillaries. An element of the Project for all schools in the Project were the links with outside agencies and, for these schools in particular, there was an anticipation of developing stronger links among themselves. Certainly, there were some positive comments about the national links arising from the Project. We had a day to meet other Pathfinders and that was really good. We shared ideas with other TAs. (Support Staff 1) We ve had more to do with other Project schools. That s definitely positive. It s been good for the small schools. (Support Staff 1) Opportunity to be impressed by people doing things elsewhere these are products of external events. (Support Staff 1) The experience of working as a cluster was more mixed with varied comments from those interviewed More difficult working the cluster. (Senior Manager) I went in with an open mind but have been disappointed by the outcome of cluster planning meetings. (Teacher) Good ideas come from other cluster members. (Support Staff 3) Another comment illuminated the tension sometimes seen between the Project s aims of reducing workload with the greater demands that arise form joint planning. We wanted to do some joint planning between the schools. This is valuable and useful but not under this Project where we re trying to take work away. Joint planning is going ahead in KS1, curriculum changed from topic based to curriculum based.some joint planning is less effective than our KS1 teacher had already developed Working together with other schools there ought to be gains but pinning it down and finding out what these are is critical. (Teacher) 8.3 Workforce remodelling: Teaching Assistants The accounts of teachers and TAs in the four schools identified three principal issues, related to change in the nature of their work, the focus of their work and perceived limits to their role. The comments of one TA captured the diversity of the role, perhaps especially in a small community where they may have more than one job in a school. I assist with displays. I make resources. I ve been listening to children read. I can identify best with KS1 teaching. I do break time duties and assist in the playground before school. (Support Staff 1) Another commented that her role had changed little during the Project, although her account points to more change than suggested. My workload hasn t changed except that there s now a great deal of help with photocopying. The balance of my work is now in the classroom. Also with more TAs employed, I m now more focused in one classroom. I think this is better. I prefer working in a more concentrated situation where I get into a routine of working with a lxxviii

82 member of staff. There was a lot of dashing between lessons where explanation from the teacher was on the hoof. (Support Staff 1) Others were clearer about the changes that occurred. Doing more for IT equipment more maintenance work and ensuring that all resources are properly managed. A lot of my work is IT applications and I have become more skilled and assist the teacher to do this.. More work with children and more whole class supervision. I have a greater sense of independence. (Support Staff 1) I have marked some SATs papers, spelling tests, and homework. I have tried to relieve the new Head. I take groups of children out for further literacy support I photocopy the homework and stick it in the books, I take the register, dish out the paint, help with the painting and take photos of their work. I flit between different things, sort out the printers as they weren t working, and I rang the company. I have typing to do, and I mount work for display. (Support Staff 1) One TA explained how the changes had increased her confidence and also commented on the relationship with the teacher. I m more confident and also more knowledgeable about the national curriculum. My views about a child are more secure and I have more impact on the team. Teachers plan the lessons (and) has responsibility over most things. For quite a large part of the time in class, teachers and teaching assistants seem to be doing very similar things and the differences may be subtle at times but they are there. (Support Staff 1) A number commented on how the appointment of additional TAs had allowed their work to be more focused, even though the role had not changed. My role hasn t changed. I ve always marked the work of children I work with. There s more responsibility because I m based in one class. We sometimes split the class and have half each. (Support Staff 1) I was already in class 1 for literacy and I now do literacy and numeracy with KS1 and my work is now more biased to KS1 than KS2. That is very useful so I now have a good feel for student programme which allows me to help across the school, an important issue for a small school. (Support Staff 1) Teachers also noted the benefits of enabling TAs to be more focused. I think TAs are definitely going to make a difference. It hasn t made a difference to my workload. They are currently working slowly as they build up skills and confidence. Once we get into a routine it ll be a tremendous help. (Teacher) The TAs are doing all sorts. Display is a very important part of learning. The display is gradually changing from my role to theirs. (Teacher) While I did assembly she sorted out next week s spellings. I influence this task by directing it and she makes it happen. It s having the courage to let go and having confidence in your Teaching Assistant. The quality of my life outside of the job has improved. I can do things in the week that I used to have to put off to the holidays. (Senior Manager) It s been a god send. I have a full time Teaching Assistant and this is fantastic. With the range of children I have it makes a difference. I can now teach a group, it is wonderful. She does display and so I don t have to waste my time on things I shouldn t be doing. Every class should have a Teaching Assistant, I cannot express the difference it makes to your life. (Teacher) lxxix

83 These next comments illuminate some of the views of teachers about the possible limits of the role of TAs. lxxx

84 I don t think they should take whole classes. (Teacher) There are limits to their potential. They teach a focused activity extremely well but they haven t got the knowledge and experience that a teacher is expected to have. (Teacher) The Teaching Assistant has a degree and she has ideas that she shares with me. She is almost doing the same job as me. I value the Teaching Assistant as a colleague and there is a high degree of trust, and it might be different with another Teaching Assistant. (Senior Manager) I decide what the class does and then I go through it with her. It s not her role to decide, she doesn t get paid for it. She will suggest things and is becoming more confident. It is my responsibility to structure learning. I wouldn t ask her to sort out learning on her own. (Teacher) Some of the TAs shared this view about the limits of their role. The teacher plans and delivers, and I help the teacher to teach it. He knows what he wants to do and we discuss it and I comment on it, but I am not the teacher I can assist with planning but I can t do it as I don t have enough experience to understand it fully, I haven t done the training Since the Project I have had more responsibility. I take groups of children out and teach them literacy. There are certain things I do here that in other schools it wouldn t happen. I am lucky with the teachers here. (Support Staff 1) These views were not universal as some teachers could see how their roles could be extended. I would be happy for TAs to do more marking but they need to be trained. We haven t done that as a school. (Teacher) Role has changed. Several had been trained and the learning support teacher a whiz at working with ancillaries and developing them, and they have grown further. They are much more now, like an assistant teacher. (Senior Manager) The children interviewed in the four schools were largely positive about the contribution TAs made to the school and their lives, as illustrated by these four comments. We like them because they re fun. When the ancillaries are in class it helps the teacher. You can ask them to help you instead because they re sort of like the teacher but they know what you re doing so they can help you. They also commented on TAs marking their work: It s okay with things like handwriting but not all the time that wouldn t be very good. I don t think they d be very good at English because (name) is rather good at that. The teacher knows what he s looking for. 8.4 Workforce remodelling: clerical and administrative support Some of the additional funds available through the Project had been directed at employing additional clerical and administrative support and using this to re-think some roles traditionally done by teachers. Support for teachers included others doing the register and children were also aware of changes to systems, such as that for collecting dinner money. Not having to do the registers. A lot of ancillary staff have taken on administration allowing more time for assessment, dealing with the education of pupils. (Teacher) lxxxi

85 It has been a tremendous success, a quick win. I am not interrupted from my teaching. We now pay all our invoices direct and she has taken this on, and the increase in hours has helped this to happen. She has taken on work which I might have had to do, such as typing up. It has freed up a lot of my time. She talks me through what has been done, this takes of the load and has reduced my stress. At least ten of my colleagues have gone off due to stress. Having to teach all day and then having to do the management meant that I didn t do either job to the best of my ability. (Senior Manager) Some found the change difficult. First big thing my administrator working full time gradually she is taking on bits and pieces from me. Part of the problem is letting go. It s difficult to let go. Need to trust others and monitor their progress. Having to learn to delegate in a situation where I had to do everything before. (Senior Manager) One of the governors commented on the potential of the change. I can already see that the introduction of a semi-trained administrator can do a range of tasks. This relieves administrative pressure on the head. I m in favour because it gives teachers more time to teach. (Governor) The changes also indicated the differentiation between the role of TAs and clerical support. The extra help in the office has had a major impact on my role in terms of photocopying. (Support Staff 1) These benefits included the extended role for the person fulfilling the role of the bursar. Having the bursarial role has been a huge benefit. (Teacher) Administrator is doing bursar training through the National College. Not tailored to small schools but will help her; she finds it useful. (Senior Manager) The bursar described the greater clarity of the two roles and the benefits of attending the NCSL course. My hours have doubled now the role is split into general clerical assistant for half the role and bursar element is the other. (Support Staff 3) The bursar course has widened my experience. (Support Staff 3) This was a view echoed by a governor. Bursar training has been very effective. (Governor) 8.5 ICT and the curriculum The second main theme evident in the response of these four small schools is the use of ICT. The principal developments were in the use of electronic whiteboards and the use of ICT to develop stronger contacts between schools. Other issues followed from these developments, including their impact on workload and the need for training. There was considerable enthusiasm for the introduction of electronic whiteboards. Whiteboards have been wonderful. They have helped things flow better and useful to have more resources on the ground. (Senior Manager) This enthusiasm included links to other schools through the internet. lxxxii

86 As a direct result of the Project we have whiteboards and broadband. This has made a huge difference to what I can do. Finding resources off the internet, doing work at home rather than at school. It has massively reduced my workload but for staff without the expertise its increased workload and stress levels The interactive nature of the whiteboard is fantastic. (Teacher) I ve already started to link with (another cluster) school via video conferencing. Helps to introduce pupils before they move onto secondary school. (Teacher) This enthusiasm was not universal and there were some who were concerned about the impact of ICT on their workload, partly as a consequence of the need for training. ICT has increased workload. Some teachers weren t prepared and some aren t computer minded. The general feeling is that the money could have been better spent. We ve been given ICT in the classrooms without preparation. (Support Staff 1) The nature of using the computers is that people need support in using the machines when they ve pressed the wrong button. You end up with trying to teach the class and a group for IT. Stress levels go up. (Teacher) I ve had to come to grips with using the whiteboard this was an added workload.(it) allows presentation to be better (but) I think Pathfinder was set up to reduce workload not to raise standards it wasn t set up to improve quality of teaching and learning either. It s not reducing workload it s tinkering with things. (Teacher). ICT hasn t worked well here at this point. There s a need for training for all staff. (Support Staff 1) Others were clear that the benefit of ICT was not to reduce workload but to improve the quality of education. Laptops and whiteboards haven t reduced time the quality goes up Whiteboard allows use of software as a group teaching resource whereas before it could be used by one child. (Teacher) Certainly, the children interviewed were very positive about the introduction of electronic whiteboards and the greater access to ICT and five pupils in one KS2 group were aware that it was present even if it was not being used by all. I think the interactive whiteboards are wicked. It s really cool because you can see up really close and there s this camera thing where you can put the thing on and see if it s fruit; you can cut it in half and it comes up really clear on the screen. We can t normally have them because our teacher s not very good with it yet. Well it s quite good. The numeracy games and that. It makes it clearer to understand things. Possible to see them and don t have to huddle round a single PC. 8.6 Buildings These schools also benefited from developments to the premises. These changes clearly created short term problems of dislocation but all could see the long term benefits of the changes. As one of the children remarked, well done, posh. 8.7 Future developments The interview data from the four schools showed expectations for the future if the ideas embodied in the Project were maintained and extended. While one rather optimistically wished for an additional classroom, others emphasised the need to recognise the role of TAs in terms of salary and career structure. lxxxiii

87 More money for TAs. Taking groups with teachers makes me compare my salary to teachers and the money is nowhere near. (Support Staff 1) The Project has set up stronger relations between teachers and teaching assistants, the extent to which it will continue will depend on finance.teaching assistants don t have permanent contracts but if it s to be seen as a career, there s a need to change the contractual position. (Support Staff 1) I go back to part time working from April. I knew this but it is still a shock, I knew the money wouldn t be there. There is a drawback to the Project because the money isn t there anymore. (Name) and I are losing our hours, and so we are going back to what we used to do. There is no security for Teaching Assistants, so you don t know where you are. The Head will have to do more. (Support Staff 1) I am term time paid and on a support staff scale. I am paid 44 weeks of the year. There needs to be a national pay structure. You cannot keep piling work onto people From April 2004 if the funding goes then it will be difficult for me. I will drop hours and drop 3 scales (Support Staff 3) The potential of the Project to alter working relations was identified by one Head as an issue for the future if teachers began to see themselves more as leaders of teams. I continue to pass on responsibilities and people seem to be enjoying that but there may come a time when teachers ask for payment for leading a team. (Senior Manager) Speculation about their expectations of the Project and its implications also led to consideration of their concerns for the future. Understandably, many of these comments related to finance and sustainability. We ll have a building and ICT infrastructure that needs to be maintained. But there are staff who may not be able to stay. (Teacher) Seems like a good Project but just to find out what works and not have funding to replicate it would be a waste of time. (Support Staff 1) These concluding perspectives reflected what may be a predictable tension between enthusiasm for the Project and the opportunities it had created alongside a concern that these should not be lost, most obviously when the funds from the Project cease. 8.8 Conclusion Reflecting on the overall strengths of the Project, the dominant themes that emerged in terms of resources were the extra TAs and the electronic whiteboards in the classroom. In terms of people and organisational change, there were many comments on how the Project had brought members of staff together and enabled people to become involved and work more as a team. It s come together really well. Very positive impact. As long as everyone s included and we draw on the strengths of the school. (Support Staff 3) As a teaching head the job is potentially unmanageable, now it is manageable. This is a massive change. OfSTED is coming, and we have the staffing to handle this. (Senior Manager) One teacher was also emphatic on an issue that was of great importance, particularly for primary schools teachers. One of the bursars interpreted the issue of workload for teachers more broadly, seeing a reduction in the demands upon them as beneficial for pupils. Release time every teacher should have this. (Teacher) lxxxiv

88 Reduction in teacher workload is to the benefit of pupils. (Support Staff 3) lxxxv

89 9 SUMMARISING THE CASE STUDIES 9.1 Project perspectives In summarising the perspectives from the case study schools, a dominant theme was remodelling, and the main aim of reducing teacher workload had been achieved during the Project. Teachers working in Meadow School, the large urban primary school, were working 3.5 hours per week less than last year and this was just under the average for all primary schools in the Project (3.7 hours). In the cluster of small schools, teachers in two of the primary schools showed larger gains than this (4.5 hours and 4 hours); one showed no gain; and one had a complete turnover of teachers and so no change could be measured. Teachers at Park Vale special school were working an average of 3.5 less hours per week which was the same as teachers across all the Project s special schools. Gains were made in the two secondary schools but they were lower than the primary and special schools. Teachers at Beacon Hall School reported working 1.68 hours per week less and this was just above the average fall of 1.2 hours for all secondary schools in the Project. Teachers in Lakeside reported spending less time working per week (-0.83) which was less than the average for all secondary schools in the Project. Each school had engaged with the Project in different ways regarding strategy and how resources were deployed. However, there were themes and trends that can be identified on how remodelling had been developed and experienced and, in this final section, this is summarised by examining: support staff; work and workload; restructuring the day and week; the use of ICT; and the change process. 9.2 Support Staff The schools gave examples of appointing more support staff but, more important, changed the roles of many support staff and raised their status. It was apparent that support staff had become a more visible and important part of school communities. Lakeside High School: changes included: the appointment of a Display Coordinator which improved the learning environment and impacted on attitudes to the school and learning by the students; and the establishment of an Inclusive Behaviour Unit with the employment of a Unit Officer which was very recent but had already begun to impact positively on behaviour. Meadow School: the emphasis was on remodelling learning based on an increase in the number and type of support staff, and changes to their role and status. A Resource Manager had been appointed to support the preparation of learning resources; the role of the Senior Administrative Officer had been developed in regard to the provision of information and monitoring the budget, and this had been supported by the employment of more clerical staff to undertake routine work; and, Teaching Assistants have been put in place to support learning in the classroom, take registers, and cover some lessons to release teachers for planning and meetings. Park Vale School: a full time bursar had been appointed which improved management and access to financial data and created a more effective line management system for administrative staff. The involvement and role of Special Needs Assistants (SNA) had improved and interviews showed that there was more continuity of support for teachers and for students. The SNAs had taken on more responsibility for supporting learning and were more confident in their work while the prime role of teachers in planning teaching and learning was acknowledged. Small Schools Cluster: there was strong evidence that the role of TAs had developed in ways that enabled teaching head teachers to have time to lead and manage the school. TAs were under the direction of teachers but were taking on work that previously would have done by teachers, such as taking the register, lxxxvi

90 display, marking routine work and working with students in small groups. There was evidence that TAs were more focused and confident in their work. The schools addressed the boundaries between teachers and TAs and, while there was variation between the small schools, there was evidence that teachers saw their role to plan and direct learning with TAs enabling and supporting this. 9.3 Reviewing work and workload Teachers were also questioned on their roles and the schools provided examples of tasks shifted to others. There was a greater appreciation of the need to alter the work-life balance and doing something to effect a change so that teachers had more time with their families. Beacon Hall School: the Year of Teacher had enabled a focus on workload to be linked to positive enhancement of the status and expertise of the teacher. A combination of workforce participation and attention to student achievement within the change process had enabled teachers to gain ownership of their own and the school s development. A realistic approach to variations in attitudes to change amongst the workforce and the need to be creative regarding change strategies enabled visible gains during the life of the Project. Meadow School: teachers have laptops that have made a big difference to the volume and timing of their work. Planning has been more efficient with guaranteed meeting time in the working day but it was how teachers have begun to assess their role and work-life balance that was seen as a major breakthrough. Questions were asked about how work was organised and how the prime focus on learning can be protected and enhanced. Teachers have noted the change in their working day and students commented on the positive impact of this change. 9.4 Re-structuring the school day and week Re-modelling was a word that was also used to describe organisational change. There were examples of schools altering the school day, re-structuring the week or re-shaping a particular day. Meadow School: the school day has been changed with formal lessons from 8.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. followed by school clubs until 5.30 p.m. This change supported the re-modelling of learning and a range of stakeholders noted differences in learning and attitudes to learning. Park Vale School: learning had been remodelled through changes to the timetable, so that on Wednesday afternoons there were extension and enrichment opportunities for students provided by experts in arts, drama, sport and life skills. This allowed teachers time to meet and plan development during the working day and was seen as a major development for the curriculum and for teachers working practice. 9.5 Using ICT to support learning There were examples of schools using ICT to re-shape learning with learning networks being established and whiteboards having a significant impact on the teaching of some staff. Networks have also been developed to assist with improving administrative systems. Lakeside High School: nearly half the teachers interviewed said that the distribution of laptops to the teaching staff had been a significant outcome of the Project and that ICT had helped to streamline tasks related to planning and assessment. Nearly half the teachers and three-quarters of support staff identified developments using ICT as having contributed to improvement in pastoral administration and attendance, particularly the ECAR system. lxxxvii

91 Small Schools Cluster: the main development was the installation of electronic whiteboards and the use of ICT to develop stronger contacts between schools. Video-conferencing was being used to assist collaborative learning and joint planning. These changes required an investment in time to both learning and to successful use of ICT. 9.6 The change process Some of these changes highlight an issue related to the boundaries between this Project and others in which schools were involved. In some of the schools, successful implementation seemed associated with schools having created almost seamless links between this and other projects. Indeed, securing change in schools might seem to be more likely if new initiatives were introduced in a way that demonstrated their linkage and integration with existing activities. The Change Management Teams (CMT) would also have assisted this process and their role and effectiveness was evident in some of the cases. Beacon Hall School: the approach had been to develop distributed leadership through an inclusive approach to participation in and responsibility for change. All staff were members of one of six change teams and each team worked on a particular change goal e.g. homework, ICT and the curriculum. The school was already very successful in regard to learning outcomes and had begun to work on remodelling prior to the Project. The Project provided additional resources to enable innovations around developing the classroom of the future, supported by new ways of designing the curriculum and a new school day. Staff were encouraged to engage in blue skies thinking and to have open debates which generated strategies that are taken forward. Lakeside High School: the driving force behind the Project in the school was the change management team which was made up from staff at all levels. The majority of staff interviewed reported that they felt positive about the way in which the CMT had operated, though the pace of change and some operational difficulties were commented on. Meadow School: the Project had accelerated changes that the school had already embarked on and provided new opportunities for development. A key strategy was to increase the involvement of others through the change management team and to begin to shift towards a culture of distributed leadership within the workforce. The change team was made up of team leaders from all parts of the school and it was challenging for teachers and support staff to be involved in a collective approach to development. This was regarded as having been successful and staff state that they had grown in confidence through their contribution. Small Schools Cluster: the management of change within the cluster had mainly been positive with change management teams working on strategy in all four schools. Positive comments were made about collaboration with the anticipation of developing stronger links in the future. 9.7 Conclusion The case studies showed varied approaches within the schools with members of the workforce identifying positive gains to their working lives and being supportive of the processes they experienced. It was also the case that there were negative experiences either through the high pace of change or frustration that changes had not happened quickly enough. The students at the case study schools were generally supportive of the initiatives in their schools and were able to articulate the positive impact this was having on their learning. The case studies also highlighted concerns that members of the school workforce had about the future. There were comments about sustainability and whether the additional resources were to be sustained. Set against these concerns was the recognition in some of the schools that the Project had given them confidence to begin to manage resources more creatively, enabling a new-found sense of freedom. lxxxviii

92 PART FOUR: CONCLUSION 10 STANDARDS AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS 10.1 Introduction In Chapter 1, it was noted that one of the critical tests of the Project s success was that the principal goals of reducing the hours worked by teachers and altering the distribution of work within the school workforce must be achieved without compromising the overriding national goal of improving the educational attainment achieved by pupils and students, as measured by examination and test scores. Another test was whether the Project generated initiatives that represented value for money. In this Chapter, data relevant to these tests are examined Educational standards There are two major issues that have to be recognised when discussing the impact of the Project on educational standards as represented by examination scores and Key Stage tests. The first is that it was unlikely that a Project of this kind was going to lead to such rapid and major improvements in outcomes that their measurable effect would be observable at the end of one year. Indeed, more likely would be a decline in performance as there was a risk that focusing on workload, exploring new ways of working, changing work boundaries across the school workforce would distract staff from their focus on teaching and learning. At one level, therefore, the case for monitoring educational standards in this first year was more a case of checking to ensure that there had been no major negative change. The second issue is that a properly designed examination of the relationship between the changes involved in this Project and the educational attainment of students required a pupilbased methodology that was not part of the Project. What, therefore, can be said about educational standards and what data has been collected? At best GCSE and Key Stage data can be used as a signal of what may have occurred and, as noted above, whether the Project may have a short-term negative effect. The term signal must be stressed. Statistically reliable comparisons of outcome in Key Stage tests and at GCSE required a value-added analysis based on pupil-level data. The data collected during the Project were not in this form and their value was only as an approximation of change. In effect, questions would be raised about outcomes only if the data showed major changes between 2002 and 2003 and, even if they did, this would be a reason for further enquiry using value added data rather than allowing immediate conclusions to be drawn. It was in that context that Project schools were asked to provide data on their GCSE and Key Stage test results for 2002 and These were reviewed to see if there were any striking differences between the years and whether this merited further enquiry. In the event, the data examined showed little change between the two years and none provided a reason for further investigation. The data in Table 10.1 has been included to illustrate the general position. Table 10.1: Illustrative data on educational standards Reading/English Science Mathematics School KS Primary 1 KS1 86% 86% 96% 89% 100% 95% KS2 86% 89% 100% 98% 88% 89% Primary 2 KS1 94% 88% 100% 88% 100% 88% KS2 94% 100% 95% 100% 88% 100% Primary 3 KS1 75% 77% 86% 86% 75% 86% KS2 72% 69% 70% 74% 77% 84% KS1 shows percentage at Level 2 and above; KS2 at Level 4 and above. The Table shows a set of Key Stage scores from three primary schools in the Project. The profile shows little change between 2002 and 2003 and where it does show change it was not consistent between the two key stages. Even where there appeared to be marked change, lxxxix

93 for example in the KS1 results in Primary 2, there were fewer than 20 pupils involved so that a small change in the pupil profile (such as a small increase in the number of pupils on the SEN register) would have a clear effect on outcome scores. The results in Primary 2 also showed a different direction of change in KS1 compared with KS2. xc

94 These data from the primary schools were also reflected in GCSE data from three secondary schools. Applying the benchmark of 5 GCSEs at A* to C, one school showed a 2.5 per cent fall, a second a 0.9 per cent fall while a third showed an increase of 1.0 per cent and a fourth an increase of 9 per cent. With the exception of the fourth school, these were tiny changes and, in all four, an initial explanation of the changes would have to begin with an investigation of value-added data. It remains to be seen whether these changes in the workforce will have a longer term impact on standards. Taken as a set, there were no obvious signals that the Project had worked to the detriment of pupils in terms of their Key Stage and GCSE examination performance. However, if there was no clear signal from test scores, what qualitative evidence was there of the impact of the Project on educational standards? During the visits to schools, there were a number of questions in the questionnaires and the interview schedules where teachers had opportunities to comment on whether the Project was having an impact on educational standards. The case studies provided further opportunity for comment. In three of the case study schools it was stated that it was too early to measure directly the impact of Project interventions on student learning outcomes. In one school it was argued that the school already achieved high standards and so the Project could only sustain rather than increase them. In another school it was argued that the Project did not directly focus on particular issues that related to standards. No member of the school workforce or governor in any of the eight schools stated that they had witnessed a fall in standards during the Project. In views collected through other interviews and from the survey returns, a distinction was sometimes drawn between an effect on standards, in terms of level of measured attainment, and the Project s effect on the quality of teaching and learning. Thus, while a number of teachers in the special schools made positive comments on the impact the Project had made on educational standards, a comparable number mentioned the benefit that better use of ICT had made for the quality of learning and teaching. A small number believed that these were benefits that would occur as changes from the Project settled down and had an effect but that it was too early to make these claims after just a year. For staff in primary schools, the main direct educational impact of the Project was through improvements that ICT had contributed to the quality of teaching and learning. It was an area identified by many staff, although most notably by the teachers in the schools. A smaller number went further and expressed the view that the Project had contributed to improvements in educational standards. There were very few who expressed a negative view on the Project s impact in these areas while there were some who believed that the main benefits were yet to come as the nature and complexity of the changes would take time to have their full effect. As for the secondary schools, several teachers referred to the benefits that the developments in ICT had brought to the quality of teaching and learning and there were a similar number who believed that the Project had already made a direct impact on educational standards with few negative comments. There was optimism that the Project would contribute to improvement in standards and in the quality of teaching and learning as the changes became embedded. Cautious optimism would seem to be the prevalent view on the potential of the Project s initiatives having an impact on standards, and a greater confidence that it was already having some benefit on the quality of teaching and learning. These are important perspectives if the Project, in the long term, is to secure changes in working hours and new roles for the school workforce while also benefiting educational achievement. They are changes that should also contribute to greater cost-effectiveness in the use of resources, using human and physical resources in ways that can achieve greater educational outcomes from the same overall level of funding Cost-effective initiatives Cost-effectiveness analysis provides a means of comparing alternative ways of achieving the same objective. An appropriate example for this Project would be the work involved in preparing and mounting pupils work for display, a change where a teaching assistant does the work in place of a teacher. It is a change that would be cost-effective if the cost of doing xci

95 the work was lower and the quality of the outcome, in terms of the display, as good as when done by the teacher. It is an example where the likelihood of lower costs are high because of the difference in salaries between teachers and teaching assistants and where there is no obvious reason why the quality of the finished display should be lower. Yet, not even this is entirely straightforward. Salary costs will differ but if the teacher becomes too involved in advising the teaching assistant about the selection of material for display and how and where the work might be displayed, the cost savings will decline. There are also issues about the selection of material for display and the most appropriate way of presenting the work. Some of these decisions will have an educational significance, for example if the teacher wishes to give prominence to a piece of work that may not be the best available but is a means of recognising the progress made by a pupil whose work is celebrated less often than others. In approaching this issue, therefore, the underlying complexity of seemingly straightforward alternatives must be appreciated. The approach must also not be over-reliant on the short-term and measurable. Several of the schools in the Project included in their planned expenditures both new buildings and modifications to buildings. These were not expenditures that would show an early and easily measured return in terms of cost-effectiveness. For example, a building extension that provided a small school with enhanced facilities for staff, such as a quiet room and an office for the head teacher, were evidently beneficial. Moreover, the staff in the school had little difficulty in describing the benefits of the changes to a member of the evaluation team. However, converting such views into a cost-effectiveness ratio was clearly not a simple task and, in terms of an analytical method that requires the comparison of alternative methods for achieving the same end, scarcely practical. It was not only buildings that faced these problems. There were some changes in staff roles, such as teaching assistants preparing pupils work for display, where the costs and the outcomes can probably be assessed relatively easily, despite the earlier caveat. However, there were other changes where it would take longer for staff to become familiar with new roles and this learning time not only creates short-term costs but contributes to short-term difficulties as staff and students adjust to new roles and expectations. An example of this would be where members of the support staff become more closely involved in the supervision of students, taking roles traditionally done by teachers. While the change may be wholly appropriate, there may be short-term losses as people adjust to new roles and expectations. It is also important not to be over-critical of changes because of the time taken for them to become effective or, indeed, hurry to an assessment of cost-effectiveness. An example might be the provision of laptops to teachers and the general improvement in access to ICT that has occurred. This was a substantial expenditure that has generated, so far, an increase of average daily use of ICT of 11 minutes among special school teachers, 65 minutes among primary school teachers and 33 minutes in secondary schools. Is this level of use costeffective? Such an assessment would need to take account of several factors: the cost of the laptops and any associated software and other equipment would have to be calculated; these costs would need to be spread over their lifetime so that costs are not all treated as relating to a single year. The use of the equipment would also need to be assessed, including time in use and, most difficult, whether the nature of use contributed to better outcomes. Even if the outcomes were better, might comparable outcomes have been achieved through other ways of spending the same time and money? To enter these cautionary observations is not to say that cost-effectiveness analysis cannot provide illuminating insights. Rather, the concern is to emphasise the complexity that can be involved and to urge caution in interpreting initiatives. It was against this background that examples provided by schools can be examined. They provide an illustration of the diversity of initiatives in the Project schools. The financial data were sometimes limited but the examples are presented using a common framework, beginning with (1) the nature of the initiative; (2) setting out information on expenditure, although this was sometimes indicative rather than a specific amount of money; (3) expected and attained benefits; and (4) a statement on possible performance/outcome indicators for evaluating the initiative. xcii

96 Example 1: Using ICT 1. This example was from a school that wished to develop the ICT infrastructure for its curriculum and administration networks, enabling support staff to undertake a variety of tasks on behalf of teachers, including registration, pupil tracking and exam administration. 2. A total expenditure of 66,000 was committed to purchases that included network links, laptops for teachers, electronic diaries, whiteboards, an e-registration system and the employment of ICT support. 3. Benefits were summarised in terms of more effective use of staff time, more effective use of ICT with pupils and enhanced ICT skills among staff. 4. That these have not been calculated in terms of time is clearly a limiting factor for assessing cost-effectiveness but this is itself illuminating in terms of the mode of assessment used by the school where estimations of benefit were implied rather than made explicit. Example 2: Improving morale 1. A school provided staff with corporate membership at a local gym. 2. The cost was 5,000 for a year. 3. Reported benefits included improvements in work/life balance, reduced levels of staff absence, fitter staff and a feel good factor. It was also seen as an incentive in terms of recruitment and retention. 4. Here, there was scope for a quick estimation of some of the benefits by examining absence levels and whether these were markedly different from earlier years. Example 3: Improving premises 1. An extension to a reception area and a new office for a receptionist and Head s PA. 2. Construction costs were 48,000 and the purchase of furniture and equipment was 10, The expected benefits were reported as: (1) easing of congestion in what had been a narrow and busy corridor area; (2) administrator/receptionist could function more effectively; (3) space previously used by receptionist can now be used by the Head s PA; (4) space was easier to work in and has assisted communication; and (5) teacher and support staff workload eased. 4. The school identified a set of possible performance indicators for assessing a project where the benefits would be over an extended period. These indicators included: more space for administration; less disruption for pupils learning; more effective use of staff time; and reduced workload for teachers. Example 4: Creation of staff workroom 1. Conversion of an existing area into a staff workroom 2. Building costs, moving and re-installing existing equipment ( 22,000); purchase of equipment: ( 3,000) 3. Providing extra space for learning support staff. They will spend more time in preparing learning resources, work currently undertaken by teachers. xciii

97 4. Benefits included reduced workload for teachers and the better working conditions allowed them to make more effective use of directed time. There was also a meeting room for parents. Example 5: Up-grade and employment of staff 1. Employment of up-grades for four learning support staff; three additional teaching assistants; 0.5 ICT technician and also a receptionist. 2. Cost for seven months was 39, Benefits included substantial additional support for pupils and teachers, released teachers from some activities and allowed them to be more focused on teaching. The ICT support contributed to enhanced efficiency and the receptionist to improved communication, as well as releasing teacher time from responding to some enquiries. 4. Possible indicators were reduced working hours for teachers and improved ICT support. Example 6: Teaching Assistants/Resource Managers 1. A primary school appointed staff with the dual title of Teaching Assistants and Resource Managers. 2. The cost was met through savings to the supply budget which the school had been using to relieve pressure on teachers and allow them time to do work that would otherwise have been a problem. 3. Benefits were defined in terms of a reduction in teacher workload, improvement in staff morale and children s welfare. Classrooms were described as being run more efficiently, children were on task for more time and teachers spent more time teaching. It was also possible to use pupil achievement data more productively as the TA/RM collated these regularly. 4. Appropriate performance indicators would be raised educational standards, a healthier staff and an improved school environment. A number of these new post holders were also planning to apply to enter further education or train to become teachers. Example 7: Administrative support 1. The employment of additional administrative time to relieve teachers of certain tasks. 2. Under the new arrangements, teachers no longer handled money brought in by children. Administrative staff also followed-up pupil absence problems and did the organisational work linked to special pupil activities on one afternoon in the week. 3. The change enabled teachers to be more focused on teaching and contributed to improved morale as they were able to be more focused on their professional role. 4. An appropriate performance indicator would be a better pupil attendance record as absence was dealt with by staff dedicated to this task. Teachers had more time for teaching and this should contribute to improved standards. Example 8: Data input 1. Use of administrative staff used to input pupil-related data. 2. The saving was that teachers no longer did this activity, saving an estimated 30 minutes each of the time of about 12 members of staff every week. xciv

98 3. The savings here involved setting teacher time against the additional cost of administrative staff. Teacher time saved was estimated at between 3,750 and 4,500 over a year. An equivalent amount of administrative time would cost about 2, Outcome indicators could be measures of teacher time and fewer errors in data. Example 9: Data input and administrative support 1. Purchase of software for data entry and that also assists in writing pupil progress reports. Employment of more administrative staff time to assist with data entry. 2. Additional administrative time cost 2,000 and expenditure on software was Benefits included teachers being able to prepare pupil progress reports more efficiently. Also, a great deal of pupil performance data were entered by administrative staff. There were savings of teacher time assessed as about one hour per week less work for the 21 teachers in the school. This would be about half a teacher, equivalent to about 12,000 per year. Data were also entered more accurately and available for analysis more quickly. Target setting had improved. The net financial gain was substantial. 4. Outcome indicators include lower error rates, earlier reporting and better monitoring. Example 10: Teaching Assistants 1. Employment of Teachers Personal Assistants to undertake the 24 tasks that can be done by staff other than teachers. 2. Teachers Personal Assistants cost 24,474 in the year and provided 80 hours of support per week. 3. As the 24 tasks were now done by others, the time of teachers had been released for more planning, preparation and teaching. 4. No assessment of teacher time saved had been provided as it had been moved to different tasks or being able to complete work to a higher standard. These ten examples illustrate the diversity of initiatives introduced into the Pathfinder schools. They include changes to premises, improved resources, additional administrative, technical and learning support staff, as well as distinctive initiatives such as the corporate membership of a local gym. The examples illustrate the difficulty of defining simple outcome tests for these initiatives. Substantial expenditures on ICT or on premises will show benefit in the longer term but tracking these in a quantifiable way will always be challenging. The corporate membership of the gym, however, identifies a measurable benefit in terms of reduced absence but improved morale, work/life balance and feel good factors are more difficult to measure satisfactorily. Changes in staffing also provide more measurable outcomes and there are examples where there was a shift of tasks away from teachers, some of which were amenable to costing and these were included in some of the assessments. The shift of work away from teachers, as well as the other examples cited, undoubtedly have resonance in the schools. Thus, staff in the case study schools expressed their views on cost-effectiveness or value-for-money through their overwhelming endorsement of particular changes. Some may have required an additional investment of time in order to generate the ideas, work them through and put them in place but there was a view that it had been worth it. Across six of the schools in the case studies, for example, there were perceptions that life at work was better. There were also clear messages about members of the workforce rethinking boundaries between roles so that tasks can be moved from teachers to others. These qualitative perceptions add to the message of the examples in this Chapter. Schools have used the opportunity provided by the Project to begin re-thinking ways of working and, xcv

99 while not all the changes have an immediate impact, there was evidence of challenging thinking on who does what and why. In this respect, it might be concluded that there were value-for-money appraisals taking place as schools considered new ways of working. Costeffectiveness may not be easy to quantify in precise measurable terms but it can be used as a framework for identifying and thinking about different options Conclusion Involvement in major projects can carry the risk that those leading change lose focus on other objectives and become pre-occupied with the project. In that respect, being a Pathfinder school might carry the risk that the schools lost focus at least in the short-term on their primary educational purposes. In terms of examination and Key Stage scores, there was no prima facie evidence that this had occurred in these schools. What was evident, though, was that the schools had embraced the opportunity provided by the Project to introduce a wide range of initiatives concerned with re-thinking ways of working and had reflected appropriately on their benefits. Moreover, they appeared to have done so with educational purposes in mind. There may not be examples of rigorous cost-effectiveness analyses but it was evident from the examples in this Chapter and from the case studies that schools sought to meet the challenges of reducing hours, re-thinking role boundaries and improving job satisfaction. xcvi

100 11 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 11.1 Introduction In Chapter 1, it was argued that the essence of this Project was embodied in two words: resources and change. Schools received a variety of additional resources and, by supporting the ability of school leaders to manage change, they were encouraged to examine the use of both new and existing resources, particularly the deployment of the time of members of the school workforce. Analysis of the effect of the Project took four main forms. Chapters 2 and 3 contain the results from the more quantitative part of the study. Chapter 2 examines how teachers responded to the Project, describing change in their working hours and exploring relationships between change in hours and a set of factors that may assist in understanding the changes that occurred. In Chapter 3, the focus of the analysis is on schools. It began with a Table showing the diversity of change in working hours between the 32 schools in the Project and then analysed these in terms of school level variables related to issues such as leadership, change and decision-making. This school-level analysis was then complemented by the third main form of analysis, the five school case studies (eight schools), providing a qualitative insight into changes in eight of the 32 schools. Chapter 10 assessed the impact of the Project on educational standards and a framework based on cost-effectiveness analysis was the fourth form of analysis, providing ten illustrative examples of change in the schools. In this final Chapter, the purpose is to draw together the findings of the earlier chapters and consider their implications for the Project and future development Teachers and workload Teachers reported a clear fall in hours and those in special and primary schools reported a larger fall than their secondary school counterparts. However, the data from a much smaller number of teachers in comparator schools also showed a fall. There were only small changes in the percentage of time devoted to teaching but an analysis of eight items that could clearly be done by non-teacher members of the school workforce showed a marked shift away from these tasks by teachers. This was greater amongst special and primary schools where savings in teacher time were achieved. There was no systematic relationship between job satisfaction and hours worked, although there was a relationship among secondary school teachers between a fall in hours worked and an improvement in their satisfaction from the job itself. Job satisfaction would seem to be dependent upon a more complex set of factors than hours worked. There was evidence of substantive change in hours devoted to routine tasks and that this was recognised by teachers. Teachers also became more positive about the contribution that teaching assistants can make, although there was only a weak relationship between a fall in hours worked and a more positive view on the potential of teaching assistants reducing workload. Teachers were also positive about the impact of bursars on their own workload. There was a clear growth in ICT access and a positive relationship between greater access at home and the use of ICT in working directly with pupils and in other pupil contact. However, competence was a limiting factor with teachers who perceived themselves as competent more likely to make use of ICT applications. There was concern about the level and quality of ICT training, emphasising the need to link the availability of ICT resources to good quality support and training Schools and workload Schools differed in the working hours of teachers and the extent to which there was change in hours during the Project. In the special and primary schools there was a relationship between size and working hours that merit further enquiry. The survey data also showed dissatisfaction with communication strategies in secondary schools and there was some evidence from the special and secondary schools of a relationship between positive attitudes to good communication and change in working hours. This raised questions as to whether communication strategies had an effect on the ability of schools to implement the changes xcvii

101 sought by the Project. Evidence on protected time showed that the schools with higher levels of this time also had higher levels of working hours. xcviii

102 The special and primary schools with more positive attitudes on the management of change, leadership, organisational processes and decision-making, were more likely to have achieved larger falls in working hours. In the secondary schools, the relationships between working hours and these factors were mixed and inconsistent. The importance of good quality ICT support and training was reinforced by the analysis in this Chapter as, across all three sets of schools, the schools that provided better support and training also secured larger changes in hours worked Perspectives from the case studies In summarising the perspectives from the case study schools, a dominant theme was remodelling, a concept that was applied to many different changes. A fundamental message was the re-modelling of staff. The schools gave examples of appointing more support staff but, more important, they changed the roles of many support staff and raised their status. It was also apparent that support staff became a more visible and important part of school communities. Teachers also began to question their own roles and there were examples of these being reviewed and tasks shifted to others. There was also greater appreciation of the need to alter work/life balance and effecting changes that enabled teachers to have more time with their families. Re-modelling was a word also used to describe organisational change. There were examples of school s altering the school day, re-structuring the week or re-shaping a particular day. There were also examples of school s using ICT to re-shape learning with learning networks being established and whiteboards having a significant impact on the teaching of some staff. Networks were also developed to assist with improving administrative systems. Some changes highlighted an issue related to the boundaries between this Project and others in which schools were involved. In some, successful implementation seemed clearly linked to the school having created an almost seamless link between this and other projects. Indeed, securing change in schools might seem to be more likely if new initiatives were introduced in a way that demonstrated their linkage and integration with existing activities. The Change Management Teams also assisted this process and their role and effectiveness was evident in some of the cases. The case studies also highlighted concerns that some members of the school workforce have about the future. There were many comments about sustainability and whether the additional resources, often seen as critical in enabling the changes, would be sustained in future. Set against these concerns was the recognition in some of the schools that the Project had given them confidence to begin to manage resources more creatively, creating a new-found sense of freedom Applying the four tests Chapter 1 set out four tests for assessing the impact of the Project: have hours changed; what effect have schools as organisations had on these changes; what has occurred to educational standards; and have there been initiatives that appear to offer value-for-money? The data showed that teachers reduced the reported hours worked over the course of the Project with those in special and primary schools securing average change in excess of three hours per week while their secondary school counterparts secured a smaller fall of just over one hour. It was also apparent that there was great diversity between schools in terms of the changes, ranging from a fall of 13 hours to an increase of over two hours. The analysis showed that there was change in the nature of work with a substantial shift of time occurring in relation to a set of eight items that could clearly be done by other members of the school workforce. The diversity of change in hours between schools raised the issue of a school effect on changing hours of work and led to the analysis in Chapter 2 of the Report. There was evidence that the scale of changes in working hours were related to the skills and capacities of change management, leadership and decision-making in schools, at least insofar as these were represented by the perceptions of teachers. While the primary and special schools in xcix

103 the Project secured larger changes in hours than occurred in the secondary schools, it was no less important to recognise that within each set of schools, the more positive teachers were about these organisational factors, the greater was the reported change in working hours. The nature, style and focus of leadership appeared to have had an effect on outcomes. Changes in working hours were also related to developments in ICT. There was consistency across the three groups of schools that good quality ICT training and support were related to larger falls in working hours. Chapter 10 reported that there was no evidence of a decline in educational standards in the schools in the Project. Examination and test data offered no hint that schools had diverted energy to the Project at the expense of their primary educational purposes. Examples were also cited of cost-effective initiatives with schools illustrating a value-formoney approach in their assessment of the costs and benefits of possible developments. There was also recognition, however, that there were some large-scale developments, such as buildings and ICT, where the returns would be spread over some years and that costeffectiveness could not be assessed easily or quickly. It was also noted that many performance or outcome measures proposed by the schools were difficult to quantify Conclusion Taken together, the Project appeared to have made an impact in reducing teachers working hours between the early summer of 2002 and the same time in However, the level of impact differed between groups of schools with larger reductions in hours in the special and primary schools compared with secondary schools. There were also other marked differences between the special and primary schools compared with the secondary schools in terms of school factors affecting reduction in hours. The Project also led to changes in role boundaries and made the role of support staff more prominent and effective in schools. The additional ICT resources were viewed as beneficial, although the scale of impact, so far, was relatively modest and there was a need to ensure that training and support matched the provision of additional material resources. The case studies illustrated the diversity of initiatives that were developed as a result of the Project and, as with the examples in Chapter 10, demonstrated ways of developing the remodelling initiative. However, the case studies and the comments collected through the questionnaires and at interviews in all the schools, showed a concern about the future, most notably on the sustainability of those changes that were introduced, in part, through the provision of additional resources. Nonetheless, the evidence in this Report shows that schools were able to take the opportunity offered by the Project and initiate and successfully implement new ways of working together. c

104 References Becta (2001) The Secondary School of the Future: A preliminary Report to the DfEE by Becta. Coventry: British Educational Communications and Technology Agency Bullock, A and Thomas H (1997) Schools at the Centre? A study of decentralisation London: Routledge Campbell, J and St. J. Neill, SR (1997) Managing teachers time under systemic reform, in Bush, T and Middlewood, D (eds) Managing People in Education London: Paul Chapman Cockburn, AD (1994) Teachers experience of time: some implications for future research. British Journal of Educational Studies 42 (4) DfEE (1997) Preparing for the Information Age A Synoptic Report for the Education Departments Superhighways Initiative. DfEE, London. Or uk/reference/edsi DfES (2000) The Nineth Report of the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB). London: STRB. DfES (2001) Impact2: Emerging findings from the Evaluation of the Impact of Information and Communications Technologies on Pupil Attainment: Produced by British Educational Communications and Technology Agency for the Department for Education and Skills: National Grid for Learning Research and Evaluations Series DfES (2002) Response to the STRB Report, London: DfES. Earley, P and Fletcher-Campbell, F (1989) Time to Manage? London: NFER Fullan M (2001) Leading in a Culture of Change, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Hargreaves, A (1994) Changing Teachers, Changing Times London: Cassell Harrison C et al (2002) Impact2: The Impact of Information and Communication Technologies on Pupil Learning and Attainment. DfES and Becta HMI (1992) The Implementation of Local Management of Schools London: HMSO Kickert W J M, Klijn E and Koppenjan JFM (eds) (1997) Managing Complex Networks London: Sage Levacic, R (1995) Local Management of Schools. Analysis and Practice Milton Keynes: Open University Press Mortimore, P, Mortimore J with Thomas H (1994) Managing Associate Staff. Innovation in Primary and Secondary Schools London: Paul Chapman Publishing Ofsted (2002) ICT in Schools, the Effect of Government Initiatives: Pupil s Achievement Progress Report (HMI 423). Rothwell Northants: Office for Standards in Education PricewaterhouseCoopers (2001) Teacher Workload Study London: DfES Smithers, A and Robinson, P (2003) Factors affecting teachers decisions to leave the profession. Research Report RR 430. London: DfES Stevenson Committee (1997) Information and Communications Technology in UK Schools An Independent Enquiry (The Stevenson Report). Pearson London. Or rubble.ultralab.anglia.ac.uk/stevenson/contents.html ci

105 Thomas, H and Martin, J (1996) Managing Resources for School Improvement. Creating a cost-effective school London: Routledge TTA (1998) New Opportunities Fund. The use of ICT in Subject Teaching Lottery-Funded Training. Expected Outcome, DfEE London cii

106 Annex 1: The 25 tasks and survey items University of Birmingham Questionnaire: Teachers 2002/2003 University of Birmingham Questionnaire: Support Staff 2002/2003 Teaching Working directly with pupils Teaching own lessons/sessions Teaching an individual pupil (excluding/form period and assembly) Teaching small groups of pupils Covering a lesson/session for an Teaching a whole class absent teacher Covering a lesson for an absent teacher Assisting a pupil in another teacher s Assisting a pupil in a teacher s lesson lesson/session Other pupil contact Registration of pupil attendance Supervision before school Supervision of breaks Supervision at lunchtime Supervision after school (e.g. bus day) Pastoral care with individual pupils Pastoral care with groups of pupils Managing form periods Leading an assembly Managing drama/music rehearsals Managing an out of hours sports club Managing an out of hours social club Managing an out of hours curriculum club Disciplining/praising pupils Contacting parents Other pupil contact Registration of pupil attendance Supervision before school Supervision of breaks Supervision at lunchtime Supervision after school (e.g. bus day) Pastoral care with individual pupils Pastoral care with groups of pupils Involvement in drama/music rehearsals Involvement in out of hours sports club Involvement in out of hours social club Involvement in out of hours curriculum club Disciplining/praising pupils Contacting parents First aid/medical assistance Office for Manpower Economics Teacher Workload Diary Survey 2000 Class Contact Own lesson/teaching/tutorial Covering absent teacher s lesson Assisting pupils in another teacher s lesson Registration/general classroom management/pastoral/counselling session Administering test/invigilating exam Educational visit Non-teaching contact Supervising pupils befor/during/after pupil day Coaching sport, rehearsing drama/music or organising pupil clubs/societies Disciplining/praising pupils(including detention) Pastoral care with individual pupils Any contact with parents/families Other non teaching activities relating to particular pupils or parents List of tasks that need not be routinely carried out by teachers i Collecting money Chasing absences Bulk photocopying Copy typing Producing standard letters Producing class lists Record keeping and filing Classroom Display Analysing attendance figures Processing exam results Collating pupil reports Administering work experience Administering examinations Invigilating examinations Administering teacher cover ICT trouble shooting and minor repairs Commissioning new ICT Equipment Ordering supplies and equipment Stocktaking Cataloguing, preparing, issuing and maintaining equipment and materials Minuting meetings Co-ordinating and submitting bids Seeking and giving personnel advice Managing pupil data Inputting pupil data i

107 Supporting learning Planning and preparing lessons/sessions Planning and preparing a practical test Planning and preparing assessment Marking pupil class work Marking pupil homework Marking assessment (exams, tests, course work) Keeping records on pupil performance Preparing pupil work for display Mounting pupil work for display Supporting learning Planning a lesson Planning support materials for lessons Planning and preparing a practical test Marking assessment (exams, tests, coursework) Keeping records on pupil performance Preparing pupil work for display Mounting pupil work for display Marking pupil class work Marking pupil homework Lesson preparation, marking etc Planning/preparing lesson, practical test, or assessment Marking pupil work Keeping records on pupil performance Writing reports on pupil progress Displaying or mounting pupils work or information for pupils Setting up/tidying classroom, lab or other teaching area Other non-contact activities relating to a lesson or class ii

108 School/Staff Management Attending staff meeting/briefing (whole school) Chairing staff meeting/briefing (whole school) Preparation of staff meeting/briefing (whole school) Writing staff meeting/briefing agenda (whole school) Writing staff meeting/briefing minutes (whole school) Attending other meeting (dept/planning etc) Chairing other meeting (dept/planning etc) Preparation other meeting (dept/planning etc) Writing other meeting agenda Writing other meeting minutes Attending Governing Body committee Writing Governing Body committee agenda Writing Governing Body committee minutes Arranging teaching supply work Monitoring lessons/sessions Liaison with teaching staff (in schools) Managing administrative staff roles Supervising administrative staff at work Managing classroom/teaching assistants roles Supervising classroom/teaching assistants at work Whole School activities Attending staff meeting/briefing (whole school) Writing staff meeting/briefing minutes (whole school) Attending Governing Body committee Liaison with teaching staff (in schools) Managing administrative staff roles Supervising administrative staff at work Managing classroom/teaching assistants roles Supervising classroom/teaching assistants at work Managing premises and the site School/Staff Management Any staff meeting Appraising teaching staff and monitoring lessons Contact with teaching staff Arranging teaching duties, timetables, pupil allocation or supply Contact with support staff School policy development Financial management and planning Publicity/marketing activities Contact with governors Contact with educational body Contact with community Other management-related activities iii

109 General Administration Organising resources (books and stationery) Organising resources (ICT) Organising resources (rooms and furniture) Organising resources (site and premises) Clerical work photocopying Clerical work filing Clerical work database entry Clerical work routine form filling Collecting money from children school trips Collecting money from children - clubs Administration Organising resources (books and stationery) Organising resources (ICT) Organising resources (rooms and furniture) Organising resources (site and premises) Word processing Clerical work writing up minutes from meetings Clerical work photocopying Clerical work filing Clerical work database entry Clerical work routine form filling Collecting money from children school trips Collecting money from children - clubs General admin tasks Keeping records or department records Organising resources and premises Simple clerical activity Other kinds of administrative duties iv

110 s frequent activities Being trained or appraised Training other staff teachers Training other staff student teachers Training other staff classroom/teaching assistants Supervising pupils on work experience Attending a training event (in school) Attending a training event (away from school) Studying and background reading Attending a course (in school time) Attending a course (in your own time) Writing assignments/projects for courses Invigilation of examinations Involvement/teaching in Easter/Summer school Attending parent evenings Writing reports on pupil progress Writing an end of term report Attending Governing Body meeting(s) Arranging teaching timetables Liaison with staff from other schools School policy development work Financial management and planning Publicity and marketing Liaison with governors Liaison with an external educational agency(s) Liaison with a local authority agency(s) Liaison with a local community agency(s) Less frequent activities Being trained or appraised Training other staff teachers Training other staff student teachers Training other staff classroom/teaching assistants Supervising pupils on work experience Attending a training event (in school) Attending a training event (away from school) Studying and background reading Attending a course (in school time) Attending a course (in your own time) Writing assignments/projects for courses Invigilation of examinations Involvement/teaching in Easter/Summer school Attending parent evenings Writing reports on pupil progress Writing an end of term report Attending Governing Body meeting(s) Arranging teaching timetables Liaison with staff from other schools School policy development work Financial management and planning Publicity and marketing Liaison with governors Liaison with an external educational agency(s) Liaison with a local authority agency(s) Liaison with a local community agency(s) Individual/Professional Training other staff Being trained or appraised Studying/background reading Keeping this diary Other individual/professional activity i STRB (2002) Special review of approaches to reducing teacher workload, Norwich: The Stationary Office, Cm: v

111 Copies of this publication can be obtained from: DfES Publications P.O. Box 5050 Sherwood Park Annesley Nottingham NG15 0DJ Tel: Fax: Minicom: Oneline: Queen s Printer and Controller of HMSO 2004 Produced by the Department for Education and Skills ISBN Ref No: RR541