NEU survey exposes unsustainable workloads, unpaid work & lack of professional support for school support staff

The 2026 NEU Support Staff Survey paints a troubling picture of a workforce that is too often denied the time, resources and recognition that would help them do their jobs most effectively. Over 4,500 respondents working in state schools and academies in England confirm that excessive workloads are widespread, that unpaid additional hours are commonplace, and that limited access to training and career progression persists. 

The findings show:

• Two thirds (66 per cent) work beyond their contracted hours. Of those, a majority (73 per cent) do so because of workload pressures.
• Just 14 per cent are consistently compensated for that work. 62 per cent receive no compensation at all.
• 83 per cent cannot reliably take a full lunch break.
• 49 per cent report they do not receive automatic annual pay progression.
• 43 per cent of teaching assistants are expected to regularly take on the work of a teacher despite being paid at a support staff rate.
• Just 26 per cent are satisfied that CPD provision meets their needs.

The findings raise serious questions about the sustainability of current working practices and the extent to which support staff are being expected to absorb growing demands without adequate time, resources or reward.

Workload and working conditions

When asked if their workload was manageable within current contractual hours, just 5 per cent of support staff workers responding to our survey said this was ‘always’ the case and a further third (33 per cent) believe it was the case ‘most of the time’. Of the rest, a combined majority told us it was either ‘never’ manageable (22 per cent) or manageable only ‘some of the time’ (40 per cent).

Respondents told us they ‘regularly’ work extra hours, and itemised how this manifests itself on a weekly basis:

Almost two thirds of respondents (62 per cent) told us they are not paid or otherwise compensated for these additional hours. 24 per cent are sometimes compensated, whereas only 14 per cent are regularly and consistently compensated for that work.

When asked why their workload went beyond contracted time, respondents gave the following answers to a multi-choice question:

These pressures are compounded by limited opportunities for rest during the working day. Just 17 per cent of respondents said they were always able to take a full lunch break, while only 14 per cent were entitled to and able to take a mid-morning and/or afternoon break.

The survey also raises concerns about basic employment practices and professional respect. Only 33 per cent said their job description accurately reflected their role, while 40 per cent said their job description had never been reviewed. Nearly half (48 per cent) reported that they did not receive an annual appraisal.

Responsibilities and defined boundaries

Today’s survey raises important questions about role boundaries, appropriate remuneration and the support available to staff undertaking substantial teaching responsibilities.

There is a clear disconnect between role and compensation. Among cover supervisors who are asked to undertake planning and marking (34 per cent of the total sample), some 44 per cent said they were not paid for this work. Of this same group, 73 per cent considered the work they undertake when acting as a cover supervisor to be identical to that performed by supply teachers.

The survey further found that 43 per cent of teaching assistants (TAs) were expected to teach on a regular basis, despite being paid at a support staff rate.

Pay progression is a clear area of concern. Around half (49 per cent, excluding Don’t Knows) said they do not receive automatic annual pay progression until they reach the top of their pay spine, raising questions about consistency and fairness in how support staff are rewarded for their work.

Support staff make an essential contribution to teaching and learning, but that contribution must not be used to justify the expansion of responsibilities without the corresponding pay, training, resources and professional recognition.

SEND/ALN Training

Around four fifths (79 per cent) of respondents told us they work with pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and additional learning needs (ALN). When asked what would help them in this work, 58 per cent of respondents called for more specific training, 51 per cent wanted more time to engage with students, and 36 per cent wanted greater support from colleagues, including teachers, senior leadership teams and SENCOs or ALNCOs.

These findings underline the importance of giving support staff the time, expertise and collaborative support they need to respond effectively to pupils’ individual needs. Staff cannot be expected to deliver increasingly complex support without access to appropriate professional development and sufficient time to build meaningful relationships with the children and young people they work with.

Professional Development

Despite the responsibilities support staff undertake, access to continuing professional development (CPD) remains limited. A third said they do not receive any regular CPD other than mandatory training (35 per cent). Just 26 per cent were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ that the CPD available to them met their professional needs.

The survey also reveals barriers to accessing training within paid working time.

Just under half of respondents (47 per cent) said they received CPD within their contracted hours, while others have to seek it out of hours and not always with recompense for the time spent. It is striking that one fifth (21 per cent) do not receive any form of CPD.

Without appropriate training, time and investment, support staff are being denied opportunities to develop their skills and progress professionally, while schools risk losing the experienced staff on whom pupils and teachers depend.

Commenting on the survey results, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:

This survey exposes a workforce being taken for granted and pushed beyond breaking point. Employers are relying on staff’s goodwill and professionalism to prop up a system under immense pressure, while denying them the pay, conditions and recognition they deserve. This is exploitation, not a sustainable workforce strategy. Support staff cannot be expected to subsidise the education system with their own time and health.

We need a sea-change in how support staff are treated. They deserve manageable workloads, fair pay, decent working conditions and the training and support required to deliver for young people.

Unity and strong workplace organisation are essential if school support staff are to secure the recognition, pay and working conditions they deserve. Across the country, we are supporting NEU members, both support staff and teachers, to stand together to protect jobs, tackle excessive workload and win better pay.