High school leaders feel 'exhausted, helpless, and frustrated'

The Herald Scotland

2 days ago

SLS carried out a survey of members during March and April 2025 which gathered more than 300 responses covering all 32 council areas in Scotland, as well as the private sector. 80 percent of respondents were either headteachers or deputes in secondary schools.
Asked to outline the things they like most about their job, SLS members highlighted the opportunity to work with young people and see them 'grow and develop' during their time at school. They also talked about the importance of teamwork, their impact on local communities, and the 'privilege' of being able to make a difference to people's lives.
However, the responses also highlights the enormous and increasing pressures faced by secondary school leaders.
Participants in the survey reported an average working week of more than 53 hours, with some reporting having to work between 70 and 80 hours in a week. The SLS says that these responses show 'the vast majority of school leaders individuals consistently work well beyond' the limits of their contracts.
The survey also gathered more information on the detail of a working week. On average, leaders said that they spent nearly five and a half hours provided one-to-one support for pupils removed from class, and more than two hours providing unplanned cover for absent teachers. In total, this additional work therefore takes up one entire school day each week.
The SLS data also shows that nearly 90 percent of school leaders find themselves unable to take even a single uninterrupted break of at least twenty minutes.
Responses also highlighted a wide range of problems and concerns, including a lack of business managers in some areas, the use of centralised recruitment systems by certain councils, the impact of cuts to council support teams, and the provision of 'inadequate' financial tools.
SLS General Secretary Graham Hutton discussed the survey results with education specialist James McEnaney (Image: Robert Perry)
Staff also expressed 'frustration' over the 'relentless' scrutiny of school by local authorities and national inspectors, drawing particular attention to the bureaucratic burden of data collection and reporting.
Asked what would make their role more manageable, by far the most common response was 'proper support for inclusion and/or adequate ASN provision.'
As a result of the increasing pressures being experienced by school leaders, 61% of those surveyed said that have considered leaving the profession early. Schools Leaders Scotland describe this as a 'depressing statistic' which shows 'how unhappy school leaders are in their posts.'
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School Leaders Scotland argues that its members need more realistic workload demands, more support for working with distressed pupils and those with additional support needs, and more realistic parental expectations.
General Secretary Graham Hutton said: 'The pressure of managing schools amid budget cuts, staffing shortages, and unrealistic expectations has made the role increasingly difficult. Work-life balance is severely impacted, with many struggling to maintain their health and family relationships while working excessive hours. Local authority and national bureaucracy, administrative burdens, and a lack of effective support from many partner agencies and local authorities have undoubtedly exacerbated frustrations. Many school leaders feel trapped in a system that demands more while providing fewer resources, often leading to exhaustion and a feeling of helplessness and frustration.
'Smaller faculties, reduced class sizes, and greater autonomy for Head Teachers could improve efficiency and reduce workload. The need for uninterrupted time, trained support staff, and structured reliable administrative processes which deliver for leaders, would ease the managerial and leadership burdens. Some staff would even prefer more protected time over additional salary increases.
'School leaders overwhelmingly feel their wellbeing is overlooked, with unrealistic expectations and inadequate support systems in place. While individual resilience strategies and strong peer networks offer some relief, the profession remains fundamentally unsustainable without structural reform. Leaders urgently call for realistic workloads, better wellbeing resources, and improved recognition of the challenges they face.'
A spokesperson said that the Scottish Government 'recognises and appreciates the hard work of our teachers.'
They continued: 'Our determination to support them means that Scottish classroom teachers, on the main-grade scale, are the best paid in the UK.
'We are clear that reducing class contact time will help address critical concerns around teacher workload, thereby creating the space to drive improvement and reform in our schools and improve outcomes for pupils. We are working with unions and COSLA to agree our approach to reducing class contact time.
'We are also providing local authorities with an additional £186.5 million to restore teacher numbers, alongside an additional £29 million to support the recruitment and retention of the ASN workforce.'
COSLA, which represents Scotland's councils, has also been approached for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.