NATIONAL UNION of TEACHERS

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE REPORT

December 2009

• The results of the SATs indicative ballot are now in with members supporting the idea of direct action to end SATs. I’m sure colleagues will have seen the press reports this week. It is pleasing to note that NAHT members also indicated a willingness to end SATs – we will not be alone. The breakdown of individual Division results is with Regional Office or me. Headlines – On a 25% return 95% of members involved with SATs believe they should go, 76% were prepared to take some kind of direct action. Support for this from our Leadership members, including Headteachers, was higher on a 35% return. On the back of these results and recent Government announcements about SATs the National Executive agreed a strategy for the next stages in the campaign. The full text of this is available on HEARTH, but includes a commitment to a joint campaign with the NAHT, support for members were APP is implemented without consultation and a ballot to ‘frustrate the administration of KS2 SATs in 2010 if necessary’. 30.000 members have signed the Anti-SATS petition.
• The pre-budget report had few surprises – we all knew that public service workers would end up paying for the greed of bankers! The Government is ‘seeking’ to cap our pay to 1% for 3 years from 2011. Inflation is likely to be higher than this, so this will mean pay cuts! It will be interesting to see exactly how ‘independent’ our pay award body is! Our pensions will also be under threat.
• The STRB has received written evidence for this round of consultation and will take oral evidence in the new year. The NUT remains concerned about SEN allowances for teachers in PRUs and mainstream establishments. Members of RIG are also raising concerns about the rising number of Assistant Headship roles in schools, the NUT shares some of these concerns, but this may be ‘using a sledgehammer to crack a nut’. It appears the NAHT did not agree with their partners in RIG and put their own evidence to the STRB. Rumours indicate that as a result the NAHT has been suspended from RIG! Who could do this and how remains cloudy to say the least.
• Rising concern about new Threshold process where application is dependant on two Performance Management cycles as sole evidence. Does this mean the 2 cycles must reflect all Threshold criteria? The NUT will be updating advice.
• Child Protection – despite 5 years in preparation the Government is still no clearer on the ‘Vetting & Barring’ system due to be implemented in July 2010. The NUT will be circulating advice, but at present the ground shifts on this on a daily basis. Indeed today (Sunday) E Balls has announced a ‘watered down’ system, but still no real details. There will be an article in the Teacher in the new year. It is clear that fewer people will have to register, but teachers will have to. The NUT has major concerns about the ‘barring’ system with no right of representation or appeal! It may be the GTC will take on the role.
• Huge rise in case work being reported focusing on issues to do with ‘Rarely Cover’ and the no detriment clause and the new OFSTED framework. The NUT has received over 200 OFSTED ‘Horror’ stories – we need to get this sort of thing out into public view, we need to show how ridiculous this has got. Don’t be frightened we need to go public.
• Over 16.000 postcards have been received opposing the ‘licence to teach’ programme.

Michael Gove, Conservative Education Spokesperson, addressed the National Executive during this cycle and took questions. Clearly we have our differences, but there are some issues we can agree on. The Lib-Dem spokesperson is due to meet us in February, but Labour have yet to respond to our invite.

Colleagues are reminded that the next national elections are due in the new year – this time for the Deputy General Secretary. I am pleased that most of the Divisions in this area have supported the nomination of Martin Reed for this important post and hope you will do all you can to both encourage our members to engage with this election and support Martin.

A

MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND A

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Dave Lyons (National Executive Member)

Tel: 01538371320  Email: lyons265@btinternet.com

NATIONAL UNION of TEACHERS

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE REPORT

November 2009

Colleagues will be aware that ballot papers are now with members for both National Elections and the Anti-SATs campaign. Please do everything you can to encourage members to engage with this.

Much of this cycle of the National Executive was taken up with preparing Conference motions; these will be submitted to Associations/Divisions as part of the prioritising process. In addition this cycle coincided with the Youth Proms of which the NUT is a major sponsor. I attended this event along with other members of the National Executive, this was a superb evening. The young people who performed were talented and enthusiastic; it is a pity that this positive side of young people is not given a higher profile.

The STRB have been given their remit from Government for this year. This does not include pay – this has been decided – 2.3% in both 2009 to 2010 and 2010 to 2011. Their remit includes further work on SEN payments and criteria for ‘Leadership’ posts; it appears this latter job came as a surprise to the STRB itself! The NUT has always expressed concerns that the introduction of TLRs and Assistant Head posts would mean a reduction in responsibility posts, including Deputy Head especially in the Primary sector. The NUT will be looking for a more than a ‘sticking plaster’ remedy. SEN payments appear secure in specialist settings, including PRUs after NUT pressure, but these payments are under threat in other settings. The NUT believes payment must remain at least at the minimum currently guaranteed and that any change in criteria for payment must be transparent. The NUT has also completed research on teacher’s attitude to the Advanced Skills Teacher positions; these continue to be resented and given the very small numbers that have been created the NUT will argue that they should come out of the basic Pay & Conditions so as not to indicate an artificial and unrealistic top salary for teachers.

The NUT has also responded to a letter from Sir Roger Singleton who appears to have been asked by Government to review his own findings on Child Protection. The ‘Vetting & Barring’ scheme suggested has received a lot of ridicule in the press. NUT concerns include the criteria of ‘frequent & intensive’ contact with children and the self-financing of the scheme (£64); both seem designed to put off volunteers. For teachers this seems duplication of safeguarding legislation that is already in place. The lack of appeal procedure is also very worrying, it appears no personal submissions will be accepted during the barring process and appeals will only be taken by letter on matters of fact or law; there can be no appeal against the judgment itself! The NUT has also responded to the Independent Safeguarding Authority on these matters and has raised the issue of the retention of ‘soft’ information, that is unproven accusations and similar that can be held on record to the detriment of a teachers career. A recent Government Select Committee response to allegations against teachers was helpful, the NUT gave direct evidence to this, but the full Government response has been watered down. An explanation of these matters will appear in the next issue of Teacher.

Divisions may be involved in discussion with LAs about the requirements of the Climate Change Act which came in force in December 2008. Schools do have binding emission targets for 2012. Is anyone ready? The DCSF consultation on this ends on 20/11/09 and focuses on transport to and from schools and the impact on building projects.

After balloting all relevant members the pay award for 6^th Form College teachers has been accepted – 2 to 1 in favour. ATL have also agreed and the NAS should report in favour in the near future. This is a phased 2.3% increase.

Once again the National Executive was ‘entertained’ by stories of weird judgements by OFSTED using the new framework, but this is no laughing matter. If you have horror stories to tell please let HQ know. The NUT is hoping to get evidence to ridicule this new framework and show it up for what it is – a farce. Does the Government really want to go into the next election with all of its schools in one failing category or another?

The Secretary of State has agreed in principle to discuss issues with the NUT – a slight opening of the door that has been firmly shut for a long time – our priorities for discussion will be Safeguarding proposals and OFSTED. Although no meetings have been scheduled there is hope that we may also have access to senior civil servants to discuss alternative assessment arrangements – alternatives to SATs!

There have been 10.000+ postcard responses to the ‘License to Teach’ scheme. These postcards were in the last Teacher – if you have not sent yours back please do so and encourage all members to do the same. Our argument is that this scheme is neither desirable nor feasible.

Date for Diary – 5/12/09 – Climate Change Demo – London

Next copy of Teacher will also contain a summery of the Cambridge Review of Primary Education.

Dave Lyons (National Executive Member)

Tel: 01538371320  Email: lyons265@btinternet.com

NATIONAL UNION of TEACHERS

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE REPORT

October 2009

Colleagues will be aware of the action our members are taking in Tamworth to stop the creation of an Academy system in the town. The most recent has been a protest in front of Landau Forte offices in London on 16/9/09, as very successful day. The fight continues so please give our members all the support you can.

• All will be aware that the NUT plans to continue the Anti-SATs campaign with an indicative ballot of all relevant members this term. The date and wording of this ballot has been agreed, a formal announcement will be published this week. Please ensure that all members in your area know about this ballot and have their say. The result of the indicative ballot will determine how the campaign develops. It is true that this timetable is not the one preferred by the NUT who would have wished for a real ballot this term, but it is vital that this campaign remains a joint one. Advice on preparation for and administration of SATs given this timetable will be distributed. 13.632 people have signed the anti-SATs petition already, but there is time for more people to do so – you can sign on line. Please encourage members to join in.
• The National Executive is keen to monitor the implementation of ‘Rarely Cover’; abuses are already coming to light. Please let Hamilton house know of any issues. It is hoped to produce ‘question and answer’ advice as soon as possible.
• Issues are also coming to light regarding 1 to 1 Tuition, relating to who can get paid and when! The NUT will produce and distribute advice to members and officers before half term.
• DCSF have published their most recent Teacher Workload Survey – surprise, surprise almost all categories of teachers are working longer hours than they did a year ago and where they are not the drop is insignificant. 3 cheers for the Workload Agreement!
• There is no doubt that whoever is in Government this time next year our pensions will be at risk. This is a future battle, but the case is not helped by inaccurate and ‘scar-mongering’ stories as seen in a recent TES, an appalling article and editorial that was littered with mistakes and inaccuracies. Watch out for the formal NUT response in the current TES, an effort to set this matter straight.
• Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the next Division Secretaries briefing due to College commitments, but I have seen the agenda. A lot of vital issues will be discussed and I hope local Division Secretaries are planning to attend.
• An IT issue, (which means I probably got the wrong end of the stick – sorry), Office 2007 is being used more and more, if you only have Office 2003 you won’t be able to open files so you need to down load free capability programmes. If you need further advice on this I’m afraid I shouldn’t be your first port of call.
• You will be aware that we are about to enter a prolonged period of National Officer elections, as local officers please do all you can to encourage our members to engage with the process and Use Their Vote!
• The new OFSTED framework has begun and already the NUT is hearing horror stories, please let Hamilton House know of any problems in the area. The more firm evidence the NUT can get the better case it can make at national level.

Dave Lyons (National Executive Member)

Tel: 01538371320  Email: lyons265@btinternet.com

July 2009.

Colleagues will be aware of the action our members are taking in Tamworth to stop the creation of an Academy system in the town. It is now clear that the new Conservative Council after a very speedy ‘review’ intends to implement these plans unchanged. Tamworth teachers from all unions will continue the fight into the new academic year; further joint strike action is planned most likely on September 16^th. Please give our members all the support you can.

• The Government has finally agreed to implement the STRB recommendation on teachers pay – 2.3% from Sept 09. It is likely that a further 2.3% will be agreed from 2010, but this will have to be confirmed after the next general election! Copies of the new Pay & Conditions Book will be circulated to all Division Secretaries as soon as possible – do read the section on Leadership pay! This document also redefines cover – just in time for Rarely Cover – cover is now not when the class teacher is absent, but when the timetabled teacher is absent – watch out how this might be used to undermine rarely cover and increase teacher’s workloads.
• The NUT continues to be committed to an anti- SATs ballot in the Autumn Term, this is joint with the NAHT so we need to be aware that timing and similar are not only dependant on our needs.
• Much recent concern regarding workload of local officers and as a result of this the NUT has set in place a major review of local officer workloads. You will be contacted by email ‘warning’ you that you will receive a phone call – if you are selected to join in please do so – this urgent issue must be addressed!
• The final draft GTC Code of Conduct has been published for consultation. Not as bad as it might have been, but be aware schools may now refer teachers to the GTC as well as Local Authorities. NUT delegates to the GTC did NOT vote in favour of the code.
• The change in regulations relating to Threshold applications is making the application form less relevant and Performance Management more important. Members should be advised to consider their applications from when they are on M4, not leave it until M6. Less than 50% of teachers who can apply in fact do! The NUT is going to press that Threshold progress is done on the same grounds as MPG and UPS progress.
• The NUT has responded to the Select Committees request for information on Child Protection, an issue much in the news of late. The NUT seeks a balance between the protection of the child and the protection of teachers from unfounded allegations. It is clearly the case that on too many occasions teachers have been suspended due to schools taking panic measures with no real evidence to back up claims of wrongdoing. A further serious issue is how long authorities hang on to unproven allegations and who they share them with.
• Some colleagues will be tackling the mysteries of ‘One to One Tuition’ this summer. This grant has been rushed in with good intent, but little thought on how it can be implemented. It is very confused at present, but do ensure that it does not increase member’s workload. NUT advice will follow ASAP.
• A possible change in the near future will be the requirement on GPs to write ‘Fit’ notes instead of ‘Sick’ notes. These ‘Fit’ notes will outline the work you can do. The NUT is pushing for occupational health to always be involved in the case of teachers. The consultation period ends in August.
• During this cycle of meetings the National Executive attended a seminar on the current economic and political problems led by Newsnight economist Paul; Mason – this was excellent, if way above my head at times. I have a copy of his book if anyone wants to borrow it?
• A company called SYNARBOR are using NUT logo and information illegally – a strongly worded letter has been sent, but if you come across their material or similar, please let HQ know.
• Please note that due to College commitments I will not be able to attend the September cycle of the National Executive – this deals mainly with TUC Conference issues. My next report will be in October.

• Have a great summer break!

Dave Lyons (National Executive Member)

Tel: 01538371320  Email: lyons265@btinternet.com

June 2009.

Colleagues will be aware of the ongoing Anti – Academy action in the Tamworth area, can I encourage all members to offer as much support as possible for this action. The strike action itself has been suspended as a national delegation will be meeting with the new Council leaders on Wednesday 1/7/09, the outcome of this meeting will decide the strategy for the Autumn Term. We have had excellent press coverage of our action – congratulations to Rob at Regional Office for his work on this.

Material to build a successful SATs campaign have been widely circulated, there will need to be a big push in the Autumn Term to encourage our members to join this campaign. Did you get too little material or too much? Please let me or HQ know the sort of amount you need in your area and then we can be more accurate. The timetable for the ballot is likely to be late in the Autumn Term, this is not perfect, but remember we want this to be a genuinely joint campaign.

Reports of casework regarding Early Years teachers’ workload are patchy. The current requirement to offer parents and children more hours teaching per day should not require our members to teach more or to lose their lunchtimes. This extra teaching should not just be dumped on existing teachers – there is funding to pay for the extra time. Please let HQ know if this becomes a problem in your area.

Some national concern that the use of APP is being forced on teachers and thus impacting on their workload. APP is voluntary and should only be introduced after proper consultation with the staff who will deliver.

There is also some evidence that PT and Job share requests are being rejected more often, this may be a product of more requests? Does anyone have any evidence?

Data shows that progress onto and up the Upper Pay Scale is low and getting lower – does anyone have any direct evidence of this in our areas?

 Despite 5 years warnings of this ‘rarely cover’ seems to be causing major problems nationally. There is plenty of evidence that ‘Leave of Absence’ is being encroached on with discretionary areas very vulnerable. It is important that Officers and members know what the local agreements are. The NUT has circulated comprehensive guidelines on this to members and Division Secretaries briefings will focus on this. There is also much concern that Facilities time is under threat all over the country. A combination of the economic climate, new Councils and the pressure of Rarely Cover. Please let HQ know of local Facilities Agreements.

Colleagues will be aware that the Secretary of State has still not confirmed the Teacher Pay award of 2.3%. This is rather concerning and may mean that few teachers will see any rise in their take home pay in Sept. The 2^nd report of the STRB dealing with Leadership, SEN and etc is also still on his desk! The NUT has been denied a place on the SEN Working Party that the STRB instructed the Government to set up. Only the Social Partners will be involved, this may indicate a deal has already been done and that SEN points will be cut!

Annual Conference data shows that approximately 75% of delegate places are taken up, we do quite well in our areas, but how can we encourage more members to attend, especially form minority groups? Any thoughts?

The GTC has missed a chance, it has published a Code of Conduct, but this does not explicitly ban teachers from membership of the BNP. Why not? Can I encourage all members to go onto the GTC website, look and comment on the suggested Code of Conduct.

Dave Lyons (National Executive Member)

Tel: 01538371320  Email: lyons265@btinternet.com

NATIONAL UNION of TEACHERS

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE REPORT

May 2009.

The National Executive congratulated Christine Blower on her appointment to General Secretary. Colleagues will be aware that the Union faces a series of national elections over the next term or so. I am happy to discuss these elections with any member and on a personal note would welcome the opportunity to continue as the National Executive Member for this area. I feel privileged to hold this post and will gladly accept nomination for a further term.

Colleagues will be aware of the strike action taken in schools in Tamworth against plans to set up Academies. This joint action with NAS/UWT got excellent press coverage – a very successful day. Our National President, Martin Reed, spoke at the joint rally emphasising the support local members can expect from the national union when they fight attacks on state education. Further action is planned.

Colleagues will also be aware of the huge concern that in the current climate of distrust for our elected politicians the BNP and similar organisations may prosper. This is a scenario that all of us must fear. Any attempts to halt the growth of these racist and fascist organisations must be supported. To that end I draw your attention once again to the Love Music Hate Racism event at the Britannia Stadium, Stoke on 30th May. Have you got your tickets yet?

The NUT continues to wait for the Government to publish the two reports from the STRB, although it is likely that the pay award from Sept 09 will remain at 2.3%.

The NUT is aware that RIG guidance on the ‘Rarely Cover’ regulations has been circulated. Of major concern is their attempts to tighten up on teachers’ Leave of Absence – this advice may worsen locally agreed policies on Leave of Absence and Division Secretaries must be vigilant. The issue of ‘Gained Time’ and the re-timetabling of staff during the academic year may also prove problematic. The NUT plans to circulate detailed advice in the next week or so, this will include a simple ‘checklist’ for School Representatives. Specific advice for Headteacher members will be circulated in June. (Electronic version in early June followed by more detailed hard copy in late June)

The National Union is also aware of the major problems faced by our Early Years colleagues, where pressure to instigate the 15 hour entitlement is resulting in them having their contact time increased. There are other ways to put this entitlement in place and money to fund it. Any Early Years member who is facing increase in their work load must contact their Division for advice as a matter of urgency. The NUT will be circulating detailed advice in June.

The NUT and NAHT are working closely together to produce material for the Anti-SATs ballot. Divisions are encouraged to make contact with their local NAHT to plan area and Regional events to support this campaign. The ballot will be of Primary colleagues and Middle schools where Y6 pupils and younger are taught, the ballot is likely to take place in the 2^nd half of the Autumn Term. The ballot will be carefully worded to ensure no legal challenge is possible. A recent straw pole NUT survey of teachers affected by this ballot showed a good level of support for action. Joint NUT and NAHT material will go out encouraging schools not to begin preparing for SATs in light of the probable action.

Dave Lyons (National Executive Member)

Tel: 01538371320  Email: lyons265@btinternet.com