A NEW survey has revealed how teachers in Bolton are stressed and struggling to cope with their workload.

The report by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) found some staff ready to quit their posts and others working 70 hours a week and feeling forced to choose between work and family.

The Bolton branch of the NUT carried out the survey to get a snapshot view of how teachers were coping with their workload as part of a national campaign calling on the government to implement measures to ease the burden on teachers.

Julia Simpkins, secretary of the Bolton-branch of the NUT, said: "I sent out an email to members and 35 responded in 24 hours, saying how awful the workload was, and that they were thinking of leaving the profession.

"They are not seeing their families, they are working from 7.30am in the morning, taking work home with them and working at least one day of the weekend."

She added: "Teachers have always worked long hours, I did when I first qualified because I was enthusiastic and excited about working, but that creativity in teaching and learning has been replaced by record keeping and paperwork."

Ms Simpkins said that action had to be taken to stop teachers quitting the professions.

One teacher said in the survey: " I'm relatively new to teaching. On average I work 60 to 70 hours a week across six days. During a week long half term break, I usually work two or three days out of the five we have off.

"What concerns me, is that I will be unable to sustain the current amount of working hours over a long period of time. I do not foresee how my partner and I will be able to start a family when my workload is at the current level. I genuinely think I will either need to make the decision to not have children or leave teaching if we decide to start a family."

Another told how they had left their post as a deputy headteacher to become a supply teacher, stating: "I felt I wasn't doing any job well — teaching, being a mother, being a wife and running a home.

"The worrying thing is that in every school I visit as a supply teacher at least one full time member of staff approaches me to see what it is like on supply as they are struggling with an excessive workload and feel under a great deal of stress

"The profession is losing good teachers and lots of those who stay in post are reluctant to go for promotion because that just adds to workload and stress levels for minimal remuneration."

Another stated: "As soon as I feel like I'm getting on top of things, something else is asked of me (and the rest of the teachers in the school). It never seems to end."

Ms Simpkins said new government measures will do little to reduce the burden.

She said: "Reading the comments are so upsetting, but the number of teachers leaving is the highest it has been in 10 years, newly qualified teachers are dropping out before they receive Qualified Teaching Status.

"The workload is affecting teachers across the board, the new to the ones who have been doing it for many years. We have schools where the headship has not been filled and the number will rise this September."

Ms Simpkins added: "Teachers are fully trained professional people and rather than checking up on them all the time, let them do the job they were trained to do, not the admin work."

The findings have been presented to Bolton's three MPs.

MP Julie Hilling said: “It was really useful to meet with members of Bolton NUT to discuss the ever increasing challenge of teacher workloads in our local community. Teachers do a wonderful job in equipping future generations with the skills they need to progress.

"I am concerned about the demands put onto teachers and particularly their workload in marking and preparing for lessons.

"Being a teacher is not a start at nine and finish at three job — our teachers work very long hours and show passion and commitment in doing that. I have already put down a House of Commons Education question on the issue of teacher workloads.

"I will certainly be using the case study of a typical day for a teacher, which a member of Bolton NUT kindly sent through to me, in order to highlight these concerns further and ensure the Government know about the strains teachers are under here in Bolton West.

"I will also be writing to the Education Secretary Nicky Morgan MP and Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt to ask their views on the issues raised by Bolton NUT.”