Members of the second-largest teachers' union in the UK, NASUWT (National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers), will be undertaking a six-month period of close-to-strike action from Monday (September 18).

Earlier this year, NASUWT along with the NEU, came to an agreement with the Government over pay increases for teachers, but from Monday, NASUWT members, which number around 300,000 across the UK, will take action to oppose the heavy workload teachers face on a day-to-day basis.

Members will:

  1. Refuse to undertake duties outside school hours
  2. Only teach/supervise extra-curricular activities if they choose to do so - not if they are ordered by the school to do it
  3. Refuse to undertake midday supervision and take their lunch break instead
  4. Refuse to do any activities at weekends or bank holidays
  5. Use PPA (planning, preparation and assessment) time for marking and lesson planning only and refuse to attend meetings scheduled during this time
  6. Refuse to cover for absent teachers unless in an emergency
  7. Refuse to undertake clerical duties which can be completed by someone other than a teacher, such as labelling coat pegs for children
  8. Refuse to take part in mock Ofsted inspections
  9. Follow the Department of Education workload guidance which sets out ways to reduce teachers' workload

During this time, schools will continue to remain open and, apart from that listed above, NASUWT members will continue to work as usual. The short-of-strike action was approved before the pay rise was agreed with the Government.

The secretary of NASUWT's Devon branch Nigel Williams, said: "The Government agreed on the pay rise and agreed they needed to reduce the workload. Most of our members voted in favour of short -of-strike action. If schools take it seriously it's in their interest to bring down the workload for teachers and they will get a better outcome for their pupils."

Mr Williams added that he believed the action will cause minimal disruption to schools as long they are organised enough to bring in supply teachers when needed and midday supervisors for lunchbreaks.