Ms Morris has put �4m into the scheme

"Theory is all very well, but putting things into practice is the best way of finding out whether things will be effective."

Head of Philip Morant School and College Russell Moon said staff were delighted to have been chosen and looked forward to working with the other schools.

"I'm positive that we can, over the next year, find some ways of moving forward in the profession.

"I am looking forward to meeting the project team and the other head teachers in London later this month when we will hear more about the resources and support that will be offered to schools taking part," said Mr Moon.

General secretary of the NASUWT Eamonn O'Kane said he welcomed the initiative as part of the continuing discussions between the teacher organisations and the government to reduce teacher workload.

"In order to ensure that this pilot produces worthwhile results, it will be important to involve all the teacher and support staff unions in the schools in early and meaningful consultation, in line with guidance produced by the TUC."

Marking time

Mr O'Kane said he hoped schools would pilot ways of putting limitations on the time teachers were expected to teach and of specifically allocating time for marking and preparation.

The government has shown itself only willing to consider its own ideas rather than being open to solutions from those who understand the needs of teachers

Doug McAvoy, NUT

But Doug McAvoy, NUT General Secretary, said the government had missed a chance to examine the ways in which teacher workload could be reduced.

"It has prevented the 32 schools in this pilot from testing the proposals of the teacher unions and the employers to limit the teaching load and the working week as a means of reducing the burden on teachers," said Mr McAvoy.

"Yet again, the government has shown itself only willing to consider its own ideas rather than being open to solutions from those who understand the needs of teachers.�

"It should have been prepared to pilot the proposals, which are supported by the employers, of a limit to the teaching week and a limit to the teachers� working week."

Launchpad pilot schools

Abbey Hill School, Stockton-on-Tees; Albany School, Enfield; Bishops Castle Primary School, Shropshire; Bovingdon Primary School, Hertfordshire; Bramford Primary School, Dudley; Brunswick House Primary School, Kent; Burlington Danes CofE School, Hammersmith and Fulham; Campion Catholic High School, Liverpool; Cirencester Deer Park School, Gloucestershire; Compton All Saints CofE Primary School, Hampshire; Corsham Primary School, Wiltshire; David Lister School, Kingston upon Hull; Dunraven School, Lambeth; Etone Community School, Warwickshire; Forest Hall Primary School, North Tyneside; Grinling Gibbons Primary School, Lewisham; Hope CofE Primary School, Shropshire; Horton Lodge School, Staffordshire; Hoylandswaine Primary School, Barnsley; Icknield College, Oxfordshire; Langley Junior School, Plymouth; Lydbury North CofE Primary School, Shropshire; Marlborough Road Primary School, Salford; Montagu School, Northamptonshire; Newcastle CofE Primary School, Shropshire; Newton Farm Nursery, First and Middle School, Harrow; Philip Morant School and College, Essex; Phoenix School, Tower Hamlets; Prince Albert Junior and Infant School, Birmingham; St Anthony's School, West Sussex; the Radclyffe School, Oldham and the Winston Churchill School, Surrey.

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