Report February 2016

THE MAGAZINE FROM ATL, THE EDUCATION UNION

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

FEBRUARY 2016 £2.50

FE under review Area reviews could lead to college closures and have a knock-on effect on schools

Y O U R AT L

A G E N DA

FINAL WORD

WORKLOAD

ZERO-SUM GAME

A MUSICAL NOTE

ATL’s workload campaign gathers momentum

001_ATL_FEB16 COVER.indd 1

Mary Bousted says secondary schools can’t show improvement

Pianist James Rhodes wants more instruments in schools

20/01/2016 15:11

Assess, Review and Evaluate your D&T Department – Free* Monitoring, reviewing and evaluating all aspects of teaching and learning are high on the list of priorities for your D&T Department. Joining The D&T association as a departmental member will offer you free access to the Self-Review Framework. The review processes can be demanding and time consuming. We have created a product to simplify and assist D&T teachers when reviewing their departments. To join** call us on 01789 470007 or log onto www.data.org.uk giving you access to a whole host of member benefits, including free access to the Self-Review Framework, termly magazines, e-newsletters, curriculum credits, discounted rates on resources and CPD. *Available to Secondary Departmental members free of charge. ** Dept membership costs as little as £4.23/week which covers 4 members of staff

Address strengths and areas for development in your department

Address Ofsted’s focus on selfevaluation

Unique to D&T departments

Move the subject forward

Secondary D&T Resources KS3 D&T Learning Planner and Assessing Without Levels – Teacher Guide Free downloadable teacher guide and planning tools to support the D&T Key Resources bank. Includes auditing tools, an example lesson plan and details of linked resources in different areas of learning in KS3 D&T. Sections on planning, assessment, National Curriculum, Progression Framework etc.

Key Stage 3 CAD Two new CD-based video/PowerPoint instructional resources showing how to create and mould products in Autodesk Inventor. Freeform and Casings teach students to use organic modelling tools to create ergonomic products using basic and advanced Inventor functions and the iterative design process.

Members: Free Non-members: Free

Members: £30.00 Non-members: £42.00

Key Stage 4 Food Two further ‘All About...’ pdfs to add to this popular range. All About Meats looks at how meat comes to our tables including rearing and butchering animals, different cuts and ways of cooking and some of the issues around these. All About Vegetables covers the wide range of vegetables available and how they are used in cooking. Includes definitions, history and consuming vegetables, storage, preparation and growing. Eight recipes are also included in each.

Members: £1.98 Non-members: £7.49 each

Visit www.data.org.uk for more resources.

Visit www.data.org.uk for resources and membership Call 01789 470007 or email info@data.org.uk IBC_ATL_Feb16.indd 1 2015.indd 3 Teach secondary December

20/01/2016 16:11 07/12/2015 15:29:59

Contents UPFRONT

Y O U R AT L

4 UPDATE

USEFUL CONTACTS

ATL finds baseline assessment is damaging and support staff are being exploited

How to get in touch with ATL

8 AGENDA

WORKLOAD

Mary Bousted on how it is impossible to prove that secondary schools are improving

9 WALES AND

NORTHERN IRELAND The state of FE in Wales and Northern Ireland

ATL’s workload campaign having a positive impact in schools

22 GUIDE

What makes a quality apprenticeship?

LEGAL ADVICE

Our legal team explains disability rights

F E AT U R E S

12 FURTHER EDUCATION Report looks at the impact of area reviews on FE in England

16 CASE STUDY

Banter and positivity reaping rewards at Springwell Learning Community

30 FINAL WORD

James Rhodes on the power of learning a musical instrument

Report is the magazine from ATL, 7 Northumberland Street, London WC2N 5RD Tel 020 7930 6441 Fax 020 7930 1359 Email report@atl.org.uk or membership@atl.org.uk Website www.atl.org.uk Editor Alex Tomlin News editor Sally Gillen Report is produced and designed for ATL by Think Publishing, Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London NW1 5DH Tel 020 3771 7200 Email info@thinkpublishing.co.uk Sub editor Mike Hine Art editor Clair Williams Designer Alix Thomazi Advertising sales Michael Coulsey or Anthony Bennett 020 3771 7200 Account manager Kieran Paul Managing director Polly Arnold

003_ATL_FEB16_CONTENTS.indd 3

YOUR VIEWS

ATL members on times tables testing

PRIZE CROSSWORD Win a £50 M&S voucher

27 NOTICEBOARD Information and events

RESOURCES

Publications and CPD

ATL accepts no liability for any insert, display or classified advertisement included in this publication. While every reasonable care is taken to ensure that all advertisers are reliable and reputable, ATL can give no assurance that they will fulfil their obligation under all circumstances. The views expressed in articles in Report are the contributors’ own and do not necessarily reflect ATL policy. Official policy

Welcome KIM KNAPPETT, ATL NATIONAL PRESIDENT

We are approaching the midpoint of the academic year when we often take stock and start to worry about how we are going to fit everything we need to do into the diminishing time left. Our cover feature (p12) on the funding cuts in post-16 education will therefore sound familiar as we try to do more with less funding. We are constantly being expected to improve both the quality and quantity of the educational offer to children and young people on a radically decreasing budget. This brings me to the third theme of my presidential year: trust. In recent months there have been numerous announcements by the Department for Education and changes to policy following little, if any, meaningful consultation with education professionals. We are constantly given the message that those working in education don’t know what they’re doing and have to be constantly told what to do, how to do it and even what colour to write it in! My message to the Government, and to those who make the decisions that affect the education framework in which children and young people learn, is this: consult with us in a significant way, listen to those who work day-today with children and young people and, most of all, trust us – the education professionals – to know what is best and let us get on with the job; we can, and do, make a difference.

Cover illustration: Björn Öberg

JOIN THE DEBATE…

report@atl.org.uk @ATLReport facebook.com/ATLUnion

Report, ATL, 7 Northumberland Street, London WC2N 5RD

20/01/2016 14:21

U P D AT E

IN WORDS

MPs’ warning over FE reforms

MPs have warned that a national review of post-16 education may be “haphazard” because it does not cover the entire sector

PAC chair MP Meg Hillier has criticised a review of post-16 education

A report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), published in December, says 39 area reviews that were announced by the Government in the summer and cover FE and sixth-form colleges are “limited in scope”. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills announced the FE review, saying it wanted fewer, larger and more resilient colleges by March 2017. The Government has slashed around 40% of FE funding since 2011, leaving many colleges in financial trouble. PAC chair MP Meg Hillier said: “The Government has been slow off the mark to tackle a looming crisis in further education. “There is a real danger of substantial further deterioration in the sector and the Government must act now to ensure FE is put

on a stable financial footing,” she added. ATL general secretary Mary Bousted said: “The damage the Government has inflicted on the sector is clear from the Skills Funding Agency’s recent confirmation that there were 1.3 million fewer adults in FE compared with 2010. “On area reviews, the PAC report reflects the widespread concerns within the sector. These are not reviews of post-16 education and training as they fail to properly include provision in school sixth forms and university technical colleges, and huge amounts of money are being spent on consultants to gather and analyse data at a time of scarce funding.” Read our feature on FE area reviews on page 12.

THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS DENIED RISE ATL is concerned that potentially thousands of teachers who have been denied a performancerelated pay rise are not appealing the decision. Early findings from ATL’s survey of over 1,400 teachers revealed that more than 16% have been denied a pay rise in 2015-16. Of those, 87% who did not receive the increase were not told during the year that they were failing to meet the required standards. The number could be higher, because 39% of teachers have yet to be told whether they will receive an increase. Despite the fact that more than two thirds of those denied a pay rise believed it was unfair, 90% have decided not to appeal. Three per cent have appealed and been unsuccessful, while

4 REPORT | FEBRUARY 2016

004-005_ATL_FEB16_NEWSv2.indd 4

another seven per cent are waiting for their appeals to take place. ATL senior policy adviser Simon Stokes said the low number of appeals could be explained by teachers being worried that they may cause bad feeling over what amounts to a relatively small sum each month. However, Stokes urged members to appeal if they feel the decision is unfair. “It is very demotivating not to get a pay rise,” he said, adding, “If people do not get pay rises then their pay will fall behind and they will find it more difficult to keep up with their peers in the future.” ATL will submit findings from the survey to the pay review body.

IN BRIEF ROCHFORD PUBLISHES GUIDELINES A Governmentcommissioned review into assessing primary school pupils whose ability means they are unable to take national curriculum tests has published interim guidelines. The review, set up in July 2015 and chaired by special needs expert and headteacher Diane Rochford, sets out assessments for an estimated 50,000 students, such as those with SEND or underdeveloped language skills, who have lower attainment. When the review was announced by schools minister Nick Gibb in July, Rochford said parents of children who progress at a slower rate deserve to have accurate information about how their children are doing. Go to www.gov. uk/government/ publications/ rochford-reviewinterimrecommendations.

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

26/01/2016 11:18

UPDATE

Baseline test “potentially damaging” ATL has renewed calls for the baseline assessment to be scrapped after a study found that more than 80% of teachers say the test is increasing workload inside and outside the classroom. Researchers commissioned by ATL and the NUT to look at teachers’ experiences of the assessment concluded that some teachers also feel the assessment damages the key emotional work they do with children just starting school. It “positions [teachers] as data collectors, damaging their feelings of professionalism”, say the researchers in a report published this month. At one school they visited, the increase in data workload was so great the headteacher agreed to buy in supply cover to prevent teachers “exploding”. The assessment, which requires teachers to test children’s literacy and numeracy within six weeks of starting reception, may lead to low expectations of children who get a below typical score, some teachers told the researchers.

They found that only 7.7% of more than a thousand teachers surveyed about the assessment, introduced in primary schools across England in September, believe it is an “accurate and fair way to assess children”. More than 70% said the assessment did not help them identify children with special educational needs, while around the same percentage said it had not helped identify the needs of children with English as an additional language (EAL). Furthermore, researchers found there were “serious concerns” about the fairness of testing EAL students because the assessment has to be conducted in English. ATL education policy adviser Anne Heavey said: “The findings of this research clearly demonstrate this policy is failing. At best it is problematic and at worst it is potentially harmful. “At the same time as the Government has pledged to tackle workload it has introduced a policy that is adding to bureaucracy.”

“AT THE SAME TIME AS THE GOVERNMENT HAS PLEDGED TO TACKLE WORKLOAD IT HAS INTRODUCED A POLICY THAT IS ADDING TO BUREAUCRACY”

Amendments to education bill fail ATL and other education experts have expressed disappointment that an amendment to the Education and Adoption Bill that would have prevented the education secretary from automatically forcing so-called ‘coasting’ schools into becoming academies failed. Peers voted against the amendment during a Lords debate on the bill in December. They also voted to keep a clause allowing the education secretary to select an academy sponsor without WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

004-005_ATL_FEB16_NEWSv2.indd 5

consulting parents, teachers and governors. In a joint statement, a group of education experts including ATL, the NUT, NAHT and the National Governors’ Association, said: “The Government is wrong to say there is only one way to school improvement. Becoming an academy does not guarantee the higher standards of education for children the Government claims. “The evidence clearly shows there is no link between academy status and automatic school improvement,” they

added. “Children should not have their futures put at risk by such a flimsy set of proposals.” However, ATL has welcomed a Government amendment to the bill, introduced by junior schools minister Lord Nash, that will require regional schools commissioners to challenge ‘coasting’ academies to improve. In a letter to Lords, Lord Nash said: “This step forward levels the playing field and has been welcomed by school leaders and academy sponsors across the country.”

ATL MEMBER MADE OBE A long-standing member of ATL has been honoured in the Queen’s 2016 New Year’s honours list. Judith Bennett, who joined ATL in 1971 and is a governor at Chalgrove Community Primary School in Oxfordshire, has been given an OBE for services to education. “I am quite overwhelmed and greatly honoured,” Bennett told Report. Bennett, who was an English teacher for 24 years and has been a member of ATL’s Oxfordshire branch committee since 1986, also became the first elected chair of the National Governors’ Association after its formation in 2006.

Correction In the January issue of Report, in the story ‘Group to tackle radicalisation’ (p5), we mistakenly said that ATL’s specialist task group on radicalisation was chaired by Hank Roberts. The group is in fact convened by former ATL president Julia Neal. There will be updates on the work of the group in future issues of Report.

FEBRUARY 2016 | REPORT 5

20/01/2016 14:25

Mental Health & Wellbeing Conference bringing positive education alive in all schools

TLove toLoveLearnto Learn

he inaugural Positive Schools UK 2016 mental health and wellbeing conference aims to ignite your passion for youth wellbeing and effective education. C

Love to Learn

This is an event for all teachers, school leaders, psychologists and allied professionals

Love to Learn Love to Learn

Love to Learn

Twelve keynote addresses and fourteen practical workshops; all presented by world renowned experts in positive education and mental health. An opportunity to hear cutting edge ideas from Australian and UK education leaders, including Geelong Grammar School VP Charlie Scudamore, Kristjan Kristjanson and Richard Layard.

7th & 8th July 2016

The University of Cambridge

Love to Learn

Henry Blofeld OBE Dr. Pooky Lord Day Two Host Knightsmith (James) Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shaughnessy

LoveCarr-Gregg to Learn Love to Learn

Professor Love to Learn Sue Roffey

Professor Kristjan Kristjansson

Love to Learn

Professor Helen Wildy

Love to Learn

Professor Felicia Huppert

Charlie Love to LearnScudamore

Dr. Helen Street

Love to Learn

Prof Lord (Richard) Layard

C HA R WAL

T US

L IE

ME M

006_ATL_Feb16.indd 6

Professor Katherine Weare

Dr. Michael

Love to Learn

Emma Judge

Love to Learn

Dr. David Whitebread

20/01/2016 16:11

UPDATE

Most support staff do unpaid overtime

IN BRIEF

73%

receive no more pay for extra hours

More than three quarters of support staff work beyond their contracted hours, according to a UK-wide survey by ATL An ATL poll of more than 1,700 support staff shows they are working between one and 11 hours more than they should each week, with 75% citing workload as the reason. Almost three quarters – 73% – said they receive no extra pay for the additional hours they work. ATL support staff national official Peter Morris said: “The fact that support staff of all categories are working beyond their contracted hours, and often for no pay,

is a huge hidden subsidy for the education system. “ATL will be campaigning to ensure that schools do the decent thing and pay their support staff the going rate for carrying out their vitally important duties,” he added. The survey also found that more than half of respondents had been verbally or physically attacked in the last year. Around a third said the school had not dealt with the issue in a satisfactory manner, with some saying they felt attacks against

them were taken less seriously than those against teachers. One respondent said: “The student was treated differently because the verbal abuse had been to support staff rather than teaching staff.” Another said: “When similar incidents happen with qualified teaching staff, there are more severe consequences. It is as though cover supervisors don’t matter as much.” You can see the full results of ATL’s support staff survey at www.atl.org.uk/supportsurvey.

Hundreds sign up to ATL work-life tracker More than 1,500 education staff have signed up to a resource developed by ATL to help them manage their workload. The work-life tracker, an online tool created as part of our workload campaign, ‘It’s about time’, allows users to input information that gives them a picture of where most of their time is spent. Data from the tracker shows teachers work on average more than 16 hours over their contracted hours a week. WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

007_ATL_FEB16_NEWS.indd 7

Other figures show 22% spending most of their time on marking, while 12% say lesson planning is the most time-consuming. ATL has also carried out more than 80 workplace visits to help teachers tackle excessive workload, following requests from members. ATL director of organising Collette Bradford said: “There is a lot of stress in the workplace for a number of reasons, including the

expectations of leaders and governors, as a result of the drive for accountability, and the demands of the new baseline assessment and GCSEs. “A lot of the same issues are coming up,” she continued. “Data collection, for example, is a big one because the same data often needs to be collected several times over and inputted into different systems.” Read more about the campaign on page 21.

To find out more and to book a workplace visit go to www.atl.org. uk/abouttime.

CALL TO REFORM EBACC ATL general secretary Mary Bousted has voiced concerns about moves by the Department for Education (DfE) to make the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) all but compulsory in schools as a headline accountability measure. A DfE proposal that students should study a minimum of seven narrowly defined subjects would leave little room for creative subjects, given that eight is the average number of GCSEs taken. A collective letter published in The Times, signed by organisations including arts groups, universities and ATL, says the UK’s creative industries contribute £76 billion to the economy, employ more than 1.7 million and must be given equal visibility in schools. ATL is urging members to sign a petition calling for the DfE to include a wider range of subjects in the EBacc. Subjects that make up the EBacc are: English, maths, history or geography and the sciences. Go to www. baccforthefuture. com for more information.

FEBRUARY 2016 | REPORT 7

20/01/2016 14:29

AG E N DA

IT IS ALWAYS worth being in the audience when Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw is giving a speech. Listeners are guaranteed at least one explosive statement, some sharp-elbowed argument and, at times, some good sense. Sir Michael’s speeches are a curate’s egg, and the one he made to launch Ofsted’s 2015 annual report was no exception. Sir Michael talked in very positive terms about the standard of early childhood and primary education in England. He said: “Primary schools are getting the basics right. Literacy and numeracy are much improved. There has been a steady rise in performance at key stage 2.” He also praised primary schools for narrowing the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their better-off peers. Praise from Ofsted is usually in short supply, so it was heartening to listen to the acknowledgement of the hard work of school leaders, teachers and support staff in the primary sector. Things took a turn for the worse when Sir Michael turned his attention to secondary schools, which, he argued, are failing to close the gap between their performance and the superior performance of primary schools. Sir Michael’s analysis of the relative performance of primary and secondary schools in England does not, however, take into account one very important fact – primary schools can improve their performance year on year, whereas secondary schools cannot. The strange truth is that secondary schools have an artificial limit, called comparative outcomes, which sets a cap on GCSE grades and stymies secondary schools’ ability to show pupil progression. Comparative outcomes link national distribution of GCSE grades for secondary pupils to the key stage 2 test results of the same pupils, five years earlier, in their final year of primary school. Comparative outcomes mean that secondary school improvement is a zero-sum game. If one secondary school manages to raise pupil performance, another school’s GCSE outcomes must drop, even 8 REPORT | FEBRUARY 2016

008_ATL_FEB16_AGENDA.indd 8

Zero-sum game Sir Michael Wilshaw’s attack on secondary schools is unfounded and unfair, says ATL general secretary Mary Bousted if there has been no decline in the standards at that school. Systemwide improvements in teaching, learning and assessment cannot be reflected in rising GCSE grades. And, of course, underlying the rationale is the absolute belief in the reliability of key stage 2 results. Sir Michael berates secondary schools for low standards when, in truth, and as chief inspector he should know this, there is an artificial ceiling placed on secondary school standards. Sir Michael’s critique was generally sharpened by his comments on the educational performance of northern secondary schools. He warned: “We are witnessing an educational division of the country, with schools performing well overall in the south but struggling to improve in the north and the Midlands. If schools north of this line were performing

JOIN THE DEBATE… report@atl.org.uk

@ATLReport

facebook.com/ ATLUnion

Report, ATL, 7 Northumberland Street, London WC2N 5RD

as well as those south of it, 160,000 more pupils would be in a good or outstanding secondary school.” Sir Michael rebutted arguments that the difference in school quality in the north and south could be explained by the relative prosperity of the south. London, he argued, is home to some of the poorest people in the country and yet still has the best-performing secondary schools. While Sir Michael’s presentation of the north-south divide is noteworthy, his analysis is simplistic. It is well known that London schools perform exceptionally well for their deprived pupils. The reasons for this are complex and no one has yet managed to definitively explain how much of their improvement is down to the London Challenge, the city’s multi-cultural population or higher levels of school funding in the capital. But there is one important factor that Sir Michael failed to take into account: poor pupils in London live in a vibrant capital city which is benefitting from huge capital investment in infrastructure, and where there are a wide range of jobs and careers available to young people should they pass their exams, go on to further education, and acquire the skills needed in a fast-growing economy. Few of those key advantages are available to pupils in northern schools in areas blighted by generational unemployment and a low-skilled, low-waged economy. Disadvantaged pupils, much more than their peers, need to see that hard work and effort will be rewarded by good employment prospects. A low-waged economy is the reality facing poor students in many northern towns and cities. This demands only low-level skills for insecure jobs, which dampens down educational aspiration and achievement. Northern schools cannot counter the effects of de-industrialisation, lack of economic investment and poverty without the aid of investment in infrastructure, the economy and jobs. Schools are not an island – they are part of, and reflect, the community they serve. WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

20/01/2016 14:30

THE VIEW FROM… WALES / NORTHERN IRELAND

Wales

Northern Ireland

DR PHILIP DIXON

MARK LANGHAMMER

FE funding cuts are bad news across the board

A new dawn for FE

FUNDING CUTS HAVE devastated FE. Morale, provision and jobs have all been profoundly affected. Over 600 jobs have gone in the last year alone and provision for post-19 study has all but ended. This is bad news for Wales. Politicians have played a blame game, with Cardiff Bay arguing that Westminster funding cuts are the culprit. Cuts to the Assembly budget have undoubtedly played their part, but devolution means it is the Government in Cardiff that has decided

what is saved and what is axed. Cutting the FE budget is short-termism of the worst sort. It affects the entire economy if the workforce cannot be upskilled. It affects individuals if they are denied the means to secure better employment. The cuts have affected post-16 provision, too, despite promises that it would be protected. Fewer staff, fewer resources and crumbling morale do not make for a conducive education environment. The gains made in reducing the number of NEETs are now imperilled, and learners who have been traditionally hard to reach are suffering. In the run-up to the Assembly election, ATL Cymru will be putting these facts out there loud and clear. We must invest in education. We also want to see an end to attempts to pit one sector against another. The head of ColegauCymru summed up the situation very aptly: “Wales has ceased to be the learning country.”

“CUTTING THE FE BUDGET IS SHORTTERMISM OF THE WORST SORT. IT AFFECTS THE ENTIRE ECONOMY”

FE STANDS ON the threshold of significant change, as the consultation phase of the FE Means Business strategy is completed. Employment and learning minister Stephen Farry has championed a new apprenticeship programme. He believes FE plays a pivotal role in developing a strong and vibrant economy through the development of professional and technical skills, increasingly at higher levels, and by helping employers to innovate. Another key role for the sector is supporting social inclusion by providing those who have low or no qualifications, or who have barriers to learning, with the skills and qualifications needed to find employment. Within a context of ongoing austerity, the merger of the Department for Employment and Learning with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment into a more powerful Department for the Economy will underline the focus of FE in economic development. The ‘skills barometer’, the forecasting tool developed by Ulster University, underlines

this enhanced economic focus. The barometer report provides a detailed picture of the skill requirements in the Northern Ireland economy up to 2025. Moves to professionalise the FE workforce continue, with lecturers to be registered with the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, the Salisbury review of the FE negotiating machinery – welcomed by ATL and AMiE as a means of modernising industrial relations – remains stalled with some unions adopting ostrich-like positions. A new department and new strategy calls for a new approach to industrial relations.

Excessive workload is one of the most serious issues facing the education profession. ATL’s work-life campaign, ‘It’s about time…’, empowers you and your colleagues to tackle work-life issues, to reduce working hours and unnecessary workload.

Working excessive hours? Struggling to balance work and life?

009_ATL_FEB16_NI.indd 9

Use our work-life tracker to track your working hours and identify the major drivers of your workload:

www.atl.org.uk/abouttime

it’s about

time... ATL’S WORK-LIFE CAMPAIGN

20/01/2016 14:34

KELLOGG’S SUGAR REDUCTION PLAN

Reducing sugar by stealth since 2010 Reformulate – formulate again or differently in Oxford English dictionary

New dietary recommendations for carbohydrate have focused public attention on reducing sugar intakes.1 Breakfast cereals have been cited in the media, and by some influential individuals, as a significant contributor to sugar in the UK diet. However, the UK National Dietary Survey shows that breakfast cereals in fact contribute just 7% of extrinsic dietary sugars (6-8% children and 6% adults).2 Despite this, Kellogg’s is continually seeking ways to improve the nutrition profile of our foods – including lowering sugar content – without compromising on taste or quality. Since 2010, in the UK and across Europe we have started to reduce the sugar content in our foods. Specific examples in the UK include Bran Flakes (30% reduction); Special K flakes (10% reduction); and Coco Pops Rocks (16% reduction). As part of the on-going Kellogg’s commitment to sugar reduction, more reductions are already planned for 2016.

desired texture, aroma, flavour, colour and overall appearance of the food. Reducing sugar may also require introduction of new technologies or equipment into our manufacturing plants. The effect of sugar reduction on the foods physical properties, nutrition profile and taste must all be carefully monitored. Our experience globally shows us that consumers are more willing to accept our foods when the sugar is reduced gradually over time.

Myth: less sugar = lower calories Reducing the sugar content of breakfast cereals in fact has little impact on the energy that they provide. This is because sugar and starch contain weight for weight the same number of calories. A 30g bowl of a low sugar cereal, will have a similar carbohydrate content as a higher sugar cereal. As the sugar is replaced by starch the calorie content will remain similar. This is demonstrated in the product panels below.

Frosties

Corn Flakes

Bran Flakes

Rice Krispies

Challenges of Sugar Reduction? Reducing sugar takes time from both a technical and consumer perspective. The impact on food safety must be considered whilst maintaining the physical and functional properties of the food. One example is the effect on texture, such as maintaining crunchiness in milk. Reducing sugar with stealth allows consumer taste buds to adapt to lower sugar recipes with no preconceived impact on taste. Lowering sugar starts with evaluating the functional role of sugar in the food. In cereal, sugar’s physical and functional role is to team with other ingredients, such as starch, to create the

Achievements since 2010 • 60% of cereals in the Kellogg portfolio are low or medium sugar • 20% of snack foods are low or medium sugar • 70% of Kellogg new products launched since 2013 have been low or medium sugar For more information go to: www.kelloggsnutrition.com/en_UK/ahome.html 010_011_ATL_Feb16.indd 37026085_DOUBLE_PAGE_PRESS_AD_V5.indd 10 2

26/01/2016 11:21

Why reformulate by stealth? Stealth = surreptitious or difficult to detect. in Oxford English dictionary The “stealth” approach to product reformulation has been used in the food industry for the past two decades.3 Consumers want healthier products and yet are usually unwilling to compromise on taste or texture.3 Reformulation will have little impact on nutrient intake if consumers switch to another product. When carrying out a reformulation companies have to make a choice – either to market the improved nutrition credentials, or to reformulate by stealth, giving the consumer nutritional benefits while they remain unaware and allowing taste to slowly adapt. There are pro’s and con’s to both approaches. In terms of sugar, consumers often associate low sugar with low taste and will decide against a product even when the change is almost undetectable. For this reason, Kellogg’s has carried out reformulation in the past, without communication to the consumer.

Case Study: Assertive Sugar Reduction In 2004, Kellogg’s introduced Frosties Reduced Sugar into the UK which contained one third less sugar compared to standard Frosties. Consumers failed to make the transition to a lower sugar version and the product was discontinued from the UK market.

No Kellogg cereal is high in salt and we are fully compliant with 2012 government salt targets. Identification of a public need for increased vitamin D intakes led to the addition of vitamin D to Kellogg family cereals during 2010. And, 94% of our breakfast cereals are now at least a source of fibre (3g or more fibre per 100g). Research supports the benefits of cereal for breakfast, with experts agreeing worldwide that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. There is an accumulating body of evidence that shows that a cereal breakfast enhances physical and mental performance, promotes general well-being, can help reduce disease risk factors, and offers variety for diverse consumer tastes. For both children and adults in the UK, fortified breakfast cereals provide a major source of iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, and folate.2,4 Most bowls of Kellogg’s breakfast cereal* provide at least 25% of recommended intake of 6 B-group vitamins (thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, folic acid), Vitamin D (in kids and family cereals) and at least 15% of the recommended intake for iron. We believe that enjoyment and appeal of our products are essential if they are to make a nutritional contribution to the diets of consumers. The challenge for all manufacturers is therefore to meet health expectations in terms of formulation without compromising product quality, taste or price.

It’s not just about sugar Sugar is currently in the spotlight, however Kellogg’s R&D (research and development) attention includes sugar, salt, fibre and continued provision of a range of nutrients in response to identified dietary needs. Since 1998, Kellogg’s has achieved a 57% reduction in the amount of salt in our cereals through innovation and reformulation.

“We are a company of dedicated people making quality products for a healthier world” WK Kellogg

* currently most Kellogg cereals sold in the UK and Ireland are fortified

Sugar reduced by...

71%

16%

10%

30%

we’re cutting down on sugar Sugar content of selected Kellogg’s cereals

Range Kellogg Wheats Corn Flakes Rice Krispies All-Bran Flakes Special K Original Coco pops Original

Sugar per 100g 2.4g 8g 10g 14g 15g 35g

Sugar per bowl 1g 2.4g 3g 4.2g 4.5g 11g

% sugar reduction compared to 2010

30% in flakes 10% in flakes 16% in some variants 1 teaspoon of sugar = 5g

References: 1. SACN (2015) Carbohydrates and Health. TSO London. 2. Bates et al (2014) National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Headline results from Years 1,2,3 and 4 (combined) of the Rolling Programme (2008/2009 – 2011/12). Public Health England. 3. Wallis K, Chapman C (2012) Current Innovations in Reducing Salt in Food Products. See http://www.foodhealthinnovation.com/ media/4078/salt_reduction_2012.pdf. 4. Holmes BA et al (2011) The contribution of breakfast cereals to the nutritional intake of the materially deprived UK population. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition advance online publication, 10 August 2011; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2011.143.

010_011_ATL_Feb16.indd 11

26/01/2016 25/01/2016 11:21 16:06

SPOTLIGHT ON… FE UNDER REVIEW

FE under

review

Swingeing funding cuts have been followed by a comprehensive review of post-16 education. Sally Gillen looks at what this could mean for colleges and schools in England

CUTS IN EDUCATION have been a grim reality since 2011, but arguably no part of the sector has suffered more than FE. Around 40% of its Government funding has been slashed, forcing colleges to scrap courses and cut jobs to balance the books. Then, last July, the sector was dealt another blow. The Government said it wanted fewer, larger colleges – by March 2017. To achieve its target in less than two years, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) announced an England-wide review of post-16 provision, made up of 39 area reviews. Each of the reviews, seven of which started two months later, in September, is being led by FE and sixth-form commissioners and a steering committee whose membership includes principals, governors and sixth-form and regional schools commissioners. Their task is a complex one: to examine FE and sixth-form college provision, analysing a vast range of data to ensure that what is on offer matches the skills needs of local employers. Their timetable is challenging or, according to ATL and many others who oppose the policy, unrealistic. Guidance on carrying out the reviews, published by BIS, says they should take no longer than four months. After that time, a report setting out recommendations on restructuring provision should be published. In Norfolk and Suffolk, colleges took the decision to review their provision even before the Government announced its nationwide review. Five colleges, which like hundreds of others across the country are facing financial difficulties, volunteered for their own version of an area review of post-16 provision. It was carried out between January and May by the sixthform and FE commissioners, and the resulting report set out seven possible restructures. 12 REPORT | FEBRUARY 2016

012-015_ATL_FEB16_FEAT.indd 12

Ruth Thacker, a lecturer in social care at Great Yarmouth College and the ATL rep, says that, as a result, the college’s two campuses, which are 10 miles apart, may be reduced to one. Also a merger of Great Yarmouth College, Lowestoft College and Lowestoft Sixth Form College is now being proposed. The review follows two years of redundancies and staff have “jitters”, says Thacker, about what the future holds. Although the viability of courses is reviewed annually, the renewed focus on finances may redefine what is considered viable. “One of the concerns is that the goalposts will shift in terms of how many students are needed to make a course viable, which could leave some courses vulnerable to being cut.” Staff in other areas across the country now facing a review are undoubtedly experiencing the same uncertainty, especially when they consider the dire prediction by the Skills Funding Agency that up 40% of FE and sixth-form colleges are at risk of closure. ATL has also expressed a number of grave concerns about the review of post-16 provision. In a letter to skills minister Nick Boles, ATL warns that the deadline for carrying out complex reviews is too tight, and that the steering committees leading the work may, in some cases, have so many members that democratic decision-making will be impossible. “We are very concerned that the process is being done too hastily to properly review post-16 education and training in large areas covering a number of colleges,” explains ATL education policy adviser Janet Clark. “For example, in the Greater Manchester review currently taking place, there are 21 colleges. “The FE advisers employed by BIS are collecting a vast amount of data from colleges,” she adds. “They have to look at financial information and consider, for WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

26/01/2016 12:07

ILLUSTRATION: BJÖRN ÖBERG

“ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS THAT THE GOALPOSTS WILL SHIFT IN TERMS OF HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE NEEDED TO MAKE A COURSE VIABLE”

every course, where it takes place, how many people are on it, whether it overlaps with what is being offered at another college and the ‘travel to learn’ times for students, which is, according to BIS, a key criterion for reviews.” Some reviews cover an area of up to 50 miles, encompassing a large number of institutions. The Greater Manchester review covers 10 FE colleges and 11 sixth-form colleges. Two FE commissioner advisers over two days in October collected financial data and observed lessons at Bolton College. Staff were told a meeting would be scheduled for 16 December where a report recommending changes would be presented. Mike Pevitt, a member of ATL’s Further and Higher Education Sector Advisory Group and a lecturer at Bolton College, says the complexities of the review are quickly becoming apparent. WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

012-015_ATL_FEB16_FEAT.indd 13

“We have not been told much at all. The two advisers came in and we’re now waiting,” says Pevitt. “Apparently the review is being slowed down due to a lack of activity by the FE colleges.” Some sixth forms are now considering becoming academies, which would exclude them from the review, so FE commissioners are trying to engage with colleges to come up with new viable plans. Adding to the complexity is devolution in Greater Manchester, which means the city council has more control over adult skills spending. The experience of those colleges in the first wave of reviews, such as Bolton, is being observed with interest by those yet to go through the process. Naz Mistry, member of ATL’s leadership section AMiE, and vice-principal of Gateway College in Leicester, which will be part of an area review carried out in September 2016, is among them. He has a number of questions and reservations about the process. As his college is based in one of the UK’s most ethnically diverse cities, he is keen that the equality impact assessment of the reviews promised by BIS is treated seriously. “We have seen this before, where 3 FEBRUARY 2016 | REPORT 13

26/01/2016 11:18

Aviva car insurance from just £198 Plus save up to 20% online

We offer great value car insurance, with prices from £198 – that’s all 10% of our customers paid for our standard cover*. We offer great value car insurance so you can relax outside of work. With prices from £198 – that’s all 10% of our customers paid for our standard cover*. Plus, you could save up to 20% online – 15% of our customers are expected to receive the maximum saving**. Get a quote online in five minutes^ at aviva.co.uk/atlcar *10% of customers buying comprehensive car insurance with us from August to October 2015 paid this price or less for our standard cover (excluding optional extras). The price you will pay depends on individual circumstances, cover chosen and payment method. **Discount depends on individual circumstances and does not apply to optional extras. Minimum price applies. ^Source: average online quote times June to August 2015. Insurance underwritten by Aviva Insurance Limited. Registered in Scotland No. 2116. Registered office: Pitheavlis, Perth, PH2 0NH. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

CFPPCA0005 11.2015

J5822-CFPPCA0005-1115.indd 1 014_ATL_Feb16.indd 14

04/12/2015 20/01/2016 14:42 16:10

SPOTLIGHT ON… FE UNDER REVIEW

a policy was shown to disadvantage certain ethnic groups, but it was introduced anyway,” he says. “I hope this process isn’t cosmetic.” Gateway has 1,600 students and runs A-levels, GCSEs and BTECs from levels 1 to 3. “It will be a shame if elitism is involved – if the colleges with the bright students doing A-levels are left alone,” adds Mistry. The announcement by chancellor George Osborne in his November spending review that sixth-form colleges will be allowed to convert into 16-19 academies, with accountability switching to the Department for Education, may now look especially attractive to leaders as a way of shielding their organisations from possible closures or mergers. A hint in the BIS guidance on area reviews that those organisations that reject recommendations made by the steering committee may face financial penalties also raises questions for Mistry. “We really need more information about what it means when funding levers will be used against us. It may be that a college is happy with its position and doesn’t, for example, want to be part of a merger.” All of these questions and others were raised by Mistry at a meeting organised by ATL in Leicester, one of a series we are holding to listen to members’ concerns and offer support on how they can push for information about the review process (see box). One issue that is raising eyebrows among those working in post-16 education is the decision by BIS to allow school sixth forms and other providers to opt into the reviews if they wish, while FE and sixth-form colleges have not been given a choice. This is “bizarre and creates an uneven playing field”, argues Mistry. Clark explains: “School sixth forms are very unlikely to opt in because what they offer students would be under the same scrutiny as the provision at colleges. We know from BIS that very few school sixth forms are opting in.” Opting out of reviews will not, however, protect school sixth forms. “Area reviews may result in students being unable to get a college place because the college is closed, or the course they wanted to do has been cut, or is too far away or difficult to get to,” explains Clark. “As young people are now required to stay in education or training until they are 18, they may have no option but to stay on at school. This is a concern, as schools are already struggling with shrinking budgets and teacher recruitment.” Robin Bevan, headteacher at Southend High School for Boys, agrees, but adds that schools are not aware of the reviews. “School sixth forms are largely detached from the process.” He predicts schools could be affected in three ways by the area reviews. Firstly, recommendations could be made that sixth-form colleges stop courses. “There are some small school sixth forms that run courses because they have a small cohort of students who want to study a subject rather than having a broad and robust offer,” says Bevan. Secondly, he argues, it is possible other providers will reduce their offers and schools may be expected to broaden their WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

012-015_ATL_FEB16_FEAT.indd 15

post-16 provision. Or there may be rationalisation, so some schools are told there is no need for them to run courses already being run at a college. With many schools already bursting at the seams, taking on more students would be impossible without significant capital investment, argues Bevan, adding that the sums required may cancel out any savings. ATL’s post-16 national official Norman Crowther speculates the first of Bevan’s predictions is the most likely, arguing that, with efficiency driving the Government’s review, the many school sixth forms with small pockets of students appear vulnerable. Crowther and Bevan share concerns that the area reviews could result in education options being decided on the basis of employer, rather than learner, needs. Crowther says the local labour market should not dictate the curriculum, while Bevan believes focusing too heavily on the needs of employers will lead to a narrower curriculum, restricting choice for learners and denying them the opportunity to study a subject for which they have an aptitude. Bevan points out that there is a risk that they could end up studying what is on offer locally, rather than something that matches their talents. “We don’t want a situation where all that’s on offer in Lincolnshire are courses in agriculture, or a young person in Birmingham only has the option to do car manufacturing,” he argues. As well as the implications for learners, the area reviews throw up issues for staff pay and conditions. “The reviews will result in job losses, and not just on the vocational side,” says Crowther. “There are so many colleges running A-levels that they are a prime candidate for cuts, especially when BIS has said it wants to reduce duplication. “There is also going to be pressure to cut jobs because of online learning. In itself this will hugely disadvantage learners from poorer backgrounds who do not have access to a computer at home.” Already there is evidence that the area reviews are creating tensions around pay and conditions among staff, says Crowther. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT Mergers of FE and sixth THE AREA REVIEWS AND forms are leading to pay THE QUESTIONS YOU disputes because FE staff SHOULD BE ASKING have not had pay rises, while sixth-form teaching ATL guidance on the area reviews, drawn up by ATL post-16 national official Norman staff have. And although Crowther, sets out 21 questions that staff staff transferring into FE may want to ask about the reviews. To colleges will have their pay read the guidance go to www.atl.org.uk/ areareviews. The issues covered include and terms and conditions whether there has been an equality impact protected under the assessment, whether Equality Act duties Transfer of Undertakings have been met and how and when the (Protection of affected staff will be told. ATL also questions if deals have been made by Employment) Regulations colleges in advance and if there is a 2006, legislation that distinct bias towards the larger colleges protects workers’ rights in the review. when their employer To read ATL’s policy on the area reviews go changes, in the longer to www.atl.org.uk/responses. term there is every chance they will be eroded. ■ FEBRUARY 2016 | REPORT 15

26/01/2016 11:17

THERE CAN’T BE many schools that have banter enshrined as an integral part of their approach to pupils, but for Springwell Learning Community, banter is a key part of a philosophy that promotes ‘intimacy, warmth, banter and trust’. “On any day you come in, that’s what you’ll find,” says Verity Watts, deputy headteacher of Springwell, one of the case studies on ATL’s acurriculumthatcounts.org.uk site. Springwell provides cross-phase education for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties and special educational needs in the Barnsley area. “Banter is all about wanting to learn about the children and making the connection with them,” says Watts. “The key is making the children feel comfortable and happy to learn.” Getting to know the children is crucial, she says, understanding the detail of each individual’s family and educational background, any special educational needs and anything that might trigger them to get upset. “Generally children are more anxious these days,” says Watts, “but ours are particularly anxious, so for their brains to be calm enough to be able to receive new information, we’ve got to make sure we’ve done our homework and given them work that doesn’t threaten them. “That doesn’t mean giving them easy work; it just means personalising how you speak to them and where they sit in the classroom. You have to put a lot of investment into that foundation in order to be able to get them into the classroom and learning.” Walking through the school, it is noticeable that Watts and the other staff all call out to the children by name, with cheerful greetings like, “Good morning, Sarah. It’s good to

see you today. You had a cold yesterday, didn’t you? Are you feeling better?” Being genuine is crucial, as children can sense any insincerity. Watts explains: “A child might have a lot of anxiety about being in school, so it’s genuinely nice to see him or her and it’s important to mark that. The more personal interactions you can have with the children the better.” The Springwell ethos is underpinned by unconditional positive regard, which means staff treat the children as individuals and accept them for who they are. Each day is also seen as a fresh start, meaning pupils can feel safe from prejudice based on previous behaviour or academic achievement. Another aspect to building foundations for learning is to work on each child’s attachment. This is based on attachment theory, originated by psychiatrist John Bowlby in the 1950s, which defined attachment as a deep emotional bond that connects one person to another to create a secure base from which they can develop. At Springwell, staff are trained in attachment theory, but also look specifically at the needs of each child. “Attachment is a big issue for a lot of children,” says Watts, who recommended to the Carter review that attachment be included as part of initial teacher training. “We all try to create a positive atmosphere, and the hope is that they will learn to have a positive attachment because it gives children a secure base from which they can move on and learn.” The start of each day is also specifically structured to create solid foundations, with primary children beginning with breakfast together, then listening to a story, which

“OUR CHILDREN ARE PARTICULARLY ANXIOUS, SO FOR THEIR BRAINS TO BE CALM ENOUGH TO RECEIVE NEW INFORMATION, WE’VE GOT TO DO OUR HOMEWORK”

Positive regard With its child-centred approach and dedication to unconditional positive regard, Springwell Learning Community is seeing remarkable results. Alex Tomlin meets deputy headteacher Verity Watts to find out more 16 REPORT | FEBRUARY 2016

016-017_ATL_FEB16_PROFILE.indd 16

supports Springwell’s dedication to reading and writing. Children can also settle by practising a musical instrument in this session. “If the children come in and are unsettled or anxious we’re able to help them work through that,” says Watts, “so they’re more acclimatised to the classroom and warmth has been established when more academic learning starts.” That learning can be spectacular. Springwell has developed its own Elements curriculum across key stages 1 to 3. The curriculum is designed to support development of the whole child, as well as academic progress. The Elements curriculum is thematic, similar to that found in many primary schools. Each topic lasts for a half-term, has at its heart a story or narrative and kicks off with a ‘wow way in’, an event, usually taking place outside the classroom, designed to engage pupils. The topic of the First World War for key stage 3 is a good example, as Springwell worked with theatre company Open Minds to turn the school hall into an authentic trench by putting blankets over chairs to give a sense of being underground in tunnels. They projected images of the war onto the walls, played sounds and music from the time and even recreated the unpleasant smells of a trench by using tuna-brine-soaked rags, mud and rotting leaves to create a fully immersive space in order to tell the story of one soldier. The children then wrote essays based on what they had experienced. These introductions lay the foundations of the topic and spark interest and curiosity in the children, who will then not only want to learn but will become passionate about their learning. “Whatever’s going on in their heads or in their lives, what you’re doing has to be irresistible so they absolutely want to learn,” says Watts. WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

20/01/2016 14:37

CASE STUDY SPRINGWELL LEARNING COMMUNITY

PHOTOGRAPHY: ARNAU ORIOL

“IN ORDER TO CREATE CHANGE, YOU’VE GOT TO WORK ON A DEEPER EMOTIONAL LEVEL”

She recalls a topic on reminiscing and memories, which had a particularly positive impact. The topic began with a visit from an elderly relative of one of the staff, who came into school to talk about his life and to answer questions, all of which was recorded. “The children were incredibly respectful of him and responded to having a real person coming to visit,” Watts says. Each class then took a period from his life and retold it via drama, film and artwork. This led to the ‘wow way out’ for that topic, where he was invited back to see the living museum of his life that the children had created. “The fact they knew he was coming back meant they were not only willing to work incredibly hard to produce their work, but also discovered that what they had done mattered and had an impact on him,” Watts says. “That’s what Elements is all about,” she adds. “You can’t do that with 45-minute lessons. In order to create genuine change, you’ve got to work on a deeper emotional level. The more deep experiences they have like that, the better. “One of the things about Elements is that it develops empathy and compassion by looking at the human story behind the topic.” ‘Wow ways out’ are important too, Watts explains, because “it’s a real WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

016-017_ATL_FEB16_PROFILE.indd 17

shame when the children are hooked into exploring a topic and then it just fizzles out. A wow way out is a way of them working towards a sharing of some kind.” For key stage 4, the learning is more conventional leading up to GCSEs, but individuals may be given personalised schedules if a wholly academic curriculum does not suit their needs. “We do aim for as many as possible to achieve accredited outcomes, because it’s about them moving on to the next stage,” says Watts. “We provide a blend of offers for certain children, whereas others will be happy sitting eight GCSEs. “You’ve got systems versus the child, and in a lot of schools the system is fixed and the child has to fit around it. However, we think our system has to change to enable the children to reach a positive next destination. For us it’s looking at the child’s needs first, but as a result we probably get better outcomes.” To enable staff to put the philosophy into practice, Springwell’s attention to individuals extends to staff, too. “It’s vital you have unconditional positive regard for your teachers as well; you can’t have double standards,” says Watts. “They’re all different; they have different strengths. You need to give them opportunities to learn and support them in any risk-taking.”

Getting to know children and showing interest in their lives is key to engaging them, says Verity Watts

Springwell asks its teachers to develop exciting ideas for the Elements curriculum and gives them time and resources to do it in a collaborative way. “It’s all very well having a good idea, but you need the time to be able to make it happen,” says Watts. Another aspect of support is enabling colleagues to observe each other’s teaching. “It’s easier to see an issue when you’re looking from the outside, and then you can work together to resolve it,” says Watts, who is supporting colleagues in carrying out mini research projects so that each teacher can look at one development area in depth with a view to producing a case study to share with colleagues. For anyone working in the mainstream thinking about moving to a special school, Watts says you have to genuinely like children, be passionate and know about yourself. “Everything else you can learn,” she says. “You need to understand that personalising learning will take a lot of time, but you do see the positive impact. “Wherever you work, you should want the children to find ways of understanding other people as human beings,” she says, “because it really does matter that they come out of school broader-minded and more compassionate.”

You can find out more about Springwell and other schools doing amazing things at acurriculumthatcounts.org.uk. FEBRUARY 2016 | REPORT 17

20/01/2016 14:37

018_ATL_Feb16.indd 18

20/01/2016 16:10

YOUR ATL… CONTENTS AND CONTACTS

Your ATL

REMEMBER TO PASS YOUR COPY OF REPORT TO COLLEAGUES WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN IT

EXPERT ADVICE, TEACHING TOOLS, MEMBER BENEFITS – AND YOUR RIGHT TO REPLY

Bullying Taking at work students off-site

IN THIS SECTION

24 RESOURCES

Updated publications on bullying, redundancy and taking students off site, as well as a new publication offering an alternative vision of inspection in FE

WORKLOAD

Members give feedback on ATL’s campaign so far

GUIDE

ATL policy adviser Janet Clark explains how to spot a decent apprenticeship

LEGAL ADVICE

ATL solicitor David Rommer explains the extra rights afforded to disabled staff

Your guide from ATL – the education union

YOUR VIEWS

ATL members on being new to teaching and times tables testing

ATL product code: PE29 Date: September 2015 ISBN: 1-902466-63-2 Price: £9.99 (non members)/Free (members)

Legal advice series

CROSSWORD

Trainee

Your chance to win a £50 M&S voucher with our cryptic crossword

Section Title | 1

Redundancy

Your guide from ATL – the education union

NOTICEBOARD

Taking students off site

A Midlands support staff conference, scholarships to study, the chance to attend the TUC’s equalities conferences and supporting the Global Campaign for Education

ATL product code: PE10 Date: December 2015 ISBN: 1-902-466-04-7 Price: £9.99 (non members)/Free (members)

Your guide from ATL – the education union

LEARNING ZONE

A course for NQTs on how to work with other adults, such as colleagues, leaders and parents

ATL product code: PED03 Date: November 2015 ISBN: 1-902466-47-0 Price: £9.99 (non members)/Free (members)

USEFUL CONTACTS If you need help with matters related to your employment, your first point of contact should be your school or college ATL rep, or your AMiE regional officer if you are a leadership member. You can also contact your local ATL branch for advice and support. If they are unable to help, contact ATL using these details: General enquiries: 020 7930 6441 info@atl.org.uk BELFAST: 028 9078 2020 ni@atl.org.uk CARDIFF: 029 2046 5000 cymru@atl.org.uk AMiE MEMBERS: Call the employment helpline on 01858 464171 helpline@amie.atl.org.uk

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

019_ATL_FEB16_YOUR ATL.indd 19

Legal advice series

Membership enquiries: membership@atl.org.uk Pension enquiries: 020 7782 1600 Out-of-hours helpline: 020 7782 1612 ATL’s regional officials are available to speak to you about work problems Monday to Friday from 5pm to 7.30pm during term time.

Legal advice series

If you are not a member of ATL and would like to join, please contact us on

0845 057 7000 (lo-call)

Personal injury claims:

033 3344 9616 Call Morrish Solicitors LLP, ATL’s appointed solicitors, or go to www.atlinjuryclaims.org.uk. This service is open to members and their families, subject to the rules of the scheme. TERMS OF ATL’S SUPPORT ARE OUTLINED IN OUR MEMBERS’ CHARTER, AVAILABLE VIA WWW.ATL.ORG.UK. WHEN EMAILING ATL FROM HOME, PLEASE INCLUDE EITHER YOUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBER OR HOME POSTCODE TO HELP US DEAL WITH YOUR ENQUIRY MORE EFFICIENTLY.

FEBRUARY 2016 | REPORT 19

20/01/2016 14:43

Fully funded IAG FOR SCHOOLS We’ve helped thousands could we help you?

nterserve Learning and Employment are delivering impartial, high quality information, advice and guidance (IAG) about Apprenticeships and Traineeships to schools in the UK. Working on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency, our IAG managers and Apprenticeship advisors are connecting with schools in the North West, North East, South West and London.

We really appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences and enthusiasm with our students. Students and parents thoroughly enjoyed the evening and feedback has been extremely positive especially about the range and quality of the information offered” Miss Bastian, Penryn College

Our priorities are to go into schools and provide information about Traineeships and Apprenticeships, as well as support young people to register for an Apprenticeship online. This will help them to search for the right opportunities in their area. So far, we have helped nearly 27,000 young people to consider an Apprenticeship route. The SFA has seen a 49% increase in registrations of 16-18 year olds and an increase of 23% of 19-24 year olds across the UK. In addition to the face to face IAG we provide, we have a fantastic website available to

students, teachers and parents, helping them to find out more about our services. This exciting service to promote and share the benefits of Apprenticeships is available to you. I wanted to say a big thank you for coming in. You certainly have opened the students more – I needed that support to get the attitudes changed. Please come back next year – let me know when I can book” Mrs Purrier, Enfield Sixth Form

We can help with the following:  Apprenticeships/ Traineeships workshops & assemblies  CV writing  Parents evenings  Supporting open days  Resource packs

Bradford council A big thank you from Bradford Council, it is no coincidence that the districts Apprenticeship uptake rate has increased (see below) since we have had your expert support at the front end getting young people to consider an apprenticeship in the Bradford District. The work of you and your team is making significant contribution to increased apprenticeship awareness across secondary schools throughout the region and in Bradford the engagement is even higher.”

Crawshaw academy The involvement of Interserve Learning and Employment helped bring a professional and formal angle to our Careers Information and Guidance. As a consequence of your input to a year 11 assembly, we have been able to follow up the launch with a midterm review where a cohort of students have identified that they wish to formally consider an Apprenticeship” Mr Ghosal, Assistant Principal, Crawshaw Academy

 Contact us today and find out how we can help you apprenticeshipadvice.co.uk apprenticeship.advice@ interserve.com



Mr Isaac, Bradford Council

IAG-ATL Magazine Advert.indd 1 020_ATL_Feb16.indd 20

20/01/2016 12:57:49 20/01/2016 16:10

YOUR ATL… WORKLOAD CAMPAIGN

It’s about time Report speaks to two ATL reps about the positive impact of ATL’s workload campaign

IT’S BEEN two months since ATL launched our workload campaign and it is already having an impact in schools. A major part of the campaign is the workload tracker tool, which has been well received across the country, with over 1,500 education staff signing up to use it. ATL rep Louise Atkinson, who works in a small school in Cumbria, says the tracker went down well with her colleagues, both ATL and non-ATL members, when she presented it to them. “The feedback was that we know we’re working all these hours, but what are we actually doing with them?” she explains. “That’s where the tracker is a really useful tool. You can see over a period of time where the peaks are, for example when reports are due. “The only query people had was how long it would take to fill it in, but I did mine in front of them and they saw it was a twominute job,” she adds. “It’s very simple and if you’ve got it in your mind during the week you can fill it in very quickly. They all seemed quite happy with that.” One member of the senior leadership team was particularly impressed. “She could see the campaign isn’t about complaining or arguing; it is about finding WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

021_ATL_FEB16_TALKING POINT.indd 21

a solution,” Louise says. “The tracker was a great reason to hold a meeting in the first place and helped start a dialogue with staff and senior leadership.” Another ATL rep, Hayley Bourne, who is a language curriculum leader at Our Lady & St Chad Catholic Academy in Wolverhampton, says workload is an issue at her school, but believes the approach of her senior leadership team sets a good example of how to support staff with it. “Every member of SLT is available to discuss ideas, issues and raise concerns,” says Hayley. “They are open to suggestions for improving practice and policies within the school and actively seek out staff suggestions and solutions.” The school offers good-quality CPD to Hayley and other staff to ensure they are well equipped to do their jobs, but it also puts in place specific ways of working. One way is for staff to work in triads to plan and evaluate lessons, which not only avoids duplication of work, but also helps improve the quality of lessons. Time spent on bureaucracy is also reduced as all school self-evaluation forms and PSHE documentation are stored online and all curriculum leaders have access to

ATL’S WORK-LIFE CAMPAIGN WWW.ATL.ORG.UK/ ABOUTTIME

one another’s documentation, strategies and evidence. “This ensures you’re never left wondering if you’re doing the right thing,” says Hayley, “and is a fantastic method of sharing great ideas which hugely cuts down on workload.” As a new curriculum leader, Hayley is responsible for three NQTs, which takes a great deal of her time on top of her other work, so the school pays for a more experienced curriculum leader from another school to act as a mentor and to help with supporting the NQTs. Hayley also encourages the trainees and NQTs to get out of the mindset of “work or guilt”, and to have one evening a week where they leave the school without taking any work home with them. “They tend to work constantly,” Hayley explains, “but it helps them to know they can stop and have a life, even if I have to sometimes wrestle the laptop off them at the end of the day.” Hayley also shares existing resources with them to stop them having to “reinvent the wheel”.

ATL’s ‘It’s about time’ campaign is aiming to reduce the excessive workload blighting the education profession. It affects the quality of teaching and learning our members are able to deliver. It is driving experienced and valuable staff from the profession. It is having a hugely detrimental impact on personal lives. You can find out more and fill in the workload tracker at www.atl.org. uk/abouttime. The tracker will help inform our talks with Government but we also want to support you in your workplaces now. You can book in a visit from our organising team through www.atl.org.uk/abouttime. We’re also tackling workload and stress through training courses throughout the country, with topics such as assertiveness, time management, mindfulness, resilience and having courageous conversations. Visit www.atl.org.uk/learningzone for more details.

FEBRUARY 2016 | REPORT 21

20/01/2016 15:25

YOUR ATL… GUIDE

Spotting a good apprenticeship ATL policy adviser Janet Clark explains how to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to recommending apprenticeships to students AFTER THE ELECTION in May last year, the Government pledged to create an extra three million apprenticeships by 2020. A programme of trailblazers has been launched: groups of employers in different sectors that design the apprenticeship standards. Despite the Government drive to boost apprenticeships, teachers have been criticised by MPs and business leaders for failing to stimulate demand, and are frequently chastised for recommending A-levels, university or other vocational education routes. With very few teachers having firsthand experience of apprenticeships, and the raft of changes to these programmes, it is unsurprising there is confusion around how to advise students. So what should teachers be aware of when discussing apprenticeship opportunities with young people? R An apprenticeship should be a real job, which has a productive purpose and offers an expectation of permanent employment on completion. ATL’s concern is that, by encouraging employers to take on apprentices in order to recoup their initial investment, some businesses may take advantage of the low apprenticeship minimum wage through ‘roll-on roll-off’ oneyear apprenticeship contracts. A recent Channel 4 Dispatches documentary exposed the retail sector as being particularly keen to exploit apprentices in this way. Anecdotal evidence also tells us that apprenticeships in care, hospitality and administration often do not result in permanent and genuine employment. R Fair pay should be an indicator of a good-quality apprenticeship. The national minimum wage (NMW) for apprentices is £3.30 an hour. 22 REPORT | FEBRUARY 2016

022_ATL_JAN16_GUIDE.indd 22

Some argue that this does not enable independent living and therefore prohibits potential apprentices from moving to access programmes that suit them. With this in mind, it is important that teachers advising young people can access information about the local labour market to establish what apprenticeship opportunities are accessible. Some employers, however, pay significantly more than the NMW for apprentices, and may enable young people to relocate. An apprenticeship that has the learner at the centre should include a training plan, which is used to outline and agree a high-quality programme. The training plan should set out the standards required to complete the apprenticeship, the elements included

“HIGH-QUALITY APPRENTICESHIPS ARE TYPICALLY FOUND IN INDUSTRIES WITH A LONGESTABLISHED RELIANCE ON APPRENTICES”

in the programme and the rights and responsibilities of each stakeholder. The plan should be agreed and signed by the employer, training provider and apprentice (or parent or carer if under the age of 18). We would always recommend that apprentices join a union and, ideally, unions will also sign off the training plan. An excellent apprenticeship should provide high-quality training and clear individual development. Ofsted’s 2015 annual report criticised apprenticeships in the food production,

retail and care sectors that were completed through the accreditation of low-level skills. Conversely, Ofsted found that high-quality apprenticeships are typically found in industries with a long-established reliance on apprentices to develop their future workforce, such as the motor vehicle, construction and engineering industries. Apprenticeships must meet the Government’s statutory requirements. The Enterprise Bill, currently going through Parliament, sets out measures to stop low-quality courses being offered as apprenticeships. Training providers offering apprenticeships that do not meet the required standards could be fined up to £5,000 and given a criminal record. Skills minister Nick Boles has said that giving the apprenticeship title legal protection will stop poor-quality courses being offered. However, this legislation does not apply to employer-providers. An apprenticeship should have qualifications as an outcome. A major concern with the new trailblazer employer-designed apprenticeship standards is that qualifications are not necessarily required as an outcome for completion. Some employer groups involved in designing the new standards have, however, decided that one or more qualifications should be included, and we would always recommend that young people choose such an apprenticeship as this will more easily enable progression to higher levels or mobility between occupations and skills sectors.

To get involved in shaping policy in this area, contact Janet on jclark@atl.org.uk to join the apprenticeship, careers or FE members network. WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

20/01/2016 14:47

YOUR ATL… LEGAL GUIDE

Disability rights David Rommer explains the extra rights afforded to disabled staff WORKERS AND JOB APPLICANTS who are disabled have additional legal protection. This article aims to summarise these extra rights, which are set out in the Equality Act 2010. To be classified as disabled for employment law purposes, a worker must have a “physical or mental impairment”, which must have “a substantial and longterm effect” on the person’s “ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”. Any worker diagnosed with cancer, MS or HIV will automatically be considered disabled, as will those registered or certified as visually impaired. There are also special rules for workers with recurring or progressive conditions. Reasonable adjustments If a disabled worker is put at “substantial disadvantage” by a practice at work, or by a physical feature of the workplace, then the employer has a duty to make reasonable adjustments to address the problem. R Examples: h Mrs Khan has arthritis in both hips. She teaches at a secondary school, spread across three sites, which are difficult and painful to walk between. It may be a reasonable adjustment to rearrange her timetable to put all her lessons on one site. h Claire, a TA who suffers from depression, is hoping to return to work after three months’ sick leave. Although feeling better, she is anxious about returning to full-time work. A phased return is likely to be a reasonable adjustment. Direct discrimination An employer must not treat a disabled worker less favourably than others because of his or her disability, or because of the disability of someone closely associated with the worker, such as a partner or child. WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

023_ATL_FEB16_LEGAL GUIDE.indd 23

Example: Anna was recently diagnosed with MS. She was due to attend a training course at the beginning of next term. However, the headteacher has given Anna’s course place to a colleague, saying Anna should concentrate on her health.

Discrimination arising from disability An employer must not treat a disabled worker unfavourably because of something arising from his or her disability, unless that treatment is justified. R Example: Ms Levy has epilepsy. Her condition is generally well controlled, but she had one fit last year and had a week’s sick leave as a result. Her college is making redundancies and is ‘scoring’ staff on criteria including sickness record. Due to that week’s sick leave, Ms Levy scores lower than her colleagues and is therefore selected for redundancy. Harassment This occurs when a worker experiences disability-related “unwanted conduct [that] has the purpose or effect of violating dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment” for the worker. R Example: Assistant headteacher Ms Foster is on sick leave following a hysterectomy. Over the last fortnight, the headteacher has telephoned or emailed Ms Foster seven times, pressurising her to return and telling her that if the school fails its forthcoming Ofsted inspection, she will be to blame. Indirect disability discrimination This occurs when an employer applies a policy to all staff, but that policy has the effect of putting workers with a particular disability at a disadvantage. (NB it would

not be discrimination if there is a strong justification for the policy.) R Example: A school advertises for a deputy headteacher. Mr Harrison’s application explains that his sight is impaired and that he struggles with font sizes below 14pt. On assessment day, instructions for the written exercise are typed in 10pt font. Mr Harrison performs poorly on the exercise as a result. Victimisation A disabled worker should not suffer revenge for asking for adjustments or alleging that his or her disability rights have been breached. A colleague or union rep who has assisted a disabled worker to raise a disability rights issue must not be treated badly either. R Example: Gregory is a catering assistant in an FE college on a one-year fixedterm contract. He has a chronic back condition and his doctor has written to the college recommending that Gregory avoids very heavy lifting. Despite this, he is asked to lift heavy trays. Gregory complains that he has a right to reasonable adjustments. His manager is fed up with his complaints and decides not to renew Gregory’s contract at the end of the year. If things go wrong Many disability-related issues can be resolved through discussion. However, if you do encounter difficulties, contact ATL without delay (see page 19). Time limits are very important. In cases that cannot be resolved informally, the next step is likely to be a written grievance. If you wish to pursue an employment tribunal claim, in most cases the legal process will need to be started within three months of the decision or incident about which you wish to complain. FEBRUARY 2016 | REPORT 23

20/01/2016 14:52

YOUR ATL… YOUR VIEWS

Letters Overheard

IMAGE: CORBIS

ATL members responded on Facebook to policy adviser Anne Heavey’s blog on the proposed testing of times tables in Year 6.

I am looking forward to reading former headteacher James Hilton’s new book NEW AND NERVOUS Leading from the Edge for tips Being a newcomer to the and hints on how to navigate teaching profession, I am barriers in workplace cultures. interested in learning as The political, economic, social much as I can with the aim of and personal pressures on becoming the best teacher I can teachers are increasing, with be. I was inspired by the New statistics showing that Year welcome message from increasing numbers of people Kim Knappett, ATL president, are leaving the profession. in the January copy of Report, By all accounts, it is also which encouraged teachers to becoming more initiate a dialogue with difficult to enter each other to the profession, support collegiate The author of this letter wins with more and relationships £100 in book tokens. If you want to more hoops within teams. voice your opinion on issues raised in to jump A great idea, Report or any other aspect of education, please send a letter or email to the through in but, for a addresses below, including your order to prove newcomer like phone number. One letter will be your worth me, it takes a lot chosen every issue to win and dedication. of courage to the tokens. I hope to find a approach teams with supportive environment embedded cultures. I fear where I can make a difference they’ll see me as an outsider, and flourish as a teacher, and and a threat to the status quo. contribute to a positive We need to get creative workplace culture. I am wary of with this, as student teachers the commitment I have made don’t have the power base but hopeful for the future, as to disseminate our views I can see how absorbing and and opinions like others who fascinating it can be. have been in the profession M Charalambous, Derby for a longer period of time. STA R L E T T E R

WIN!

24 REPORT | FEBRUARY 2016

024_ATL_FEB16_LETTERS.indd 24

Susan Ramsay Working in a secondary school, I am appalled at the number of children who arrive without a working knowledge of their times tables. It then holds them back in so many other areas of maths. It is essential this is mastered at primary, and learning by rote is no bad thing for this, as it can be backed up with explanation. Roz Hart There is far too much crammed into the KS2 curriculum; consequently, there’s insufficient time for tables and other basic, crucial skills. Victoria Sponge I don’t think the issue is whether children know their tables. It’s formalised testing of these skills to which the writer is objecting, and I agree with her for the reasons she describes. It won’t help teachers and it will be less help to children than just learning the tables. Mary McLeod I feel very strongly about this. As a child, I learned to say my times tables out of fear. Although I could recite them without

JOIN THE DEBATE…

a hitch, I found maths an exceptionally difficult area. Years later I discovered I had mild dyscalculia. My school days were fraught with anxiety waiting for maths class, despite being an excellent student in other areas. Knowing your tables is a very important skill, but let’s not forget that testing such as is proposed is just testing memory. We are supposed to be encouraging, supporting and building self-confidence. Testing is a stressful enough situation, but to test against the clock will make many struggling children close their minds to maths forever. We are helping to create failures. Mary Cook Learning multiplication tables is not the problem; testing is. The test cannot be used to remediate, as it is at the end of primary schooling. Because it is a timed test, it will give a false impression of command of the content; some students will be competent but not quick enough. The results will be used to judge teachers and schools. Val Collier My nephew is very good at maths, but he is astute enough to realise that remembering quickly isn’t the same as understanding. Children have opinions about what is happening in their own classrooms, but does anyone really ever ask them?

report@atl.org.uk @ATLReport facebook.com/ATLUnion

Report, ATL, 7 Northumberland Street, London WC2N 5RD

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

20/01/2016 16:17

YOUR ATL… PRIZE CROSSWORD

WIN!

Prize crossword ACROSS 1 Sam Lee’s poorly – with this? (7) 5 Dislike intensely arrangement of the French exam (6) 9 Preparation of land for crops in the era of the cash register? (7) 10 Old Ford, and one of its senior pupils? (7) 11 and 12 None left, OK? (3,5) 13 In front in Australia? Quite the opposite! (7) 14 Timber used by barrel-maker (3) 15 It introduces air, reversing decay zone (7) 17 Assist in a crime – a wager, for example… (4) 21 …with chances this strange and small? (4) 24 Tropical storm, but bike carries on (7) 27 Some believe it, but it’s not true (3) 28 Tendency to do nothing, ie in Art, maybe (7) 29 It helps to open doors in a teaching environment (5) 30 Heads of colleges, universities and techs make budget reduction, perhaps (3) 31 Moved quickly to dismiss someone and conduct a damaging search? (7) 32 She’s 10 and neat, oddly (7) 33 One who passes on his experience and knowledge to chaps on hill (6) 34 Badly behaved? Could be any thug (7)

A £50 Marks & Spencer voucher

DOWN 1 New term with Lana, getting motherly! (8) 2 Everyone joins Head of English with bloody moral tale (8) 3 Part of whole as total is smallest in amount (5) 4 Master moved round East by ship (7) 5 Certificate awarded for old map I translated (7) 6 Article on new rate for the National? (7) 7 Observes on centre of lawn an item of playground equipment (6) 8 Money wagered on a share of the business? (5) 16 and 18 He’s a former pupil, and bloody extraordinary! (3,3) 19 Rebuild Hampton Court without most of mural – excellent! (3-5) 20 This is the last place you might expect to be seen! (8) 22 Diminish the value of Art, etc, following ending of aid (7) 23 One who avoids work, but makes cakes left and right (7) 24 Sure to be broken in crate (7) 25 Slight untruth concerning important dietary component (5) 26 Create a scene in attempt to contact the dead? (6) 29 Member of an Indian religion found in church in Durham (5)

7 8

10 11

13 14

18 19

21 25

29 30

HOW TO ENTER

Send your completed crossword with your contact details to: ATL February crossword competition, Think Publishing, Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London NW1 5DH. The closing date is 15 March 2016. If you have an ATL membership number, please include this here: The winner of the February competition will be announced in the April/May issue of Report.

LAST ISSUE’S SOLUTION ACROSS: 4 Era 8 Detached 9 Cantab 10 Pillar 11 Eleventh 13 Tripos 14 Scrutiny 15 Mock 16 Buddha 18 Debate 21 Hate 22 Workshop 24 Moaned 26 Geometry 29 Cadets 30 Keynes 31 Learning 32 Tie DOWN: 1 Senior 2 Galloped 3 Charisma 4 Edge 5 Acre 6 Intent 7 Martinet 12 Lock 13 Tab 14 Scrap 17 Unopened 18 Democrat 19 Boarding 20 End 21 Hour 23 Kimono 25 Extant 27 Test 28 Yale CONGRATULATIONS TO NOVEMBER/DECEMBER’S WINNER – A ASHENHURST, EXETER

Pearson is recruiting Examiners for GCSE and GCE subjects We have exciting opportunities for qualified teachers to become Examiners. This will enable you to: • Get closer to the qualification you are teaching • Gain insight on National Standards • Grow your career

To find out more please visit: www.edexcel.com/aa-recruitment Information email: aaresourcing@pearson.com

7723 GCSE and GCE Assessment Associates Advert A5 210x145mm.indd 1 Pearson 7723 GCSE and GCE_ATL_Jan_16.indd 1

025_ATL_FEB16_CROSSWORD.indd 25

18/02/2015 16:52 03/12/2015 12:59

26/01/2016 11:16

026_ATL_Feb16.indd 26

26/01/2016 11:25

YOUR ATL… NOTICEBOARD

NOTICE BOARD or part-time study in areas that will help their professional and personal development. Last year’s awards included contributions towards masters, doctorates and national professional qualifications for middle leadership. For more details and to apply see www.atl.org.uk/scholarships. You can also contact Bernadette Babayigit at bbabayigit@atl.org.uk for an application form. The closing date is 22 April 2016.

ATL support staff members enjoying their conference

PHOTOGRAPHY: PAULA DUCK & ROD LEON

THE ATL MIDLANDS SUPPORT STAFF CONFERENCE This event is for support staff only in the Midlands. ATL national official for support staff Peter Morris will talk about ‘ATL and support staff’, including some of the challenges faced by support staff today; Peter will then do a Q&A session. There will then be an opportunity for members to attend both of the professional development workshops, one in the morning and one in the afternoon: R Workshop 1: Behaviour management for support staff, delivered by Lisa Miller. R Workshop 2: Yoga (gentle movement and relaxation), with mindfulness, delivered by Phillipa Wilson. In between the CPD sessions, there will be lunch, which will provide an invaluable opportunity to ‘network’ with fellow support staff from the Midlands, as well as talk with members of ATL’s Support Staff Members Advisory Group (SSMAG). The event will be held on Saturday 12 March 2016, 10am–3pm, at the University of Warwick.

PETER SMITH SCHOLARSHIP As a lasting memorial to former ATL general secretary Peter Smith and his contribution to the work of the union, the Peter Smith scholarship offers financial assistance to ATL members who wish to return to fullWWW.ATL.ORG.UK

027_ATL_FEB16_NOTICEBOARD.indd 27

ATL’s delegation to the 2015 TUC black workers’ conference

TUC EQUALITIES CONFERENCES 2016 If you are interested in joining ATL’s delegations at the TUC equalities conferences, email ATL’s lead equalities officer Wanda Wyporska at wwyporska@atl. org.uk, stating the conference you’d like to attend. Dr Wyporska will then send you a form. ATL will pay reasonable travel and subsistence costs and book accommodation. The dates are: R TUC black workers’ conference, 15–17 April 2016 R TUC disabled workers’ conference, 16–20 May 2016 R TUC LGBT conference, 23–24 June 2016

SEND MY FRIEND TO SCHOOL IN 2016 Worldwide, the number of people affected by emergencies is at an alltime high, displacing more children than ever before from their homes and schools. For 2016, the Send My Friend to School campaign is calling on pupils in the UK to speak out for the tens of millions of children who are missing out on school due to conflicts, natural disasters and other emergencies. Twelve-year-old Mohamed has been out of education for five years. “I was very scared by the noise and the explosives and often could not sleep at night. We are now living in a refugee camp in Lebanon, along with hundreds of other Syrian families. “I miss school. If I could go back to education I would study to be a doctor, so I could return home to Syria and help people who have been hurt in the war.” In the middle of destruction and violence, school can be a place of stability, safety, learning and hope for the future. World leaders have made a new commitment to deliver quality education for every child up to the age of 15, but less than two per cent of aid in emergencies goes to education. Supported by ATL, a new FREE teaching pack, suitable for five- to 15-year-olds, has been launched, with more resources available online. Get your school involved! Find out more and sign up for a FREE teaching pack at www. sendmyfriend.org.

“I MISS SCHOOL. IF I COULD GO BACK TO EDUCATION I WOULD STUDY TO BE A DOCTOR, SO I COULD RETURN HOME TO SYRIA AND HELP PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HURT IN THE WAR” FEBRUARY 2016 | REPORT 27

20/01/2016 14:59

Supporting you to deliver maths and English ETF supports teachers and trainers in a range of settings in the further education and training sector to drive up the standards of teaching and learning in maths and English from entry levels to GCSE and beyond.

Join the ETF face-to-face and online maths and English courses now www.etfoundation.co.uk/mathsandenglish All about excellence in teaching and learning

Teaching Shakespeare? ‘The perfect introduction to Shakespeare!’ Helen Reynolds, teacher

Shakespeare Comic Books!

Vacancies to mark 2016 GCSE and A-levels Business, Economics, English, Geography History, Psychology, Sociology and Religious Studies – Apply now • Enhance your teaching skills and knowledge of assessment. • Build your knowledge of new speciﬁcations. • Earn extra income ahead of the holiday period. • Home based, ﬂexible working.

aqa.org.uk/apply www.shakespearecomics.com

Apply now to mark/moderate 2016 GCSEs and A-levels

AQA10165 126x89.5 2016 markers Ad Portrait.indd 1 028_ATL_Feb16.indd 26

19/01/2016 12:20 26/01/2016 11:46

YOUR ATL… RESOURCES

ATL RESOURCES Taking students off site

Bullying Taking at work students off-site

A new vision

for inspection in further education

Redundancy

Your guide from ATL – the education union

improve

support

Your guide from ATL – the education union

change

Your guide from ATL – the education union

collaborate challenge

ATL product code: PED03 Date: November 2015 ISBN: 1-902466-47-0 Price: £9.99 (non members)/Free (members)

assess

ATL product code: PE29 Date: September 2015

Legal advice series

ISBN: 1-902466-63-2 Price: £9.99 (non members)/Free (members)

Legal advice series

ATL product code: PE10 Date: December 2015 ISBN: 1-902-466-04-7 Price: £9.99 (non members)/Free (members)

Legal advice series

Trainee

Section Title | 1

Taking Students Off Site

Bullying at Work

Redundancy

Vision for Inspection in FE

Taking students off site covers a vast range of activities, from supervising students onto buses at the end of the school or college day, to taking an intrepid group of youngsters to Tibet. The majority of educational visits are very successful. However, high-profile incidents have caused some ATL members to be particularly concerned about liability for accidents. This guide, Taking Students Off Site, examines these concerns and demonstrates that members can safely and carefully plan and lead most types of educational visit. Members can order the guide free (£9.99 to non-members) from our despatch line using the details below and quoting the reference PED03, or download it from www.atl.org.uk/ped03.

Schools and colleges should provide a caring learning environment for students and safe working conditions for staff. Members of ATL have the right to work in a climate of respect; they should not be subject to intimidating or humiliating treatment. Regrettably, ATL’s casework confirms that bullying is a problem in their workplaces. This updated guidance, Bullying at Work, is intended to help members who are being bullied. It outlines the nature of bullying, identifies some of the causes and suggests ways to handle it. Members can order the guide free (£9.99 to non-members) from our despatch line using the details below and quoting the reference PE29, or download it from www.atl.org.uk/pe29.

Redundancy has unfortunately become a fact of life for school/ college staff in recent years. It can be a particularly traumatic experience for employees who have worked in a stable environment for many years. This revised booklet, called simply Redundancy (PE10), attempts to offer: R a concise and accessible introduction to the law R a guide to the potential payments available R a description of the procedure that schools/ colleges should adopt when implementing redundancies. The booklet is divided into three parts: R the legal principles R redundancy payments R model redundancy procedure. You can download a PDF copy from www.atl.org.uk/pe10.

Following on from our successful and well-received vision for inspection in schools, ATL has produced A New Vision for Inspection in Further Education. This proposes a new approach to inspection, an approach that is tailored to college improvement; proportionate in its impact; works with, not against, the teaching profession; is conducted by experts in the subject/field/age phase being inspected; and which results in carefully calibrated, nuanced inspection judgements that acknowledge the complexity of effective teaching, learning and assessment practices. You can download the full document from our campaign section at www.atl.org.uk/fevision.

HARD COPIES OF PUBLICATIONS CAN BE ORDERED FROM ATL’S DESPATCH LINE on 0845 4500 009 or email despatch@atl.org.uk or write to ATL Despatch, PO Box 485, Grays RM17 9HY. Members will need their membership number to hand, while non-members will need a method of payment.

LEARNING ZONE Working with other adults: positive communication and assertiveness Many new teachers feel well prepared to communicate with children but can feel less sure about working with adults, such as colleagues, leaders and parents. This half-day workshop for NQTs will help you to understand how assertive behaviour can be learnt and the relationship between self-esteem and assertiveness. You will also

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

029_ATL_FEB16_RESOURCES.indd 29

develop methods for resolving key situations with colleagues, leaders and parents.

Course programme: R R R

vocal, visual and verbal – elements of confident communicating fight, flight, freeze or flock – the neurology of behaviour aggressive, passive or submissive and passive-aggressive communication

benefits of assertiveness handling aggressive and passive colleagues/parents R influence, humour, self-talk and ‘woo’ R exploring related issues and skills. The session will combine a mix of direct input from the course leader, coaching and development as well as discussion. Visit www.atl.org.uk/learningzone to find out more and to book. R R

FEBRUARY 2016 | REPORT 29

20/01/2016 15:21

FINAL WORD… JAMES RHODES

An instrumental intervention

ILLUSTRATION: PHIL WRIGGLESWORTH

Concert pianist James Rhodes explains why the Government needs to make good on its promises about music education I STARTED MY campaign, Don't Stop the Music, because I was horrified at the state of music education in this country. Despite the Government promising every child would have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, my research showed that promise is a complete failure for the majority of the state sector. According to the exam board of the Royal Schools of Music, 40% of children from the lower social grades who have never played an instrument said they had no opportunity to learn at school. Just as disturbing, 2012 research from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, found that only 10% of Year 7 pupils were learning an instrument – very disappointing when you consider that children should have had music in school for six years by this stage. I want to achieve five very simple things: R Funding: a sustainable, annual, ring-fenced fund of £82.5 million for music education hubs and services. R Progression: accessible pathways for all to progress to wider opportunities. Whole-class tuition must be supported, including continued support for the Music and Dance Scheme and conservatoires. R Ofsted: a school should not be eligible to be ‘outstanding’ unless its music education is rated at least ‘good’, recognising that music is part of a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum. 30 REPORT | FEBRUARY 2016

030_ATL_FEB16_FINAL WORD.indd 30

Teachers: initial teacher education for primary teachers should include training to deliver a high-quality music education with confidence, while teacher training should also be supported for secondary teachers. R School accountability: music is economically and educationally valuable; this should be recognised by the Government and, where appropriate, should be acknowledged within school league tables. I worked with a school in Essex where music simply did not feature, so I started a local instrument amnesty, asking people to donate old instruments and pretty quickly I had the Year 5 class kitted out with trumpets, clarinets, R

James Rhodes is a concert pianist and founder of www.dontstop themusic.co.uk

flutes and trombones. Within two weeks I had them playing Beethoven in assembly. I then decided to roll the amnesty out nationwide. I arranged for Oxfam to use its stores as drop-off points and YodelDirect to handle the logistics. I assembled a crew of instrument cleaners and restorers, and by the end of the amnesty we had delivered over £1 million worth of instruments to hundreds of primary schools. Music is invaluable. The skills it teaches will follow children into the real world: discipline, focus, self-esteem, communication, numeracy, teamwork and on and on. This is backed up time and again by scientific research. It is a travesty that access to music education is such a lottery. Equally importantly, if you take a kid who isn’t particularly academic, athletic or popular and give him or her an instrument, in a remarkably short time that child will be performing alongside peers, seem to grow three feet taller and have an immense boost of self-esteem. I’ve witnessed this and it is remarkable. Headteachers and school staff must work together to make music a basic human right and not a luxury available only to those who can afford it. I know the vast majority of teachers are in favour of music education, but more often than not their hands are tied by budgetary constraints and red tape. By working together, reaching out to hubs and pushing the Government to make good on its promise, we can make sure there are resources and time available for music in schools. The impact will be overwhelmingly positive, long-lasting and far-reaching. WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

20/01/2016 15:05

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re cutting down on sugar New sugar reduction programme Strict sugar targets for new products

71%

16%

10%

30%

See more at: www.kelloggsnutrition.com/en_UK/ahome.html ÂŠ 2016 Kellogg Company IFC_ATL_Feb16.indd 1

26/01/2016 11:20

Trade Union Services

INJURED AT WORK? AS A UNION MEMBER, WE’LL GUARANTEE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY 100% OF YOUR COMPENSATION Changing government legislation means many legal firms now keep up to 40% of your Personal Injury compensation to cover costs. But at Morrish Solicitors, we believe that every penny you’re awarded should go to you. As an ATL member, you and your family members can enjoy friendly, professional legal advice from Morrish Solicitors, including our FREE Personal Injury service. So if you’ve been injured and it wasn’t your fault, talk to us today.

For your FREE Personal Injury Service call

033 3344 9616

Complete a claim form at atlinjuryclaims.org.uk Or for more member benefits visit morrishsolicitors.com/atl

OBC_ATL_Feb16.indd 1

20/01/2016 16:12