Keith Balich barely pauses for breath during his 67-hour week, stopping only on Friday lunchtime for scampi and chips eaten in silence behind a closed door in the office of his Lincolnshire school.
“The workforce agreement has not made a blind piece of difference,” said the head of Aveland school. “I get in at 7.45am and am lucky to leave before six.
” What does dedicated headship time mean? Does it mean I can put my feet up and read? That’s nice in theory but vastly different in practice.”
His work ethic is shared by his daughter Janay, who left Aveland this year with 17 GCSEs. Mr Balich said: “The tasks I do have not significantly changed since the workforce agreement, but I am philosophical about it.
“I have to do menial duties because as head the buck stops with me. I don’t have a lunchtime, except on Fridays when my PA insists that I have scampi and chips. She shuts the door behind me and does not let any calls through.
“Although I do not think the deal will make any difference to me, it could make an enormous difference to teachers and that is great.”
