TEACHERS will be told to focus on basics such as literacy and numeracy in new classroom guidance.

Under the new list of "dos and don'ts" the Scottish Government wants school staff to avoid spending time on assessment that does not help to identify children’s next steps in learning.

And teachers have also been told to avoid undue pressure on pupils with too many assessments in different subjects at once.

The new statement on Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) for teachers follows a commitment made by Education Secretary John Swinney to reduce teacher workload.

He said: “One of the first things I wanted to do when I was appointed was to meet teachers face to face and hear what it is like to teach in Scotland and what pressures they face.

“During the last three months I have spoken to a number of classroom teachers and workload was one of the most common concerns raised.

"I cannot allow unnecessary bureaucracy, or over-complicated guidance, to prevent our teachers from making the most of the time they have to engage with our children and young people."

Mr Swinney said the new "definitive statement" would provide practical advice for teachers and set out "clearly and concisely" what was expected of them when planning and assessing children’s progress.

Teachers are currently taking industrial action in over workload and bureaucracy concerns following the introduction of CfE.

They argue the new curriculum was accompanied by numerous and conflicting advice from schools quango Education Scotland and exam body the Scottish Qualifications Authority.