Sorry, this blog is a little messy – but I think it is one of the most important ones I’ve written this year. The issues have been burning away for some time. 

I came into teaching to educate; to build knowledge, understanding and prepare children for life. Over 22 years as a head teacher and (25 as Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or equivalent), I’ve watched the role stretch far beyond the classroom. Schools are increasingly asked to compensate for the capacity limits of health and social care: complex safeguarding, acute mental health and poverty alleviation. It seems that many people, not working in schools think it is schools that should do the work to solve so many problems they have. This week the Government announced training for staff to identify and counter misogyny. Each aim is laudable, and I can see why schools are the go-to place for every societal issue we have… but there is a major issue in this schools are the answer attitude. I believe that making schools the answer to every problem will not solve the major issues they want us to tackle… in fact, I just see schools floundering in a sea of too many responsibilities. That’s how it feels from where I am standing. We all know impact comes when you can fully focus on an issue and right now schools seem to have hundreds of them. Many of which do not respect the legal and contractual limits of teachers’ work. No wonder we have a developing recruitment and wellbeing crisis in our schools. 

The legal and contractual elements of teaching matters; What does statute say schools are for? What does contract say teachers do and when? And when safeguarding is invoked (which it increasingly is), can leaders be compelled to join meetings during booked holidays? If we do not ground practice in law and contract, we risk normalising an impossible role. Making schools responsible for much of the fabric of society is a very dangerous game and will do nothing to alleviate the pressures on education in this country. 

What Is a “Teacher” and What Are Schools For? 

The words we use in education have fascinating origins that reveal how learning was once understood. I have done a little research here – but am sure that this might need fact checking. Teacher comes from Old English tǣcan, meaning “to show or point out,” highlighting that teaching began as guiding rather than lecturing. School traces back to Greek scholē, which originally meant “leisure” because in ancient Greece, it would seem that free time was devoted to thinking and discussion, not play. And educate stems from Latin ēducāre, “to bring up or train,” linked to ēdūcere, “to lead out,” suggesting that true education is about drawing out potential. 

The legal definition of a school teacher 
UK statute empowers the Secretary of State to prescribe teachers’ pay, working time and professional duties via formal orders. Under the Education Act 2002. The Education Act 1996 sets the stages of education, compulsory school age, and duties on the Secretary of State and local authorities to secure suitable education. It focuses schools on education, not social care functions. Safeguarding and pastoral care are crucial to enable education; they shouldn’t redefine teachers as de facto social workers. Legally, schools exist to provide education. Safeguarding and wellbeing are essential, but they are not a licence to absorb every unmet social need into teachers’ contracts. 

Teachers’ Working Time: What the Contract Actually Says 

Directed time 
For classroom teachers covered by the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD), directed time is capped at 1,265 hours per year, allocated over 195 days (190 teaching + 5 non‑teaching/INSET). Heads can direct activity within these hours; teaching, meetings, parent evenings, duties, CPD etc. 

Reasonable additional hours 
Teachers must work “reasonable additional hours” to discharge professional duties (planning, assessment). Crucially, these cannot be directed; employers cannot specify when/where they’re done. Work–life balance must still be respected.  

The 32.5‑hour expectation 
Government non‑statutory guidance expects a 32.5‑hour core school week, but this does not override STPCD contractual limits. Maintained schools must adhere to the 1,265‑hour cap and 195‑day structure; the 32.5 hours is a policy expectation for the length of the pupil week, not a tool to compel extra directed hours. The truth is in over 30 years in education I may have met one or two teachers who did a 32.5 hour week – and they were both leaving education. Average weeks of over 45 hours are at least the norm for most teachers now. 

The Expanding Ask: When Schools Fill Systemic Gaps 

On 18 December 2025, the government announced plans to train teachers to spot early signs of misogyny, roll out healthy‑relationship lessons across all secondary schools by 2029, pilot specialist training in 2026, and launch youth behaviour‑change interventions—within a £20m strategy (Probably less than the Christmas bonus of one Social Media mogul) . I support tackling misogyny; our children deserve safe, respectful environments and again I can see schools being a great place to develop this and support children. BUT it is NOTHING if social media and society is not held fully to account. Often – sorry for the phrasing – schools are just pissing in the wind when well-intentioned policy thinks – schools are the answer. But each “new initiative” lands atop existing duties (that never go away), often without commensurate staffing, resource or time. The implicit message “if other services can’t meet demand, schools must” is unsustainable and risks diluting educational purposes. More importantly, we fail to address the root causes. Schools cannot solve society’s ills; and be made to feel accountable for failing – it will destroy an already fragile sector. 

The DSL Dilemma: Can You Be Required to Attend a Meeting During Holiday? 

This holiday I have been asked to attend a meeting on the 30th of December. When I declined as I was away, I got a sharp response saying what my responsibilities were… Safeguarding is statutory.  The email from CSC made me feel like I was a monster for not being there.

How duties are fulfilled must still align with employment law and your contract. Annual leave rights must still apply. We are legally entitled to paid annual leave under the Working Time Regulations. Safeguarding urgency does not automatically nullify leave unless your contract explicitly provides for recall with appropriate compensation (time off in lieu or pay). By shaming me in to attending we normalise even longer hours and make this job feel even harder than it already is. Attitudes like this under a Labour government are even harder to understand.

What KCSIE says about DSL availability 

KCSIE is clear about term‑time availability: the DSL (or deputy) should always be available during school hours; schools define what “available” means (including remote in exceptional circumstances). It implies systems for cover, but it does not create a blanket requirement to break booked holidays. This comes down to local policies and contracts and in my experience these decision have been made without headteachers/ DSL signing a contract to do this.

Why Clarity Matters: Boundaries Protect Children and Staff 

Invoking safeguarding as a blanket justification for breaching leave or piling on initiatives within existing hours erodes trust and fuels burnout, particularly for DSLs and leaders, ultimately, I believe, weakening safeguarding. Healthy systems have clear boundaries, robust cover, and resourcing that matches responsibilities: 

  • Educational purpose first. Statute centres schools on education; safeguarding is essential infrastructure, not a replacement for social services.  
  • Leave is a legal right. Rest is fundamental. Any recall must be contractual, necessary, and compensated. 
  • Accountability should rest at source. We know that many of the issue school are asked to address are created by lawful organisations that seem to have no accountability.

And no amount of school/ teacher shaming should change this. 

We all want safer, kinder communities. Schools are pivotal and often go the extra mile daily. But asking schools to be educators, social workers, therapists, police and public health officers without time, national curriculum review or staffing breeds failure by design. I feel we need to resist this silent role expansion; return to statute and contract, ensure that with extra responsibility sustainable capacity is built around schools. In truth, as a nation we need a debate about what we expect of our schools within the current structures because watering down our capacity to deliver learning whilst keeping the accountability so high is a recipe for weakening our amazing schools. We need a government who tackles the issues at source and empowers schools through investment and policy change that recognises the role they play, rather than finding additional ways to punish them for not doing 101 things. Because trust me, this year an Ofsted inspector will ask what you are doing to address Misogyny (rightly) whilst saying your progress for Pupil Premium or SEND children is not good enough.