Commenting on the passing of Motion 26 at NEU Annual Conference in Brighton, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"Workload is consistently reported as the key reason teachers and leaders are leaving the profession. As the Department for Education’s own survey shows, our members are still working over 50 hours a week, with many putting in significant unpaid overtime just to keep up.
"Workload is not just about long hours. It is about intensity, lack of control, and the erosion of professional time. Planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time, which should be protected, is too often lost to cover, behaviour management, or administrative demands. The current minimum of 10 per cent PPA is simply not enough for teachers to do their jobs properly.
"Schools are being asked to do more with less, and the result is that staff are stretched beyond breaking point. This has a direct impact on wellbeing, on retention, and ultimately on the quality of education for pupils.
"Increasing PPA time, protecting it from misuse, and addressing practices such as ‘trapped time’ are essential steps towards bringing workload under control.
"Change will not come without pressure. Through collective action, strong workplace organisation, and a clear bargaining strategy, we will continue to push for the improvements our members need."