“The number of new initiatives continues unabated - whose bright idea was it to introduce new KS3 and new A-levels at the same time? It makes a nonsense of reducing teacher workloads.”
“Government initiatives are driving us all mad and having to bid for things is not very New Relationship with Schools. The 14-19 `gateway’ is a shambolic attempt to control something that should be accessible to all. There are still too many initiatives at one time, e.g. 14-19 diplomas, revised NC orders, healthy schools, revised PM, workforce reform.”
“There has been no reduction in bureaucracy as there is more to analyse. However, it is more useful bureaucracy.”
“The sheer amount of information required for various bodies is still an issue; so much repeated work with no clear feedback about the difference that it makes or the manner in which it can inform school improvement. I think we lose sight of the children and the needs for the development of staff.”
“Too much paperwork; too many conflicting requests for information; far too little joined up thinking. Letters arrive late with then impossibly short deadlines; different organisations want different information on the same day.”
“You get the impression that the right hand does not speak to the left hand with the deluge of demands and orders. The new move towards Children’s Services has helped schools. With the universal service, so much pressure is laid at our doors it is little wonder that people no longer want to be headteachers.”
“Frequent changes to policy and DCSF guidelines. Introduction of initiative after initiative even before current ones have been embedded. The use of local authorities to communicate changes in government policy causes huge delays in being prepared.”
“We have seen a reduction in what is requested as evidence required on some programmes. For example, for the healthy school award previously we would spend hours compiling information for the annual review. However, this has changed this year and the burden has been reduced by requiring an assessment every three years as opposed to annually and by evidence being based more on self-assessment.”
“Requests for surveys on everything that moves under the sun.”
