Almost nine in 10 secondary school teachers are developing their own curriculum resources for lesson planning, according to a new Department for Education survey.
The survey also found that just 13 per cent of secondary school teachers used Oak National Academy resources, and this figure was even lower among primary and special-school teachers, at 11 per cent.
When the government launched Oak National Academy as an arm’s-length body, the education secretary at the time, Nadhim Zahawi, said it would stop teachers from having to “reinvent the wheel” and help them to “save time”.
But data published today, in the DfE’s School and college voice: September 2024 survey, shows the proportion of teachers who said they have developed their own resources is almost seven times higher than those saying they used Oak National Academy.
The survey asked more than 5,000 teachers and leaders which resources they had used to develop their planning in the 2023-24 academic year.
Teachers creating lesson resources
The most common answer provided by secondary and special-school teachers was “curriculum resources that teachers had developed personally”. This was the case for 88 per cent of secondary school teachers responding, 84 per cent of special-school respondents and 74 per cent of primary school teachers.
The most common response among primary school teachers was using curriculum resources “paid for by your school, trust or teachers”, which was chosen by 88 per cent of respondents.
Another response that featured prominently in the survey was curriculum resources “developed by your school, trust or other teachers in the school”. This was the case for 73 per cent of teachers in secondary, 67 per cent of teachers in primary and 60 per cent of teachers in special schools.
More than two-thirds of teachers also indicated that they use other free online resources. This was the case for 66 per cent of secondary school teachers and 69 per cent of primary and special-school teachers.
Oak National Academy was initially set up during the Covid pandemic to provide online lessons and resources during lockdown. It was funded by the DfE with £43 million over three years when it was relaunched as an arm’s-length body.
An Oak National Academy spokesperson said the survey was carried out before it released its full curriculum packages.
They added: ”We have since released new teacher-created resources. Up to date data shows that usage is rising by 200 per cent year on year and more than one in three teachers now use Oak content.
“Five years of independent evaluations have also shown that our resources are having a tangible positive impact on teachers’ working lives. The most recent research found that Oak users work almost five fewer hours a week, with nearly 75 per cent reporting that our resources have a positive impact on their workload. ”
Prior to the pandemic, the government at the time had also launched a multi-million-pound fund to make it easier for teachers to find high-quality lesson plans and resources, and cut unnecessary workload.
The survey responses, published today, also include questions to school teachers and leaders about barriers to meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD).
Almost every primary school leader responding - 95 per cent - said the biggest barrier in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND or LDD was a lack of funding.
This was also highlighted by 86 per cent of secondary school leaders and 76 per cent from special schools.
The next most common barrier cited in mainstream schools was that staff are supporting a large number of pupils with differing needs. This was highlighted by 82 per cent of primary and 73 per cent of secondary school teachers.
Another barrier highlighted by the majority of responses in all phases was a lack of access to external specialist services or professionals. This was highlighted by 79 per cent of leaders in both primary and secondary schools and by 59 per cent of leaders in special schools.
The most common barrier noted by teachers in both mainstream and special schools was not having enough available staff - for example, teaching assistants. This was the case for 85 per cent of primary school respondents, 72 per cent of secondary school teachers and 63 per cent of special-school teachers.
The second most common response was not having enough time, which was highlighted by 64 per cent of primary school teachers, 67 per cent of secondary school teachers and 49 per cent of respondents in special schools.
Teachers also warned that class sizes were too big. This was noted by 65 per cent of teachers in secondary school, 46 per cent of primary school teachers and 31 per cent of special school teachers.
The DfE has made improving inclusion for pupils with SEND in mainstream schools a policy priority. It has appointed the multi-academy trust chief executive Tom Rees as its inclusion adviser and announced £740 million towards creating more specialist places - with a focus on creating these within mainstream schools.
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