A razor-sharp focus
September has seen a whirlwind of change within School Leaders Scotland (SLS). I am privileged to take up the post of General Secretary following the retirement of Graham Hutton. At the same time, we saw the retirement of Allyson Dobson, Professional Learning Coordinator. My replacement as National Officer, Jane Craigie, took up post on 8 September, while Membership Support Officer Pauline Rankin left us at the end of September. One constant throughout this period is Lyn Honnan, our Administration and Finance Manager. However, we are preparing for her retirement in December, after 29 years' service to our association.
Regardless of the level of change in SLS though, rest assured we remain razor-focused on the big issues that are affecting our members. A Scottish government manifesto promise was to reduce class contact time for teachers by 90 minutes a week. This hasn't yet happened, with only a few months to go until the next Scottish parliamentary election. There are significant barriers to this, not least the question: where do we find the additional teachers to make this happen when we already have a teacher shortage?
Also, the pay claim for this year remains unsettled. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) recently made the following offer for a two-year settlement, which runs from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2027: an undifferentiated 4% uplift on all Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) pay points for year 1 (1 August 2025 to 31 July 2026) and an undifferentiated 3.5% uplift on all SNCT pay points for year 2 (1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027). At the time of writing, this offer has been rejected by the teachers' side, and we await a revised offer.
This summer, we published the
results of our workload survey, which highlighted an average working week of more than 53 hours, with some members reporting working 80-hour weeks. Worryingly, 61% of school leaders said that they plan to leave the profession early due to rising workload and levels of stress. These stress levels are due in part to a growing crisis in the provision of additional support needs (ASN). We published a
report on this in August, highlighting the huge increase in pupils with ASN – more than 40% in 2025, compared to 5% in 2007. It is clear that appropriate resources are not being provided to adequately support these young people.
On these and many more fronts, we will continue to do our best to help improve the situation for our members, and, in turn, for the young people of Scotland.
David Barnett
General Secretary
School Leaders Scotland
Be kind to yourself
As we enter a new school year, I think it's time for a reality check. Education in Wales works because of the people who deliver it.
It works because our school and college leaders make it work, usually in impossible situations, with no finances.
ASCL Cymru conducted a member survey in June 2025. The main findings are alarming:
- 61% said their workload was unmanageable
- 74% said their work/life balance was unacceptable
- 87% felt they had to work beyond acceptable hours
- 97% said that work intensity was extreme or high
- 97% felt that their job interfered with their family or personal life
- 85% missed family events such as parents’ evenings for their own children
- 91% felt that their job interfered with their sleep
- 84% felt their job interfered with their physical and mental wellbeing
- 40% overall felt that they enjoyed their job less than the previous year and more than half (55%) were considering leaving the profession
On average, our school and college leaders work a 57-hour week, and that's on a good week. On a bad week it’s more than 65 hours. They work weekends and holidays and our pay and conditions document supports this and offers no protected leave.
Our school and college leaders are vital to the success of our system, so shouldn't we start to realise that and look after them, and shouldn't we start looking after ourselves?
We can only do so much, and there isn't a long queue of people waiting to do this job; we need to build longevity into our roles, by managing our workload and giving ourselves the protections we offer to all our staff.
So, maybe our next New Year's resolution should be for us to be a little kinder to ourselves, give ourselves time to rest and recover, and challenge the others in our profession to do the same.
Claire Armitstead
ASCL Cymru Director
Taking stock
As you read this piece, I will have moved on from my role as director of ASCL Northern Ireland. It’s been a real privilege to work with so many inspirational leaders from across the UK over the past two years, and I’ve appreciated the opportunity to speak on your behalf in many forums. ASCL is a very special organisation.
At times like this, it’s good to take stock and reflect on where we are.
When I took on the role in Northern Ireland, there was no functioning Stormont Executive, teaching unions were engaged in action short of strike, and staff had not received pay awards in a number of years. There was an urgent need for curriculum and qualification reform, a review of workload and funding, and a general lack of leadership in education. There was a huge hangover from Covid that we couldn’t seem to shake off.
Fast forward two years, and things are very different. Some might say Stormont is functioning relatively effectively, but I think it is definitely fair to say that the Department of Education, led by Paul Givan as Minister, has certainly taken huge strides forward. Pay parity with England and Wales has been established through significant pay awards, schools are beginning a new academic year with no industrial action in place, and the Minister has sought to implement many aspects of the Independent Review of Education, much of which I’ve explained in previous editions. His
TransformED strategy will address qualifications, curriculum, workload, funding, and education inequality.
Obviously, nothing is perfect, and difficult decisions will be required, but we are in a better place and moving in a healthier direction. The influence of ASCL Northern Ireland should not be underestimated and the Executive Committee continues to work tirelessly on your behalf. Thank you for the opportunity to work for such a fantastic association – the difference you make to the lives of our young people is immense.
John Trueman
Former ASCL Northern Ireland Director