Almost three-quarters of primary teachers feel under pressure to go to work when they are ill, a new survey shows.

And similar numbers regularly work overtime, with many saying that they sacrifice family or social commitments in order to make sure all their work is done.

The poll of 1,500 UK primary teachers shows that 76 per cent work beyond their agreed hours, with 48 per cent regularly working more than one extra hour a day. One in 10 admitted to working three or more hours of unpaid overtime every day.

These working hours meant inevitable sacrifice. Four in 10 primary teachers – 42 per cent – go into school to work during the holidays, the survey by recruitment consultancy Randstad shows. Sixteen per cent regularly work at weekends and 72 per cent said that they feel under pressure to go into work, even when they are feeling unwell.

Paying the price

Mary Bousted, general secretary of the ATL teaching union, was unsurprised by the findings. “Teachers always feel under pressure to get into work,” she said. “They want the children to keep learning. They want to keep routines established.

“Also, they know that pupils rely on them, especially vulnerable pupils. Schools might be one of the few places where these pupils have security and stability.

“But teachers pay the price when they stop – you often find that you get to the end of the half-term and then you collapse.”

The survey of teachers also shows that 52 per cent of teachers regularly sacrifice family and social commitments because of excessive workload.

But it suggests that 90 per cent of primary teachers find their work fulfilling.

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