Increasing school accountability could be counterproductive if the stress it causes to teachers reduces supply, researchers have warned.

Although accountability measures may bring short-term improvements in student performance, in the long term they could lead to shortages of high-quality teachers due to the extra stress, according to researchers at University College London.

Analysing data from the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (Talis), researchers found that more than two-thirds (68 per cent) of teachers in England reported feeling accountability-related stress compared with less than half (45 per cent) of teachers globally.

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England also sits towards the top of the “accountability” scale, in terms of measurements of educational performance - which include, for example, school assessments being used to make judgements about the effectiveness of teachers, whether there are school league tables and whether there are inspections of schools.

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This could partly be driving the higher stress levels among teachers in England, according to the research. 

The results have been published today in a working paper (not peer-reviewed), titled School accountability and teacher stress. International evidence from the OECD TALIS.

Although specifying that the findings are only correlational, researchers have warned policymakers that increasing accountability in the school system may have consequences for staff wellbeing and, ultimately, retention.

Professor John Jerrim, one of the researchers, said: “It is important that school leaders continue to use student performance data appropriately, and do not make inappropriate inferences about it capturing the ‘quality’ or ‘performance’ of any individual member of staff.

“We also believe that our findings highlight the need for policymakers to recognise that increasing accountability within the school system is unlikely to be a one-way street to ‘school improvement’.”

He added: “Accountability is becoming increasingly common within school systems across the world, yet many are concerned about the impact it is having upon teachers’ workload and wellbeing and whether this is turning people away from the teaching profession.”

He also noted that teachers in other countries with similar levels of accountability measures, such as New Zealand and the US, reported lower stress levels.

“The study, therefore, raises important questions about the pros and cons of England’s current system of school accountability,” he said. “In particular, do we have the right balance between quality assurance of schools and ensuring that this does not stress teaching staff out?”

Commenting on the findings, Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU teaching union, said: “We have known from our own data and the government’s workload survey that accountability drives workload...Both high workload and high stress are factors in teachers and leaders deciding to leave the profession.

“The UCL analysis also highlights cases of schools where stress caused by accountability is higher than in others. We know from our members that in-school accountability processes, imposed because of the pressures of Ofsted and league tables, are often causes of pointless bureaucracy and stressful managerialism.

“This is obviously a long-term problem, but it is particularly clear at this time that it’s not helpful for Ofsted to continue to inspect schools and colleges while staff are working hard to reintegrate their students back into the classroom after a year dominated by lockdowns. Right now, we need an undivided focus on what matters.

“There needs to be an overhaul of the whole accountability system, including league tables and how Ofsted inspects, if we are to stop teachers and leaders leaving because of unmanageable stress levels, and if we are to encourage new teachers into the profession.”

And Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of College and Schools Leaders, warned that while school leaders know it is important to be careful about how performance data is used, it is impossible to completely shield staff from the consequences of negative inspection or performance results.

He said: “We are not arguing for no accountability, but for proportionate accountability. The current system needs to be overhauled so that it is less punitive.

“Performance tables should provide parents with a broader range of information beyond the government’s narrow obsession with complex metrics around tests and exams. There is so much more to schools.

“School leaders are very conscious of the importance of being careful about how performance data is used, and they work very hard to support their staff. However, it is impossible to insulate staff from the impact of adverse performance tables and inspections. It is horrible to be on the receiving end of a negative judgement, and is demoralising not only for staff, but for pupils, parents, and wider communities.”