THE MAGAZINE FROM ATL, THE EDUCATION UNION
WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
JUNE/JULY 2017 £2.50
INSIDE! Your 2017-18 academic year wall planner
The money issue
The funding crisis facing schools and the realities of performance-related pay
GUIDE
TOILET ROLES
Advice on toilet-related care for pupils
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AG E N DA
MARY BOUSTED
Funding, recruitment and retention, pay and workload all need action
FINAL WORD
REAL BEAUTY
Model Kelly Knox on encouraging positive body image in school
05/06/2017 14:45
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Contents 17
UPFRONT
4
UPDATE
ATL’s survey reveals high levels of hate crime, plus support staff gather for their sector conference
7 AGENDA
GUIDE
Fitting a healthier lunch into a busy lunchtime
30
FINAL WORD
Model Kelly Knox on having a positive body image
General secretary Mary Bousted explains the huge education challenges facing the new Government
9
WALES AND NORTHERN IRELAND
New Wales director Keith Bowen on additional learning needs in Wales, and Mark Langhammer on pay and workload in Northern Ireland Y O U R AT L F E AT U R E S
10
PERFORMANCE AND PAY
Report looks at your options in appealing decisions on performance-related pay
14
FUNDING
With school funding high on the pre-election agenda, ATL calls for immediate action
Report is the magazine from ATL, 7 Northumberland Street, London WC2N 5RD Tel 020 7930 6441 Fax 020 7930 1359 Email report@atl.org.uk or membership@atl.org.uk Website www.atl.org.uk Editors Alex Tomlin and Charlotte Tamvakis Report is produced and designed for ATL by Think Publishing, Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London NW1 5DH Tel 020 3771 7200 Email info@thinkpublishing.co.uk Sub-editor Justine Conway Art editor George Walker Designer Alix Thomazi Advertising sales Michael Coulsey or Anthony Bennett 020 3771 7200 Account director Kieran Paul Managing director Polly Arnold
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19-29
Use the USEFUL CONTACTS to get in touch; get expert LEGAL ADVICE on deductions from your salary; see ATL’s latest REPORT AND ACCOUNTS; get GUIDANCE on dealing with pupils’ toilet-related needs; read other MEMBERS’ VIEWS; complete the PRIZE CROSSWORD to win a £50 M&S voucher; get the latest union events and info in NOTICEBOARD; plus newsletters and CPD in RESOURCES
ATL accepts no liability for any insert, display or classified advertisement included in this publication. While every reasonable care is taken to ensure that all advertisers are reliable and reputable, ATL can give no assurance that they will fulfil their obligation under all circumstances. The views expressed in articles in Report are the contributors’ own and do not necessarily reflect ATL policy. Official policy
statements issued on behalf of ATL are indicated as such. All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of ATL.
Welcome SHELAGH HIRST, ATL NATIONAL PRESIDENT
As you read this issue of Report, everyone will be getting to grips with the result of the general election and wondering how it will impact the education sector; the students and the profession. At the same time, we are looking forward to the launch of the National Education Union (NEU) in September, when the education world will be watching us very closely. We have to start as we mean to go on – by campaigning for the issues that matter the most to our profession and by encouraging other members in our workplaces to do likewise. As you will be aware, funding for schools was a big pre-election issue and the NEU needs to continue to highlight what we, as a profession, feel is the answer. I recommend the article ‘Funding failure’ on page 14, which explains what you can do to encourage your newly elected MP to give prominence to this issue. At the end of the academic year, many of us will look back at our achievements and those of our students and reflect on what we want to achieve next year. However, when it comes to appraisal and performance-related pay, we often don’t challenge what we know to be an unfair judgement on our overall performance and hard work. Check out the article on page 10 for advice on accomplishing pay progression. I wish you all a happy, restful and relaxing break over the holiday period.
Cover illustration: Tim Ellis
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05/06/2017 15:10
U P D AT E
NIKKI SIMPSON ATL staff and members have paid tribute to ATL organiser Nikki Simpson, who died on 30 April Nikki organised learning opportunities for hundreds of ATL members in the eastern region – with subjects ranging from teen mental health, managing stress and emotional resilience to assertiveness and communication courses for reps, and sessions on behaviour for support staff. Collette Bradford, director of organising at ATL, said: “Nikki devoted her whole energy to whatever she was doing. Her first passion was being a mum, and she had three young daughters. Her enthusiasm was infectious and her smile totally uplifting. “Whether she was planning a session on the Twittersphere, or thinking about sessions for happiness and well-being, her approach was always how to add the most value and make the opportunities as accessible as possible.” Nikki was diagnosed with a terminal cancer in 2016. She continued to work until she was signed off indefinitely in 2017. She asked that ATL support the TUC’s Dying to Work campaign, which was the subject of a motion passed at ATL’s Annual Conference this year. Members can sign a petition calling for a change in the law to allow terminally ill workers to continue working flexibly if they so wish, while workplaces and local authorities can sign up to a charter. See www.dyingtowork.co.uk.
4 REPORT | JUNE/JULY 2017
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PHOTO: DANNY FITZPATRICK
ATL national official for support staff Peter Morris, ATL member Cathy Tattersfield and ATL vice president Niamh Sweeney at ATL’s support staff conference
Supporting support staff Workplace issues and the SEND code of practice were among the topics discussed when more than 100 support staff members gathered for ATL’s support staff conference ATL vice president Niamh Sweeney welcomed members to the day-long event in London in May, before deputy general secretary Peter Pendle addressed delegates. He spoke of the workplace issues faced by support staff members, including workload, excess hours, term-time-only pay and support staff being required to teach, and how ATL can support members in these areas. He also gave an overview of the National Education Union (NEU). Members then took part in continuing professional development workshops on social media and internet safety, the SEND code of practice and conflict resolution, before a Q&A session on the issues affecting staff led by Peter Morris, ATL national official for support staff, and
Cathy Tattersfield, vice chair of ATL’s Support Staff Members Advisory Group. The need for anonymity for support staff after an allegation made by a pupil of a criminal offence, a national pay framework for support staff, and the importance of a school policy on behaviour that does not differentiate between support staff and other education professionals were among the topics discussed. Speaking after the conference, one member said: “It was very informative – I will take many ideas back for my senior leadership team.” “Fast-paced, dynamic and very informative. I’ll definitely be passing this knowledge on in my school setting,” commented another.
CAMPAIGNING AGAINST CUTS 1 ATL members in Cumbria joined parents and pupils in a march to protest against cuts to school funding in May. Jacqueline Cashman, ATL Cumbria branch secretary, said: “The rally in Penrith had an amazing turnout of parents, children and school staff into the hundreds. Another parents’ rally in Carlisle also had a big turnout. The impact of the funding cuts has gathered apace this academic year, with the Cumbria branch experiencing more redundancies than the sum total of those over the preceding four years, with many more to come. This is causing more members to suffer stress, uncertainty and illness, which is very concerning.” For more on school funding and how you can get involved, see page 14.
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U P D AT E
TECHNICAL PRIORITIES (L to R) students James Fletcher and Treeve White with ATL member Peter Shreeve
Campaign champions An ATL member has encouraged two of his students to help children around the world missing out on an education by getting involved with the Send My Friend to School campaign Peter Shreeve, ATL branch secretary for the Isle of Wight and a language teacher at Cowes Enterprise College, supported 14-year-old Treeve White and 13-year-old James Fletcher in their applications to become two of 20 campaign champions chosen each year. They were successful and all three attended a weekend in Leicestershire where they met other champions and learnt about the campaign to bring together children across the UK to speak up for the right to education and remind world leaders of their promise that all children should get the chance to go to school. They have since met with local primary heads and held assemblies. After the election
they plan to invite their MP into school, attend a Parliamentary event and meet with MPs at political party conferences in the autumn. Mr Shreeve said: “After many years of reading snippets about Send My Friend in Report, I read they were looking for champions for 2017. It has been a stunning experience so far for both staff and students. Education is empowering. Empower your students to empower others.” To get involved this year, see www. sendmyfriend.org/take-action, where you can download a teachers’ resource pack. Send My Friend to School is run by the UK coalition of the Global Campaign for Education, of which ATL is part.
Warning on hate crime More than a fifth (22%) of education staff believe pupils have been subjected to hate crime or hate speech, an ATL survey has found. In the poll of 345 members working in maintained and independent schools, sixth form and FE colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, nearly 20% said they had seen an increase in hate crimes or speech and bullying associated with hate crimes or speech among pupils in their school or college. Despite 53% saying their school provides the support they need to report incidents of hate crime or speech, 33% said they haven’t received any training on how to deal with it, but that they would like some. Almost three quarters (72%) of members said the main reason pupils are bullied is because of a perceived difference from the ‘norm’, while 12% said pupils are bullied because of their ethnicity, 12% because of their race, 12% because of their sexual orientation, and WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
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18% said pupils are bullied because of their socioeconomic status. The majority (85%) of respondents said pupilto-pupil bullying takes the form of verbal abuse and 52% believe pupils face bullying via social media, texts or emails. Just over a fifth (21%) said pupils face physical abuse. Mary Bousted, ATL general secretary, said: “After years of lobbying them to do so, we welcome the Government’s proposals to require PSHE to be taught in all schools, to require relationship and sex education teaching in all secondary schools, and to require the teaching of age-appropriate relationships education in primary schools. All schools should have robust bullying policies in place that cover how to deal with incidents of hate crime and speech.” A motion calling on ATL to continue to lobby and raise awareness to help put an end to hate crime was passed at ATL’s Annual Conference in April.
A new industrial strategy must ensure reform of skills education is properly funded and is based on evidence, ATL has warned Earlier this year, the Government launched a consultation on its green paper Building Our Industrial Strategy that outlined 10 pillars, including “developing skills”, which it says means a new system of technical education for those not going to university, boosting STEM skills, digital skills and numeracy, and raising skills in “lagging areas”. In response to the proposals, Janet Clark, ATL education policy adviser, said: “We’re delighted the Government recognised the vital role skills education plays, contributing to increased productivity and a strong economy. We believe FE colleges delivering technical education will be crucial to economic success post-Brexit. “However, the Government needs to think about several key issues if it is to succeed. As we move into this new technical education system, it is vital skills education is properly funded and we have a period of stability in the system after the turbulence of recent years. The Government must also tackle the current recruitment and retention crisis and ensure enough properly trained teachers and lecturers to deliver it. “It also needs to ensure any reform is developed with experts in pedagogy and is based on evidence, and there is research on where and why skills gaps exist. We also do not believe STEM skills shortages will be fixed by forcing students to continue to study maths, and non-STEM subject areas and industries must not be neglected.” You can read this and all ATL’s responses to consultations at www.atl.org.uk/responses.
JUNE/JULY 2017 | REPORT 5
05/06/2017 15:19
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AG E N DA
THE 2015 PRE-ELECTION debate was notable for the absence of attention to the education policies of the main parties. Writing before this election result is known, I observe that this time around it was different. School funding came up time and time again on the campaign doorstep. The huge success of the joint unions’ www.schoolcuts.org. uk website brought home to parents just how severe are the funding cuts facing their schools. Parents know what funding cuts mean – fewer teachers (at a time of higher-than-ever pupil numbers), fewer support staff, larger class sizes, more ‘voluntary’ parental contributions. Candidates found themselves in the unusual position of having to declare their hand: did they support these cuts or would they fight, and vote, against them? All the political parties took note. The Conservatives increased their funding proposals by £1 billion; Labour did better than that, and topping the bidding came the Liberal Democrats with the promise of £7 billion extra for schools during this parliament. Whichever party is in power, more money will be spent on education as a result of clever campaigning and hard lobbying by education unions. There are education issues, however, that remain thorns in the side of education ministers. Teacher and school leader shortages top the list. The problem is big, and getting bigger. The Government spends £700 million a year on teacher training. Beginning teachers are then, far too often, thrown in at the deep end and not given the support and development they need to cope with an extremely demanding and professionally challenging career. It is a startling fact that over half the teachers in England, 52%, have spent less than 10 years in the profession. In the core subjects of English, science, maths and foreign languages, one in 10 teachers leave every year. Quite simply, we are running to go backwards when it comes to teacher retention. The reason why the Conservative WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
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Huge challenges Funding, recruitment and retention, pay, and workload all need urgent action from the new Government, says Mary Bousted manifesto rowed back on the percentage of students required to take the EBacc (down from a target of 90% to 75% until the end of the next parliament) is because we do not have enough teachers in these subjects. Teacher pay is an issue that should be rising fast up politicians’ ‘to do’ lists. After seven years of zero and one per cent pay ‘rises’ – and with the prospect, if the Conservative party is re-elected, of another five years of no or low wage rises – teaching has become more and more unattractive when compared to professions in the private sector. Low pay for public sector workers is now affecting recruitment and retention across the board, in particular in health, where nearly a quarter of NHS trusts have a vacancy rate of more than 15% for registered nurses. Politicians are quick to tell public servants just how much they value their contribution to society. Such praise sticks in the gullet somewhat when unmatched by reasonable financial reward for work that
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is becoming harder and more pressured by the week. Sooner or later (and I hope sooner) public sector pay is going to have to rise in order to attract, and retain, public servants, including teachers, in their professions. Another big issue for which all the political parties had warm words in their manifestos, but few concrete proposals, is excessive workload. Teachers have had it with the warm words. What they want now is action. The only way workload is going to be reduced to a reasonable level is when politicians find the political will to take a radical look at school accountability pressures. This look would include inspection bodies, of course, but also the whole accountability framework under which school leaders and teachers labour. Quite simply, there is far too much fear in the profession, and this drives bureaucratic workload. Despite the workload challenge, and some welcome guidance from Government, it remains the case that teachers are, on average, spending two days a week on planning and marking. If they work full time, there are no days left for relaxation, leisure or family time. School leaders fear their school being labelled ‘coasting’, or being put in ‘requires improvement’ or ‘special measures’ categories. They fear falling below the floor target. This fear is too often passed down to their teaching colleagues who experience the workplace as a stressful, top-down, heavy-handed environment where there is no time to develop their professional practice or have their voice heard. If children and young people are to thrive in schools, then their teachers have to be well treated and professionally respected, as well as appropriately accountable for the work they do. In the aftermath of the election result, the issue of teacher shortage, exacerbated by low pay and excessive workload caused by a dysfunctional accountability system, will come to bite the hand of any Government that ignores these huge challenges. It has been warned. JUNE/JULY 2017 | REPORT 7
08/06/2017 17:38
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THE VIEW FROM… WALES/NORTHERN IRELAND
Wales
Northern Ireland
KEITH BOWEN
MARK LANGHAMMER
Additional learning needs legislation under scrutiny
Real-terms pay cuts detract from teachers’ professional status
I AM PLEASED to have taken over from Rachel Curley as the new Wales director for ATL at the end of April. On behalf of members and staff in Wales, I would like to thank Rachel for all her hard work and support over the past year. The Additional Learning Needs and Educational Tribunal (Wales) Bill, which is currently making its way through the legislative process, will have major implications for staff across all sectors in Wales. This separate Welsh legislation will overhaul the way in which children and young people with additional learning needs (ALN) are given support within the education system. While the detail of the law and code of practice will
be different, much of the direction of travel is similar to that of SEND changes in England, which may provide some useful lessons for Wales. ATL Cymru has provided written and oral evidence to the Children, Young People and Education Committee at stage one, and line-by-line scrutiny of the bill was due to start in June. Funding and training will be the key to success of the Welsh Government’s aims for the bill, which transfers considerable responsibility for additional learning needs from local authorities to the governing bodies of schools and FE colleges. Training is needed to ensure the whole workforce understands the expectations placed upon them – including ALN coordinators, teachers and lecturers, and support staff. Additional funding is also needed to ensure support is available for learners with ALN at the most appropriate level. We have suggested some amendments to the law at stage two, in order to include better duties on health, a clearer role for local authorities and access to specialist services.
THE CURRENT industrial action was triggered by the minister of education’s decision in October 2016 to impose a zero per cent pay ‘settlement’ in 2015-16 and a one per cent settlement in 2016-17. This acted as a lightning rod in respect of unease about workload and hyper-accountability, coupled with the erosion of professional autonomy and discretion – but let’s stick with pay for the moment. Severe pay restraint since 2011, increases to pension contributions and superannuation, as well as ever-increasing excessive workload, have had a continuing adverse impact on morale. Teachers have suffered significant reductions in living standards. Depending on whether the inflation calculation uses Consumer Price Index or Retail Price Index, teachers have suffered a real-terms pay loss of between 11.6% and 17.3% from 2010-16, before calculating the rises in pension contributions and the cost of living. While pay has declined, workload has increased due to the
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incessant demands of the accountability system, the unintended consequences of narrow targets, nearcontinual examination reform and re-specification, curriculum change, and the burdens of microassessment. Together with cuts to the services on which schools are reliant, and the non-exemption of schools from the apprenticeship levy, this has placed heavy burdens on teachers. Teaching is no longer competitive with other graduate professions in terms of pay or professional trust. ATL will form part of the National Education Union from 1 September 2017. As a new legal vehicle, we will be re-balloting on pay, accountability and workload in the new term.
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JUNE/JULY 2017 | REPORT 9
05/06/2017 15:13
SPOTLIGHT ON… PAY PROGRESSION
A fair appraisal
SHUTTERSTOCK
With the teacher appraisal and pay review season approaching, Charlotte Tamvakis explores the issues A SURVEY OF 13,000 teachers on pay progression by ATL and the NUT found that more teachers than ever are being denied a pay rise due to performance-related pay (PRP). By the time of the survey – the largest of its kind – in late 2016, one in five (21%) teachers in maintained schools, academies and free schools in England and Wales had been told they would not receive pay progression, up from 19% the previous year. Of these, more than a quarter (26%) were told they had been denied progression because they had not met pupil progress objectives, for 15% the reason given was budgetary constraints, while 11% were informed they had not met other objectives. Yet this decision came as a surprise for the vast majority of members – with almost 90% receiving no warning they were not going to meet their objectives. As one ATL member told us: “There was a positive performance management lesson observation. I received no indication I was not meeting standards of performance.” Another said: “I was not informed during the year that my teaching was below standard, even when observations were good or better.” “There should be no surprises in appraisals,” says ATL senior policy adviser Simon Stokes. “The Department for Education (DfE) says this should not happen. Those people should have known in advance. Any issues should be identified during the year and the teacher given support to address them. “If you’ve failed your appraisal and have not met the standards, ask what you need to do for next time – know exactly what it is you must do. This is an important part of the appraisal process; school leaders should be helping teachers to improve their practice, and then progress on the pay scale. If you don’t agree with an objective, the first step is to ask your appraiser for help 10 REPORT | JUNE/JULY 2017
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with how exactly they think you could achieve it.” Many respondents felt they had been set unachievable targets in the first place. “I’ve put every kind of intervention in place but I cannot sit an exam for those students,” explained one ATL member. Others said the pay decision had been based on the progress of the whole year group, rather than their class. “It is used as a stick, not a carrot. I’m assessed against objectives not completely in my control,” explained another member. What about these ‘impossible’ targets – for example, 100% of pupils achieving above average? Rita Khatun, an ATL member adviser who has helped many members challenge refusals, says: “Most members say that the targets set as part of their appraisal were based on achieving a certain percentage of results for the year or class and achieving age-related expectations. “These targets are not reasonable, as it will never be possible to achieve ‘age-related expectations’. Classes consist of lower-ability children and children with education, health and care plans, who will never achieve this. The member should register concerns with appraiser and headteacher as to why the targets set are unrealistic and unachievable, so this could be taken into account at the review stage. Then at an appeal, if it comes to it, members can highlight everything they have done to try and achieve the target.” Others who were refused pay progression cited funding cuts and schools’ budget problems as the
"THERE SHOULD BE NO SURPRISES IN APPRAISALS”
reason given. “I was told I had met all the criteria but the school could not afford to pay me more,” explained one member. Another said: “I had exceeded targets and was just not put up the scale due to budget constraints, I was told." “Progression should only be denied if members don’t meet the criteria set out in the pay policy,” Khatun explains. “Financial difficulties cannot be cited as a reason if it is not specified in the pay policy as a reason for refusal – so in such a case, it is worth appealing.” You can read more about the current funding crisis in education on page 14. Around 20% of teachers in our survey appealed a decision not to allow them progression – with many who chose not to saying they did not want to ‘rock the boat’. Stokes says: “Members may be worried about going up against their headteacher in an appeal, that they will get a black mark against them, or that the school can’t afford it. And because it’s such a small amount, they often think it’s not worth the hassle, but it soon adds up.” See opposite for more about the appeals process. Crucially, being denied progression unfairly will also have an impact on people’s pensions with the new careeraverage calculation. Since April 2015, the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
05/06/2017 15:14
A successful appeal An ATL branch secretary outlines a recent case when he supported a member who challenged the decision to refuse progression
changed to a career-average scheme – which means the pension will be based on earnings in every year, not the final salary. In contrast, with the previous pension scheme, it did not matter so much whether you got progression when it was due, if you caught up before retirement.
BE PREPARED “The key is to think about what you actually want out of your appraisal, to be prepared when you go in to the meeting,” says Stokes. “You prepare for every lesson; you’ve also got to prepare for your appraisal so you get out of it what you want. If you’ve got a clear objective with a defined outcome, it should be easier to show how you’ve met it. Anyone who thinks they have met their objectives, yet are still denied progression, should consider an appeal.” How teachers’ pay progresses and the process of appraisal should be set out in the school’s pay policy. Yet, in our survey, almost a third (31%) of teachers said they did not know if their school had a written policy setting out how progression works, while eight per cent said their school does not have one. More than a third (34%) of respondents 3 said their school’s policy on pay WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
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Last autumn term I was contacted by a member, Caroline, who had been refused progression and thought the decision was unfair. She has taught for 18 years and now teaches part time, having worked at the school for 10 years. Her headteacher told her the decision to refuse her progression was the most difficult one he had ever had to make. Caroline was having none of it. She had worked hard last year, as she did every year. She had achieved all her performance appraisal objectives. Her students had made the progress they were expected to, and had exceeded expectations in some cases. Most importantly, she felt the reason she had been turned down for pay progression was an unfair one. It had all depended on the appearance of ‘requires improvement’ judgements on a few aspects of her teaching during lesson observations. Caroline acknowledged that during one lesson she had simply taught something that was not in the lesson plan. But there were other judgements she was willing to challenge. We met to plan the letter of appeal and set out a strategy for the appeal hearing before governors. She worked very hard putting together the evidence she wished to present. We drafted and redrafted her opening statement, which outlined our arguments. We wanted to focus governors’ attention on
what the school’s own pay policy says, which is that pay progression based on performance for teaching staff will be “based on an assessment of the overall performance of the teacher”, and the evidence includes pupil progress data, quality of teaching against the Teaching Standards (including observed practice), self-assessment, professional dialogue, received feedback, performance appraisal statements and CPD records. Caroline told the governors: “It is my submission that the decision-maker did not do this, but instead focused on a narrow range of issues to the exclusion of so much else.” The governors questioned her thoroughly and then did the same for the headteacher. In the end, they were willing to overturn the headteacher’s original decision, which had been supported by the governors on the pay committee. The governors concluded by listing eight reasons for overturning the decision. The key points were that while the committee had placed high emphasis on the elements of performance that required improvement, it had not adequately considered that Caroline’s performance through to the end of the spring term put her on track for pay progression, and too much emphasis had been placed upon professional practice, whereas the judgement should have included other sources listed in the pay policy.
CAROLINE SAYS: “The appeal process was hard work, but I felt so cheated and thought the system was so unfair that this motivated me to appeal, even though my headteacher had said there would be no point as ‘at the end of the day he had the last say’. “I called my union rep, who was really supportive. I showed him my observation assessment and feedback forms. We decided to go through all of them with a fine-tooth comb, as this was the area that had prevented me getting pay progression. The way my school observes is to highlight Ofsted statements. “In one drop-in observation, I reminded my young class how to use a glue stick properly, before I sent them off to do the adult-directed task. As this had not been on my plan or part of the lesson observation, it was deemed requires improvement (RI). The rest of the lesson had good and outstanding captions highlighted. However, the latter was not celebrated – only the single RI caption seemed an issue when it came to deciding my overall standard of teaching and whether I should get pay progression. “I love my job and knew I deserved to be rewarded for my extremely hard efforts. It was the negativity that really got to me, and I felt I would be letting myself down if I did not appeal. My union rep was always at the other end of the phone and was incredibly supportive at the appeal meeting. It was good to have someone to talk to and lend support.”
JUNE/JULY 2017 | REPORT 11
05/06/2017 15:14
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05/06/2017 09:45
SPOTLIGHT ON… PAY PROGRESSION
progression is unfair and only 30% had agreed on objectives – leaving more than two thirds without any defined targets. All schools should have a pay policy in writing, which teaching staff have seen, and which has been negotiated with the recognised unions. ATL regional officials and branch secretaries are all trained in this area, so if members are concerned they should contact their district/branch. For contact details see page 19 or www.atl.org.uk.
THE BIGGER PICTURE Worryingly, the survey also found 40% of teachers feel PRP has negatively affected the usefulness of the appraisal for professional development purposes, even though it is supposed to be a way of improving teacher practice. Other members described negative effects on their school – including an increasing gender pay gap, more time spent evidencing rather than teaching and planning, and staff not working together as much as they used to, focusing on themselves and their performance data instead. They also spoke of PRP suppressing salaries in the sector and contributing to the recruitment and retention crisis – with graduates not willing to accept low starting salaries and stagnant pay. “ATL and NUT members clearly believe that linking pay and performance is not fair for teachers or pupils. School leaders and teachers are having to spend far too much valuable teaching and learning time on paperwork and admin to decide pay awards,” Stokes says. “PRP is threatening collegiate working in schools, demoralising teachers who feel they have been unfairly treated and undermining the valuable contribution that performance appraisal can, and should, make to improving teaching – and pupils will lose out as a result.” See opposite for more about performance-related progression and appealing a decision. For more about pay for teachers in the independent and post-16 sectors and other regions, along with pay for support staff, see www.atl. org.uk/pay.
“I LOVED MY JOB AND I KNEW I DESERVED TO BE REWARDED”
WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
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Progression, appraisals and appeals: ATL advice Pay progression All pay progression for teachers in maintained schools in England and Wales is supposed to be linked to performance. As part of your performance appraisal review meeting, your appraiser must make a recommendation on your pay progression. Usually, the decision will have to be approved by a headteacher and governing body. ATL believes a decision to progress should not be overturned by the headteacher or governors without good reason. The decision should be based on the outcome of your performance appraisal review, and there is no requirement for additional evidence – when you agreed objectives you should have discussed how your performance against them would be measured. Your school must have a pay policy that details how progression will operate . If you are denied progression, part of the discussion must include details of what you need to do to achieve it next year, agreement should be reached on what support you need, and it should be provided.
Setting objectives ATL recommends there should be no more than three objectives, as any more will increase your workload. If an objective is likely to be achieved over more than one cycle, set milestones and seek agreement that progression will not be delayed until the whole objective is met. Your appraiser should ensure you are in a position to achieve the objectives and identify any support required, and when and how they will be reviewed and
measured. They should focus on matters over which you have direct control and take into account external influences on pupils – if an objective does not fulfil these conditions it may be regarded as unreasonable. Think about suitable objectives before you meet to avoid having objectives imposed upon you. If you cannot agree on objectives, record your disagreement by adding comments to the statement of objectives.
Appeals If you do not agree with your appraiser’s decision or you believe the amount of progression recommended is insufficient, you should consider lodging an appeal. Check your school’s policy but you usually have 10 working days to lodge an appeal. Your first point of call should be your ATL rep, or your district/ branch secretary. Your school will have an agreed appeals process, typically set out in the pay policy. It normally involves three stages, with the potential to resolve the appeal at any stage. The first stage is discussing your concerns with your appraiser at an informal meeting, and they may revise their decision or you may decide to take it no further. The next stage may involve a written submission and a formal meeting with your appraiser. If the decision is not overturned, the next step is a formal meeting with a panel of governors, who should not have been involved in the original decision. Both you and your appraiser will be able to make submissions to the panel, whose decision is final.
You can find more helpful advice and download ATL’s factsheets Performance-Related Progression, Teacher Appraisals: Setting objectives and Appealing a Pay Progression Decision from www.atl.org.uk/pay.
JUNE/JULY 2017 | REPORT 13
08/06/2017 17:34
BY 2022, 93% OF SCHOOLS WILL HAVE PER-PUPIL FUNDING CUT | AVERAGE CUT TO
FUNDING FAILURE
School funding, or lack thereof, became one of the hot topics in the pre-election debate – now let’s see what the new Government will do to tackle it The schoolcuts.org.uk site says this hunger will be almost universal, with 93% of schools facing a per-pupil funding cut by 2022 as schools across the board lose £3 billion a year. Unless, of course, a few cheap photocopiers could sort this out. Mr Gibb’s suggestions aside, others have grasped the full extent of the crisis, and school leaders, teachers, parents and politicians have been speaking out to raise awareness of the consequences to schools and young people. “Schools are at breaking point,” said ATL member Anne Barker at the union’s Annual Conference in April, where she called for urgent transitional funding for schools. “I have never known there to be such an acute
“IF THE CAKE IS NOT BIG ENOUGH, IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW FAIRLY YOU DIVIDE IT, ALL THAT HAPPENS IS EVERYONE GOES HUNGRY” 14 REPORT | JUNE/JULY 2017
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problem of underfunding, with such dire consequences,” she said. The consequences of chronic underfunding are many and varied, as ATL and the NUT’s survey into school funding shows. Completed in March 2017 by almost 1,200 members, three quarters (76%) said their school’s budget has been cut this year compared to last, while a depressing 93% are pessimistic about their school’s funding over the next three years. The survey clearly shows the effects of funding shortages hitting already. Half (50%) of respondents said their school has bigger class sizes than last year, a figure rising to 70% in secondaries alone. Sixty per cent of secondary staff said their school has cut the range of non-EBacc subjects, while 64% said there are fewer vocational options. Schools are also cutting spending on books and equipment, according to almost three quarters (73%) of primary
ILLUSTRATION: TIM ELLIS
SCHOOL FUNDING is a major concern for the electorate, as shown by the three million visits to ATL and the NUT’s www.schoolcuts.org.uk website in the run-up to polling day. The site, at the time of writing before the June election, uses Department for Education (DfE) data to calculate cuts to England’s schools from 2015 to 2020, taking into account freezes on per-pupil funding, the proposed cut to the education services grant and the proposed introduction of a new national funding formula (NFF). Calculations for every state school in England are available on the site. It has worked out the average cut to primary budgets per year will be £86,951 by 2022, while the prediction for secondary schools is an average of £370,298. Earlier this year, the then-Labour MP for Leyton and Wanstead in East London, John Cryer, wrote to Nick Gibb, schools minister at the time, raising concerns about these changes to funding, which would see one school in his constituency facing cuts of £960,055 in real terms over the next four years. Mr Gibb’s response was to advise that schools could save money by getting a better deal on electricity and photocopier supplies. Donna Jagger, deputy headteacher and member of AMiE, has already made many efforts to make savings in her primary school. These range from only allowing pencils of less than three inches long to be thrown away, to accepting parental donations to pay the electricity bill, and only employing teachers between M1 and M3, leading to a significant lack of experience among teacher staff. “The cuts are frustrating,” she says, “but the worst thing is knowing you aren’t doing the best for the children in your care.” ATL’s position is that the problem is not the NFF, which we believe offers a fairer share of funds to schools, but that the total pot of money is simply not large enough to give sufficient funding to all schools. Or, in the words of ATL’s immediate past president Kim Knappett, “If there isn’t enough to go around, then the formula cannot be effective. If the cake is not big enough, it doesn’t matter how fairly you divide it, all that happens is that everyone goes hungry.”
WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
08/06/2017 17:34
P
TO
SPOTLIGHT ON… FUNDING
PRIMARY SCHOOLS £86,951 | AVERAGE CUT TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS £370,298
and secondary respondents, while 41% have seen cuts to SEND provision. The statistics are alarming enough, but some comments reveal the challenges education staff are facing simply trying to do their jobs and help the children and young people in their care.
“We are looking down the barrel of around a £500,000 deficit in the next three years, after we have lost teaching posts and made efficiency savings.” “In a deprived area, we are short of basic equipment. I am finding that lessons are having to be planned around the lack of equipment rather than the most effective way for students to learn.” “Over the last two years the ethos of the school has changed from a family atmosphere to one driven by cost-cutting.”
What we want to see ATL calls on the Government to work with the education profession to get these basics right: ¢ Full and fair funding for all schools – including SEN provision, post-16 and early years education, provided through a fair, adequately funded formula that does not divert resources to consultants instead of classrooms, nor to expensive free schools and selective education that benefit a minority of children. ¢ Enough teachers and support staff – with high-quality initial training, more ongoing development and a national pay structure with the public sector pay cap lifted, so qualified teachers stay in the profession and all classes are taught by a specialist with access to fairly paid support staff.
“We have slashed spending as much as we possibly can, stopping the use of resources that have benefited the children in the past, and we are still looking at a significant deficit. It’s all very well saying schools are receiving more money than ever before, but perhaps the Government should go on to explain to the public that pension contributions, national insurance contributions, minimum wage increases and schools having to pay for SEND support and extra services have meant that we have nothing left to support the children.”
“THERE IS MONEY THERE, BUT IT IS BEING SPENT ON VANITY PROJECTS, LIKE FREE SCHOOLS AND GRAMMAR SCHOOLS” ATL policy adviser Usman Gbajabiamila says: “The unfunded costs that schools have to face really create a problem. Not only staff costs, such as national insurance and pension contributions, but a lot of directives from the DfE, such as changing GCSEs and changing the curriculum, create massive costs for schools that they aren’t properly funded for. “Then you add on things like the apprenticeship levy, and schools are really starting to say this is too much. Lastly, a lot of cuts to children’s social WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
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care has meant schools have had to pick up a lot of that. So there are direct and indirect costs.” As ATL and the NUT’s survey found, some schools are already reducing the length of the school day to save money, and Gbajabiamila believes some choosing to reduce the school week is not far off. “When reducing the school week starts to happen – not if, but when – that will raise the profile of the crisis and will certainly motivate parents to speak to their MPs to find out what’s going on.
¢ Enough school places – every area with a local long-term plan for providing school places, focused on where places are most needed, without increasing class sizes. ¢ Staff and pupil well-being – addressing staff mental health by cutting workload driven by cuts, and restoring pupils’ mental health by rethinking excessive testing. ¢ Broadening students’ opportunities – through high-quality skills education in both school curricula and post-16 training and qualifications that utilise the expertise of the FE workforce.
“If parents have to start leaving work to pick up their children, it’s going to start impacting on families’ finances and childcare, and it becomes a safeguarding issue if children aren’t in school. Some schools are seriously considering it.” He explains there is money elsewhere in the education system that would be better put towards existing schools that are struggling. “There is money there, but it is being spent on vanity projects, like free schools and grammar schools. Yet you have the school next door where children are having to measure their pencils to save costs.” Dealing with the problem has already been delayed by the EU referendum and could potentially be further delayed by the recent election. However, Gbajabiamila insists the time for action is now. “We do not want any more delays,” he says. “This has been on the agenda and burning away for long enough. It needs to be sorted.”
What you can do ¢ Go to the www.schoolcuts.org.uk website to email your newly elected MP with details of the funding cuts to your school. ¢ Tell parents about the website and encourage them to contact their MP. ¢ Tweet your MP if they are on Twitter.
JUNE/JULY 2017 | REPORT 15
08/06/2017 17:35
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12/06/2017 11:09
GUIDE
There are also tips for how to drink more water and some alternatives to coffee.
Packing a healthy lunch
Recipe idea Sardine, tomato and olive salad Most of these ingredients can just live in your cupboard until you need them. Sardines are a very easy way to get your weekly oily fish quota, and you get a good dose of omega-3 fats in this lunch. You can eat the sardine bones; they soften in the can and give you extra calcium. Take a seeded roll or pitta with you, if you like. You can also add a boiled egg for extra protein. 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp capers (optional) Handful of olives 4 sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
Author Becky Alexander offers tips on packing more nutrients into busy lunchtimes
5cm cucumber, chopped Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved Handful of rocket leaves
A LONG, RELAXING lunch break during the school day is probably unrealistic, but it is important to eat something nutritious and delicious to fuel you for the busy afternoon ahead. Too many of us rely on sandwiches, coffee and biscuits to keep us going, which is not always healthy or very satisfying. As most school staff and teachers cannot get out to shops and cafes during the day, and canteen queues can make buying lunch a hassle, you need some lunch ideas you can pull together in minutes the night before, or before you leave for work. Research has shown that most people eat sandwiches for lunch, often with the same fillings. This means most people do not get the variety of nutrients they need. For example, we are meant to eat five to seven portions of vegetables a day, so logic would say at least two of these should be at lunchtime. The book I co-authored with nutritionist Michelle Lake, Packed: Lunch hacks and recipes to squeeze more nutrients into your day, contains lots of ideas for doing this easily. Eating good sources of protein such as fish, eggs and pulses can also help with concentration, which must be a bonus in the school day! Five top tips: 1. Do an online shop once a week or fortnightly. Stock up on things that last for ages such as tins of tuna and WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
017_ATL_JUNJUL17_GUIDE.indd 17
sardines in olive oil, olives, pouches of ready-cooked black lentils, nuts, roast peppers and sauerkraut. Buy eggs, rocket, peppers, baby plum tomatoes, feta and smoked mackerel for the fridge which will last until the end of the week. 2. Buy nutritious bread packed with seeds or rye breads to make sandwiches more interesting. You could cut your loaf into wedges, store in the freezer and take out what you need in the morning to go with a salad or a dip; it will defrost by lunchtime. 3. Boil an extra couple of eggs, cook an extra piece of salmon or a chicken breast and keep in the fridge for a day or two to take to work. 4. Make a veggie-packed soup or stew at the weekend and freeze so you have something hot once a week. Reheat in the morning and put in a food flask ready to eat at lunchtime. 5. Mix up your veggies. Grate a courgette, chop some cabbage or grate some cauliflower to make a salad; almost any veggie can make a salad! Packed also contains breakfast ideas such as overnight oats, and snacks that will do you good, such as good mood cookies (something for the staffroom!). There are ideas for making sandwiches more interesting, but also salad pots, noodle pots, roast veggies and stews and soups.
135g can of sardines in olive oil 1. 2. 3.
Put the oil, vinegar and capers (if using) in your lunchbox. Add all the salad ingredients. Take the tin of sardines with you, and just before eating, mix the salad and the dressing together, and break the sardines into the salad.
WIN! WIN! WIN!
We have three copies of Packed to give away to Report readers. To be in with a chance of winning, email report@atl.org.uk with your postal address and phone number.
Becky Alexander is a food book editor, while Michelle Lake is a nutritionist. Packed is on sale now, RRP ÂŁ12.99. JUNE/JULY 2017 | REPORT 17
05/06/2017 15:20
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06/06/2017 09:47
YOUR ATL… CONTENTS AND CONTACTS
REMEMBER TO PASS YOUR COPY OF REPORT TO COLLEAGUES WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN IT
Your ATL EXPERT ADVICE, TEACHING TOOLS, MEMBER BENEFITS – AND YOUR RIGHT TO REPLY IN THIS SECTION
21 SHUTTERSTOCK
LEGAL GUIDE ATL’s solicitors on when an employer can and cannot legally deduct money from your salary
22
25
REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
PRIZE CROSSWORD
A summary of ATL’s financial position as at December 2016
Complete our cryptic crossword for the chance to win a £50 Marks & Spencer voucher
23 GUIDE National official for support staff Peter Morris explains the rights and responsibilities of toilet-related care for pupils
24 YOUR VIEWS ATL members on funding shortages, recruitment and retention, workload and learning styles
27 NOTICEBOARD Where to find the latest on new union developments, the chance to apply for a scholarship, and the opportunity to join an ATL policy network
29 RESOURCES New newsletters dedicated to support staff and post-16 members
USEFUL CONTACTS If you need help with matters related to your employment, your first point of contact should be your school or college ATL rep, or your AMiE regional officer if you are a leadership member. You can also contact your local ATL branch. If they are unable to help, contact ATL member advisers on the general enquiries number below, or you can call our out-of-hours helpline between 5pm and 7pm Monday to Friday on 020 7782 1612. General enquiries: 020 7930 6441 info@atl.org.uk Belfast: 028 9078 2020 ni@atl.org.uk Cardiff: 029 2046 5000 cymru@atl.org.uk
AMiE members: Call the employment helpline on 01858 464171 helpline@amie.atl.org.uk Membership enquiries: membership@atl.org.uk Pension enquiries: 020 7782 1600
If you are not a member of ATL and would like to join, please contact us on
0845 057 7000 (lo-call)
Personal injury claims: 033 3344 9616 Call Morrish Solicitors LLP, ATL’s appointed solicitors, or go to www.atlinjuryclaims.org.uk. This service is open to members and their families, subject to the rules of the scheme.
TERMS OF ATL’S SUPPORT ARE OUTLINED IN OUR MEMBERS’ CHARTER, AVAILABLE VIA WWW.ATL.ORG.UK/MEMBERSCHARTER. WHEN EMAILING ATL FROM HOME, PLEASE INCLUDE EITHER YOUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBER OR HOME POSTCODE TO HELP US DEAL WITH YOUR ENQUIRY MORE EFFICIENTLY.
WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
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JUNE/JULY 2017 | REPORT 19
08/06/2017 17:35
Trade Union Services
HAVE YOU HAD AN ACCIDENT? AS A UNION MEMBER, WE’LL GUARANTEE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY 100% OF YOUR COMPENSATION Changing government legislation means many legal firms now keep up to 40% of your Personal Injury compensation to cover costs. But at Morrish Solicitors, we believe that every penny you’re awarded should go to you. As an ATL member, you and your family members can enjoy friendly, professional legal advice from Morrish Solicitors, including our FREE Personal Injury service. So if you’ve been injured and it wasn’t your fault, talk to us today. For your FREE Personal Injury Service call
033 3344 9616
Complete a claim form at atlinjuryclaims.org.uk Or for more member benefits visit morrishsolicitors.com/atl
MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE • CONVEYANCING • WILLS AND PROBATE • FAMILY MATTERS
020_ATL_JUNJUL_2017.indd 20
05/06/2017 09:44
YOUR ATL… LEGAL GUIDE
A matter of deduction
ATL solicitor David Rommer explains your rights regarding employer deductions from your salary
THE LAW ONLY allows your employer to deduct or withhold money from wages in certain circumstances. If your employer does not follow the rules, Part II of the Employment Rights Act 1996 says you may have a claim for unauthorised deductions from wages. Which parts of my wages are protected? The legal protection against unauthorised deductions applies to your: • basic pay • overtime pay • allowances – eg teaching and learning responsibility payments (TLRs) • bonuses and commission payments • holiday pay • sick pay • statutory or contractual maternity pay, paternity pay, shared parental pay and adoption pay • notice pay • various other types of payment to which you may be entitled under your contract. When can my employer make deductions from my wages? • There are laws that allow employers to deduct income tax (PAYE) and national insurance contributions from wages. Other lawful examples include: WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
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- court orders that authorise deductions for maintenance payments for a former partner - attachment of earnings orders that authorise employers to deduct money to pay off a debt or a fine. • The terms of your contract may authorise your employer to make the deduction – however, your employer must notify you of that term in writing before any deduction is made. • You may have consented in writing to the deduction before it is made. • Your employer may be able to make deductions from your wages to recover an overpayment. However, the law regarding overpayments is complicated. If your employer alleges you have been overpaid and they intend to make deductions, contact ATL for advice. I believe my employer may have made an unauthorised deduction. What should I do? • Act quickly, as legal time limits apply. • Contact your line manager or HR department, preferably by email, to find out why the deduction was made. • If you are dissatisfied with your employer’s explanation, contact ATL. • If the problem cannot be resolved informally, in most cases the next step
would be to raise a grievance, ie to submit a written complaint. Your ATL rep or regional official may be able to assist. What is the time limit to claim compensation for an unauthorised deduction? • The normal rule is that the legal process must be started within three months of the payment that was short. In practice, this means three months less one day. • If there is an ongoing and unbroken series of unauthorised deductions, the legal process must be started within three months of the final short payment. • Here is an example: Anita, a teacher, is made PSHE coordinator for her school from the beginning of the spring term. For this extra responsibility, Anita has become entitled to a TLR payment. She receives her January salary payment on 25 January 2017, but notices she has not been paid the TLR payment. Anita contacts her employer and receives the proper TLR payments for February and March, but not the back pay she is owed for January. To claim compensation for this unauthorised deduction, Anita has three months less one day from the date of the underpayment within which to start the legal process. As the deduction was made on 25 January, the legal process must be started by 24 April 2017. • Starting the legal process involves submitting an online form called an early conciliation notification to ACAS, the Government’s negotiating service – see https://ec.acas.org.uk/Submission/ SingleClaimantPage. We strongly recommend you contact ATL for advice before taking this step, as it is essential this form is completed correctly or you may lose your rights to pursue an employment tribunal claim. My employer made an unauthorised deduction more than three months ago. Is there anything that I can still do? Depending on the circumstances of the case, there may be other ways of recovering the money that you are owed. Contact ATL as soon as possible for advice. The longer you wait, the lower the chance of recovering the money you are owed. How about redundancy payments and payments in lieu of notice? The law on deductions from wages does not apply to those types of payments. However, there are other legal protections. If you need advice, contact your local ATL rep or branch secretary, or call or email us. See page 19 for details. JUNE/JULY 2017 | REPORT 21
05/06/2017 15:22
YOUR ATL… REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO MEMBERS Association of Teachers and Lecturers Summary financial information extracted from the full accounts Summary income and expenditure account for the year ended 31 December 2016 2016 Subscription income Other income Total income Total expenditure Operating surplus for the year
£'000
£'000
Name and position
Details
Amount (£)
16,926
17,086
M Bousted
Salary
123,765
716
684
General Secretary
Pension contributions
17,642
17,770
Kim Knappett
Clothing allowance
(17,530)
(17,088)
President to August
Salary reimbursement
112
682
Non-operating items (Loss)/gain on financial assets at fair value Items relating to FRS17 Tax charge (Deficit)/surplus for the year after tax
384
(57)
(857)
(852)
8
68
(353)
(159)
Summary balance sheet at 31 December 2016 2016
2015
£'000
£'000
8,979
9,084
Investments
5,181
4,594
Current assets
6,563
6,441
(2,945)
(2,785)
Fixed assets
Current liabilities Provision for liabilities and charges
(1,501)
(1,561)
Net assets excluding pension scheme
16,277
15,773
Net pension scheme assets/(liabilities)
4,866
4,866
21,143
20,639
General fund
15,236
14,732
Revaluation reserves
5,757
5,757
Dilapidation reserves
150
150
21,143
20,639
WE HAVE AUDITED the financial statements of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) for the year ended 31 December 2016, which comprise the statement of comprehensive income, the statement of financial position, the statement of changes in equity, the cash flow statement and the related notes. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). This report is made solely to ATL’s members, as a body, in accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to ATL’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no
other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than ATL and ATL’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
We are required by the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 to include the following declaration in this statement to all members. The wording is as prescribed by the Act.
“A member who is concerned that some irregularity may be occurring, or have occurred, in the conduct of the financial affairs of the union may take steps with a view to investigating further, obtaining clarification and, if necessary, securing regularisation of that conduct. The member may raise any such concerns with
22 REPORT | JUNE/JULY 2017
022_ATL_JUNJUL17_report&accounts.indd 22
Summary of salaries and benefits provided
2015
Respective responsibilities of the ATL’s Executive Committee and auditor As explained more fully in the statement of ATL’s Executive Committee’s responsibilities, ATL’s Executive Committee is responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. Our responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those standards require us to comply with the Auditing
Shelagh Hirst
Clothing allowance
President from September
Salary reimbursement
18,358 536 46,684 536 19,180
In addition, five officers of the Association, who are members of the Executive Committee, are entitled to receive clothing allowances totalling £1,807. The President's allowance is separately shown above. All the other members of the Executive Committee do not receive any salary from the Association or any other benefits. All members of the Executive Committee are reimbursed for any expenditure incurred by them in the performance of their duties on behalf of the Association.
Practices Board’s Ethical Standards for Auditors.
R
give a true and fair view of the state of ATL’s affairs as at 31 December 2016 and of its results for the year then ended have been properly prepared in accordance with the accounting policies as set out have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
Scope of the audit of the financial statements An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of: whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the ATL’s circumstances and have been consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the ATL Executive Committee; and the overall presentation of the financial statements. In addition, we read all the financial and nonfinancial information in the honorary treasurers’ report to identify material inconsistencies with the audited financial statements and to identify any information that is apparently materially incorrect based on, or materially inconsistent with, the knowledge acquired by us in the course of performing the audit. If we become aware of any apparent material misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implications for our report.
Matters on which we are required to report by exception We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: R proper accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us R ATL has not maintained a satisfactory system of control over its transactions R the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns R certain disclosures within the form AR21 of Officers’ remuneration specified by law are not made R we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
Opinion on financial statements In our opinion the financial statements:
MOORE STEPHENS LLP Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor, London
such one or more of the following as it seems appropriate to raise it with: the officials of the union, the trustees of the property of the union, the auditors of the union, the Certification Officer (who is an independent officer appointed by the Secretary of State) and the police. Where a member believes that the financial affairs of
the union have been or are being conducted in breach of the law or in breach of the rules of the union and contemplates bringing civil proceedings against the union or responsible officials or trustees, he should consider obtaining independent legal advice.”
R
R
WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
05/06/2017 15:25
GUIDE
Personal care of pupils ATL’s national official for support staff Peter Morris explains your rights and responsibilities regarding the toilet-related care of pupils SOME EDUCATION STAFF have the duty of administering personal care – such as helping pupils who are wet or who soil themselves in class to change their clothes – written into their job descriptions or employment contracts. Such staff may have been employed with the specific requirement that they administer personal care to a child with special needs, or they may work in an early years setting where ‘accidents’ will happen and staff are expected to help a child clean up and change clothes. However, under no circumstances should staff be expected to potty-train children. ATL members are reporting an increasing number of four- and five-year-olds starting school without having been potty-trained. Where this occurs, members should report the matter to their line manager, and the school should then take appropriate action. Members may find that, because of a staffing change or the arrival of new children, the school may try to force them to undertake personal care on a regular basis. However, if there is nothing in your job description or contract of employment about administering personal care, then there must not be an assumption you will undertake these duties. Indeed, like all changes to job descriptions and employment contracts,
negotiation with, and the agreement of, the staff member is required to make such a change. In ‘one-off’ circumstances, staff who assist pupils in changing should be treated as volunteers, and ATL members should make it clear to their manager they are assisting pupils as volunteers and that their actions should not be regarded as creating a contractual obligation. The same principle applies to those who administer medication to pupils – see www.atl.org.uk/medication. Additionally, there are certain circumstances where the direction to change a child can become complicated. For example, there are particular challenges when changing a teenager, perhaps with specific medical and/or behavioural concerns. In these circumstances, we would expect the school to seek the services of someone with specific expertise and experience in this area. A common misunderstanding in this, and other situations at work, is that the generalised clause that appears at the end of nearly all job descriptions – for example, ‘the post-holder is required to carry out any other reasonable request by management’ – entitles employers to instruct employees to carry out any duty deemed necessary, or to
This advice has been taken from ATL’s factsheet Personal Care of Pupils, available to download from www.atl.org.uk/ factsheets WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
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make permanent changes to a particular job. This is incorrect. Such a clause is meant to deal with occasions where it may be necessary to act outside of the terms of the job description, perhaps by undertaking work of a higher or lower grade. It does not give managers carte blanche to impose fundamental changes to someone’s job description, such as administering personal care to pupils. Clearly, there is room here for differences of opinion between management and staff regarding what is a ‘reasonable’ direction. If you are at all uncertain, contact ATL for guidance, using the details on page 19. Support from the school If there is a contractual requirement or someone agrees to help a pupil change clothes voluntarily, then there are several things schools are required to do: • Obtain written permission from all parents that they accept such a procedure. • Have a clear policy, understood and accepted by staff, parents and pupils, which provides an agreed basis for ensuring pupils receive proper personal care and support when at school. • Provide appropriate information and training for staff on issues such as personal hygiene, and clear written guidelines on how pupils should be assisted at such times. • Ensure that when pupils are helped to change clothes, there is more than one adult present, who should preferably be the same sex as the pupil. • Be aware of, and comply with, appropriate health and safety procedures and risk assessments. • Provide protective clothing, eg plastic gloves/aprons. • Ensure insurance policies provide appropriate cover. • Consult with social services departments before changing pupils who are on the child protection register or whenever any social services children’s teams are involved. • Seek advice on potential health issues from NHS Trusts that provide a school health service. For pupils with special educational needs where more general developmental delays and learning difficulties may be involved, schools should take into account the specific needs of individual pupils and ensure staff are aware of these. JUNE/JULY 2017 | REPORT 23
08/06/2017 17:36
YOUR ATL… YOUR VIEWS
Letters
almost a third of the 21,400 new teachers who started their jobs in English state schools in 2010 SCHOOLS UNDER THE COSH had left within five years. Teacher shortages are getting Why are so many teachers worse, says the Education Select leaving? A lot are dissatisfied Committee. Many schools due to an unmanageable struggle to recruit enough workload or a lack of teachers. While there are professional development. currently record numbers of Teachers are under enormous teachers, the pupil population is pressure due to the demands rapidly rising. The Government’s of the latest Whitehall own recruitment targets directives and are continue to be not being given missed. That The author of this letter wins enough time is why the £100 in book tokens. If you want to to prepare Department voice your opinion on issues raised in Report or any other aspect of education, or undergo for Education please send a letter or email to the training. is spending addresses below, including your Teachers also £1.3 billion phone number. One letter will be chosen feel undervalued on a campaign. every issue to win with what seems The Government the tokens. a never-ending is planning an cap on their pay. overseas teacher What are teachers doing to recruitment drive for specialist manage their workload and maths and science teachers for their work-life balance? It is a the first time since the 1970s disturbing fact that a growing and is willing to pay a private number are opting (or being company up to £300,000 to driven by desperation) into focus on recruiting 50 teachers working part time, taking a from the Czech Republic, significant hit on wages, just Germany, Poland and the so they can complete marking, United States. This seems so planning and assessment duties expensive, given the scale of outside school on their ‘days off’. teacher shortages. Apart from I didn’t realise, when I went part attempting to encourage new time last summer, that it wasn’t people into the profession, just me who struggled to keep encouraging those currently up with workload and the in teaching to stay is also a increase in endless and pointless challenge – figures revealed STA R L E T T E R
SHUTTERSTOCK
WIN!
24 REPORT | JUNE/JULY 2017
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paperwork. This academic year, several colleagues have also quit – brilliant teachers who will leave a void at their schools. The absolute amount of money in the pot for schools in England is at record levels, but the National Audit Office has found schools are facing budget cuts of £3 billion by 2020, once you factor in rising pupil numbers, inflation and running costs of national insurance and pension contributions. Yet, at the same time, the Government is going to be spending nearly half of £3 billion in an advertising and recruitment campaign. The budget cut will amount to the biggest fall in spending on each pupil in 30 years. The current difficulties of staff shortages, workload and funding will no doubt be issues our new union will tackle with vigour and commitment. S Peace, Wakefield SURVIVAL SKILLS Reading Bear Grylls’ article, ‘Intelligence plus character’ (Report, May 2017) made me think about how (or if) young people develop in today’s school environment. Faced with unprecedented pressure to excel in SATs and exams, I believe they do develop some kind of grim resilience, although what effect that will have on their mental health later in life, I‘m not sure. I’m not an expert, but I can’t imagine the consequences will be positive. There is certainly precious little freedom for them to develop their own characters and identities, as Mr Grylls writes, so one must hope that they are able to do that outside of school. Assuming they are not too exhausted or demoralised, or indeed busy
JOIN THE DEBATE…
with the extracurricular activities so many take part in. Perhaps one skill Mr Grylls could teach our young people to help them with the modern school environment, is simply that of survival. J King, Leicestershire LABELLING LEARNERS I read the article ‘Myths of the Mind’ (Report, April 2017), and when I realised where Professor Bruce Hood was from – Bristol University – I chuckled. I am a psychology lecturer and was a member of a neuroscience and education special interest group and presented research papers on the topic with staff from Bristol University at British Educational Research Association (BERA) conferences. The theme of my research papers was learning styles. My conclusions were that, yes, we learn using the sensory modalities – seeing, hearing and doing (touch), but to label any child as one of the modalities – ie a visual learner, an auditory learner or a kinaesthetic learner – is in fact inducing sensory deprivation if the labelled child is taught to use only one modality. It is a well-established fact that neurons that ‘fire together wire together’. Thus, when teachers use multi-modal presentation techniques, they are in fact not differentiating in terms of learning styles, they are enhancing all pupils’ multimodal learning experiences. To summarise then, I wholeheartedly agree with Professor Hood, but you cannot teach to just one learning style, all children must be treated equally to multi-modal learning experiences, and not just those children with SEN. A Lisle, Lincolnshire
report@atl.org.uk @ATLReport facebook.com/ATLUnion
Report, ATL, 7 Northumberland Street, London WC2N 5RD
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05/06/2017 15:19
YOUR ATL… PRIZE CROSSWORD
WIN!
Prize crossword ACROSS 1 Organise bag with tiny bits when looking after other people’s children (4-7) 9 Increasingly badly behaved – maybe hire a gun round beginning of term (9) 10 Communists conceal European leader in waterside plants (5) 11 Move on into concept (6) 12 English king left the deer wild (8) 13 Old writer puts nativity scene within the boundaries of science (6) 15 Funny story – clumsy dance, broken toe! (8) 18 Naval establishment cut short by 3 feet (8) 19 Academic, in the end, can go back for a drink (6) 21 3 down’s weapon is a small hit in fanatical religious group (8) 23 Beer for the man in the lodge? (6) 26 From Birmingham I land in Italian city (5) 27 I trust a GI to become Duane Eddy, for example (9) 28 She supports an American football team, and might also be cleared here (11)
A £50 Marks & Spencer voucher
DOWN 1 Fruit enjoyed by graduate grandmothers? (7) 2 Plain-spoken Soviet spy? (5) 3 He’s a pupil, unexpectedly shy and cool about personal hygiene problem! (9) 4 Hard work arises from T. S. Eliot composition (4) 5 Endless train trip might become something that gets on your nerves (8) 6 Landscape feature found in mapping or geography (5) 7 Live outside University with the small amount that’s left (7) 8 Read Town Planning, then completely demolish buildings? (4,4) 14 Perhaps tire class endlessly with instrumental performances (8) 16 Possibly teach about reversing railway engine? Sweet! (9) 17 Introductory section by new group (ELO) (8) 18 System that’s based on the number ten, but claimed otherwise! (7) 20 Head of museum redesigned A Court about right (7) 22 ‘Wordplay’ I clue initially for these Roman Wars (5) 24 Sadly hit road after getting this class of degree? (5) 25 Support that is found in public relations (4)
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HOW TO ENTER
Send your completed crossword with your contact details to: ATL June/July crossword competition, Think Publishing, Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London NW1 5DH. The closing date is 7 September 2017. If you have an ATL membership number, please include this here: The winner of the June/July competition will be announced in the October issue of Report.
LAST ISSUE’S SOLUTION ACROSS: 1 Dilemma 5 Wisest 9 Messiah 10 Natural 11 Led 12 Chloe 13 Stroked 14 Two 15 Absence 17 Reel 21 Elms 24 Worn out 27 Tie 28 Outrage 29 Ripon 30 Wit 31 Rotunda 32 High tea 33 Tended 34 Modules DOWN: 1 Democrat 2 Listless 3 Maine 4 Athlete 5 Windsor 6 Set free 7 Strike 8 Slade 16 Cam 18 Ego 19 Hospital 20 Etonians 22 Learned 23 Steward 24 West Ham 25 Court 26 Statue 29 Rigid CONGRATULATIONS TO APRIL'S WINNER – SUZANNE DENT, SOUTHWELL
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06/06/2017 09:46
YOUR ATL… NOTICEBOARD
NOTICE BOARD NATIONAL EDUCATION UNION The National Education Union (NEU) comes into being on 1 September this year, offering membership and a democratic voice to every existing category of ATL member in the UK – teachers, lecturers, leaders and support staff across local authority schools, academies, independent schools, sixth form and FE colleges, and HE. Your subscription will not be affected for 2017. At the point when we start operating as a new union, no ATL or NUT member will pay a higher subs rate than they were paying before that date and the new union will have joint general secretaries for five years, until 2023. Now is a great time for ATL members to get involved and help shape the NEU. You can do this by responding to surveys, attending events, CPD or sector conferences or branch meetings, engaging with fellow ATL and NUT reps and members in your workplace about issues such as workload and funding, or becoming a rep or contact in your workplace. See www.atl.org.uk/ getinvolved for more details. For updates on the transition into the new union, see www.atl.org.uk/NEU.
STUDY IN THE STATES Each year teacher members of ATL have the chance to research an aspect of the education system in the US via a two-week study scholarship. The visit is overseen by the English Speaking Union (ESU). ATL sponsors one Walter Hines Page Scholarship worth £1,500, which includes provision for accommodation, travel and hospitality. The ESU and sponsoring unions are open to a broad range of research areas, but all proposals should include a communications dimension. More information on the scholarships can be found on the English Speaking Union’s website at www.esu.org/ our-work/cpd-for-teachers. Applications for the 2018-19 Walter Hines Page Scholarships open this September with interviews for those shortlisted taking place in London in March 2018. Application forms and accompanying guidelines should be
WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
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available from the end of September. If you have any queries or would like to register your interest and wish to receive the forms, email mlowe@atl.org.uk.
POLICY NETWORKS AND UPDATES ATL's policy department offers members the opportunity to join its email networks, which are made up of members who are interested in specific areas. As well as early years, primary, secondary and FE, there are networks covering SEND, behaviour, CPD and ITT, qualifications and assessment, accountability and inspection, pay and conditions, apprenticeships, careers education, special schools, equalities, LGBT+, disabled staff, BME and the recently launched women’s network. As a network member, you will have the opportunity to contribute to ATL’s policymaking process via input into consultation responses and taking part in relevant surveys and you will also receive policy and research updates via our termly newsletters. If you would be interested in joining any of these networks, email Monique at mlowe@ atl.org.uk, indicating which network(s) you would like to join and providing your name, full address and membership number if known.
RETIRING AS AN ATL REP? If you are retiring as ATL rep from your workplace, email membership@atl.org.uk, to notify us of the date you retire and the name of your successor, if you have one in place. If not, to enable your good work to continue, please help identify a successor. You may already have a good idea about who can replace you, in which case confirm that with them, make sure your members have been informed and the steps for appointing or electing a new rep have been followed. If you do not yet have a successor, see the FAQs at www.atl.org.uk/rep-zone/faq/the-role-ofrep.asp. For support, contact your branch/ district – use the ‘Find my district’ tool under My ATL at www.atl.org.uk. Email organise@ atl.org.uk if you need further support. If your school/college has a membership of six or more ATL members and you would like someone from ATL’s organising team to visit you, email organise@atl.org.uk with full contact details and the name and address of your workplace.
TOLPUDDLE 2017 You are invited to join ATL in Dorset for a celebration of trade unionism at the annual Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival in July. The festival remembers workers who were arrested in 1834 after forming a trade union and sentenced to transportation to Australia. The sentences led to the first great mass trade union protest, which won them free pardons and a return home. This year’s festival takes place in the village from 14 to 16 July. ATL will take part in the procession starting at 2pm on the Sunday. Entry is free that day, with events and music all day. Children are welcome. See www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk.
BACK TO WORK CONFERENCE Members in the midlands can benefit from a full day of CPD, networking and Q&A sessions to help you prepare for the new academic year. The CPD workshops are on behaviour management and liberating the curriculum, while there will be sessions on appraisals and workplace issues. To book, email Rebecca Poorhady at rpoorhady@atl. org.uk. Visit www.atl.org.uk/CPD to see all local CPD courses in your region.
PARTNER OF THE MONTH ATL Plus partner Aviva offers 5 star Defaqtorated home and car insurance, giving you the reassurance of extensive cover at aviva. co.uk prices and 24/7 service if you need to make a claim. For peace of mind for your pets, Aviva are now offering lifetime cover for your dog, cat or rabbit. Rest assured Aviva will work to get everything back to normal as quickly as possible should the worst happen. If it’s important to you, it’s important to them. For a quote please visit www.aviva.co.uk/atl.
JUNE/JULY 2017 | REPORT 27
05/06/2017 15:44
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IN P YOUR R O F IATL… LE RESOURCES
RESOURCES
There are also reports of significant support staff involvement at Annual Conference, while support staff were also well represented among the rep of the year awards, and there are new factsheets on lone working and on personal care.
POST-16 NEWS The latest issue of the newsletter for members working in the post-16 sector has been sent out with this issue of Report. It leads with an update on plans and progress for the new union amalgamation with the NUT. There are also reports on a particularly active period for ATL’s post-16 members, with the FE sector zone at the union’s Annual Conference, a challenge from ATL to MPs highlighting the challenges and opportunities for the sector post-election, and the lead member for sixth forms writing to then schools minister Nick Gibb about severe cuts to funding.
WALL PLANNER ATL’s ever-popular wall planner is back again, enabling you to display the 2017-18 academic year on your wall and plan your year ahead. It’s been sent out to all members with this issue of Report.
ATL SUPPORT ATL’s support staff members will have received the support staff newsletter with this mailing, and can read all about the well-attended support staff conference in May, where members gathered to discuss the big issues of the day, and attend CPD sessions.
LEARNING ZONE
“The whole session was relevant and I have new strategies to take back and use in school.”
“Really engaging delivery. Very useful. I will use lots from the session in future teaching.”
Learning to read, reading to learn
Using iPads in the classroom
“The delivery of this workshop was brilliant. Engaging, informative and paced very well.” What’s the right angle for teaching maths?
A big thank you to everyone who completed the national ATL learning survey and congratulations to the winners of the prize draw. It’s great to know that 93% of you who have attended an ATL national training course said you felt it was useful when you returned to your classroom. The responses we received have been used to determine next year’s national CPD programme both in terms of content and format of delivery. Core training on subjects such as managing behaviour will feature, as will new courses linked to our campaigns on workload and mental health. It’s also worth noting that in these days of tight budgets and funding cuts, heavily subsidised ATL CPD courses offer excellent value for money: just £50 for teachers and leadership members, and £30 for support staff and online courses. But don’t just take our word for it. Here are some of the comments we’ve had on training sessions held this year.
“Fab session – a lot of food for thought.” Tackling behaviour (primary)
“Great networking, I made some excellent connections.” A practical approach to developing outstanding tutorials
FOR DETAILS OF COURSES AND TO BOOK, VISIT WWW.ATL.ORG.UK/LEARNINGZONE
WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
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JUNE/JULY 2017 | REPORT 29
08/06/2017 17:37
FINAL WORD… KELLY KNOX
Beauty is only skin deep Body confidence should be a key topic in schools says model and body-image campaigner Kelly Knox
ILLUSTRATION: PHIL WRIGGLESWORTH
MY BODY HAS been through many
changes and I have been lots of different sizes – from a size 6 up to a size 12 when I was pregnant. But one thing that will never change is the fact I was born with no left forearm and hand. My passion for body confidence begins with diversity: I want to see more balanced representations in the fashion industry, the media and on social media. I believe diversity in the media and body confidence education in schools can help to address the rising levels of anxiety among young people. I went into modelling to show you don’t have to be perfect to do it. I want young people to understand that you must not let your mental health suffer by trying to sustain a false image of beauty, because beauty alone cannot sustain you. Young people are under an increasing amount of pressure to be perfect. Images in the media and on 30 REPORT | JUNE/JULY 2017
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social media are playing a big part in determining unrealistic expectations about their appearance. For many, their vision of perfection is a fantasy and their pursuit of perfection can quickly lead to alienation. Many people don’t necessarily understand that fashion shoots can be airbrushed, that the make-up is applied by professionals and the same shot is retaken repeatedly to get it right. Without understanding this process, you’re looking at a ‘fake’ image masquerading as ‘real’. Compare yourself with magazine covers or selfies from celebrities and you’ll find yourself less beautiful, less successful, less worthy – less of a person. We already know that effective support on body confidence and self-esteem in schools, like the resources available from the Be Real Campaign, can help young people to accept and celebrate
Kelly Knox is one of the UK’s leading disabled fashion models, co-founder of Diversity Not Disability and a member of the advisory panel for the Be Real Body Confidence Campaign Toolkit for Schools
their bodies. There are clear links between self-esteem, confidence and academic performance. And we know that a lack of body confidence can hold young people back from trying new sports, answering questions in class or even attending school. Take my time at school as an example: in the first two years of secondary school, I felt body positive. I was always in the school news for different achievements, having won numerous writing and science awards. But after a couple of years my body confidence and academic performance spiralled – looking back, I realise I started to hate my body for its difference. Although once a cool, confident, strong and determined young woman, I soon became unhappy, ashamed and rebellious. It’s hard enough being a teenage girl, let alone one living with a disability. Education about body confidence – as is provided by the Be Real Campaign – may have helped. It is important for teachers to understand the complex emotions that come alive in your teenage years. As students’ attitudes and bodies change, a lack of preventative education can impact school grades and social circles. That is why I want every young person to avoid those problems in the future. I think that an open, accepting attitude in any environment is a key component for somebody to work confidently and intelligently. So the message of the Be Real Campaign is that beauty is not one-dimensional and should never be defined by ability, size, race, age, sexuality or gender. True beauty, in my opinion, is about kindness, acceptance and confidence. It’s found in authenticity of spirit, unique passions, quirks and flaws – our weird-and-wonderfulness! It is every young person’s right to grow up with the freedom to be their true selves. As a starting point, let’s teach young people to feel comfortable in their own skin. Visit www.berealcampaign.co.uk/ schools for more information. WWW.ATL.ORG.UK
05/06/2017 15:03
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