Action Short of Strike (ASOS)
Know the instructions. Stand together.
A brief summary of the NITC Action Short of Strike working practices, with the poster for School Representatives to print and display.
Industrial action, including Action Short of Strike, begins at 00.01am on Monday 28 September 2026. The instructions ask members to work in line with the recommendations of the Minister's Independent Review Panel on Teacher Workload, and to stop giving unpaid, goodwill labour where the Panel has said that work should be properly planned, resourced and given time.
In practice, this means members only take on work that has been workload assessed, agreed with the recognised trade unions and allocated within their Directed Time Budget. Statutory, safeguarding and child-protection requirements remain unaffected.
At a Glance
Key points from NITC Bulletins 1a–1d. Please refer to the poster for the full instructions.
Workload, Meetings & Communication
- No new policies or initiatives, including TransformED, without a workload assessment and union agreement
- Only undertake tasks included in your Directed Time Budget, and keep PPA time protected
- One meeting of up to an hour per term outside the pupil day, with an agenda 48 hours in advance
- No emails, calls or messages outside Directed Time
Cover, Monitoring & Assessment
- No cover beyond contractual requirements
- Classroom observation limited to PRSD (one hour a year, two visits maximum), so no learning walks or drop-ins
- No book or work scrutiny, and no submitting of lesson plans to SMT
- No more than two whole-school assessment exercises a year
School Leaders & Promoted Posts
- Allowance duties only where Directed Time has been allocated
- One Board of Governors' meeting per term, held during the school day
- No non-statutory or duplicated returns to employing authorities or DE
- Principals and VPs not to act as clerk or minute-taker for the Board
Standing Together
- Do not take on work withdrawn by colleagues or by members of another teaching union
- Work not done during the action will not build up for later
- Report any attempt to get around the instructions to your School Rep
- If you are unsure, seek advice from the union first
ASOS Rep Poster
For School Representatives to print and display on the union noticeboard
ASOS Working Practices Poster
School Representatives: please print and display on your UNION noticeboard.