Academic Becky Allen will chair the new panel set up by government to examine ways to reduce teacher workload.
The advisory group follows on from education secretary Damian Hinds’ promise in March to “strip away” pointless tasks to allow teachers to “focus on what actually matters”.
The group has been asked to look at issues related to school data collection and management.
It will make particular reference to “the recording and reporting of pupil attainment and progress, and its use beyond the classroom to manage school, teacher and pupil performance, and the practice of evidence gathering for external bodies (including the department/regional schools commissioners, Ofsted, or at MAT or LA level, and school transition).”
The panel will also examine progress following the recommendations of three previous workload review groups, consider how education technology can be used to eliminate unnecessary workload, and look at how the Ofsted framework could help eliminate unnecessary workload creating evidence for inspections.
Its members include academics, teachers and school leaders, and representatives of Ofsted and four education unions. The group is due to report by the end of the summer term.
The full list of members are:
- Professor Becky Allen, director, Centre for Education Improvement Science, UCL Institute of Education
- Sean Harford, national director of education, Ofsted
- Professor Rob Coe, director, Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, Durham University
- Janine Ashman, deputy head, St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Portishead
- Ben White, teacher and director of curriculum, Highworth Grammar School, Kent
- Jo Facer, vice-principal, The Ebbsfleet Academy, Kent
- Joanne Roscow, assistant head and Sendco, Birchwood Community High School, Warrington
- Michelle Thomas, executive headteacher, New Wave Federation, London
- Rose Murphy, teacher and phase leader, St George’s Roman Catholic Primary School
- Adrian Prandle, director of Economic Strategy and Negotiations, NEU teaching union
- Darren Northcott, national official, NASUWT teaching union
- Nick Brook, deputy general secretary, NAHT heads’ union
- Geoff Barton, general secretary, Association of School and College Leaders
