Adopt Efficient Working Practices

Workload in schools and across MATs remains high, as you know, and it is down to local leaders to address this. While the publication of the workload reduction toolkit and other resources may help with focus and action, it will not address the real problem of capacity.

With tight resources, loss of experience and challenges for recruitment and retention, educators will not be able to get everything on their to-do list done.

It is important to have workload reviews, ensure the impact of work expected is understood (removing anything that has low impact), and not add anything new, without taking something away. In addition to this, one area that is often neglected is to help leaders and all staff understand how they might work efficiently and effectively to get more of the important things done in the time that is available.

This is often referred to as time management, which perhaps gives it the wrong focus. No one can manage time, except perhaps for Hermione with her time turner in Harry Potter, or the Doctor using the Tardis. Everyone has the same 24 hours, and while workload, in and out of work, will differ, it is about being as effective as possible.

It would be better to call this personal management or personal effectiveness, passing responsibility to people to think about how they work.

In 2021, we ran pilot workshops with Headteachers in Essex, and these received very positive feedback. Delivering these ourselves is not part of how we work and so we want to make this training available to MATs and Trusts to support leaders and staff in protecting their own wellbeing and doing their best work.

Below you can download two documents - the first is comprehensive trainer notes for the workshops we ran and the second the accompanying PowerPoint. You can use these across your Trust and schools. Copyright remains with Welbee, including any amendments you make, so these cannot be passed on. If you do improve them then we would love to see what you do.

While we can and probably will turn these into a series of videos, our experience is that videos are not always watched and more importantly not followed up to embed practice. Using notes and a PowerPoint and getting people together to work through training, agree actions and follow up, remains an important method, if you want the training to stick.

While they were aimed at senior leaders, and the trainer notes refer to this, the tools and techniques are just as applicable to all staff. We hope you find these useful.

You may also like...