Staff sickness reportedly led to over 3.2 million working days being lost nationally last year, a figure 61 per cent higher than it was five years earlier, with stress and overwork blamed on the surge.
In the 2021/22 academic year, a total of 1,914 teachers took sick absence leave across Wigan and accumulated 14,018 working days lost – at an average of 4.9 days taken in sickness absence by all teachers, the lowest in the North West region.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the teachers’ union the NASUWT, said: “The government has expected teachers simply to soldier on throughout the pandemic and now the cost of living crisis whilst more children are presenting with acute learning and support needs. The job of teaching is becoming impossible for teachers who are also finding themselves taking on the roles of counsellor, social worker and therapist to fill gaps left by cuts to children’s services.”
Here we reveal which schools in the Wigan borough had the highest average number of days taken in sickness absence by all teachers during the 2021/22 school year.
1. St David's Haigh and Aspull CE Primary School
All six teachers took time off work due to sickness, with an average of 17.6 days throughout the 2021/22 academic year. Photo: submit
2. Our Lady Immaculate RC Primary School, Bryn
71.4 per cent of the teachers at Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary were absent due to sickness totalling an average of 14.9 days prior to the school's closure last summer Photo: submit
3. Landgate School, Bryn
An average of 14.2 days were taken in sickness absence for staff at Landgate School Bryn by 72.2 per cent of teachers. Photo: Nick Fairhurst
4. Newbridge Learning Community, Platt Bridge
13 teachers in total contributed to 205.5 days of sickness absence, an average of 13.7 days in 2021/22 at Newbridge Learning Community. Photo: submit