RESEARCH

NASUWT research in brief

Key Stage 3 assessment - www.nasuwt.org.uk/KeyStageThree

The abolition of Key Stage 3 (KS3) SATs is increasing teachers’ workloads, researchers found, confirming the NASUWT’s fear that the abolition of SATs for KS3 pupils in 2008 would lead to schools introducing burdensome assessment practices.

Over three quarters of respondents to the survey stated that their workload had increased as a result of the abolition of KS3 SATs and nearly one in five teachers said they were spending at least ten additional hours per week assessing pupils’ work, with nearly half of respondents working for an extra five hours.

The survey supports the NASUWT’s belief that SATs at KS2 must be retained. The Union will be using the findings of the research to press the Government for an urgent review of the ways in which the statutory end of KS3 assessment is carried out in schools.


Teachers’ mental health - www.nasuwt.org.uk/MentalHealthReport

The punishing accountability regime and target-driven culture in schools is a major factor in teacher stress and mental ill health, the NASUWT warned in a new report.

The study was conducted on behalf of the NASUWT by Compass, the centre for mental health research and policy, and identifies the high-stakes accountability regime as a key factor of stress-related illness and mental breakdown among teachers.

The study also found that many schools do not have effective systems and processes in place to intervene at an early stage to provide support to teachers at risk and sets out 14 recommendations based on the findings.


Older teachers - www.nasuwt.org.uk/OlderTeachers

The NASUWT has highlighted the issue of ageism in the classroom with a report calling for greater support for, and recognition of, older teachers.

The new study revealed that a fifth of older teachers have suffered age discrimination in the workplace and that many were routinely marginalised and denigrated due to their age.

The survey, which examined the experiences and perceptions of older teachers, also found that more than one in ten respondents reported being observed and monitored more often than other teachers and that 60% felt they were not seen by their managers as a valuable source of advice and support to younger colleagues. To support the NASUWT’s work around age discrimination, the Union has published new guidance, which can be downloaded from www.nasuwt.org.uk/ TrainingEventsandPublications/NASUWTPublications/ ResearchProjects.


Rarely cover - www.nasuwt.org.uk/RarelyCover

Employers are routinely breaking the law by failing to ensure that teachers and headteachers rarely cover for absent colleagues, research shows.

Despite the fact that all schools in England and Wales are now legally required to have procedures in place to ensure that teachers and headteachers only provide cover in rare and unforeseen circumstances, the survey of members found that more than a quarter believed their school was not compliant with the rarely cover provisions.

The survey also found that detrimental changes to working conditions, including the provision of planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time and sickness absence, were reported by a significant number of respondents since the introduction of rarely cover. The NASUWT will be using the findings to tackle non-compliance by schools with the rarely cover regulations and work towards the creation of a strategy to ensure effective local and national monitoring of schools’ management of the provisions.

www.nasuwt.org.uk