report
JANUARY 2014 THE MAGAZINE FROM THE ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS & LECTURERS £2.50
Relationship abuse Supporting pupils who are in abusive relationships
Power to change Sir Patrick Stewart on education’s role in tackling domestic violence
Tricks of the trade
The demands of supply teaching
ADVICE Getting ready for a move into a leadership role
JOIN THE DEBATE Are new teachers properly prepared for behaviour management?
14-19 VCERTS - All the great beneďŹ ts of vocational study for your pupils plus performance table recognition for your school.
Talk to us 0191 239 8000 schools@ncfe.org.uk @NCFE www.ncfe.org.uk/vcerts
www.atl.org.uk
Contents
30 Welcome
Alison Sherratt, national president, ATL
OIVIND HOVLAND
S 10 22 Resources
Your ATL 04
News Including a report on ATL’s independent schools conference and survey results, along with a response to GCSE proposals
08
Noticeboard Information, events and opportunities to get involved
26
ATL resources Newsletters, posters, factsheets and CPD, with a focus on courses for NQs
28 29
Classified advertisements Crossword Your chance to win £50 of Marks & Spencer vouchers
Help and advice 20
Tackling abusive relationships ATL and the NSPCC offer detailed advice on supporting teenagers in abusive relationships
22
Police investigations Legal advice on what happens if you are investigated by the police
23
Contact All the details you need to get in touch with ATL
24
Climbing the ladder Guidance on preparing for your move into a leadership role
Join the debate 14
Agenda Mary Bousted says members’ work is crucial, no matter what politicians say or do
15
ATL in Wales and Northern Ireland Philip Dixon and Mark Langhammer give their views
17
Letters ATL members on being told how to do their jobs, avoiding moral panic and… sympathy for Michael Gove
19
Managing behaviour Trainer Paul Dix’s views on preparing teachers to deal with behaviour
30
Final Word Actor Sir Patrick Stewart on how schools can help children suffering with domestic violence
Features 10
The demands of supply Report looks at the pros and cons of working as a supply teacher
Report is the magazine from the Association of Teachers & Lecturers, 7 Northumberland Street, London WC2N 5RD Telephone: 020 7930 6441 Fax: 020 7930 1359 Email report@atl.org.uk or membership@atl.org.uk Internet www.atl.org.uk Managing editor Victoria Poskitt Editors Alex Tomlin, Charlotte Tamvakis Head of advertising sales Stephen Price 01603 772856 Advertising sales Lisa Marrison (née Parkinson) 01603 772521
o 2014 is well underway. Resolutions have been made and forgotten, but for me it is a time to take stock of my CV and decide what learning needs I have. At ATL, we believe CPD should be effective and have a positive impact on careers both professionally and personally. We are proud to provide excellent CPD opportunities led by well-qualified experts, including our partners at Edge Hill. I recently took part in a training day run jointly by ATL Lancashire and Show Racism the Red Card at Burnley Football Club. It was not only thoughtprovoking, but I came away with a wealth of resources. I strongly urge you all to investigate what ATL has on offer and to gently point out to your CPD coordinator that the small fee we ask is excellent value in terms of what is given in return. See page 26 for more or visit www.atl.org.uk/learningzone. When I came back to teaching after nine years raising a family, I became a supply teacher and would have found ATL courses an excellent route back into the curriculum. I suspect supply teaching is how many re-enter the profession after a break. There are also those who choose to be supply teachers. But, as I have travelled around the country meeting members, those who are supply teachers feel that they are the forgotten few. I am pleased to say Report is presenting their views and exploring the issues around supply teaching on page 10. ATL has been working hard to tackle the difficult issue of domestic violence and abuse in all its forms, both to protect our members and to educate the young people we teach. Part of that work involves teaming up with the NSPCC to produce support and guidance over abusive relationships for secondary school pupils, and you can see an example of that guidance on page 20. Meanwhile, on page 30, Sir Patrick Stewart talks about his own experiences of domestic violence in his childhood and why he believes educators have a role in helping prevent it. Colleagues, I wish you all a belated happy new year and hope that with ATL we can continue to debate and negotiate for an education future fit for all.
Report is produced and designed for ATL by Archant Dialogue Ltd, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1RE. Email: mail@archantdialogue.co.uk Production editor Lucy Mowatt, Art editor Claire Leibrick, Creative director Nick Paul, Managing ad production controller Kay Brown, Publishing director Zoë Francis-Cox, Managing director Mick Hurrell Printed in the UK on FSC-accredited stock. Subscription: Non-members, including libraries, may subscribe at the rate of £16 per year. 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 the articles in Report are the contributors’ own and do not necessarily reflect ATL policy. Official policy statements issued on behalf of the Association 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.
your ATL / news
Independent conference More than 100 ATL reps and active members attended ATL’s independent schools conference in London in November, where three out of the four speakers and the Q&A panel were members. ATL president Alison Sherratt welcomed members before Mary Bousted, ATL general secretary, dissected government policies in a talk called ‘Sailing without a sea chart — the Gove reforms’.
ATL member Kester Brewin explains the lessons to be learnt from pirates at ATL’s independent schools conference
ATL rep and author Kester Brewin then gave a thought-provoking speech on the enduring appeal of pirates and how it relates to education. “Pirates are actually about radical self-determination and emancipation,” he said. “We should be unafraid of allowing children to think radically … to question rules and demand that systems are changed. “We must never forget that knowledge is for the benefit of all. In this way teachers
are in that proper pirate tradition, because it is our job to safeguard free access to that, to ensure none are prevented from entering.” Malcolm St John-Smith, chair of ATL’s Independent and Private Sectors’ Advisory Group (IPSAG), presented the findings of ATL’s annual pay and conditions survey. Seminar groups were chaired by members of IPSAG and covered inspection, grades and contracts.
Asbestos Longer hours with no reward, despite fee rises warnings Education staff in independent schools have taken on more work for no extra pay despite school fees rising and healthy pupil numbers in many schools, an ATL survey has found. More than 20% of ATL members in UK independent schools who took part in the survey say fees have gone up between two and four per cent in the last year; nine per cent saw a bigger increase. Yet 21% have not received a cost-of-living increase and nearly two thirds (63%) have been offered no more than two per cent. Although this marks an improvement when pay has been frozen for approximately two in five teachers in the last three years, only one per cent of respondents received a cost-of-living increase that matched or bettered the Retail Price Index of 3.2% in the year to September 2013. Meanwhile, two thirds of members say pupil numbers remain steady or have increased compared to September 2012. John Richardson, ATL’s national official for the independent sector, said: “The workload of our independent school members continues to increase year-onyear, with many left feeling demoralised. However, these extra hours aren’t reflected in pay. Are parents aware that the premium www.atl.org.uk
they are paying for their children’s education isn’t being passed down to staff? “ATL calls for independent schools to address the increasing number of demands placed on staff, as burnout and a decrease in effectiveness will become more common and unavoidable.” One teacher said: “My school has spent a substantial amount of money within the last year on building projects, it has employed an increasing number of administrative staff and it has increased its fees by more than four per cent a year over the last three years. However, basic salaries for staff were frozen in 2011 and 2012 and have increased by 1.5% in 2013.” Although the Working Time Directive specifies staff work no more than 48 hours a week, almost a quarter of the members who took part in ATL’s survey (23%) say they work more than 60 hours a week and 43% work between 49 and 60 hours a week. As well as increased working hours, just over half of staff do not take an uninterrupted lunch break of at least 20 minutes per day, which is the legal requirement. ATL recommends a break of at least 40 minutes per day.
The Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC), of which ATL is a member, has called for transparency after a leaked report revealed plans to scale back work promoting effective asbestos management in schools. The call came after The Guardian reported where cutbacks at the Department for Education (DfE) could allegedly be made, including a suggestion that stakeholder involvement in raising awareness about the need to protect staff and children from asbestos in schools — in the form of the Asbestos Steering Committee — should end. JUAC chair Julie Winn said: “[This move shows the DfE] is not serious about its responsibilities and is more focused on silencing voices that challenge its view that the presence of asbestos in at least 75% of our schools is not a problem. “If this is indeed the DfE’s intention, the forthcoming review of asbestos policy in schools is likely to be a complete sham, with the conclusion being that ... consultation with stakeholders is not necessary.” JUAC has also issued a warning that education staff should not handle World War II gas masks because they contain asbestos. JUAC is urging staff to stop using the masks immediately and to contact the local authority for advice. January 2014
SARAH TURTON
4
5
“Narrow” new GCSEs Changes to the content and assessment of GCSEs in England will sideline certain subjects and students, ATL has warned. Responding to the government’s plans, Mary Bousted, ATL general secretary, said: “Qualifications need to be rigorous, but making them harder and more narrowly focused will not benefit the majority of pupils. The government is totally neglecting the 40% of young people who don’t pass five GCSEs at grades A* to C.” Dr Bousted welcomed small changes to English and maths in response to concerns from teachers, subject associations and academic experts, but said pupils need a greater breadth of content and a blend of
theoretical and applied knowledge and skills, which the new GCSEs lack. “By only focusing on what it regards as ‘core subjects’, the government is denigrating other subjects such as design and technology, art and music,” she added. A new numerical grading structure for GCSEs will see boundaries recalibrated upwards, resulting in fewer students passing maths and English at grades A* to C at 16, while all assessment is to be based on end-ofcourse exams. Dr Bousted said: “We fear the new GCSEs will not give young people the skills employers need, particularly in communicating, collaborating, innovating, research and design.”
Success for SEN voice workshop
ATL’s new voice care training for education staff who work with special educational needs (SEN) pupils is proving popular. The course is being held at theatres around the country and was developed in partnership with the Voice Care Network (VCN). Yvonne Morley, ATL member, VCN trustee and workshop leader, said: “The unique voice workshop has been developed using a collaboration of VCN voice teachers and speech and language therapists. It provides a practical programme of distinct voice and communication methods that all classroom practitioners can use to enhance relationships for teaching and learning with SEN pupils.” January 2014
Left to right: ATL member and VCN trustee Yvonne Morley, voice tutor and Riding Lights Theatre Company associate director Paul Birch and VCN member and specialist speech and language therapist Francesca Rose in action in York
ATL member Rebecca Hillman, who attended a session in York, said: “This has been the most useful course I have attended in six years of teaching — it’s essential training.” ATL member Rachel Ingham said: “This workshop will feed into the strategies I suggest when training teachers/lecturers in specific learning difficulties as well as helping my practice.” Sessions in Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol are planned for spring 2014 — contact learning@atl.org.uk if you are interested in attending. For ATL’s publication Achievement for All about working with children with SEN, see www.atl.org.uk/publications.
Academy agreements ATL has agreed new appraisal and pay policies with the Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) in the latest round of its negotiations with academy sponsors on behalf of members. AET, the largest chain in England with more than 70 academies, is among more than 20 chains with which ATL has, or is working towards establishing, recognition agreements and other polices to protect members’ pay and working conditions. A full list of agreements and policies is available via www.atl.org.uk/academies.
Scholarship success ATL member Dr Claire Nicholson has graduated with a PhD from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, after an initial contribution from ATL’s Peter Smith scholarship. “In autumn 2006, I was the first person to receive the scholarship,” she says. “I would like to thank ATL for the initial contribution towards my fees, which enabled me to embark upon the fascinating journey I have followed since then.” Claire received £1,000 towards her fees. Her thesis, ‘In Woolf ’s Clothing: an exploration of clothes and fashion in the fiction of Virginia Woolf ’, was conducted on a part-time basis while working as an English literature lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University. The Peter Smith scholarship scheme is for ATL members seeking to return to full- or part-time study in areas that will help their professional or personal development. The closing date for applications is 14 April 2014. See www.atl.org.uk/scholarships. www.atl.org.uk
BETT SHOW JAN 22-2 5 SQUARE PARTY JAN 23rd 6PM OYSTER SHED
! Y T R A P S LET’ E N I L N O R E T S REGI w
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Interested in learning more about iPad in the classroom?
EVENT DETAILS
Square are hosting a fun evening gathering for teachers who are passionate about using technology in the classroom. If you have a fully ȵedged i3ad proMect o the ground or still in the consideration stages of your proMect, this event is for you.
Where
Join us on the evening of Thursday 23rd January to meet your peers, swap stories, learn tips from the e[perts plus enMoy drinNs and winter warming tasty treats on Square. Hosted at The Oyster Shed, a gorgeous nautical themed gastropub by the Thames, we’ll have something for everyone. Live demos, prize draws and best of all, great conversation. We can’t wait to see you there!
The Oyster Shed, EC4R 3AB
Date
Thursday 23rd January
Time
6pm - 10pm
WHO SHOULD ATTEND Teachers passionate about using technology in the classroom.
REGISTER Numbers will be limited, so please register in advance: www.squaregroup.co.uk/education
Call us for more information: 020 7612 9314
your ATL / news
7
Toilet training issues Almost two thirds of foundation and nursery support staff members have seen an increase in the number of children wetting or soiling themselves at school, an ATL survey has found. While 36.8% of staff who took part in the survey in the autumn said there had been no change in the number, 62.1% saw an increase, and just 1.1% had experienced a decrease. Yet for more than two thirds of members (69.4%), attending to children who have soiled or wet themselves is not part of their job description and/or employment contract, and 88% said they have never received any training in dealing with childhood continence issues. While members reported that only 32% of schools had a written policy for dealing with incontinence and toilet training, the vast majority (81%) of respondents to the survey said their school expects all
appropriate support staff to change children who soil themselves. ATL national official Peter Morris said: “Having to deal with an increasing number of pupils who have not yet been toilet trained puts extra pressure on education staff when they already have enough pressure on them. “Schools need to give staff clear guidance on how to deal with toileting accidents so they know what they are allowed to do and who should be dealing with an incident. It is also important that education staff feel they have support from their school nurse or head, and that they know where to obtain guidance should they need it.” You can read more guidance for members on the issue at www.atl.org.uk/personalcare, and to view the full results of the survey, please go to www.atl.org.uk/recentsurveys.
Expertise for Ofsted Tougher new inspections for early years providers must be carried out by people experienced in the sector, ATL has said. Ofsted's revised inspection framework means ‘good’ will be the minimum standard expected of nurseries and preschools and, as for schools and colleges, a ‘requires improvement’ rating has replaced ‘satisfactory’. Nurseries rated ‘requires improvement’ will be monitored and re-inspected within a year, and have two years to get to ‘good’.
Nurseries rated ‘inadequate’ will be reinspected after six months and face closure if they have not improved. Mary Bousted, ATL general secretary, said: “We know excellent early years provision with highly qualified staff gives children — particularly those in poverty — a good start on their journey through education. ATL believes it is vital that the inspectors who are deciding whether provision is good or bad are qualified and experienced in early years education.”
The case for teachers’ pay ATL has put forward a robust case that the one per cent limit imposed on all public sector workers’ pay should be abolished. The School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) recently consulted on how the one per cent pay increase proposed for teachers in England and Wales in September 2014 should be implemented. ATL policy adviser Simon Stokes said: “Our calculations show that since 2011 the teacher pay scales have fallen over 10% behind where they would have been if they had kept pace with inflation. Increases in pension contributions and changes to national insurance contributions have also reduced teachers’ standards of living. “In the event that the STRB ignores our calls for a greater increase, we have argued that the one per cent increase must be applied to all salaries and allowances in payment.” This month, the STRB will also report to the government on its previous remit, which looked at leadership pay and teachers’ allowances and non-pay conditions of service. ATL’s evidence and the STRB’s reports can be found on the ATL website at www.atl.org.uk/responses and www.atl.org.uk/paynews. The STRB will make its recommendations to the government in mid-May 2014.
PISA for point scoring The OECD’s latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey on the maths, science and reading skills of 15-year-olds in a number of countries around the world suggests the UK’s performance has failed to improve in recent years. Commenting on the survey, which ranked the UK in 26th place for maths, January 2014
23rd for reading and 21st for science, ATL general secretary Mary Bousted said: “We want all young people to have the best education possible, with the best teachers and in the best schools. We are not complacent; there is always room for improvement. “But one thing is clear: instead of misusing the PISA results to score political
points, politicians should carefully consider what the results mean.” She added: “Everyone needs to remember PISA is not an exact science. The OECD has repeatedly cautioned about the simplistic use of PISA data, admitting there is ‘uncertainty’ in its interpretation and, as a result, ‘large variation in single (country) rankings is likely’.” www.atl.org.uk
8
your ATL / noticeboard, get involved
Noticeboard PSHE offer for ATL members We know from talking to ATL members that there can be real challenges in providing high quality PSHE with adequate curriculum time in many schools. ATL is committed to supporting members to become confident PSHE teachers with the up-to-date resources they need, and we have partnered with the PSHE Association to provide a special discounted rate for ATL members. The PSHE Association supports practitioners to raise the quality of PSHE teaching and the status of PSHE in the curriculum. By joining, ATL members will be able to access programmes of study, model schemes of work and many other downloadable resources, as well as dedicated advice and support, regular updates and reduced-cost CPD and conference opportunities. The reduced price for ATL members means individual membership is £30 for a year or £70 for the whole school, allowing all staff in the school to become PSHE Association members. To sign up and take advantage of this deal, visit www.pshe-association.org.uk/atl. For more information about ATL's work on PSHE, see www.atl.org.uk/curriculum.
New-look digital Report A new online version of Report is now available in a digital reader format, which is easy to navigate and works on laptops, PCs, tablets and mobile phones — see www.atl.org.uk/report.
Insurance protection ATL members automatically receive insurance protection and cover, including the following, as from 1 January 2014: • Personal accident cover – members are automatically insured for £10,000 against accidental death, permanent total disablement and loss of limbs or eyesight when such accidents occur at or on the way to or from work. A further maximum of £5,000 can be claimed for funeral expenses after a member’s accidental death under the above circumstances, plus £200 for each dependent child at the time of death. • Loss or damage to, or theft of, property (maximum benefit payable £300) or theft/loss of cash (maximum £150) inside work buildings. Spectacles are covered anywhere within work grounds; bicycles if locked within work grounds. School trips are not included. An excess of £25 applies to all claims. • Malicious damage to motor vehicles within the boundaries of the work establishment (maximum benefit payable £400). Damage caused by another vehicle is not covered, nor is theft of property from the vehicle. An excess of £25 applies. • Assault – members are covered against absence from work after injury following physical assault by any person at or on the way to or from work; £100 a week is payable for four weeks after the first seven days of absence. • Dental treatment – if you require dental treatment as a result of assault or an accident at or on the way to or from work, a maximum benefit of £200 is payable. An excess of £25 applies. • Hospitalisation – members hospitalised due to accidental bodily injury while at work or travelling to or from work are eligible for a payment of £50 per day in hospital after the first 24 hours, up to a maximum of 365 days. • Coma – any member hospitalised due to accidental bodily injury that results in a continuous unconscious state is eligible for a further £50 per day after the first 24 hours, up to a maximum of 365 days, in addition to the hospitalisation benefit above.
SkooshKarma January hotel offer Thinking about half term already? Get an extra 10% off all hotels booked in January with SkooshKarma, partner of ATL Plus. As an invitation-only site, SkooshKarma already offers hotels at far below their public price. In January it is giving its full discounted prices normally available to members through its reward scheme ‘InstantKarma’. With 150,000 hotels online, both in the UK and around the world, you’ll have plenty to choose from and with TripAdvisor ratings showing on most hotels it’s even easier to decide. Go straight to www.skooshkarma.com/atl/januaryoffer.
www.atl.org.uk
January 2014
9
A curriculum that counts
TUC conferences Members interested in joining ATL’s delegation at the TUC’s women’s, disabled workers’, black workers’ and LGBT conferences in 2014 should email ATL’s equalities officer Wanda Wyporska at wwyporska@atl.org.uk with their ATL membership number and a 100-word statement about why they wish to go. The dates are: • Women’s conference: 12-14 March 2014 • Black workers’ conference: 11-13 April 2014 • Disabled workers’ conference: 28-29 May 2014 • LGBT conference: 26–27 June 2014
In December, ATL spent the day filming and gathering resources at two innovative primary schools for case studies that will be part of an exciting new website set to launch in April 2014. Its aim will be to demonstrate how creative curriculum design can help the transition through the statutory curriculum changes that will come into force in September 2014. You can help us by giving your feedback on what is happening in your schools: • What will you need in order to plan for the new curriculum? • How much will you need to change? • Do you have any good examples of curriculum design from your school? We would like to hear your ideas and feedback on what information would be most useful for your work. We also want more case studies to showcase on our new website. Find out more by visiting www.atl.org.uk/acurriculumthatcounts.
LGBT history month February is LGBT History month – for events in your area and information for schools, see www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk.
CALLING ALL TEACHERS!!
BOOKINGS ARE NOW BEING TAKEN FOR THE 2014 RESIDENTIAL COURSES FOR SECONDARY TEACHERS SPONSORED BY THE GOLDSMITHS’ COMPANY These free courses (worth £500) are designed to stimulate and broaden teachers of science related subjects allied to the A-Level syllabus, providing teaching resources, specialist speakers and visits to key centres of interest. An invaluable opportunity for teachers to mix and exchange views in an informal setting.
No Charge For Food Or Accommodation. Deposit of £50 required/refunded on completion of course. 1 week courses 20 to 25 July 2014 include: Astrophysics, Genetics, Mathematics, Materials Science, Particle Physics, & Sustainable Energy. For further details visit our website: www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/education where you can download an application form. Closing date for applications 1 May 2014 – Be warned, places fill quickly. Please note that first preference will be given to those who haven’t attended previous courses.
January 2014
www.atl.org.uk
10
cover feature / supply teachers
Thedemands
of supply
‘‘I
am enjoying teaching again”, said ATL member Trevor Morgan, who became a secondary supply teacher after 26 years in full-time teaching. “It has been a privilege to visit other schools, in my case 38 different schools, and see good practice all around — something you do not see as a full-time teacher.” ATL believes it is unrealistic to expect a pupil’s regular teacher will always be available to teach his or her class, and that supply teachers are the versatile, skilled experts who are on call whenever schools need additional teachers. And many teachers will consider supply work at some stage in their career — perhaps between jobs, due to a change in personal circumstances or following retirement. ATL member Mary Ann McGuigan, based in Croydon, south London, decided to go into supply teaching while at a “very stressful school”. She said: “I’m now in my third year and it works for me. I can pick the area, the school, the day. I’m in my 50s, my husband has taken retirement, so for me it is not financial, but I know I am in a very privileged position.” She added: “I’m not sure if it’s people wanting to, but I get the impression there are a lot of supply teachers. Perhaps people are coming out of permanent jobs earlier than they would have done.” ATL national official Peter Morris agrees: “We’re certainly seeing more people registered as supply teachers, including experienced teachers and newly qualifieds looking for their first inductable post.”
www.atl.org.uk
However, many supply teachers say they a supply teacher, while 23% said pay is their are not treated in a way a professional, often main concern, followed by worries over the with many years of teaching experience, lack of information on the class (17%), pupil deserves. At ATL’s 2013 Annual Conference, discipline (13%) and access to pensions (11%). ATL member and supply teacher Jonathan Even though almost two thirds of those Dolling pulled a series of props from a “box surveyed (62%) said they are “generally of tricks” and described to delegates the satisfied” with the daily level of pay, the 54% “mind-reading powers”, navigation skills and of members in the survey working through cross-curricular knowledge supply teachers an agency are often paid much less than a need, on top of the extensive skill-set of permanent teacher or a supply teacher regular teachers, to do their job. He called for directly employed by a school or local a supply charter for schools, while improved authority with equivalent experience. supply pay and conditions were the subject “I work for a number of agencies, with of another conference resolution. Both were £100 being the going daily rate. This has not passed unanimously. increased since 2006 and some agencies are ATL believes a supply now trying to reduce it,” charter is now more said John, a secondary Schools will shop important than ever. around agencies to see supply teacher working With the number of agencies in the who is cheaper. I’m paid through supply teachers south west of England. less than I was when I increasing and more “One agency has a tactic competition for jobs, of trying to offer a lower was an NQT agencies are able to cut rate for some placements pay (which is not governed by statutory pay claiming it’s because they have a special scales but market rates), while agencies are arrangement with that school. The new rate also taking over more of the recruitment in can be as low as £80 a day but they will the sector and are cutting off teachers’ access increase it by up to £10 if pushed.” to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS). Another member, who did not want to Members are also telling us schools are be named, said: “When I started supply not providing the information they need to teaching in 2004 the agency rate was £100do their job properly, and are increasingly £110 per day. Nearly 10 years later it is still using cover supervisors when they should the same. How many other jobs can you say be employing teachers — cutting job that for?” One member in our survey said opportunities further. she is paid between £85 and £105 a day, More than a third of members (35%) before tax, national insurance contributions who completed our recent survey said and an administration fee, by the several availability of work is their main concern as agencies she registered with “in an attempt
‘‘
’’
January 2014
OIVIND HOVLAND
Report speaks to the teachers who can step into the classroom whenever they are needed and explores the issues they face in the role. Words by Charlotte Tamvakis
11
to get enough work”. Another said: “I cannot afford to turn work down; I am applying for permanent posts in order to escape from this ‘poverty trap’.” Mary Ann McGuigan, who works through an agency, said: “Schools will shop around agencies to see who is cheaper. I’m paid less than I was when I was an NQT, even though I have been a higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) and a permanent teacher and all the experience I bring to the job. Many of us have a lot of experience in the classroom. But we’re not performance managed and we don’t have the same paperwork, which are a couple of the reasons why we don’t attract the same pay as permanent teachers.” In our survey, 43% of members said they are paid what they are offered; 41% are paid in accordance with their position on the pay scales, 16% are paid based on their experience, and 10% are paid what they agree through negotiation. Supply teachers employed through an agency also lose access to the TPS because their employer is the agency and agencies are not recognised by the teachers’ pensions regulations as admitted employers. But in our survey, the vast majority (86%) of January 2014
members believed agency workers should be able to join the TPS, and ATL continues to press for the extension of TPS pension rights to supply teachers. “Supply teaching was brilliant when I worked for the LA agency,” said Helen, a primary supply teacher from York. “But now we work for the private agency that covers all casual council workers, we have no control over our terms and conditions. I am incensed they can take away our pension rights. I am a supply teacher by choice due to care commitments — yet our professionalism is being destroyed.” In September last year the newspaper Sec Ed reported that of the £120,000 the charity Teacher Support Network awarded in 2012-13 to teachers in financial difficulty, 65% of the supply staff it helped spent the money on food, accommodation costs, utility bills and clothing. However, supply teachers directly employed by LAs and schools tend to be paid more. “My agency has a working agreement with the county council to ‘pay to scale’,” said an ATL member with 30 years’ teaching experience. “I only work ‘full days’ and at ‘paid to scale’ rates. I would normally accept
up to an hour’s travel each way. When asked by schools if I am prepared to set and mark work, I say ‘yes’. “I have turned down a couple of approaches offering below-scale payment. I believe if everyone did so, more supply teachers would be paid the full amount they are worth. They get a premium service from an experienced teacher and all have been happy to pay an appropriate rate.” But school and LA pay is also changing, as ATL policy adviser Simon Stokes explains: “Up until September 2013, if a supply teacher was employed by a school or LA, they had to be paid in line with their experience, eg U3. But with the ceasing of pay portability in September, it’s now legitimate to be paid at level M1 — the lowest level — whatever your experience. “The end of pay portability and the introduction of performance pay were designed to give schools flexibilities over pay and to reward the best teachers. Specifically in the supply sector, where there is competition for jobs, we will see experienced teachers’ skills devalued, with many paid less than a new teacher would be.” A teacher who was at the top of the main scale (£163.42 a day) could now be paid at the lowest point (£111.82 a day). In our survey, more than half (54%) of those who took part said they would accept a lower salary to secure the placement, while 14% said they would consider giving up supply teaching and 27% said they would decline the placement. Just five per cent said they would be content with this lower salary. ATL member Fiona Penwarne, 56, a primary teacher with 34 years’ experience, based in the west of England, said: “This is an appalling development. Living costs do not go down. I really don’t think some schools appreciate how difficult it is to step into an unknown classroom. We are doing a professional job and should be paid accordingly.” “This is getting good teachers on the cheap and is not giving the profession the respect it deserves,” was the view of another member. But many of you need the money, however low the pay. One member said: “I am so desperate for money that the idea of £111.82 for a day’s work would be wonderful now. However, it is not acceptable to treat supply staff with such contempt, and I believe experience and competence should be rewarded.” Members are also seeing academies pay supply staff less and employ fewer of them. www.atl.org.uk
12
cover feature / supply teachers
‘‘
In the right school, supply teaching is fine — you are supported, valued and made welcome
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“Academy schools have drastically cut supply teachers’ rate of pay,” said Shropshire-based Trevor Morgan. Mary Ann McGuigan has observed: “I think academies often move teachers around in-house — perhaps between schools in a chain. I’ve only worked two days at an academy this year.” Although the Agency Workers Regulations, introduced in 2010, mean terms and conditions for agency staff have technically improved because after 12 weeks at the same school they are entitled to the same conditions as other staff, in reality the impact is limited. In our survey, 43% of members said their agency placements had not been long enough to apply for equal treatment under the regulations, and six per cent said their placements had deliberately been ended before 12 weeks. ATL’s Simon Stokes explains: “The Agency Workers Regulations have proved a doubleedged sword in other areas of education. In FE, lecturers employed by agencies have gained employment rights, and have therefore become more expensive for colleges to employ. As a result, instead of using agency staff, colleges are directly employing some staff on zero-hours and contact-hours-only contracts. www.atl.org.uk
“Zero-hours contracts give no guarantee of work and also mean lecturers miss out on the rights they would have as agency staff. I am worried they will spread to schools if the government does not address the genuine concerns over their use.” Helen, a maths teacher who works as a home tutor, supply teacher and examiner, said: “At the moment I’m in FE, and they pay hourly only for the teaching time, with no PPA and long unpaid breaks between lessons. With changes of conditions on pay, now even LA supply will probably be underpaid. “Now my children are at school I like to keep my hand in the classroom and find supply teaching suits me, I enjoy the variety it brings. I love FE, I can teach without all the behaviour issues — isn’t that every teacher’s dream? And I don’t have all the paperwork that can get in the way of teaching. But on the downside I feel I’m worth at least 1.5 times the pay, as planning and marking have to be done, and there’s a lot of travel and time between lessons for a poor hourly rate.” Our survey has also echoed an issue raised by our support staff members (‘Adding value’, Report, October 2013 — www.atl.org.uk/report) that they are being employed in place of supply staff to teach classes. ATL’s national official Peter Morris explains: “We are hearing that schools are using HLTAs and cover supervisors to fulfil what appear to be teaching responsibilities; schools should not be using support staff to replace teachers.” Mary Ann McGuigan said: “I think there is a tendency now, with budgets tighter than ever, for schools to use an HLTA if it’s a half day and a supply teacher if it’s a full day.” An ATL member and primary supply teacher based in Devon said: “More and more schools are using HLTAs to cover teacher absences, and are even using qualified teachers to cover classes as HLTAs.” Cathy Gautier, 54, an ATL member based in Oxfordshire, has had so little work this year she’s taken a role teaching English as a foreign language. She said: “Up until four years ago, I used to get four days a week, but this term so far I’ve had nothing. I think primary schools are using HLTAs. I know schools have to save money, and many HLTAs are excellent, some are even teachers, and they do a wonderful job, but their pay is appalling and schools should not be allowed to exploit them. I also think schools are
cutting down on CPD so supply staff are not needed as much.” If, as the government is proposing, regulations around ‘rarely cover’ are removed, and schools’ full-time teaching staff can cover more for colleagues, supply staff could see even fewer opportunities for work. Supply teacher members also stressed the importance of access to CPD. In our survey, 58% said they are never included in school CPD days; only four per cent are always included and six per cent are usually included. “The big issue for me is CPD, which is why my union is so important,” said Mary Ann McGuigan. “I attend everything I can. Agencies do run some courses, but they are expensive.” ATL offers CPD courses tailored specifically for supply teachers. Sally, 53, a primary school teacher from Wiltshire, concludes: “In the right school, supply teaching is fine — you are supported, valued and made welcome by colleagues, pupils and parents — and, as a bonus, things like staff meetings, report-writing and parents’ evenings are optional.” ATL is currently developing a charter that schools can sign up to to protect, support and adequately reward supply teachers and help make every school the ‘right school’ for supply staff, who are skilled in their role and play a vital role in the education landscape. ATL national official Peter Morris explains: “We want an agreement for schools to sign up to so that supply teachers receive a decent wage when they are working and have the information they need to be able to teach their students. We want an end to finders’ fees if schools decide to retain the services of a supply teacher and for supply teachers to be given access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. We will be pushing the government and schools to agree a charter as soon as possible.” ATL will be launching its supply charter this spring. ATL has a range of resources and support for supply teachers. Our factsheet Supply Teachers: Working Through an Agency is available from www.atl.org.uk/factsheets and our publication A Guide for Supply Teachers is available to download and order from www.atl.org.uk/publications. Information on rights and working conditions including a checklist for line managers and/or headteachers is available at www.atl.org.uk/supply. ATL’s supply members also receive our e-newsletter ATL Supply News, and members should email pmorris@atl.org.uk for information about CPD. January 2014
Cancer. It’s a big subject – but one that all of us need to talk about. Every school community is affected by cancer in some way but at Macmillan we don’t want cancer to be the elephant in the classroom. That’s why we’ve produced the Talking about cancer toolkit. Created with the help of cancer experts and teachers, this free toolkit is packed with materials to help your pupils understand what cancer is and how it affects people. So, head to macmillan.org.uk/teachingpack or call us on 0845 601 1716 to order your free toolkit today.
Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). MAC13818_AD_1112
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join the debate / agenda
A crucial truth In the midst of the stresses and strains of relentless government interference, it’s more important than ever to remember that the work you do is essential, says ATL general secretary Mary Bousted
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TL members in schools and colleges throughout the UK are feeling very down about their working lives. That is the feedback they give me. The causes of low professional morale are well known and well rehearsed. Insane workloads caused by unrealistic and unrealisable grade or level targets; ridiculous bureaucracy caused by fear of Ofsted that results in teachers writing as much as novelists, as they are driven to record every aspect of every lesson in triplicate — as if nothing would be taught or learned if it was not written down. And then there are the endlessly repetitive meetings where you are exhorted to do better but given neither the time to do things properly nor the professional development to support sustained and real improvements in your teaching. All this nonsense has been compounded by performance-related pay, which has made an industry of the appraisal process. I have seen targets set that extend to three pages and four graphs — all data-driven, all reducing still further any sense of professional pride and autonomy that should be the hallmark of a teacher or lecturer’s work, and all leaving those who work with students in classrooms feeling undervalued and over-pressured. The saying ‘you can’t fatten a pig by weighing it’ is all too appropriate in all too many schools, where the emphasis is all on weighing and not on feeding children’s minds, freeing their ambitions and whetting their appetites for learning and discovery. And then there is the coalition government’s relentless onslaught on the profession. Safe in the Whitehall bubble, politicians endlessly exhort teachers and lecturers to do better and seem to believe that the way standards are to be improved is through constant criticism and endless policy initiatives. These are in danger of leaving the school system in chaos as
www.atl.org.uk
national curriculum levels are abandoned and being able to manage workload in a in primary schools and as teachers in working environment that is challenging secondary schools face a tidal wave of and stimulating. curriculum and exam changes that will There is, however, clear evidence result, in 2015, in them teaching a new that public sector workers are not key stage 3 syllabus, new GCSEs in the gaining job satisfaction. According to core subjects, and new AS- and A-levels. recent CIPD research, there has been a No profession could reasonably be asked 20-point decline in the satisfaction rates to cope with this frenzied change and no of public sector workers — who are now reasonable government should expect the most dissatisfied employees in the them to. But we are not dealing with UK. Teachers make up a significant reasonable people here. proportion of public sector employees In this maelstrom of endless target(there are approximately half a million setting, progress measures and new teachers in the UK). initiatives, there may be some small So, if you are experiencing intense crumb of comfort in the recognition pressure through an unsustainable that you are not alone in feeling under workload; if you are experiencing pressure, demotivated and demoralised. anxiety because of unrealisable targets; A range of external and objective if your relations at work are suffering organisations enquiring into employee because there is no time to talk, you engagement and job satisfaction are now are not alone. finding that morale among public servants In these dark times for teachers, it is is alarmingly low important to hold and dropping fast. on to some crucial Safe in the Whitehall truths. The work A recent report bubble, politicians seem published by the you do is essential. think-tank Demos, Children and young to believe that the way Good Job: Satisfaction people rely on you standards are to be in the Workplace and to prepare them for improved is through Why it Matters, adulthood, and, in constant criticism concluded that so doing, to awaken people’s satisfaction their curiosity, with their jobs has develop their implications for their well-being. skills and broaden their knowledge. Workplaces with high employee As teachers, you are highly skilled satisfaction are more creative, professionals who deserve to be treated productive, committed and collegiate with respect, particularly by those than unhappy ones. Good job satisfaction politicians who preach from afar but leads workers to be 12% more productive would never be able to withstand the (job satisfaction vies with increasing pressures of the classroom. salary and benefits as the most commonly ATL believes in teachers. That is why, cited reason for employees wanting to over the last seven years, we have provided change a job). training and CPD for more than 15,000 Another survey by City & Guilds asked of you. ATL will continue to demand that people directly what makes them happy teachers, lecturers and support staff get at work. Top of the happiness stakes was the respect and professional support they getting on with colleagues, followed deserve. And, in so doing, we work to closely by feeling worthwhile and useful, lighten the load for our members.
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January 2014
join the debate / Northern Ireland and Wales
Northern Ireland Mark Langhammer
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Wales Dr Philip Dixon
Social circumstances and inspection grades are too closely linked
ATL Cymru will fight for better pay and conditions for its supply teacher members
Teachers and educationalists are united under a single vision in the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland’s (GTCNI) submission to the Assembly’s inquiry into inspection. ATL contributed to, and endorsed, the GTCNI’s submission, Striking the Right Balance. In broad terms, we made the case that a battle of educational philosophies is developing between the ‘high road’ and the ‘low road’. The former encourages reflective, high-skill, autonomous professionalism, with practitioners recognised for their knowledge, expertise and judgement. The latter is characterised by microaccountability, excessive testing and assessment, high-stakes inspection and a tightly prescribed curriculum. In oral evidence, I drew attention to a statistical analysis showing that inspection grades
One of the in Wales are doing their first letters I induction as supply teachers received when because of the paucity of permanent I became ATL’s places. This is particularly first director damaging for them as they begin for Wales was their teaching careers without the about supply stability and support they should teaching — or rather the lack of be able to expect. It also has the it. Over the years many members potential of seriously undermining have told me that the supply the Welsh Government’s drive to teacher’s lot is not a happy one. attract and retain the best Their concerns and other issues graduates in teaching. are reflected in the contents of this The current Minister is more issue of Report aware than his (page 10). Some predecessors of Many members the plight of the of it makes for sobering have told me that the supply teacher, reading. supply teacher’s lot is having been one ATL has himself for a not a happy one consistently brief period, pressed the and he is Welsh Government and local genuinely keen to see how the authorities to be more proactive Welsh Government can promote in addressing the problems faced better practice. We will obviously by supply teachers. We have support him in that and also highlighted the low wages, lack continue to fight for better pay of CPD and cavalier attitudes of and conditions for members some of the agencies. We have working as supply teachers. investigated setting up a not-forThis is not going to be an profit cooperative, kite-marking easy battle to win but we are and a return to local pools. confident that we are making Research by the General progress; hopefully the Welsh Teaching Council for Wales has Government will now want to shown that well over half of NQs speed up the pace of change.
highly correlate with the social circumstances of the pupil intake. Schools with the most advantaged pupil intake band are twice as likely to get ‘outstanding’ or ‘very good’ than those from the least advantaged, which are four times more likely to be judged ‘inadequate’ or ‘unsatisfactory’. This represents a shocking social bias in inspection grades, showing that inspections are exercises reduced to reading tests and exam scores. The limited data sample I referred to has since been surpassed by some much more rigorous in-depth research, which indicates that Education and Training Inspectorate grades closely follow indices for multiple deprivation. Inspection grades and relative wealth are highly correlated. It is clear the inspectorate takes insufficient account of the social and other difficulties schools face and that many teachers who choose to teach in schools with overwhelmingly poor pupil intakes are being unnecessarily ‘beaten up’ by a class-biased inspection service.
We’ve come this far with
YOU January 2014
Now let us take
YOU FURTHER...
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Are you an ATL member in a leadership role in a school or college? If you haven’t moved into AMiE membership, you could be missing out. AMiE is ATL’s section for leaders in education. On top of the benefits of ATL, AMiE provides specialist advice, bespoke guidance and support for you in your role as both an employee and leader.
To move into AMiE membership call 020 7782 1602 or email membership@atl.org.uk
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join the debate / letters
17
Report, ATL, 7 Northumberland Street, London WC2N 5RD report@atl.org.uk @ATLReport The views expressed in the letters printed in Report do not necessarily reflect ATL policy or opinion.
facebook.com/ATLUnion
STAR LETTER Sympathy for the minister
Ditch the moral panic
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J Smith, London
A response from ATL We realise that we do not represent every member’s views on any given issue. However, we were mandated by the membership’s concern at ATL Conference about body image and ‘the effect that readily available pornography is having on children’. This informs our perspective, which is about the freedom of children not to be exposed to these publications, just as they are not exposed to pornographic films. Recent research from the Office of the Children’s Commissioner backs up other evidence of links between exposure to pornography and violence against women. We think this is child protection, not a moral panic.
WIN
J Smith wins £100 in book tokens. If you want to voice your opinion on any issues raised in Report or any other aspect of education, please send letters to the address above, including your phone number. One star letter will be chosen every issue to win the book tokens.
The plate spinner I’ve been a plate spinner most of my life. I got formal training in my 30s when no one much worried about methods. How well plates spun depended mostly upon my skills and the manufacture of the original plate. Some were damaged and shattered completely; although repaired they never really functioned. Most plates turned well, some spectacularly. Lately, people are looking at pace, progress and challenge, and say it’s the fault of the spinner if all the plates don’t January 2014
spin above average. Many of my vintage have seemingly got it wrong: new spinners are being taught how to do it correctly. The plates that spin brilliantly apparently have an innate ability that owes nothing to the art of the spinner. Worst of all are the inspections by Offspin. When I am closely observed my hands tremble, I spin the plates faster than possible and they fall and crash. I’m using the Gove-Wilshaw method but as soon as Offspin arrives, few plates are left in one piece. I’m told that I need to
ALAMY
DAVID PEARSON/ALAMY
Regarding the ‘Ditch the lads’ mags’ article in the November/December 2013 edition of Report, I feel compelled to say ATL does not represent my views. I would hope we are preparing children for life in a free and democratic society where they understand that no one has a right to not be offended or use children as a means to suppress freedom of expression, one of our most fundamental and hard-won rights. Living in a society that cherishes such freedoms means accepting children will be I would hope we are exposed to images we might not necessarily preparing children for life in a want them to see: women in niqabs being free and democratic society paraded around in public by male relatives, statues of a man screaming in pain while being bloodily tortured to death on a crucifix, and billboards and magazines that use distorted depictions of human bodies and sex to sell a product. As teachers and ATL members, we should be insisting society progresses through education rather than moral panic leading to legal bullying of businesses whose practices we disagree with. We should also be aware of various organisations’ biases around issues such as violence within relationships, sexuality and porn, and of the lengths to which organisations will go to further their agendas, and weigh all this up against actual, rather than perceived, risks to children.
I feel a slight sympathy for Mr Gove although I do not agree with all he says, and not at all with his ‘bull in a china shop’ style. We have a very right-wing minister having to work with a left-wing educational establishment, so there is bound to be little agreement. You have to work constructively with the minister you get, without becoming abusive or obstructive. It is called democracy. He is right about one thing: the lack of academic rigour offered to the top of the ability range and its effect on our need to compete globally. We should not be quoting Finland’s PISA ratings to contradict him; far too many factors vary hugely between Finland and the UK for any meaningful comparison. In any case it is noticeably outperformed by Japan, which has a totally different approach. We constantly read remarks in the education press like “gifted children can just get on by themselves”, when their parents pay tax too, which entitles them to the same level of attention. Furthermore the country needs both a generally much better educated workforce and a top-class meritocratic elite in every area of endeavour if it is to continue to earn its way in the world. There is a vast amount of trustworthy, if anecdotal, evidence of how ‘no child left behind’ too easily translates, in the hands of a left-wing establishment, into ‘no child may get ahead’. A friend was told on an exam board course it was worth pupils ‘pretending to be stupid’ or they would be marked down for being too good. C Blyth, Buckinghamshire improve; I’m inadequate. I’m not sure I can continue to spin plates; maybe it’s time to move on. Yet, at 58 have I nothing left to give? Am I wrong to cite the careers followed by plates I have spun? Some of those plates are still in touch, and they’re grateful for my spinning. Offspin’s criticism is helping me see the truth. They know better than me how to raise standards; they will continue until I am fully convinced. Name supplied
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Your school or college can benefit too involvement in NCS offers a concrete way of demonstrating to Ofsted that you are making provisions for the social development of your students. Participating in NCS grows students’ confidence and develops invaluable leadership, teamwork, communication and social skills, as they get to know people they wouldn't normally have the opportunity to mix with. NCS enhances their CV and UCAS recognition, making it an invaluable addition to any university application.
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join the debate / behaviour management
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Challenging behaviour Report speaks to behaviour expert Paul Dix about the issues facing teachers in our classrooms. Words by Charlotte Tamvakis
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hen I first a core aspect of ITT. Now we’ve deregulated started teaching ITT, we’ve got so many different routes in, I remember some people get half an hour on behaviour; being loaded some get nothing. You get lecturers or up with the mentors who haven’t been in a classroom for best resources I could find; I asked all my years who don’t even attempt to talk about secondary teacher friends, I spent months behaviour; you’ve got policy-makers who are designing a curriculum, and then I walked not even qualified teachers making decisions.” into a classroom at a school on a council Regardless of the quality of their ITT, new estate in the West Midlands and the kids just teachers are always supported by experienced told me to f*** off. Suddenly it didn’t matter teachers. Yet this informal coaching is being how groovy the lesson was,” says education lost as more experienced teachers retire, trainer and former teacher Paul Dix. leaving a profession weighted towards newer “One of the things that has been very teachers, he says. “Lots of schools think ‘we’ll damaging in the last 10 years is the idea that fill out staffrooms with young teachers who simply because you have good materials, you have only got a few years’ experience, and can automatically engage children,” he we’ll get rid of the older teachers’, and what explains. “For an experienced teacher this they are actually doing is stripping out might be true: the quality of your lesson really experience and knowledge in favour of does determine behaviour management. But low wages. That’s criminal.” when you’re a newly qualified teacher, or Paul was recently asked to work with working in a school that is really tricky, it just middle management at a school and was doesn’t wash. There are many other factors shocked to discover no one in the group that impact on the quality of your teaching.” above the age of 28. “If you don’t do behaviour Paul taught at that right in teacher training, West Midlands school Many teachers enter which we’re not, and if you for five years, becoming haven’t got the experience the classroom terrified the lead on behaviour in schools, then it’s no issues. “That school was about behaviour wonder people are 11% A-C at GCSE, the struggling,” he says. worst-performing secondary in the UK in an Does he think behaviour is getting worse? area with 85% male unemployment. As a In terms of numbers — children in pupil team we turned it around.” His next job was referral units, exclusions — behaviour is at a three-site inner city school where “police “pretty stable”, he says. “Teachers are not were on the gates every night” and they let getting worse; the profession is not getting Somali children out early to prevent attacks. worse. But the kinds of behaviours we have Now the managing director and lead to deal with… I’m not going to say they are trainer at Pivotal Education, which provides worse, but they are changing. Poverty is several of ATL’s training courses and also worse, housing is worse; parents are works with our branches, Paul believes this struggling with austerity. myth of good materials is part of a wider “You can’t isolate children’s behaviour in failing in the training teachers receive. “Many schools. The children who cause us the most teachers enter the classroom terrified about difficulty are very often the ones who come behaviour because it is either not covered at from the most difficult domestic situations, all or is taught very badly in our initial and this is getting worse. We’re dealing with teacher training (ITT) programmes,” he says. a lot more neglect, with social services “In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there breaking down, with trying to teach parents were huge modules on behaviour and it was how to deal with their children. We’re trying
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January 2014
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Education trainer and former teacher Paul Dix
to mop up some real gaps caused by the reduction in the welfare state and the austerity impact on the poorest people.” He adds: “Teachers have to deal with things that are out of their control. One of my big frustrations is people trying to compartmentalise education as if it’s all down to teachers and we can sort it all out. We’re doing a lot more than we ever used to and the argument needs to be broader than education; it’s about society and how we treat people on a wider scale. “School is society and society is school, isn’t it? They are one and the same, and when society is in austerity, you can expect that the schools will have to deal with more difficult issues, more complex problems.” ATL is part of Pivotal Education’s Teacher Mentor Project, a free service putting new teachers in touch with experienced education staff. See www.pivotaleducation.com/mentor. Join the conversation on Twitter @PivotalPaul and @ATLReport. What do you think? You can share your views via the contact details on page 17. www.atl.org.uk
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help and advice / relationship abuse
Relationship abuse between teenagers can take many forms and ATL is working with children’s charity NSPCC to raise awareness and offer guidance to education staff
Tackling relationship abuse
O
ne in four ATL members have ‘allowed’ to see or communicate with. Some been asked for help by pupils young people, particularly those who have who are in abusive relationships, witnessed abuse or violence at home, may yet only eight per cent of find it hard to distinguish between care and institutions have a specific control. Threats, put-downs and humiliation policy on the issue, according to a joint are behaviours associated with emotional ATL/NSPCC survey in summer 2013. abuse. If there is a sexual factor in the abuse, Relationships between young people there may be coercion to force sexual include relationships where young people activity or to send inappropriate images have been, or are in, an intimate relationship, via social media, known as ‘sexting’. such as long-term boyfriend/girlfriend Relationship abuse affects young people of relationships, or more casual encounters. both genders, although research shows more The UK government definition of girls experience repeated abuse and that domestic violence is: “any incident of severity can worsen after the relationship has threatening behaviour, violence or abuse ended. Research also suggests young people (psychological, physical, who identify as lesbian, sexual, financial or Some young people gay or bisexual emotional) between experience relationship … may find it hard to partners (16 years and abuse at similar rates to distinguish between over) who are or have those in heterosexual care and control been in an intimate relationships. relationship or between Common signs of adult family members (18 years and over), relationship abuse are listed below, although regardless of gender and sexuality”. these may also indicate different issues: However, relationship abuse does occur • physical signs of injury in those under 16, so the ATL/NSPCC • missing school or a decline in attainment guidance is relevant to all secondary • changes in behaviour, mood and school children. personality; becoming withdrawn Under the Education Act 2002, schools and passive have a duty to safeguard and promote the • bullying/being bullied welfare of children. Any adult in school who • isolation from family and friends is concerned a pupil may be experiencing • inappropriate sexual behaviour, relationship abuse must report their language or attitudes concerns to the designated person for child • self-harm, eating disorders, protection, in line with the school’s child problems with sleeping. protection policy and procedures. It may also be worth remembering that Although care must be taken Ofsted and Estyn inspectors consider a not to ask leading questions, number of aspects of the behaviour and it is useful to establish the safety of pupils, taking into account pupils’ following information: behaviour towards, and respect for, other • Are they currently being harmed? young people and whether they feel safe. • Are they likely to be harmed in As with domestic violence in adults, the future? abusive behaviour in relationships between • Is anyone else at risk of being harmed? young people is not just physical, it can also • Do they need medical attention? be emotional, sexual and financial. It often • What are their overall needs? involves control of who a young person is • What is important to them?
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www.atl.org.uk
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ATL and the NSPCC recommend a separate school policy is put in place due to the complex nature of relationship abuse. We have produced a detailed checklist to help guide schools in this, available from www.atl.org.uk/violenceandabuse. As the young person may still be in the relationship, or may still be at risk of abuse even if it has ended, it may be worth working through a safety plan that helps them think about ways to keep themselves safe. ATL and the NSPCC have produced separate guidance on the safety plan both for the young person and for the education professional working with them. Opposite is an excerpt from the joint guidance for schools and colleges on creating a safety plan. While safety planning with young people who are in a variety of circumstances is useful, this safety plan should not be used with young people who are experiencing child sexual exploitation or sexual abuse by an adult; safety plans for these young people should be developed in conjunction with social services and the police.
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Creating a safety plan for young people experiencing relationship abuse When developing a safety plan, remember: 1. The development of the plan must be led by the young person, with your support. 2. Ensure the young person knows the plan does not make them responsible for the actions of others and it does not ensure their safety, it only helps prepare them for situations where they might be unsafe. 3. Make sure any specific needs of the young person, such as pregnancy, disability, etc are taken into account. 4. They must feel safe, calm and in control when creating a plan. It is difficult to think clearly about how to stay safe when feeling frightened. 5. A safety plan that involves other trusted individuals, such as peers or family members, is more effective in keeping the young person safe and supporting them. 6. The plan should be easy to follow and realistic. 7. If the young person who is using abusive behaviour finds out about the plan, it may put the young person with the plan at risk. Discuss this concern. 8. It is not your responsibility to say they must break up with the young person using abusive behaviour, nor do you need to be seen as supportive of their decision to remain in the relationship. Allow them to consider their choices and support them to stay safe. They may be at higher risk if they break up with them. 9. Discuss with and agree a specific review date with the young person, but allow for an unscheduled review.
MBI/ALAMY
Getting started 1. Professionals must have some understanding of the level and frequency of abuse the young person is experiencing. Ask in what situations and how often they feel scared. 2. Explain that you may have to break confidentiality if the young person is at risk of serious harm and what may happen if you do this.
January 2014
3. If there is risk of serious harm, you should follow the procedures for your workplace for child protection, or call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000. 4. Where young people indicate there is a high level or frequency of violence, complex plans should be avoided as they cannot be followed in a crisis. 5. Help the young person identify at least one trusted adult to whom they can talk about the abuse. The choice should be the young person’s. 6. Consider agreeing a code word for use with all trusted adults to discreetly alert them if the young person feels threatened or scared.
Staying safe 1. Does the young person using abusive behaviour go to the same school? Does the young person feel unsafe at school? 2. Consider what safety planning is needed for school. Are there specific places or times they feel unsafe? 3. If needed, agree with school staff where the young person can go in the school as a safe space: somewhere with an adult always available, such as the office or library. 4. Discuss simple strategies for safety such as changing locations of lockers or arranging for friends to accompany them between classes. 5. Consider whether the young person needs to be able to leave the classroom without lengthy explanations. How can this be done with minimum disruption? 6. Consider if school clubs, school trips or the journey to and from school present a safety concern. 7. If the young person feels unsafe about getting to school, help them consider how to change their journey to help them feel safer. 8. Explore options for getting to safety should they not have access to their mobile phone. Determine if there are pay phones available on their route, or businesses that would allow the young person to call someone for help. 9. Ensure their mobile phone is always
charged, or they have spare change for public phones and contact numbers in case they are unable to access their mobile. 10. Provide a list of contact numbers that are appropriate for their situation. 11. Discuss general safety tips, such as keeping windows and doors locked, not walking alone and being aware of surroundings.
Staying safe when using a mobile phone and the internet 1. Determine if the young person needs to consider mobile phone or internet safety. 2. Help them determine if they need to change their phone number. Support them in calling their phone provider. 3. Support them in thinking about safety on social networking sites. They should consider adjusting privacy settings, blocking certain individuals or whether they need to remove their accounts. 4. Discuss whether others have access to their account, and consider if they should change passwords to keep their accounts secure. 5. Discuss whether they need to consider deleting their browser history or use an alternative computer (such as at school or in a public library) to access sites for help and support.
Finalising the plan Discuss with the young person who else needs to know about the plan. Keep in mind that if young people do not want specific individuals to know about the plan and there is not a safeguarding requirement to inform those individuals, you must respect their wishes. Some young people may not want their parents/carers to know about the safety plan for a variety of reasons. Discuss where they will keep a copy of the plan and if they need access to it regularly. ATL continues to campaign on all forms of relationship abuse in young people and adults. To find out more about ATL’s campaign and guidance materials visit www.atl.org.uk/violenceandabuse
www.atl.org.uk
22
help and advice / legal
Police investigations If a pupil accuses you of a crime and the police are involved, it is crucial to know how the investigative process works. ATL solicitor Jayne Phillips explains
Y
ANDREW CATTERALL/ALAMY
ou may one day be unfortunate enough to find yourself accused of a potentially criminal activity. Being the subject of an allegation can be hugely stressful but it may help if you are aware of how police investigations work. The most common allegations faced by ATL members are those of assault. Generally speaking they arise when a pupil alleges they have been struck by a teacher or teaching assistant. Sometimes the allegations are of sexual assault. Any such allegation may lead not only to a criminal case but also internal disciplinary proceedings. If you are contacted by the police and told they intend to question you, the first step is to contact ATL. If the allegation arises out of your employment (eg a pupil alleges that you hit them) then ATL can provide criminal legal advice and support. If the allegation is related to something that arises outside of your employment (eg an allegation of driving without due care and attention while driving your own vehicle) ATL will not provide criminal legal advice but you will be entitled to support should the allegation lead to threatened disciplinary action by your employer. Some allegations arise from many years ago. You must have been a member of ATL when the incident is alleged to have taken place for ATL to be able to offer support. The police interview is the first step in any investigation. Even if you believe
www.atl.org.uk
you are innocent, ATL would always that stage. Certainly you should not recommend you have a solicitor present provide any statement about the allegation when the interview takes place. If a police to your employer until you have spoken to interview is to be arranged then one of your appointed criminal adviser. ATL’s legal team will arrange for a local If a member has already provided a criminal solicitor to attend with you. It is statement to senior management and/or very rare that the police will interview a signed the notes of an interview conducted member at a time that is not pre-arranged. with senior management, it is important This could happen if the member is that a copy is obtained for the criminal arrested and then taken immediately to adviser as the police are likely to have also a police station. If that situation arises the been given a copy. This may occur if you member should request the presence of the have reported an incident to your employer duty solicitor. All police stations have a but the matter is later reported to the local criminal solicitor who is ‘on call’. The police by the pupil’s parents. duty solicitor can provide advice and The police may suggest that the member assistance; their ‘accept a caution’. This can By accepting a services are free. appear an attractive option caution, the individual after an interview as it Very few people is admitting guilt are arrested before would avoid any further any interview has stress and an appearance at taken place. Any interview should, a Magistrates’ or Crown Court. However, however, take place under caution (this is by accepting a caution, the individual is not the same as accepting a caution, which admitting guilt. This is likely to have is explained later). wide-ranging consequences. It may be It is very distressing and disorientating enough to lead an employer to dismiss the to be informed you are to be interviewed individual for gross misconduct. It could by the police and accused of a criminal also lead to a referral to the Disclosure and action. Members must remember that Barring Service (DBS) and/or the National anything they say to senior management College of Teaching and Learning, the and/or the police may be used in evidence government agency responsible for in both a criminal and internal misconduct cases. A caution will also investigation. If your head/principal calls appear on an enhanced DBS certificate. you to his or her office and advises that With effect from October 2012, teachers you have been accused of assaulting a are granted anonymity if accused of pupil and that the police wish to interview committing criminal offences against you, it is advisable that you say very little at children. In such circumstances no matter relating to the person is to be included in any publication if it is likely to lead members of the public to identify the person as a teacher. The protection comes to an end if the teacher is charged. Note that the protection only applies to teachers, not support staff or those working in FE. In ATL’s experience the police are aware allegations can be unfounded and many cases go no further than a police interview. In all cases it is advisable to contact ATL to ensure you get the best advice and support. See page 23 for contact details.
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January 2014
help and advice / contact
23
Help and advice 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 for advice and support. If they are unable to help, contact ATL using these details:
General enquiries 020 7930 6441 Email: info@atl.org.uk Website: www.atl.org.uk London: 7 Northumberland Street, London WC2N 5RD. Belfast: 16 West Bank Drive, Belfast BT3 9LA. Tel: 028 9078 2020. Email: ni@atl.org.uk Cardiff: 9 Columbus Walk, Brigantine Place, Cardiff CF10 4BY. Tel: 029 2046 5000. Email: cymru@atl.org.uk AMiE members: 35 The Point, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 7QU. Contact your AMiE regional officer (contact details at www.amie.atl.org.uk) or call the employment helpline 01858 464171. Email: helpline@amie.atl.org.uk
Membership enquiries 020 7782 1602 Email: membership@atl.org.uk
Pension enquiries 020 7782 1600 Out-of-office hours helpline 020 7782 1612 Monday to Friday, 5-7.30pm during term time. ATL’s regional officials are available to speak to you about work problems.
Personal injury claims 0800 083 7285 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. ATL should be your first port of call in the event of work-related issues. If you feel you need emotional support, the Teacher Support Network is a group of independent charities and a social enterprise that provides emotional support to staff in the education sector and their families. Their support lines are available 24 hours a day:
UK: 08000 562561 Wales: 08000 855088 Email: support@teachersupport.info Text: 07909 341229
Terms of ATL’s support are outlined in our members’ charter, available via www.atl.org.uk. When emailing ATL from home, please include either your membership number or home postcode to help us deal with your enquiry more efficiently.
January 2014
If you are not a member of ATL and would like to join, please contact us on 0845 057 7000 (lo-call) Remember to pass your copy of Report to colleagues who may be interested in it!
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Sir Patrick on educat Stewart role in tac ion’s domest kling ic violen ce
Trick the tras dof e ADVICE Getting into a leaready for a mo ve dership role
The dem supply ands of teaching JOIN THE Are new DEBATE for beh teachers pro perly pre aviour ma pared nagement ?
www.atl.org.uk
24
help and advice / leadership
Climbing the ladder
W
hether you see becoming a leader as a long-term goal or an imminent career move, it pays to be prepared.
Never too early to start The process of career management begins from your first job. I encourage everyone to keep a personal journal to record major achievements. This will give you a personal database to draw on, without having to continuously update your CV. It is worth monitoring it every 12-18 months. Include the first time you do something; for example, the first lesson that you not only prepared well, but that also went really well, and why. Include everything you have done as part of CPD and other events, including where it has not gone so well but you learnt to do it differently the next time. Good leaders know how to develop themselves as well as others.
Transferable skills Think about skills you already have that can transfer to a leadership role. Look beyond your job at how you affect the school or college, or even the wider community. Teachers obviously communicate with their class, but they also communicate with parents, colleagues and management, and all of this is essential as a leader. Motivation is also key; think about who you motivate other than your class.
Get online to get ahead Employers, particularly academies and independent schools, are increasingly researching potential candidates online. In five years’ time if you do not have an internet presence, employers will wonder why you are behind the times. Recruiters are already searching through LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com), which is a professional networking site that enables you to communicate with your peers and professional decision-makers. www.atl.org.uk
Your presence on LinkedIn looks a little like a CV, with a profile of you and your career. Others can connect with you if you worked or trained together, and you can connect with them, building up a network. Filling in your profile will improve your chances of connecting with people and of recruiters finding you, as will a professional-looking head-andshoulders photo. There are LinkedIn webinars (online seminars) explaining about how the site works. People might be nervous about general online presence. To stay safe, all you need to share with LinkedIn is your email address, and you could even set up a special one just for this. You always have the choice whether to communicate with people, but if you’re not on there you are missing out on opportunities.
Ready or not? It depends on each individual when they feel ready to make the first move towards leadership, but struggling with motivation can be a sign a change is needed. You might also hear of colleagues going for interviews or getting leadership jobs, or you might be excited by the idea of a new role.
Go for it Build up a document that looks like a CV, based on your personal journal. This gives you the information to fill out a CV or application form. Ask yourself, if you were recruiting, would you want to employ you? Talk to peers you trust to start extending your network. ATL’s CPD courses are excellent for meeting other people and finding out what life is like in other workplaces, as is getting more involved in union activity.
Express yourself at interview At interview people often use ‘we’ instead of ‘I’. By all means set the context of your school, but what did you actually do? Prepare answers for questions about the
IKON IMAGES/ELLY WALTON/ALAMY
It’s never too early to start preparing for a move into a leadership role, explains Margaret Carman from Hays Education
role’s competencies. Structure answers using the ‘STAR’ mnemonic: • Situation — when I was at a particular workplace. • Task — this is what I had to do. • Actions — this is what I did to make it happen. • Result — what was the outcome? People often leave the story hanging by forgetting this part. And finally, speak with passion. I’ve been in interviews where every candidate was impressive and could do the job, but what influenced our final decision was that person’s enthusiasm. Margaret Carman of Hays Education helps run ATL’s ‘Moving into headship or senior leadership’ course. ATL also runs the ‘Securing the right job: applications and interview skills for NQTs’ course. See www.atl.org.uk/learningzone.
If you are moving into a leadership role you can enjoy the benefits of being part of AMiE, the leadership section of ATL, representing leaders and managers in schools and colleges. See www.amie.atl.org.uk for details
January 2014
26
resources / training
ATL resources and training Being B Be i a rrep ing ep
Independent schools
Our termly newsletter new wsletter for all workplace, health he ealth and safety learning and union lear rning reps reps
Our termly newsletter for members in independent schools
Spring 2014 Advice Advic ce and guid dance guidance p2
Getting involved p4
Social networking g p6
Being a rep profile p7
Hea Health alth and safe ety news safety p8
Union learning news p10
Your Yo our training
Contents:
p12
Spring Spring 2014
ATL A TL TL memb membership bership on o the up u The second d half of 2013 saw A ATL’s TL T ’s membership grow percent. membershi ip gr ow by five per centt. growth That gr owth h has been driven by strong throughout 2013, str ong rrecruitment ecruitment thr oughout 20 13, up 14% on 2012. Recruitment ha has as been strong strong across across all roles roless – lecturers teachers and le ecturers (up 36%), support staff sta afff (up 44%) and lead ers (up 34%). 34%) Academies deserve desserve a leaders special mention. mention. Whilst they now account for fo or one in five A T TL members, mem mbers, during the autumn term m they ATL accounted for almost one in three three new ATL AT TL joiners. j
Strong rrecruitment Strong ecrruitment is down to you – keep it up! To T o join any union unio on – and ATL AT TL is no different difffer f ent – people need to be asked. ask ked. You You o are are clearly already already doing do oing this colleagues, with colleagues s, new and old, and our excellent excelllent figures rrecruitment ecruitment figu ures are are largely down to you. But we must not n be complacent. For the past pa ast decade, we have had to o recruit recruit in excess of 10,000 new n members each h year just to stand still. Competition Comp petition signature for the signatur re of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) (NQT Ts) s is fierce as fier ce as ever. eve er. With With pay frozen frozen or capped for the majority of education edu ucation professionals, professionals, it is important impo ortant to convey the ben nefits that ATL ATL T membership brings brrings to benefits prospective new pr ospective ne ew members.
We W e can can’t can’t do o any of this without yo you ou We need your presence We presence on the ground ground explaining expla aining the benefits of ATL AT TL membership face-to-face. face-to-face e. ATL AT TL joining as affordable continues to make m afffor f dable as possible p (see item below). below w). Our brand new w guide to being an ATL ATL T rep, rep, Making M Our Voice Vo oice Heard, Heard, includes lots of useful rrecruitment ecrruitment
tips and a list off the top 10 rreasons easons membe members ers have given for joinin ng ATL. AT TL. joining
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1. Legal advice and support 2. Excellent personal and professional development 3. Unique partnership with Edge Hill
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4. Unrivalled publications and resources 5. A voice in the education debate 6. Keep in touch with ATL 7. A wealth of support online 8. Get involved in your union 9. Insurance protection 10. Get more from your membership
k out spea ers mb Me s by oto Ph
This issue of Be eing a Rep also pr ovides lots of o Being provides help information to h elp you make the case for joining join ning ATL: AT TL: • for a voice in n the education debate – pa age 4 has page an update on n our shaping education campaign camp paign • for legal adv vice and support – ther e’s a advice there’s summary of our o social networking factsheet factshe eet on page 6 and vital v health and safety guidance guidanc ce on workplace stress stress on page 8 • for excellen professiona al excellentt personal and professional developmen nt – pages 10 to 11 include th he usual development the rround-up ound-up of our o learning learning activities. Y ou o can downlo oad a PDF of Making Our Voice Vo oic ce Heard You download fr om ATL’s ATL TL’s website webssite at www w..atl.org.uk/Imag ges/atlfrom www.atl.org.uk/Images/atlrreps-guide.09.13.pdf. eps-guide.09..13.pdf.
So keep p it up – if you keep ke eep on asking, asking they’ll the ey’ll keep on joining! joinin ng! Did you know th that hat A ATL TL T has expanded its half pri price ice of offer fer to all new A TL T mem mbers? All new teachers, lectur e leaders, ers, ATL members? lecturers, managers and support s staf ce in their stafff can join for half pric price first year of mem mbership; they just need to be as sked. Our membership; asked. of fer includes: offer • teachers, lecturers, lec cturers, leaders, managers and an nd support stafff – new members m will rreceive eceive 50% of eir first year staff offf the their membersh hip of membership
A packed Hilton Hotel venue sa w 120 A T TL rreps eps and activ saw ATL activee member rs come to ogether ffor o or the members together 2013 A T TL indepen ndent sc h l hools ATL independent schools confe erence. conference. ATL A TL T pr president esident Alison Sherr Sherratt att ggave ave member memberss warm welcome before handing over ATL aw aarm w elcome bef ore h anding o ver to A T TL secretary, Bousted, who delivered ggeneral eneral secr etaryy, Mary Bo ousted, w ho deliv ered a fforensic orensic dissection of thee paucity of eevidence vidence educational thinking.. Member Memberss in ggovernment overnment educationa al thinking appreciated speech, entitled appr eciated her speec h, en ntitled ‘Sailing Gove without a sea cchart hart – the G Go ve rreforms’, eforms’, saying was sa ying she w as a a “superb speak sspeaker, err, I w was as totall totally y transfixed” tr ansfixed” and “Mary spo spoke oke with author authority. ity y. y side e!” I am glad she’ she’ss on m my side!” Delegates Deleg ates w were ere enter entertained tained and educated in ester B rewin, A TL T rrep equal measur measuree b byy K Kester Brewin, ATL ep and author ho ggave ave a though ht-provoking talk on author,, w who thought-provoking the endur ing and comple ates. enduring complexx appeal of pir pirates. K ester rreprised eprised his rrecent ecent TEDx T talk to mak Kester makee the case ffor or ho w pir ates rrelate e elate to education. how pirates
Ts ar e eligi ble for fr ee membership for the year y • NQT NQTs are eligible free they qualify (20 014) and the following year (2015 5), plus (2014) (2015), half price mem mbership for the subsequent yea membership yearr (2016) pr ovided they agr ee to pay their futur e subscri ptions by provided agree future subscriptions dir ect debit direct • students – me embership is free. free. membership New members ca an join by visiting www .atl.org.uk/ can www.atl.org.uk/ joinonline or by calling 0845 057 7000 (local call) ). call).
www.atl.org.uk www .atl.org.uk
rton h Tu Sara
C onference provided provided the first firrst opportunity opportunity Conference ffor or members members to hear the findings fin ndings of ATL’s AT TLL’s
pagee one pag
Being a Rep All reps and contacts have been sent the latest issue of Being a Rep newsletter, which covers a strong period of recruitment of new members for ATL — in no small part thanks to the efforts of our reps and other active members. There are also details of ATL’s campaign to protect facilities time from government attempts to reduce or get rid of it, as well as updates on pay, conditions and legal issues, and advice on workplace policies about social networking websites. For health and safety reps, there is a comprehensive two-page guide on
Three ways to order
conference pendent at inde
authoritative annual pay and conditions survey (see page two). Malcolm St John-Smith, chair of the Independent and Private Sectors’ Advisory Group (IPSAG), presented the highlights of the survey, including pupil numbers and the disparity between increases in fees and staff pay. As one member meember commented it is “encour “encouraging rag a in ng knowing what what is happening across across the sector secto or knowing know that ATL AT TL is looking after us”. us”. and to know Either sidee of a ggood lunch, delegates thee ood lunc h, deleg ates had th opportuniity to attend seminar gr oups, with opportunity groups, n abl haired b G G. discussion ablyy cchaired byy member memberss of IPSA IPSAG. There is lilittle ttle in sc hool lif eates mor There school lifee that cr creates moree anxiety i th h an iimpending han di iinspection, i so anxiety than was no sur prise to see members members eag erly it was surprise eagerly nside inf ormation fr om PPaul aul Spillan ne, gleaning iinside information from Spillane, eportiing inspector and fformer ormer head of ISI rreporting hool In hool. I his session, ‘‘An An Inspectorr Silcoates Sc School. ill yyour our les ssons earn top gr ades?’ PPaul a aul Callss - W Will lessons grades?’ add dressed d the kkey ey question of w hat at eexactly xac y is xactl addressed what an ‘excellent lesson’. Members’ ‘excelleent lesso son’. Member s’ vverdicts: e dicts: “v er “very veerry practical “well managed pr acctical and a d helpful”; he “w ell manag ed with w h insights ggood ood insig ghts and tips”.. gh A TL T mem mbers p poten tentially ha ve a p po werful ATL members potentially have powerful vvoice oice but justt ho w to gget et the most ffavourable avouraable how outcome in n talks ta w as a the he issue iss addr essed in i was addressed Getting best ‘Insidee or outside the te tent. G etting the bes st Morris, ATL Karl deal’. PPeter etteerr M Morr is, A TL T nati national official and dK a arl English, organiser, on English h, se ssenior enior ior or ganiserr, led the discussion no n ways school. w ays to m maximise mise our imp impact in sc hool.
“A good double act presentation!” and “Group discussion was very helpful” were two of the comments afterwards. Can your employer require you to work additional hours? Or dock your pay? Can you just say no? These were just some of the questions addressed in ‘How to deal with a variation of contract’. John Richardson, ATL national official for the independent sector, set out the basics of contract law,, before leadingg group a gr oup discussion of case scenar sscenarios ios based on contractual common contr actual vvariations ariations in independent schools. sc hools. FFeedback eedback included: ““Very Veery inf informative” ormative” and “Wished “Wished we’d we’d had long longer.” ger.”
Members had the oppor Members opportunity tun nity to discuss sc school hool issues with member AG. Also on hand memberss of IPS IPSAG. to pr ovide individual advicee w as a V icky Bo yle, provide was Vicky Boyle, member b adviser d i ffor or the h iind dependent d sector d independent sector,r, and Ha ys EEducation, ducation, the rrecruitment ecruitm ment specialists. Hays Of the conf erence as a w ho ole, abl ganised conference whole, ablyy or organised b at Gr iffin, one mem memberr called it a “v “very ery byy K Kat Griffin, professional and dw el-organ anised eevent”, vent”, while while professional wel-organised another was er said it w as “m “my y first first s conf conference nferrence en – ould lik o at ag ain n n!” Iw would likee to attend again!” While W hile the conference h conference e ce p pr programme ogrramme am is impor important, tan tant, w n ver lose sight sig of th the eendu during attr aaction wee ne never enduring attraction of sim mply ggiving ivi ving member ers the t oppor op tunityy simply members opportunity t com to mpare n notes: t “Int “I “Interesting nter t estting t g tto ti o shar share h e compare experiences colleagues” experiences nces with w other er coll c leagues eagues” w was as o one member’ r’s comment. com member’s
Posters and rep packs All reps and contacts will receive a rep pack and a poster for recruiting members to ATL, focusing on how the union supports members throughout their career, as well as in times of need. Later in the year we will send one for recruiting to AMiE, ATL’s leadership section. There are two versions of the AMiE poster, one for schools and one for post-16 workplaces, showing the way AMiE can help with the issues leaders and managers face. Copies can be found in the resources section of www.atl.org.uk, or can be ordered from ATL Despatch, using the details below.
The da e y question and el an The dayy ended with a liv lively answer sessio session, lea ving rreps eepss to rreturn eturn to their heir answer leaving schools ATL workplace schoolss and A TL T w orkplac ace rroles oles rreinvigorated. einviggor o ated. ated
www.atl.org.uk www.atl.org.uk
pagee one pag
stress in the workplace, its causes and effects, ways to prevent it and to support members suffering from it. In the ‘You Learn’ section of the newsletter, there is a focus on the work being done to promote training on equalities issues by union learning reps, including successful events with Burnley Football Club, in Croydon and as part of London Wide’s training programme.
Independent Schools The spring term issue of Independent Schools newsletter has been sent out to all members working in the independent sector. It leads with
www.atl.org.uk
Publications & resources section
Securing the right job for NQTs Finding a job takes confidence and hard work. This one-day course, held in conjunction with Hays Education, will help you to learn more about finding, applying for and securing your first or next teaching position. Focusing on practical tips, you will have an opportunity to develop your personal statement and hear from practitioners who recruit teachers about what they are looking for. It covers: • looking for vacancies • completing an application form • personal statements • preparing for interview • interview process/questions • mock interviews. It costs £25 for all eligible NQT members. Visit www.atl.org.uk /learningzone to find out more. www.atl.org.uk
an account of a very successful independent schools conference in November, featuring talks on Michael Gove’s policy, inspections, and why pirates and teachers are not so different. There is also an in-depth look at the results of ATL’s yearly survey of the independent sector, showing many schools increasing pupil numbers and fees, but strangely not increasing wages for staff. The newsletter offers advice on ATL members working together to submit a pay claim and to achieve union recognition. Both newsletters are also available to download for free as PDFs from www.atl.org.uk/publications.
despatch@atl.org.uk Quote product code where possible
0845 4500 009
Quote product code where possible
Your CPD with ATL Taking care of behaviour for early years Starts 20 January, online Level 2 safeguarding online for schools Starts 21 January, online Creating great lessons to behave for (NQTs only) 23 January, Bath; 25 January, London; 6 February, Cambridge Moving into headship 25 January, Manchester Strategic and operational management 3 February to 10 March, online
Classroom assessment 13 February, Birmingham Securing the right job (NQTs only) 25 February, Leeds; 26 February, Birmingham; 27 February, Manchester; 9 April, London; 10 April, Exeter; 15 April, Cambridge Effective classrooms 1 March, York Taking care of behaviour Starts 4 March, online Managing extreme behaviour 20 March, London
Managing extreme behaviour Starts 3 February, online
Level 2 safeguarding online for colleges Starts 24 March, online
Taking care of behaviour 4 February, Cardiff
Leading behaviour: improvement to outstanding 22 April, London
There is a nominal charge for courses to minimise the number of members not turning up: £40 for all standard members, £20 for standard support members and NQTs. It is our expectation that employers should cover the cost of attending.
January 2014
TALL SHIPS ADVENTURES Inspire, motivate and broaden young people’s horizons.
My Li Life fe 4 Schools Free F ree KS2 resources resources ffrom rom The Child Children’s ren’s Society PSHE / Citi zenship and SEAL S Citizenship
• Weekly or shorter voyages • Activity week voyages • • RYA Courses • D of E voyages •
My Lif M Life e iis an online li PSHE E and d Citiz Citi Citizenship enship hi tteaching eaching hi rresource esource ffor or children children age ed 7 –11. T hese int eractive, aged 7–11. These interactive, give child-friendly sstories tories and d activities giv e children children the support the y need tto o develop develop and thriv e, and enjo y they thrive, enjoy a positiv e childhood. positive It has nine curriculum-lin nked units on a rrange ange of curriculum-linked ttopics opics including What What I belie b ve in; K eeping health y believe Keeping healthy and My friends. My lif e in ncludes online and life includes do wnloadable activities, case sstudies, tudies, detailed downloadable les son plans and guidanc ce ffor or teachers teachers on ho w tto o lesson guidance how handle sensitiv e subjects. subjectss. sensitive
Try out Unit 1, or register reg gister free at:
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Brittany, Channel Islands, WestCountry For details: 01803 883355 or www.trinitysailing.org Email: team@trinitysailing.org
Charity Registration Registration N No. o. 2211 221124 24
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resources / classified To advertise here please contact Lisa on 01603 772521, or email lisa.marrison@archantdialogue.co.uk Recruitment
Isle of Wight
Teachers required to host and teach adults and/or teenagers from Europe, Russia and Japan in their home on total-immersion English language courses or GCSE/A-Level revision courses in Maths, Science and Business/Economics. A professional qualification is required, comfortable home and enthusiasm for sharing your language, culture and location. Short summer placements of 2-3 weeks are available and also year-round placement of 1-4 weeks. Good rates. Tel: 0117 9269400 or Email: info@livingenglish.com
Wales
Resources
Pretty thatched cottage, Calbourne, Isle of Wight, sleeping up to six. Available for holiday rental from £450 per week. Tel: 07856 497355 or www.dovecottageiow.co.uk
Turkey BEAUTIFUL ROOF TOP APARTMENT IN KALKAN, TURKEY Teachers - Leave APP and Ofsted behind and forget about planning. Our apartment sleeps six, has breathtaking views and a private plunge pool. Balm for the soul. For more details contact Ellie. Email: rock_ola@btinternet.com or visit www.ownersdirect.co.uk Property number TK3522
Carribean
MID-PEMBROKESHIRE Excellent self-catering cottage/flat, sleeps 4+, from £200pw, 3 nights £150, discount off summer prices. Tel: 01437 563504
Barbados Spacious one-bedroom apartment on beautiful west coast. See www.portstcharles.com, apartment 254, overlooking lagoon, beach/sea. Teachers 60% off quoted price. margaret975@hotmail.com
Business opportunity
Motoring
www.atl.org.uk
January 2014
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WIN £50& of Markser Spenc s voucher
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The winner of the January crossword competition will be announced in the March issue. Congratulations to G Thomas, the winner of the October crossword competition.
January 2014
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WIN!
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Terms and conditions: Please include your full name, address and telephone number. The winner will be picked at random from the correct entries on 7 February 2014. The editor’s decision is final. No purchase is necessary. The prize is non-transferable. Employees of ATL and Archant are not eligible for the prize draw.
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Down 1 Pay attention to some of the educationalists (4) 2 New Report is more keen on team activities (8) 3 Ancient language is strangely identical? No dice! (5) 4 Might be ‘gun rails’ or ‘snug liar’ – but not the former (8) 5 Plan the goal, not hard, like smoothly flowing music! (6) 6 Somehow I teach Pat, though she’s showing no interest (9) 7 Take disciplinary action, although joke is hot! (6) 8 Famous footballer joins top eleven (4) 13 Quick attack round deep end (5) 15 From the countryside, but turns up in insular urban environment (5) 16 Rise in salary on a scale for dreadful term with 9C! (9) 18 Kind of catering course? (8) 19 The King changed direction initially and created a ‘Sir’… (8) 21 …a ‘Sir’ maybe in physical education, getting warm approval (6) 22 Assessed M. Drake’s composition (6) 24 Military instruction on sowing machine? (5) 25 Willing to describe cricket? (4) 27 Way to take away from 6 (4)
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Across 9 Stress affects poor Miss Heap, Head of English (9) 10 Dad to exploit temporary interruption (5) 11 New girl, and a lovable one! (7) 12 Sat awkwardly to go by bike, with a leg on each side (7) 13 Strap exposes second half of bare skin! (4) 14 Female singer – understand her completely (10) 17 Parent perhaps has right to be colleague (7) 18 She avoids responsibility – it’s her risk in a way (7) 20 University division arranges PT with Dean outside new term (10) 23 A thousand unwell from having worked in this factory? (4) 25 Structure of language school? (7) 26 Argument turns on vessel used for religious ceremonies (7) 28 Graduate takes on his lad as stoneworker (5) 29 Former monk’s room has net reconnected – very good (9)
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Last month’s solution – November/December 2013 Across: 1 Theory 4 Skives 9 Life 10 Story 11 Lair 12 Doctor 13 Pregnant 14 Midsummer 16 Fete 17 René 18 Descartes 22 Trophies 23 Dinghy 25 Camp 26 Ravel 27 Tick 28 Stream 29 Damsel Down: 1 Tripoli 2 Event 3 Rostrum 5 Keynes 6 Volunteer 7 Science 8 Comprehensive 15 Sandpaper 17 Rereads 19 Cedilla 20 Ethical 21 Sierra 24 Notes
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Power to change
ILLUSTRATION: PHIL WRIGGLESWORTH
Actor Sir Patrick Stewart on the role of education in tackling domestic violence
JULIAN NIEMAN/ALAMY
A Sir Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart OBE is patron of the charity Refuge
www.atl.org.uk
s a child, I lived in a home darkened by domestic violence. My father was an angry and unhappy man who was not able to control his emotions, or his hands. I witnessed violence against my mother and felt powerless to stop it. At school, I found refuge in acting. I remember walking on stage for the first time in a school play. I felt safer up on that stage in my school dining hall than I had ever felt in my life. Looking back, I think that’s why I’ve never had stage fright — why I have always felt so comfortable escaping into the lives and thoughts of other characters. When the national domestic violence charity Refuge asked me to become a patron, I accepted without hesitation. I accepted for my mother. As a child, there was little I could do to help her. But now I
can give support and encouragement to women who live in the same sort of fear that she did. Through my work with Refuge, I have also learned a great deal about the effects of domestic violence on children. More than two thirds of the residents in Refuge’s network of safe houses are children — the majority of whom are under five years old. Some of these children are so traumatised they can barely speak. Refuge has shown me some of the pictures these children have drawn as part of their path to recovery. One has stayed with me. It shows a stick figure — ‘Dad’ — pointing a crudely drawn gun at another figure in a skirt — ‘Mum’. In the corner, a furious scribble of red crayon is labelled ‘blood’. Domestic violence puts young children at risk of developing emotional and behavioural problems. Many children have difficulties with speech and language development that can hinder performance in school and, later on, in work. Research aside, however, I know that one of the most debilitating legacies of domestic violence is fear. As a child, I grew up in an atmosphere of terror. I used to lie in bed at night, waiting for the shouting to subside. I knew that this was the moment a hand would be raised. I also knew exactly when to insert my body between my parents — a skill no child should ever have to learn. No one at school knew what was happening behind the closed doors of my small terraced house. I don’t know if anyone spotted the signs that I was struggling. Perhaps I hid it well. None of my teachers said anything. Back then, domestic violence was shrugged off — like an unpleasant odour. The police, when they were called, were little help. I remember hearing them say things like “she must have provoked him”, or “well, Mrs Stewart, it takes two to make a fight”. They had no idea. My mother did nothing to provoke the violence she endured — and even if she had, violence is an unacceptable way of dealing with conflict. Refuge works tirelessly to put a spotlight on domestic violence. Attitudes have changed, but progress is slow. Every week, two women are killed by current or former partners in England and Wales. A quarter of a million children witness domestic violence every year. Schools must do much more to ensure that teachers are alert to signs of what children — and colleagues — may be experiencing at home. Education is power. Education can save lives. For more information about Refuge’s work and the warning signs of domestic violence visit www.refuge.org.uk. January 2014
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