The review, which was undertaken as part of 2024/25 teachers’ pay agreement, includes 27 recommendations across a number of areas including directed time budgets; curriculum, assessment and qualifications; pupil behaviour; special educational needs provision and the excessive workload of school leaders.

Responding to the publication, Michael McAuley, ASCL Northern Ireland Director, said: “We very much welcome the publication of the Independent Review of Teacher Workload, and I want to thank the panel for their comprehensive work in a very compressed timeframe.

“There was a significant level of engagement with the review from across the sector, with over 7,700 responses to the questionnaire, and the recommendations put forward by the panel are extensive. From our members’ perspective, it is also welcome that the excessive workload of school leaders is specifically addressed. We will now take the time to consider the report in full and work constructively with the Department of Education and the wider sector on next steps.”