Today, representatives from school leaders' union NAHT Northern Ireland, met with colleagues from our sister teaching unions and the employing authorities to formally agree and ratify a deal that will end the current industrial dispute.

This agreement delivers a 5.5% pay uplift for teachers and school leaders and marks the beginning of a process to implement long-awaited workload improvements across the profession.

School leaders were consulted on the content of this offer in recent weeks and voted to accept it, securing a necessary pay uplift, a package of workstreams representing initial progress on a broader programme of workforce reform, and the establishment of an independent review of all workload, under the direct oversight of the minister of education’s office.

Paul Whiteman, NAHT's general secretary, said: “Members in Northern Ireland have demonstrated extraordinary patience and resilience as we exhausted every available avenue to achieve this result.

"We hope that the end of this difficult period of industrial unrest will usher in improved industrial relations and a period of stability, one in which the vital issue of workload for our members can finally be addressed.

"Our goal is to make the crucial role of school leadership not only manageable in the present but sustainable in the long term.”

Jackie Bartley, president of NAHT in Northern Ireland, said: "We’re pleased to have reached this stage and acknowledge the efforts of the department and the employing authorities.

"However, we do not view this as the conclusion of our campaign for better working conditions.

"It is essential that the next phase brings about meaningful and measurable improvements for school leaders, who continue to face unsustainable and harmful workload demands."

Dr Graham Gault, national secretary of NAHT Northern Ireland, said: “The significant intervention of Minister Givan was a key milestone in recent days.

"We greatly appreciate the minister’s concern for the workload challenges faced by both teachers and school leaders, and we look forward to working intensively with the Independent Review Panel.

"With the minister’s oversight, we aim to ensure that every aspect of workload is thoroughly assessed, so that we can reshape the working environment for school leadership, making the role not only possible, but truly effective for our children, schools and communities.”