North Devon schools receive national Staff Workload Balance Awards

Bideford College and Atlantic Academy, both part of Athena Learning Trust, are celebrating after scoring among the highest in the country for their staff workload management.  Both schools are actually one of the top ten performing schools in Edurio’s Staff Workload Balance Award’s.

This award celebrates exceptional efforts in balancing workloads, innovative practices, and prioritising staff wellbeing.  Based on national survey data for primary and secondary schools from the 2023/24 academic year, both Bideford College and Atlantic Academy have achieved remarkable results, scoring among the highest in the country.

Following on from their success in this area, the schools have now been invited to collaborate with Edurio on their guide of best practices for reducing workload based on the innovative strategies they have employed. 

Edurio is one of the largest school survey organisations,  their surveys give students, parents and staff a voice and their up-to-date benchmarks allow schools to measure and compare themselves against the national average. 

According to NASUWT, one of the teaching unions, four in every five teachers say that their workload and the stress of the job have increased and half of teachers say that workload has negatively affected their physical and mental health.  In addition, two thirds of teachers have said they are seriously considering leaving the profession because of concerns about excessive workload. 

For these two local schools to have bucked this trend is a massive achievement and a testament to the effort they have put into prioritising staff wellbeing.  Bideford College has a clear strategy for continuous improvement characterised by a relentless focus on excellence in teaching and learning that is enabled by ensuring staff have the right work/life balance.  

At Atlantic Academy each student’s confidence, resilience and enthusiasm for learning is fostered by positive relationships with staff and making sure staff feel valued and happy coming to work everyday is central to this.

Dr Claire Ankers, Principal at Atlantic Academy and Bideford College said:

“I am delighted that both Atlantic Academy and Bideford College have been recognised as providing a positive staff workload balance.  Retaining great teachers is pivotal to ensuring that our students receive a top quality education and it’s only when teachers have room to be creative and thoughtful in their classroom approach that schools truly thrive.”