Primary teachers don’t ask for help with menial administrative tasks because they hate asking already overburdened office staff.

A survey into the impact of government initiatives to reduce teachers’ workloads found many primary teachers said they had made no difference to their paperwork. The reason may be that they are not availing themselves of help that is there for them.

The culture in primary schools is that less well-paid office colleagues shouldn’t be lumbered with yet more work.

The report says that there is often a lack of clarity about the role of administrative staff and what they could be called upon to do.

Administrative Support Staff in Schools: Ways Forward by Katy Greene et al, National Foundation for Educational Research, available on the TeacherNet microsite of the DfES website: www.dfes.gov.uk