Lazing on a Sunday afternoon: For the first time in seven years, Sharon Allcock (pictured), a teacher at Prince Albert primary in Birmingham, can sleep in at weekends, thanks to her school’s effort to cut workload.
Teachers across England and Wales are expecting the same chance to put their feet up as more than 20 administrative tasks are transferred to support staff this term. Ministers, too, are keeping their fingers crossed that the first stage of the workload agreement is a success and that threatened industrial action can be avoided.
But teaching unions are increasingly divided over the deal which will ultimately lead to teaching assistants taking classes.
With more than 3,000 jobs lost in secondary schools as a result of the funding crisis, many heads say their staff will have to dream of a social life for a little while yet.
News, 4; Leader 26
