A teacher workload planning template helps school leaders see the total demand placed on teachers rather than judging workload only by teaching periods. Planning, assessment, meetings, duties, parent communication, reporting and additional roles can create hidden overload even when the timetable appears manageable.
Teacher workload map
| Responsibility | Frequency | Estimated time | Fixed / flexible | Can delegate? | Peak period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teaching periods | |||||
| Lesson planning | |||||
| Assessment / marking | |||||
| Student support | |||||
| Parent communication | |||||
| Meetings / collaboration | |||||
| Duties / clubs | |||||
| Documentation / reporting | |||||
| Professional learning |
Workload review questions
- Are non-teaching duties distributed fairly?
- Are meeting frequency and duration justified?
- Are teachers entering the same information in more than one place?
- Do marking expectations produce enough learning value to justify the time?
- Are assessment and reporting peaks coordinated across grades and subjects?
- Can routine administrative work be automated, delegated or removed?
- Is protected planning and collaboration time sufficient?
- Are teachers with additional responsibilities given corresponding workload adjustment?
Use workload evidence for system design
The purpose is not to count every minute. It is to identify avoidable workload and redesign systems that consume teacher time without improving student learning. Use this alongside the Teacher Development Needs Diagnostic and the Teacher Induction Checklist.
Free editable Word version: download and adapt the Teacher Workload Planning Template for your school.
Download Teacher Workload Planning Template (.docx)
Free for professional and school use with attribution. Please link to this page rather than redistributing the file from another website.
Explore more free education resources and subscribe to the Education Leadership Newsletter.