Claire Armitstead, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, comments following an agreement between trade unions and Welsh Government that protected leave for school leaders will be included in the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions (Wales) Document from September.
“We have been pushing for protected holiday time to be included in the pay and conditions framework for some time and we are delighted that this right has now been confirmed. Everyone – no matter what their role or profession – needs and deserves time to rest and recharge. School leadership is incredibly demanding and it is vital that people who work tirelessly in their professional lives have the cast-iron assurance of being able to spend time with family and friends at weekends and in holiday periods free of work demands.
“This formal recognition of the importance of protected leave is a step in the right direction towards tackling workload pressures that cause burnout and deter people from taking up leadership roles. However, we need to do more to make sure that leadership and teaching roles are sustainable and address the staffing shortages in our schools and colleges.”