In the latest in our series on what international schools are doing to control staff workload, we head to Saudi Arabia to chat with the leader of a school in Riyadh about how it ensures that workloads are manageable and teachers have autonomy to adapt to their commitments.
Clemmie Stewart, executive principal of Beech Hall School Riyadh, also talks about her own workload and why she thinks that removing fear from inspections is one of the best ways to help teachers feel in control and not overwhelmed.
1. What is workload like for teachers in your school?
Compared with the UK, workload is less; certainly what I would deem as unnecessary workload is less.
We offer a generous planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) allowance over the week, which means there is a healthy balance between direct teaching time and time for other tasks that are key to pupil progress and experience.
All teaching staff also offer one hour of co-curricular per week. And we try to minimise paperwork and admin tasks unless there is a direct and positive impact on the pupils. Staff are strongly encouraged to work comfortable hours and not take work home so that their time is truly their own.
2. How do you engage with teachers to understand workload concerns and implement changes?
As our staff are on contracts that have to be renewed after a period of time, the onus is on us to ensure that they are happy and fulfilled and have a manageable life-work balance.
In our intention letters, staff are invited to raise any issues that might cause them to look for work elsewhere. We also place a really strong emphasis on the quality of relationships between colleagues, ensuring that they can voice concerns to their line manager or any member of SLT.
We also have a head of innovation and enterprise, who will often bring great ideas around workload, communication, wellbeing and the staff community. And if we can make the ideas work, we do.
I have an “open door” to my office, so colleagues pop in with ideas and suggestions around workload and wellbeing.
3. Have you implemented any policies to reduce workload?
Rather than creating new policies, we have worked really hard to ensure that policies around areas such as assessment, marking and reporting help staff to work smarter, not harder.
This means ensuring that what we are asking of staff is meaningful, reasonable, worthy of their time and rooted in research. If it is not, we think again.
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We also embrace tools that minimise workload and admin so teachers can spend their time on the things that make the biggest difference: direct instruction and the building of relationships.
We are also well staffed, especially in our inclusion team, ensuring that needs are met by all adults around the child.
4. Do you look at teachers’ extracurricular workload, too?
We try to ensure the expectation for staff is fair, clear and transparent. That is the most important thing. If staff are delivering academic intervention and support then they won’t also be asked to run a club.
We encourage colleagues to choose clubs they are passionate about, so it feels more like sharing a passion with children rather than an additional task.
Trips are suggested and led by staff who want to do them, and colleagues who have additional responsibilities are given time to ensure that they can do this with real impact.
5. Are there cultural differences that influence workload?
There are very clear limits on the hours set by the ministry for local colleagues. We are very keen that these be applied for all staff so everyone is treated fairly.
We also work very hard to encourage staff to make their hours work for them. We are all adults at the end of the day! Some may choose to do their key tasks in PPA; others may choose to take bits home if they need to.
6. Have you done anything to improve your own workload?
As a head in the UK, I would work seven days a week. Obviously, I didn’t work the whole weekend but there was very rarely a Saturday or Sunday when I wouldn’t be working at some point.
That approach, thankfully, does not work here. At the weekend, I am mindful that colleagues are resting and also observing time for prayer and reflection. Therefore, sending emails or asking for things is not appropriate or fair.
This makes me more proactive about getting things done in the week and it also enables me to switch off, too. I really enjoy running as one way to switch off, although I often use this time to listen to a podcast or interview to help me as a leader and educator.
7. If you could introduce one major reform to improve staff workload management, what would it be and why?
I would fundamentally review how schools are monitored, inspected and held to account. Effective leadership, management and strong operating partners who support as a critical friend mean that there is no dip in accountability or expectation.
However, the removal of fear frees staff up to think about what really matters: our children, their experience and their individual progress.
Clemmie Stewart was talking to Dan Worth
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