Report September 2016

THE MAGAZINE FROM ATL, THE EDUCATION UNION

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

SEPTEMBER 2016 £2.50

Lesson planning Why new Government workload advice could help avoid the plan-by-numbers approach

PROFILE

MEET THE PRESIDENT Shelagh Hirst on the challenging year ahead

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MARY BOUSTE D

AGAINST THE ODDS

The many tasks Justine Greening faces in her new DfE role

FINAL WORD

IN PRAISE OF FE

The value of post-16 for students in search of direction

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Contents 30

UPFRONT

4 UPDATE

ATL talks with DfE yield updates for concerned members, and a special conference for new union next steps

9 AGENDA

Mary Bousted examines the challenges facing Justine Greening

11

WALES AND NORTHERN IRELAND

Early days for the new Welsh education secretary, and discussions with the new education minister in Northern Ireland F E AT U R E S

12

LESSON PLANNING

FINAL WORD

Sarah Simons, director of UKFEchat, on the many benefits FE can offer Y O U R AT L

21 USEFUL CONTACTS How to get in touch with ATL

23 LEGAL ADVICE

Our legal team on the complex transfer-ofbusiness regulations that cover academies

24 YOUR VIEWS

ATL members on workload, early years recognition and remuneration for marking

25

CROSSWORD

How to get the best from the process with ATL’s workload advice

Your chance to win a £50 M&S voucher

16 MEET THE PRESIDENT

27 NOTICEBOARD

New ATL president Shelagh Hirst on the challenging year ahead for ATL

Information, events and opportunities to get involved

19 MANAGING ANXIETY

29 RESOURCES

A guide to keeping your head in stressful situations

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 Edie Mullen 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 George Walker Designer Alix Thomazi Advertising sales Michael Coulsey or Anthony Bennett 020 3771 7200 Account manager Kieran Paul Managing director Polly Arnold

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Newsletters for independent schools and ATL reps ATL accepts no liability for any insert, display or classified advertisement included in this publication.

While every reasonable care is taken to ensure that all advertisers are reliable and reputable, ATL can give no assurance that they will fulfil their obligation under all circumstances.

The views expressed in articles in Report are the contributors’ own and do not necessarily reflect ATL policy. Official policy

statements issued on behalf of ATL are indicated as such. All rights reserved.

Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of ATL.

Welcome

KIM KNAPPETT, ATL IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

They say time flies when you are having fun – but even so, I can’t believe that it has been a year since I took up the role of ATL national president.

It has been great to meet so many of you at events around the country and to share in your successes, as well as hearing about the challenges that you face as you work in our ever-changing education system. One of the things I have particularly enjoyed is joining members at training events. ATL has an unsurpassed programme of CPD; find out about this year’s courses on page 27.

The ever-changing educational landscape has led us to look at how ATL can best serve the interests of members. Over the past 18 months, I have been part of the ATL team discussing the possible creation of a new education union along with the NUT, so that we can speak with a stronger voice on behalf of even more education professionals. You can keep up to date on the progress of these talks at www.atl.org.uk/newunion.

I am confident that our new president Shelagh Hirst will steer ATL forward through the challenges of the next year. You can find out more about her priorities for members on page 16.

Finally – remember to #Make1Change to reclaim some of your time, and talk to your colleagues to share ideas and continue to do the great job that you do. We, as education professionals, are worth trusting.

Cover illustration: Andrew Lyons

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24/08/2016 14:20

U P D AT E

IN BRIEF

ATL wins workload agreement with Norfolk academy Successful negotiations benefit teachers and support staff Following a workload audit and negotiations with the leadership of Sewell Park Academy, Norwich, ATL has secured a four-point agreement on workload after a school restructure.

ATL, in conjunction with the NUT and NASUWT, lodged a dispute on the back of the restructure, but while members’ individual issues were addressed, workload – a very real point of concern for members – was not. ATL subsequently carried out a workload audit of teachers and support staff during the autumn term, before holding further negotiations and a review of the marking policy.

Members voted to be balloted for action short of a strike on the

workload issue, and, once the employer was informed, further talks were agreed. An agreement set out limits on the amount of contact time, un-calendared meetings and additional tasks outside directed hours, and a new marking policy was brought in.

ATL senior regional official Paul McLaughlin, who led the negotiations, told Report: “I am really pleased that this agreement has been reached. Once talks got underway the employer was receptive to our arguments and concerns, and the local ATL rep Stuart Wright was instrumental in galvanising members and holding management to account.”

A considerable part of ATL’s success in this case lay in our ability to back our arguments with data.

You can log and evaluate your own workload while helping us gather vital evidence for larger-scale change at www.atl.org.uk/ workloadtracker – let us know what you discover.

Major new benefit launched for ATL members Over the years, too many ATL members have faced financial hardship because they’ve lost their salaries as a result of illness or accident.

That’s why this month sees the launch of ATL Protect, an important new source of support that aims to help members in such situations.

This is the first plan of its kind for members of a major trade union in the UK. ATL is all too aware that poor health is one of the primary reasons for loss of salary among our members. That’s why, while we continue to support our members when they face difficulty at work, we’ve teamed up with a leading insurer in this area, Irish Life, to put together a solution to this problem – ATL Protect.

ATL Protect is an insurance plan developed specifically and solely for ATL members that

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uses ATL’s collective strength to help us help each other. ATL Protect can provide vital protection for members who are unfortunate enough to lose their salaries through illness.

ATL Protect is insured by Irish Life, which has decades of experience in insuring teachers. Irish Life’s appointed representative, Affinity, is working with ATL to bring the message to our members.

Find out whether ATL Protect can play an important part in your future financial security by visiting www.affinity.co.uk or by calling Affinity on 0800 138 1690.

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CODE FAILING SEND PUPILS ATL has contributed results of a member survey to a Labour review into the provision of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) two years after the introduction of the new code of practice in September 2014.

The code changed the criteria used to identify children with SEND. ATL’s survey found that more than eight out of 10 respondents (83%) said ‘children and young people with SEND are not getting the support they need’. You can read more at www.atl.org.uk/ send, and Report will be examining the results in-depth in next month’s edition.

ACADEMIES REPORT BACKS UP ATL POSITION The Sutton Trust education charity has released Chain Effects, a new report revealing that the academy schools in its study were twice as likely as mainstream schools to be below the floor standard for outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. You can read it at www. suttontrust.com/ chaineffects.

Nansi Ellis, ATL assistant general secretary for policy, said: “This research shows yet again that changing a school into an academy does not of itself improve pupils’ performance.”

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UPDATE

DURHAM TAs PROTEST COUNTY COUNCIL Action possible over 23% take-home pay cut ATL support staff members joined colleagues from UNISON and other unions to protest Durham County Council’s decision to ‘fire and rehire’ teaching assistants (TAs) on a new contract that sees 2,700 staff facing a take-home pay cut of 23%, starting in January 2017.

Lisa Turnbull, TA and organiser of the ‘Value Us’ campaign, said: “We vehemently refute the council’s claim that we are currently paid for 52 weeks; evidence shows TAs have always been paid term time only since the 1970s, but with the total divided over 12 months.

Unless there is movement from both

parties, strike action will be inevitable in the new academic year.” You can find updates on their progress by searching for #ValueUs on Twitter.

ATL organiser Richard Marshall told Report: “ATL has been involved in supporting members since the original consultation over changes to pay. The real strength of this campaign has been in the members affected working together to publicise the situation to the public, who have been overwhelmingly supportive. So far, it has been an amazing example of the power of collective action, and we are very pleased to support it.”

0 ATL support staff members protest Durham County Council alongside colleagues from UNISON and other unions

All change at the DfE ATL offers updates and reassurance for concerned members As Justine Greening takes stock of the policies inherited from predecessor Nicky Morgan, and schools minister Nick Gibb becomes school standards minister, members have been contacting ATL to ask what’s next for the DfE’s package of often disastrous educational reforms.

KS2 SAT tests results will be officially published in September, after their provisional release earlier this summer. The profession’s concerns that significant sections of the tests were simply too hard for 10- and 11-year-olds were vindicated by results that included a reading pass mark of 21 out of 50. If you have concerns around appraisals in light of the new data, ATL and the NUT have jointly produced guidance, available at www.atl.org.uk/sats.

The outcomes of the new SATs caused widespread alarm among teachers, parents and students alike.

ATL general secretary Mary Bousted contacted members, urging them to look at their school’s results within the national context, saying: “The low pass rate reflects most upon the DfE's

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rushed and flawed introduction of the tests.”

ATL has received reassurance from the DfE that schools will not be penalised for this drop in results because 2016 is ‘year zero’ for measurement, and that no school interventions will take place before the Christmas break.

Just before Morgan left the department, plans were announced to bring back Year 7 resits, something that ATL knows our members have no appetite for. The DfE has assured ATL that resits will not be reintroduced this academic year; in the meantime, we will be watching the progress of these plans carefully while lobbying to scrap them outright.

For KS1, the Government’s writing frameworks continue to be problematic, but the issue is a priority in ATL’s talks with the DfE. The early years foundation stage profile is still statutory this academic year, and ATL continues to recommend its use by reception and early years schools. However, we continue to urge members not to take up the baseline

tests that are still being offered – visit www.atl.org.uk/baselineassessment for more information.

“We know last year was deeply challenging for education professionals,” commented ATL policy adviser Anne Heavey. “We have passed member feedback directly to the DfE, which has expressed concern at the levels of unhappiness. We will be working closely with the DfE to iron out these issues. We are hopeful that Justine Greening will be receptive to our members’ professional opinions.”

GET INVOLVED ATL is always grateful for your information and updates, which we can use to lobby Government as effectively as possible on behalf of all members. Please keep in touch and email info@atl.org.uk with your updates.

You can help ATL tackle issues like these, plus workload – and support your colleagues in their own efforts – when you become a rep. ATL offers full training for the role. Visit www.atl.org. uk/becomingarep to find out more.

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U P D AT E

Alison Sherratt Remembering the former ATL president

0 Former ATL president Alison Sherratt speaking at the 2014 ATL Annual Conference in Manchester

ATL is saddened to announce that Alison Sherratt, the 2013-14 ATL president, died this June. Staff and members alike have paid tribute to Alison’s passion for teaching and her considerable efforts on behalf of ATL members – not to mention her love of Star Trek and compelling use of props to propose motions at Conference. We have reproduced just a few here: “During her time as a teacher, she filled so many young lives with the gift and excitement of learning. Alison loved her union too and she achieved the highest accolade – president! Though we are filled with great sadness at her passing, it was a life well lived and with much achieved.”

Hank Roberts, past president, and Jean Roberts, Hammersmith and Fulham branch secretary.

“She brightened and sought to improve the lives of so many young people, whether in the classroom or through her work within ATL.” Beatrice Harvey, Staffordshire branch secretary.

“She was a lovely lady; her performances at Conference were inspiring and she represented ATL brilliantly during her time as president.” Jackie Watton, Hull branch secretary.

“Alison was such a vibrant spark, a dynamic campaigner and always full of energy and conviction.” Robert Tucker, ATL casework official.

NEXT STEPS FOR NEW UNION ATL’s national Executive Committee met on 9 July to examine proposals around the governance structure and the rules for a new union to be created with the NUT. It agreed to proceed to a special conference, to be held on Saturday 5 November in London, during which delegates will consider whether to ballot members on creating a new union of some 500,000 members to strengthen the voice of the profession and deliver enhanced representation.

Places to attend the special conference will be allocated on the same basis as they are for Annual Conference – elected by ATL districts at their AGMs. Many districts will not yet have filled their allocation, so contact your district secretary if you are interested in taking up one of them.

There are also a small number of reserved places for trained reps and for members, preferably reps, from the following sectors: independent schools, post-16 colleges, support staff, AMiE leadership and ATL Future members. Please email organise@atl.org.uk with your name and membership number by 30 September. To keep up to date with new developments, visit www.atl.org.uk/newunion.

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PICTURED: ATL members marched on the final day of this year’s Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival – celebrating the origins of the UK labour movement – in July. Representatives from the union included general secretary Mary Bousted, who spoke about life in a union under the shadow of the Trade Union Bill before the march, and immediate past president Kim Knappett.

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

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UPDATE

ATL REPS’ CONFERENCES Debate, workshops and CPD for six regions The events – held in York, Manchester, Bristol, Bedford, London and Birmingham – offered reps the chance to take stock at the end of a busy academic year and equip themselves for the next with union updates and CPD. Workload was the dominating concern across the six events. The south-east region started with an update from ATL policy adviser Anne Heavey on the Government’s working group reports on lesson planning and resources, marking and data. She then presented to reps a ‘challenge list’ of small but effective changes – endorsed by the Government via these reports – that members can add to their own practice to tackle excessive workload.

The northern region held a session about ‘Developing a workplace campaign and making your case’ that aimed to support reps in effecting change in their own schools and colleges. In the north west, trainer Andy Beddard led a session on how teams can collaborate in order to reduce workload. Senior organising official Lisa Crivello delivered a workshop on how to approach excessive workload as a health and safety issue.

Once delegates had worked on the practical strategies for tackling workplace issues, the focus moved to work-life balance, with a range of interactive sessions on well-being and resilience. At the north-west event,

well-being consultant Annie Candeland focused on achieving the confidence to take control of workload. In the Midlands, trainer Judith Cashmore-James shared some insights on how to use coaching to support colleagues to solve workload problems.

In the south west, Mark Wright, deputy director of ATL’s leadership section AMiE, talked about ‘Managing a well workplace’, and psychotherapist and teacher Simon Westrip delivered CPD on ‘Mental health first aid and resilience’, also repeated in the northern regional conference. South east, east and Midlands regions took part in a CPD workshop about ‘Courageous conversations’ with occupational psychologist Mike Culley that looked at the best strategies for influencing school leaders and colleagues.

Attendees left the events with inspiration and strategies to help them support ATL members in tackling workload issues.

“The ‘Courageous conversations’ presentation was the aspect I was looking forward to the most before the day began.

I found it very useful,” said one rep. “It was my first conference and I was impressed with the quality of workshops,” added another.

If you would like to know how to become an ATL rep, support fellow members in your workplace and receive CPD and training like this, visit www.atl.org.uk/becomingarep for more information.

ATL FE conference Post-16 sector members discuss area review concerns With a national steering group currently looking for restructuring potential for colleges, the timing was perfect for reps from the post-16 sector to meet in Liverpool this July for ATL’s annual FE conference.

Post-16 national official Norman Crowther and policy adviser Janet Clark started with an update on the current state of affairs regarding area reviews, informing members of ongoing cases, including the limited amount of change seen in

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Birmingham and Solihull. They also passed on reports of the quality of communication during numerous reviews being unsatisfactory. They urged members to keep reporting developments so that ATL can engage as fully as possible in consultations.

After this session, Paul Wakeling, principal of Havering Sixth Form College, delivered a talk, ‘Management: trust your staff’, in which he outlined the developmental and motivational benefits of trust

0 Reps sharing their #Make1Change ideas during workshops in York (above) and Birmingham (below)

“ATTENDEES LEFT WITH INSPIRATION AND STRATEGIES TO HELP THEM SUPPORT MEMBERS”

culture in education leadership. He was followed by Dr Sally Wootton of the Further Education Tutorial Network, who facilitated a workshop on outstanding tutoring.

Workplace rep Wendy Wilderspin commented: “Because we share concerns, ideas and good practice, the FE conferences help reps to support and recruit members. This year our sessions – on how to manage a campaign, involve members and maintain a presence in the college – were all very useful for our current concerns regarding the area reviews.”

If you would like further information, email Norman Crowther at ncrowther@atl.org.uk.

SEPTEMBER 2016 | REPORT 7

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AG E N DA

JUSTINE GREENING gives every impression of purpose, vigour and intent as she begins her period of office as secretary of state for education. I wish her well in this critically important role. Early impressions are that this is a politician who is interested not just in policy, but also in its successful implementation, with a forensic eye for detail and a determination to get on top of her greatly expanded brief as higher and further education, and vocational training, are added to the DfE’s remit.

Never one to duck a challenge myself, and in a supportive spirit, here I list the key challenges that must be faced if Greening is to realise her ambition to raise educational standards, and the actions she should consider if she is to succeed against some formidable odds.

TEACHER RECRUITMENT No education system can exceed the quality of its teachers. Having spent years denying the existence of a teacher supply crisis, the Government must now recognise the reality of the dire situation that so many schools find themselves in when trying to recruit teachers. The facts are stark: 14 out of 17 secondary subjects failed to meet their recruitment targets last year.

This is a crisis substantially of the Government’s own making. The rushed and botched introduction of school-based training has brought confusion for potential applicants who find the application process difficult and onerous. The National Audit Office cannot confirm that the £700 million a year spent on initial teacher training (ITT) is value for money. Clearer routes into ITT are needed, and the proposal to replace qualified teacher status with a system of teacher accreditation should be kicked into the long grass and left there.

TEACHER RETENTION The workforce census shows that nearly one in 10 teachers left the profession last year – the highest WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

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catch-22 situation. They have a legal duty to secure sufficient school places, but no powers to force academies and free schools, which now make up 64% of secondary schools nationally, to expand their pupil intake. Local authorities should be given the powers to build and expand schools in order to generate sufficient school places.

Education action plan Justine Greening has a lot on her plate, says ATL general secretary Mary Bousted proportion for a decade. Almost a quarter left within three years of qualifying, the highest three-year turnover rate since records began in 1996. Excessive workload and loss of professional autonomy combine in a toxic mix to drive teachers away. Poor rates of teacher retention are now as big a problem – if not bigger – than teacher recruitment.

The cumulative impact of Government policy on schools should be the first consideration when any new policy is being considered. Teachers have had their fill of poorly implemented policies. A period of masterly inactivity by the Government is needed in order to let current policies bed down.

PUPIL PLACES Primary pupil numbers have risen dramatically; by 2020, there will be 700,000 more primary pupils than in 2012.

One in six secondary schools is now at, or over, capacity, and 547,000 additional secondary school places will be needed by 2024. Local authorities are in a

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FUNDING Maintained schools and academies are still struggling despite making efficiency savings – teacher and supportstaff posts are being lost, class sizes are rising, schools are cutting back on learning materials and many schools fear for the future unless the Government takes urgent action on the planned cuts and increased costs. Funding for 16-19 continues to be cut in real terms, despite the huge cuts between 2010 and 2015.

All of this comes with the School Teachers’ Review Body arguing that teachers need pay increases higher than the Government plans in order to address those recruitment and retention problems. Somewhere, somehow, more money is going to have to be found for schools and colleges.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY ASSESSMENT The chaos of last year’s primary assessment simply cannot be repeated. It is outrageous that the Government made 30 changes to its primary test guidelines in one month alone. Ofqual finished its programme of accreditation of GCSEs and A-levels four days before the end of the summer term, leaving teachers working throughout their holidays to prepare for teaching the new syllabuses in September.

Teachers are constantly exhorted,

by Government ministers, to be professional. I make a counter plea. I ask that teachers are given the professional tools to do their job. Central to these are timely and accurate information about national tests.

SEPTEMBER 2016 | REPORT 9

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THE VIEW FROM… WALES / NORTHERN IRELAND

Wales

Northern Ireland

DAVID HEALEY

MARK LANGHAMMER

Early days for the new education secretary

Is there a political shift in education?

KIRSTY WILLIAMS is the new education secretary and one of her first actions is that the capped nine points score will no longer be the main performance indicator for secondary schools.

All performance measures will be equally important, so Estyn and challenge advisers are now free to choose their target.

She hasn’t scrapped the capped nine altogether though, so her action will not reverse the impact on non-core subjects as she hoped. Schools have already adjusted their provision in the core at the expense of foundation subjects, and we retain the need for children

to take six core GCSEs plus Welsh Baccalaureate, ie two more compulsory subjects than in England.

It is the less able and deprived that risk being overlooked. The shift from vocational subjects towards academic neglects the more kinaesthetic of our learners, while the likely loss of EU funding will bring projects to a close with no obvious replacement for potential NEETs in schools or FE. So what is there to look forward to? The Donaldson reforms could finally see a decoupling of school accountability from individual qualifications that should remove the unintended consequences performance measures have on school behaviours.

We should have a more consistent and coherent curriculum running right through a child’s compulsory education, and we hope to see teachers liberated to plan their schemes of work to enthuse and inspire students.

We just need to keep the politicians at arm’s length.

As they say in Finland, ‘Education is too important to allow politicians to interfere.’

THE NORTHERN IRELAND Executive nominated after May’s elections saw, for the first time, a unionist take the education ministry, through the Democratic Unionist Party’s (DUP’s) Peter Weir.

Prior to the election, and mindful of the persistent underachievement of working-class Protestant boys, both main unionist parties seemed to show an increased focus on education.

The DUP felt a “surprising level of pressure on the doorsteps” about education.

This was supported by research from Chambre Public Affairs, which found education came top of voter priorities, above health for the first time.

This translated into the publication by the DUP of an education manifesto focused on promoting excellence, school autonomy, digital skills, early diagnosis and intervention, standards, the education equality agenda, shared education, and university fees.

The Ulster Unionist Party, now outside the Executive as a formal opposition, unwisely proposed a new

One change can make a difference ATL’s work-life campaign is already having a positive impact in improving workload in schools and colleges. n Share

using #make1change the one thing you would change to improve your work-life balance

n Use

our work-life tracker to track your working hours and analyse what drives your workload

n Check

Time to tackle workload

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out our help and advice on managing your workload better

www.atl.org.uk/abouttime #make1change

method of transferring pupils from primary schools based on continual assessment. They also committed to numeracy and literacy initiatives, and providing extra help for children through a ‘book buddy’ scheme.

ATL is committed to working with all political parties, and early engagements with Minister Weir have been promising.

He has made a brisk start, introducing a pilot Investing in the Teaching Workforce scheme promoted by teacher unions. He also promptly tackled the GCSE examgradings dilemma.

The times they are a-changing?

it’s about time...

make 1 change ATL’S WORK-LIFE CAMPAIGN

18/08/2016 15:37

“I REMEMBER the best planning experience I had,” says ATL policy adviser and former teacher Anne Heavey. “The entire department sat down together, having been given a whole INSET day by the SLT to refresh our schemes of work.

“We started out by creating a picture of an A* A-level student: what would this student need to get to that A*? Once we had agreed this, we got out all our schemes of work from Year 7 through to 13 and planned backwards, ensuring each ‘building block’ of learning was in the right place.

“The next step was thinking about the learning hooks – did we need to make them more engaging for both teachers and students? Once objectives were in place for the schemes of work we agreed that tailoring individual lessons within that scheme would work best for us and our classes. I had the time to plan for my pupils’ individual needs and build in room for unforeseen hitches – what I call ‘dog on the playing field’ moments.

“Because everyone in the team felt that they owned the long- and medium-term plans, we felt far more confident about our individual lesson planning. Sharing lesson ideas and resources became a huge part of our departmental culture.”

Sadly, not all teachers have experienced lesson planning quite like this, and thousands of our own members have told us, in their responses to ATL’s November 2015 workload survey, that the process is a considerable issue. In the Government’s Workload Challenge survey, published

in February 2015, detailed lesson and weekly planning were also identified by more than a third (38%) of the respondents as ‘adding an unnecessary burden to general workload’.

At the same time, 70% of respondents to ATL’s survey believe lesson planning helps them to do their job well.

This apparent contradiction could well stem from the difference between long- and short-term planning, and is echoed in reports from numerous ATL members of having to write detailed plans for each lesson; not for their own requirements, but to satisfy the demands of senior management.

“We’re required to submit an A4 typed plan for every lesson we teach,” wrote one respondent to the ATL survey.

“I write them, but almost never refer to them afterwards,” reported another.

“Lesson plans are being requested in a format that doesn’t suit how I plan my lessons,” added a third, “so I sometimes write one plan for [senior management] and another that makes sense to me.”

So what can we do to address the current workload situation, when lesson planning is such a vital part of the teaching process?

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS Whether it’s for a year’s lessons or the construction of a national stadium, all long-term projects need plans for successful delivery. With the desired outcome for a teacher being a certain level of understanding and

comprehension in a class of children with a range of educational needs, the planner has to chart a course to that objective with great care and creativity.

“Teachers and leaders may benefit from looking at how project planning and management takes places in other sectors,” says Heavey. “It can be helpful to ask questions such as: how are our outcomes determined? What are our contingency plans? How do we play to the strengths of our team?

These factors are common to all long-term projects.”

According to the working group report, good practice is the use of three kinds of plan in parallel: an overarching ‘roadmap’ for the academic year; the sequence of lessons in each term’s learning; and, finally, an outline for each lesson’s activity, each one a step towards the end-goal of learning.

For all plans, the planner has to set the scope of the project – what activities will and will not be covered by the work? In the case of Heavey’s school, that involved taking time to identify the gaps in the class’s learning. Then there is the planning itself, with dependencies – stages of work that can’t start until the previous ones are complete. “As all teachers know, there are sometimes days when children need more time to grasp a concept before they can move on to the next stage,” Heavey says.

With many factors out of a planner’s control (like Heavey’s ‘dog on the playing field’), one must always allow ‘tolerance’ – enough flexibility in the

WORDS BY EDIE MULLEN ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW LYONS

A plan for the future

The Government working group on lesson planning and resources has produced tangible answers to the workload crisis, which could help all education staff find a better balance 12 REPORT | SEPTEMBER 2016

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SPOTLIGHT ON… LESSON PLANNING

“SCHOOL LEADERS ARE UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE, SO HEADS ARE LIKELY TO BE ASKING FOR LESSON PLANS AS A WAY TO ASSURE THE QUALITY OF TEACHING” of planning and making sure it isn’t produced in the wrong way, for the wrong reasons.

“Heads asking for detailed plans aren’t doing it because they’re ‘mean’,” explains Nansi Ellis, ATL’s assistant general secretary for policy, who sat on the lesson-planning group earlier this year. “We know from our AMiE members that school leaders are under increasing pressure themselves, so heads are likely to be asking for lesson plans as a way for them to assure the quality of teaching; they can’t come and observe every lesson.

“That said, the working group’s reports are asking questions about why these practices are actually needed,” she adds. “One thing reported to us – and more than once – was heads not just asking for lesson plans, but seating plans for each session. We need training, for all school leaders, on how to quality-assure teaching without having to see lots of stuff written down.”

plan to make whatever tweaks will allow it to stay on track for completion.

However, this strategic work isn’t often what school leaders are asking to see; instead, some request detailed itineraries of what the teacher intends to take place during each lesson of the school day. As we are all painfully aware, the planner has finite resources at their disposal; if a detailed itinerary has to be produced as part of the package, it will be at the expense of vital insight and planning.

“More often than not, that can make the difference between the next lesson being effective and engaging, and an off-theWWW.ATL.ORG.UK

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peg session that might not work for every child in the classroom,” says Heavey.

WORKING GROUPS Three groups were set up after the Government’s Workload Challenge, to examine the three areas identified as the main sources of workload issues and, as we have identified, planning was one of them.

The findings of the Government working group for planning and resources this March suggest there is a very difficult balance to be struck between acknowledging the importance

THE RECOMMENDATIONS The Government working group on planning and resources came up with the following five conclusions to guide teachers and leaders. As they are strongly endorsed by the DfE, they offer a pivotal opportunity for you and your colleagues to work with leaders on identifying and tackling unnecessary work that does not contribute to the delivery of teaching and learning.

1

A SEQUENCE OF LESSONS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN INDIVIDUAL LESSON PLANS “Considering the role of each lesson within the wider learning sequence is essential,” says Heavey. “At Springwell Learning Community in Barnsley, 3 SEPTEMBER 2016 | REPORT 13

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SPOTLIGHT ON… LESSON PLANNING

students are supported to complete high-quality pieces of extended writing through a carefully planned sequence of lessons. It starts with what’s known as the ‘wow way in’, an attentiongrabbing device to engage the students from the get-go and encourage them to be emotionally invested in the project.

Each subsequent lesson and learning activity builds the confidence, skills and knowledge that the learner will draw on for their final piece.” You can find more about Springwell’s approach at www.acurriculumthatcounts.org.uk, plus further resources, planning tools and advice.

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FULLY RESOURCED SCHEMES OF WORK SHOULD BE IN PLACE FOR ALL TEACHERS EACH TERM This recommendation comes with a proviso, says Ellis: “This will be helpful, as long as the national curriculum, and exam syllabuses, stay stable. Schools will also need to plan in time to develop those schemes of work over time: fully resourced schemes of work don’t just happen.”

3

PLANNING SHOULD NOT BE DONE SIMPLY TO PLEASE OUTSIDE ORGANISATIONS In ATL’s workload survey, 14% of respondents said that they generate lesson plans because Ofsted requires them – but this shouldn’t be the case.

“While you do have to supply whatever planning documents your head asks from you, Ofsted has stated very clearly in its new framework that it doesn’t want to see plans for the lessons it’s observing,” says Ellis. If an individual inspector, or school management, asks for them, consult your rep or call ATL for advice.

4

PLANNING SHOULD HAPPEN IN PURPOSEFUL AND WELLDEFINED BLOCKS OF TIME In our workload survey, 46% of respondents said if they could do more of anything it would be collaboration with colleagues. “We recommended having pre-determined slots for planning, so everyone can get together

at once,” says Ellis. “So, on an INSET day, you can get together with colleagues for your year or subject and do it all at once. Some schools give assembly time over to teachers.

Others schedule PPA time so that people can collaborate rather than work separately; there are many ways that schools can make it happen.”

5

EFFECTIVE PLANNING MAKES USE OF HIGHQUALITY RESOURCES “One thing that came up in the working group was the number of people who spend their weekends searching for, or making, the ‘perfect’ resource from scratch,” says Ellis.

“We heard people saying, ‘I know this sounds stupid, but if I use someone else’s resources I feel I’m not doing my job properly.’

“For example, a lot of us have concerns about following textbooks to the letter – but why would you be happy to use a bunch of resources you spent all night digging up on the internet when you could use material from a peer-reviewed textbook written by someone known in the field?”

WHAT NEXT? Now the three working groups have submitted their recommendations, how can these be translated into more efficient and effective PPA? “One of the frustrating things about the three separate workload groups was that we only came together once, at the end,” says Ellis. “If those three groups had looked at the situation all together we could have come up with more joined-up ideas. For example, if teachers had to mark less they’d have more time for lesson planning, and for devising assessments that required smaller, but more meaningful, amounts of marking. This would then leave them with a smaller, but more meaningful, quantity of data to collect and analyse.”

Ellis believes that training for headteachers in terms of leadership – how to monitor and develop a team’s performance as opposed to managing

“ONE THING THAT CAME UP IN THE WORKING GROUP WAS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO SPEND THEIR WEEKENDS SEARCHING FOR, OR MAKING, THE ‘PERFECT’ RESOURCE FROM SCRATCH” WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

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a school and its finances – is key, and yet conspicuously absent in the current educational climate. “It’s an issue we’ll definitely go back to pushing through our refreshed programme of talks with the DfE, as workload is very high on the agenda,” she says.

“Cutting workload isn’t a onceand-forever activity,” Ellis concludes.

“While it’s essential that schools and the Government act on the recommendations of all three working groups, we as teachers also have a part to play in continuing to question the activities we do. The workload reports are a really useful resource and they remind us that we should always consider the impact of the work we do. Collaborative, long-term planning and sharing resources benefit children’s learning, and our creativity and professional development. That benefit is so much greater than the effect of filling in endless planning forms and trawling the internet. You can’t change everything overnight – but what’s stopping you from making some small changes?” n

GET CONNECTED TO TACKLE WORKLOAD ATL members are coming together on Twitter and Facebook to offer support and share tips that can help school staff tackle excessive workload and boost work-life balance – and you can join the conversation with the hashtag #Make1Change. Here are some of the most recent ideas for lesson planning: • “Plan together! I’ve always planned lessons as a team. Split schemes of work down so every member of staff does a bit each. Planning has never been too much of an issue in my eight years of teaching because of this.”

Miranda Banister • “Keep a notebook for ideas and rough outlines of future topics. Make your resources as you plan and differentiate straight away.” Sarah Mangan • “Keep the learning outcome in mind and don’t get distracted. I find a pencil draft then a type-up is much quicker than typing from scratch.” Peter Roberts Visit www.facebook.com/atlunion and www.twitter.com/atlunion to #Make1Change today.

You can find advice and information on marking, data, and lesson planning and resources, plus the three working groups’ reports, at www.atl.org.uk/workload.

SEPTEMBER 2016 | REPORT 15

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Meet the

PRESIDENT It will be a period of much change for ATL, new president Shelagh Hirst tells Alex Tomlin “IT’S AN EXCITING time for ATL,” says new president Shelagh Hirst, predicting a pivotal year ahead for the union.

It certainly shouldn’t be dull, with the Government potentially pushing ahead with the huge changes proposed in the education white paper and ATL’s continuing campaign against the damagingly excessive workload in education, not to mention ongoing talks on forming a new union with the NUT. While she is keen to stress that it is not a foregone conclusion by any means, Shelagh can see the case for a new union, particularly from her own experience as branch secretary, working locally with the NUT in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. “The unions are much stronger when we work together and speak with one voice; that has much more of an impact,” she says. “There is power in numbers. If we join with others and have a more powerful voice, people are more likely to listen to what we’re saying.”

Shelagh believes ATL has its own distinct voice, thanks to the diverse membership, including the independent sector, support staff and FE. That would come through clearly in any new union, she says.

While she acknowledges there are differences between ATL and the NUT, Shelagh says they can be overcome: “They’re not fundamental differences. The fact is that members of both unions are passionate about education and the children and young people they teach, and want the best for the profession. I see we’ve 16 REPORT | SEPTEMBER 2016

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got far more in common than we have differences.

“Sometimes, what you get are differences in how you go about things, but the more I speak to colleagues in other unions, I find we’re saying and doing the same thing.”

With the executive committees of both unions agreeing to move on with talks, the next stage is for ATL and the NUT to hold separate special conferences on 5 November.

Delegates from both unions will debate and then choose whether to accept the rules of a new union and, should both conferences agree, the next steps will be to hold separate ballots next spring.

Shelagh believes this creates a unique opportunity for ATL. “If we don’t become part of the new union now but then decide to later, we won’t have the same influence,” she says, and uses a quote, often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, to illustrate this: “‘The best way to predict the future is to create it.’

What’s exciting for ATL now is that we have a say in what the new union is. We’ve been very clear all along that if there is to be a new union, it is new.

It isn’t ATL or the NUT; it’s not a takeover or a merger.”

Shelagh sees her role, along with her colleagues on the ATL officer group and the professional staff, as “keeping things on an even keel and getting the message out there about what the new union would look like so people can make an informed choice if and when it comes to a ballot.”

She adds: “Even if ATL doesn’t go ahead with the new union, we’re going to have to look very closely at what we’re doing to get our message across to the Government, a Government that doesn’t seem to want to listen so far, although I hope that the new education secretary Justine Greening will be willing to.”

She cites baseline assessment, SATs tests and forced academisation as examples of policies that have been introduced despite misgivings from the profession, and then discarded or altered once the reality kicked in.

“If these policies were so important, why didn’t they do them right in the first place?” she asks.

Policies contained within the controversial education white paper, assuming the new faces in the education department carry it through, also cause grave concern.

As well as the focus on converting schools to academies, the case for which has not been proved, Shelagh focuses on the loss of qualified teacher status and the associated threat to teachers’ status as professionals.

“That could be a great danger,” she says. “People have worked very hard to ensure we have that professional status; we do know what we’re talking about, we are trained to a high standard and we maintain that level of expertise through CPD.”

“THE STRESS AND PRESSURE HAS GOT SO MUCH WORSE. I FEEL QUITE HUMBLED BY THE AMOUNT OF WORK PEOPLE DO IN SCHOOLS NOW”

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Paula Duck

IN PROFILE… SHELAGH HIRST

The proposal to make parentgovernors optional worries Shelagh too. “As a governor myself, I appreciate so much the views of the parent-governors. The school needs to reflect, serve and work as part of the community, so the community should have a say in what happens.”

Shelagh is firmly rooted in her local community around Halifax, having taught early years and primary for almost 30 years, as well as being heavily involved in her church and in supporting refugees being housed locally. She has also just completed a part-time foundation degree in theology and ministry, demonstrating her love for life-long learning.

Sixteen years ago, when her school closed down, Shelagh took a decision, which many others are taking now, to consider her work-life balance and move to supply teaching, where she has often found herself teaching nursery in the morning and Year 6 in the afternoon. “I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it,” she says.

“You have to live by your wits because you don’t know the children.

Whatever I was asked to teach, I always did it my way because I think it comes across better. Schools vary considerably in how they work, but if they have good policies they are very easy to work in.”

A highlight of her days was playing educational games with the children at the end of the day, something she sees as currently lacking in many schools. “Fun seems a bit rare nowadays. I speak to members and they tell me of the stress and pressure.

It’s changed so much in the 16 years WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

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since I decided to take my work-life balance in hand; the stress and pressure has got so much worse.

I feel quite humbled by the amount of work people do in schools now.”

Shelagh sees workload as a huge issue for the education workforce.

She acknowledges the three working group reports – on marking, data, and lesson planning and resources – published by the DfE, but is clear that the Government’s task of tackling workload shouldn’t end there.

ATL has already started to get the information from those reports through to members to help them in the workplace, and also to members of AMiE, the union’s leadership section. This is all part of ATL’s workload campaign, ‘It’s about time…’, which Shelagh hails as a success.

“It’s great to be able to sign up to a campaign like ours,” she says, “to stop and look at what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and what the likely impact will be.

“The campaign is very popular because it’s practical,” she adds.

“It’s not asking people to change the world overnight. People are responding to it, having practical ideas about how they can #Make1Change and sharing them.

Small things, like pledging to leave on time one night a week, can have a big impact.

“In supply, I’ve seen a lot of good practice in schools, but there doesn’t seem to be a way of sharing that more widely. The more we can get members to share good practice, the

2 Shelagh Hirst has taught early years and primary for almost 30 years, and is keenly involved in her local Halifax community

better we can help members in all schools.”

Many members are in need of some help, Shelagh believes, wondering how they keep going under the oppressive workload.

“I have great concerns over the health of our profession, with the stress and strain it is under,” she says.

“I’d like to see a healthy education system, one in which the health of the children and staff is not under pressure all the time,” she continues.

“A healthy system is one focused on what is best for the pupils and students, not on what is best for the Government agenda.”

The health of pupils is certainly suffering in the current climate.

“We’re hearing more and more about how the children are getting more stressed,” Shelagh says, “even though the teachers try to shield them from it, but it’s not always possible.

“The pressure is on these pupils to achieve in tests, but at what cost to them if they’re not happy? The result is children with mental health issues that the system can’t cope with, which is a real concern.”

Some stability in the system would make a big difference, she says: “It would be so much better if we could have an education system in which things didn’t change so rapidly. So much has happened – change on top of change – sometimes you’re left asking, ‘What is it that actually works?’

“For me, an education system is not there to fill children full of facts and figures. A teacher’s aim should be to teach children how to learn, how to find out information and to have confidence in trying things out.

I always felt I was trying to provide an environment where it was safe to experiment and explore without fear of failing. Some things will work and some won’t, and that’s fine. It’s about working out why.

“Working in the education profession could be so exciting and rewarding if you were allowed to make it so without all the restrictions, accountability and paperwork. People are leaving because they see no hope of it getting better. We need that bit of hope that we can change things, especially if we speak out and make our voice heard.”

SEPTEMBER 2016 | REPORT 17

24/08/2016 14:12

Trade Union Services

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GUIDE

Managing anxiety Trainer and writer Gill Hasson offers tips on learning how to think straight when times get stressful LESSON OBSERVATIONS, Ofsted inspections, difficult students, interdepartmental politics and policy changes are just some of the issues that can provoke stress and anxiety. Whatever it is you get anxious about, the feelings are much the same: racing thoughts, a thumping heart, butterflies in the stomach, upset and stress.

Understand anxiety In order to better manage anxiety, it helps if you understand the nature of the beast.

Anxiety is the anticipation of trouble and adversity; it’s what you think will or will not happen, and worrying about how or if you’ll be able to cope.

There are three aspects to anxiety: cognitive, physical and behavioural.

The cognitive aspect involves the thoughts you have when you’re anxious: catastrophising and jumping to conclusions.

The physical aspect of anxiety is the physical feelings – thumping heart, shallow and rapid breathing, etc.

The third aspect, behavioural, concerns how you respond: what you do and don’t do when you’re anxious.

Each aspect impacts on the others; what you think affects how you feel, and how you feel affects your response, which in turn affects how you think and feel. It’s an unhelpful dynamic. However, if you can positively manage one aspect, you’ll reduce the impact of the other two.

How and where to start? You can start by being more aware of your thoughts – your self-talk – when you’re anxious.

Imagine, for example, on top of everything else you’ve got to do, you have to squeeze in a meeting next week with a colleague to plan some lessons. She’s not the easiest person to work with. Typically, your thoughts might be: ‘Whatever I suggest, she’s going to dismiss it. She’ll want to do it all her way, but her ideas will be impractical. I’m going to get wound up and upset with her.’

Or, in another example, if you were anxious about a forthcoming observation, you might be thinking: ‘I won’t be able to teach because WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

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I’ll be so nervous. I’ll get confused and forget what I planned to do. It’ll all go horribly wrong.’

In both of these examples, you expect the worst and focus on the most negative possibilities. Thinking like this is selfdefeating; it tells you that you have little or no control over your circumstances.

Here’s the science: when anxious thoughts get a grip, the emotional (limbic) part of your brain takes over and the thinking part of your brain (the neocortex) shuts down and you cannot think rationally. It’s just like when you turn the kitchen taps on and the water for the shower stops coming through.

However, if you can let go of negative thoughts and feelings, you give the neocortex – the rational part – the opportunity to start working for you, to think in more helpful, positive ways. Turn the kitchen taps off and the shower starts working. Once you engage your neocortex, you are able to think calmly and rationally about what you want to happen in an anxiety-provoking situation; you can plan and take action accordingly.

Manage anxiety So, whenever you are feeling worried and anxious, use this as your signal to stop and

be aware of what, exactly, you’re thinking.

Once you’re more aware of your negative thoughts, you’re in a better position to disempower them and to use them as a cue for positive action.

Questioning your thinking is a useful step towards interrupting your stream of anxious thoughts. If, for example, you were anxious about an upcoming observation, or working with a difficult colleague, ask yourself: ‘In what way are these thoughts helpful?’

When you’re aware of how unhelpful they are, rather than being overwhelmed and paralysed by anxious thoughts, you can step back from them, take a deep breath and turn your attention to thinking about how to deal with the situation positively.

No matter how and what you thought before, what matters is how you think from now on. Your mind is continually thinking; it might as well be thinking in ways that are helpful to you rather than self-defeating.

Allow yourself to think and plan for the best that could happen.

Gill Hasson is a teacher and trainer, and the author of Overcoming Anxiety.

SEPTEMBER 2016 | REPORT 19

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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 IN THIS SECTION

23

27

LEGAL GUIDE

NOTICEBOARD

The ATL legal team on how the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations should protect school staff when their workplace changes hands

Find out about reps’ training for 2016-17, crucial upcoming equalities conferences, the 2017 Walter Hines Page Scholarship and free ATL membership for apprentices in education

24 YOUR VIEWS Members let us know their views on workload, early years recognition and remuneration for exam marking

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

29 RESOURCES Newsletters for independent schools and ATL reps – plus new recruitment posters and the latest courses to help you tackle workload.

We also have a special offer for ATL members for a discount on the new book, Managing Teacher Workload, edited by ATL assistant general secretary Nansi Ellis

29

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 Membership enquiries: membership@atl.org.uk Pension enquiries: 020 7782 1600

RESOURCES

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

0845 057 7000 (lo-call)

Personal injury claims: 033 3344 9616 Call Morrish Solicitors LLP, ATL’s appointed solicitors, or go to www.atlinjuryclaims.org.uk. This service is open to members and their families, subject to the rules of the scheme.

TERMS OF ATL’S SUPPORT ARE OUTLINED IN OUR MEMBERS’ CHARTER, AVAILABLE VIA WWW.ATL.ORG.UK/MEMBERSCHARTER. WHEN EMAILING ATL FROM HOME, PLEASE INCLUDE EITHER YOUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBER OR HOME POSTCODE TO HELP US DEAL WITH YOUR ENQUIRY MORE EFFICIENTLY.

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

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SEPTEMBER 2016 | REPORT 21

24/08/2016 14:19

Gain QTLS: Enhance your professional status, advance your career A new enriched QTLS coming in September 2016 The new QTLS is a richer developmental experience enabling you to demonstrate to your employer and colleagues the positive impact of the process on your practice and your learners.

The benefits of QTLS 路 Career progression 路 Recognition of your status as a professional teacher or trainer 路 Both new and current QTLS hold legal parity with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) 路 Members with QTLS can use these initials as a designation

Apply for QTLS before: 27 October 2016* https://set.et-foundation.co.uk/qtls * To be eligible to apply to apply for QTLS, you need to be a member of the Society for Education and Training (SET).

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24/08/2016 10:32

YOUR ATL… LEGAL GUIDE

THE TRANSFER OF Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, or TUPE regulations, regulate the transfer of businesses from one employer to another. It applies when a school is taken over, or is transferred to, a new owner/employer.

Where there is a TUPE transfer, employees’ contracts of employment transfer to the new employer with terms and conditions intact. The new employer takes on any liabilities under their contracts.

TUPE applies when an academy is set up to replace an existing school. Staff transfer to the trust board or governing body of the academy with contracts intact, unless any contract variation or dismissal can be justified for an economic, technical or organisational (ETO) reason (see below).

Another straightforward example of a TUPE transfer is when an independent school is sold to a new owner – there is a transfer of an ‘economic entity’, which ‘retains its identity’.

Here are the basics of TUPE transfers: 1. Employment contracts transfer automatically on the same terms and conditions with continuity of service preserved.

2. Any variations to an employee’s contract are considered void if the sole or principal reason for them is the transfer itself (see exception below).

3. Any dismissals because of the transfer itself are automatically unfair.

4. Collective agreements transfer but there are restrictions on this.

5. Trade union recognition transfers if the new school retains a distinct identity.

6. Employers are obliged to inform and consult their employees affected by a proposed transfer – either via recognised trade unions or workers’ representatives.

7. The old employer is obliged to give the new employer written information as to the transferring staff.

Collective agreements Many individual rights to pay and conditions set out in collective agreements, such as the Burgundy Book, will transfer intact, provided they are incorporated in staff contracts.

However, any changes after the TUPE transfer to a collective agreement will not change the terms of the transferred employee’s contract if the new employer is not party to the collective bargaining process.

Changes can be made if they occur at least one year after the transfer, and the rights and obligations in the employee’s contract are no less favourable overall.

Changing terms and conditions If the contract already permits a specific ‘right to vary’, then a specific term or terms may be varied regardless.

If the employer can show that the principal reason is ETO, then a dismissal is not automatically unfair and the changes to terms and conditions are not void.

There is no definition of an ETO reason in the TUPE regulations. A common ETO reason is a fall in pupil numbers.

So, a redundancy around the time of a transfer for a reason unconnected with the transfer is potentially a fair dismissal, provided that a fair redundancy procedure has been followed.

TUPE or not TUPE?

That is the question. ATL solicitor Felicia Epstein provides some answers on the notoriously complex Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

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The TUPE regulations do not prevent the new employer agreeing positive contract changes with the transferred employees.

What is harmonisation?

New employers may want to harmonise terms and conditions between existing workers and incoming staff.

It may be easier to vary the contracts of existing employees, who wouldn’t be protected by the TUPE regulations, but their numbers may be much larger than the incoming group, so that could be costly and disruptive.

In a TUPE situation, employers cannot vary contracts as they would otherwise.

It’s not enough that employees protected by the TUPE regulations agree to proposed variations. Any variation brought about because of a transfer could be void. Even a lengthy passage of time after a transfer does not prevent an attempt to change terms and conditions from being void.

Teachers’ Pension Scheme Surprisingly, the TUPE regulations do not fully cover pension rights.

Those accrued before the transfer are unaffected. If employees were members of an occupational pension scheme or eligible to join one before the transfer, they are entitled to have a similar scheme provided for them by the new employer. The Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) covers teachers employed in LA maintained schools or independent schools that have been accepted into it. Academies can apply to join the TPS. Support staff working in local government or for other participating employers are in the Local Government Pension Scheme, which is administered at a local level.

TUPE can be very complex. For more information, we recommend you contact ATL (see page 21) and see our factsheet at www.atl.org.uk/factsheets.

SEPTEMBER 2016 | REPORT 23

24/08/2016 14:10

YOUR ATL… YOUR VIEWS

Your views

STA R L E T T E R

EARLY YEARS RECOGNITION We are a group of recently qualified teachers who have undertaken an early years initial teacher training course. We have contacted Justine Greening and others to discuss the fact that, despite undertaking a course that has the same entry requirements and is as rigorous and demanding as any qualified teacher status (QTS) route, we have not been awarded QTS on completion of our course. We receive teacher status only.

It is widely acknowledged that high-quality education from birth gives children the best possible start in becoming lifelong learners and being able to achieve the best possible outcomes. However, we are currently restricted in which jobs we can fulfil because posts within maintained nurseries and schools require QTS. We find our lack of QTS to be unjust, particularly in light of the current shortage of teachers.

Save the Children’s recent report recommended that every setting has an early years teacher, but there are not enough staff with QTS to achieve this.

We are highly skilled and passionate professionals who 24 REPORT | SEPTEMBER 2016

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want to be able to teach now in although this gets less likely as the settings where we are we become more experienced, needed most. We but you need to cut back would like to have on the marking. Only the recognition take on what you we deserve, can reasonably The author of this letter wins and to be paid cope with. If £100 in book tokens. If you want to voice your opinion on issues accordingly for the school’s raised in Report or any other aspect of the valuable marking policy education, please send a letter or email skills we offer says otherwise, to the addresses below, including your phone number. One letter will to our chosen be prepared to be chosen every issue to win age group. stand up for the tokens.

ML Cadagan, yourself. What’s the A Carey, R Dahn, E Davis, worst that can happen?

R Leeder, V Pryce, N RainbirdI do really want to know that.

Hitchins and J Unwin If you can’t cope with the marking policy, probably WORKLOAD COMMON SENSE no one else can either.

The author of the last ‘star letter’, • School policies – you do not ‘The elephant in the room’ have ‘two school policies to (Report, July 2016), is just rewrite by Monday’, you have someone who needs some two school policies to rewrite. helpful advice and support.

Do them when you can fit Here’s my version: the job into your timetable. If • Tell your colleague to stop someone complains, explain writing email replies in the that writing policies doesn’t evening and simply pretending solve the problem – only taking they were written between 8am action to prioritise your work and 5pm (not 6pm – you should be at home by then). Show this colleague that you can deal with the problem either by ignoring some emails or by giving brief replies instead of long ones.

• Marking load – we all make the mistake of taking on too many books at once occasionally,

WIN!

JOIN THE DEBATE…

will. The teachers in your school don’t care whether you have rewritten the policies or not, but only whether the SLT takes a realistic view of what they can get done in their reasonable working hours, and also takes action to look after the health of all of its staff.

D Hall, Chelmsford MARKING MONEY MATTERS Like many teachers, I have spent many weeks diligently marking a range of exam papers, both GCSE and A-level scripts.

I dedicated hours each night to carefully reading each answer.

Often the handwriting resembled ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and took several attempts to decode.

As I opened each exam paper, I imagined the candidate nervously waiting in line to receive their results. My efforts can literally determine their next steps. I have seen students who have failed to secure their preferred choice of university; it’s not a pretty sight.

When so much time is spent discussing standards, and if we wish to ensure greater quality control with marking and more consistency across a team of examiners, then the fee one gets for marking needs to be increased. The deadlines are very tight and each script takes time.

When time spent is divided by the fee per scripts after tax, the take-home pay is very little.

There are non-financial benefits to marking, such as gaining a better understanding of the subject, but if we want to get the most qualified, knowledgeable and professional teachers to mark, then their time and effort need to be rewarded more generously than they are now.

B Rickman, Manchester

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

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

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

24/08/2016 14:10

YOUR ATL… PRIZE CROSSWORD

WIN!

Prize crossword ACROSS 9 Go with a firm that includes Cambridge head (9) 10 What are the odds of getting into the Seven Samurai? (5) 11 Weird Dad is in fraternity house initially, being susceptible to crazes (7) 12 Decides not to proceed with library supporters? (7) 13 Occasion that’s done in prison (4) 14 Mad artists might make successful playwrights (10) 17 Church housing for university leader – end of story (7) 18 Sue leaves corrupt prosecutor for university officer (7) 20 Boycott governors over item of classroom equipment? (10) 23 Soon, small number in an assembly (4) 25 Strangely, teach PR to religious community governors (7) 26 Lo, yes, he could make the papacy (4,3) 28 Cut sounds steep (5) 29 Commando regiment chase north, scattering to find one from south of the border (9) DOWN 1 Starting here, academies like funding at 50 per cent (4)

A £50 Marks & Spencer voucher

2 CID came unexpectedly after a university scholar (8) 3 Back in hall, I am efficient at this type of communication (5) 4 They left RAF, rejoined, just like Dad (8) 5 Mineral – Cambridge college servant takes total amount (6) 6 Ten on diet, maybe, as after-school punishment? (9) 7 The advice from the French is to become famous English literary critic! (6) 8 Oxford boat lies at heart of wish list (4) 13 Heath Robinson structure produces steady pulse (5) 15 Poles contain anger, but it’s a warning (5) 16 Went here to get reading matter, but took robes out? (9) 18 Odd chap sure to buy (8) 19 North African uni isn’t a disaster (8) 21 A graduate, set up, becomes less intense (6) 22 Surge forward for heartless new honours (6) 24 Melancholic music for Oxbridge sportsmen? (5) 25 Actors thrown (4) 27 Reverberate in the choir (4)

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HOW TO ENTER

Send your completed crossword with your contact details to: ATL September crossword competition, Think Publishing, Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London NW1 5DH. The closing date is 13 October 2016. If you have an ATL membership number, please include this here: The winner of the September competition will be announced in the November/December issue of Report.

LAST ISSUE’S SOLUTION ACROSS: 1 Phrase 4 Eraser 9 Sign 10 Backs 11 Envy 12 Daphne 13 Optimist 14 Versatile 16 Trod 17 Pear 18 Hibernate 22 Together 23 Racket 25 Team 26 Large 27 Dean 28 Senate 29 Sturdy DOWN: 1 Private 2 Ranch 3 Subject 5 Resits 6 Steam iron 7 Revised 8 School library 15 Statesmen 17 Profess 19 Earnest 20 Therapy 21 Chalet 24 Cedar CONGRATULATIONS TO JUNE’S WINNER – MRS C ABRAHAMS, ST ALBANS

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18/08/2016 16:10

CPD Autumn 2016 – Deliver the new D&T GCSEs with confidence Ensure your schools’ training programme is in place, preparing you to teach the new D&T GCSE from September 2017.

Book places on our exciting programme of CPD for Autumn 2016 and into 2017.

Becoming an excellent secondary D&T subject leader

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Planning to teach the new GCSE in design and technology

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Hosting a course at your school may be an option.

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10/08/2016 16:38

18/08/2016 10:46

YOUR ATL… NOTICEBOARD

NOTICE BOARD REPS’ TRAINING FOR 2016/17 ATL provides a wide range of training courses for new and existing reps, designed to equip you with the skills, knowledge and confidence to be effective in your role, whether it’s in workplace, union learning or health and safety representation. The full programme of courses for the next academic year is now available to browse at www.atl.org.uk/repscourses.

ATL APPRENTICE OFFER We are offering free membership to support staff apprentices working in a school or college for a one-year placement. If there are any apprentices in your workplace or district area, direct them to www.atl.org.uk/ membership for more details.

TA STANDARDS AVAILABLE In October 2014, the DfE set up an independent panel to draw up new standards for teaching assistants, with considerable input from ATL. However, at the point of the document’s completion, the DfE changed its mind about publishing them. Disappointed by this decision, ATL delegates carried a motion at Conference this spring to ‘ensure that every member is aware of and has access to’ the standards.

All ATL reps have been asked to call upon their schools to honour the terms of the standards; you can download a copy at www.atl.org.uk/tastandards.

2017 TUC EQUALITIES CONFERENCE DATES TUC women’s 8-10 March TUC black workers’ 7-9 April TUC disabled workers’ 18-19 May TUC LGBT workers’ 22-23 June or 29-30 June Email Simon Stokes at sstokes@ atl.org.uk if you would like to attend any of these events.

TUC APPRENTICESHIP CONFERENCES Six Unionlearn regional learning and skills conferences are being held this autumn to focus on the Government’s introduction of WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

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the new apprenticeship levy. Participants will be able to find out more about how the levy will work, what the implications will be for the workforce and how unions and employers can work in partnership to develop high-quality schemes and devise strategies that will best support apprentices.

The events will be held between 15 September and 10 November in Birmingham, London, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester, and are free for all union reps and employers. Visit www.unionlearn.org.uk/events for more information.

STUDY IN THE STATES Each year, ATL sponsors one teacher member to research an aspect of the education system in the US on a two-week study scholarship via the Walter Hines Page Scholarship, overseen by the English-Speaking Union (ESU).

Applications open this September, with interviews taking place in London the following March. For further details or to apply, please contact Monique Lowe at mlowe@atl.org.uk. More information is available at www.atl.org.uk/scholarships.

NOVEMBER IS UK DISABILITY HISTORY MONTH This year’s event will focus on the origins and impact of language when it comes to attitudes to learning-disabled people. Produced in collaboration with the Open University and the Anti-Bullying Alliance, school materials will be suitable for KS2, 3, 4 and 5, with teacher guidance supplied. Visit www.ukdhm.org/ resources/2016-disability-andlanguage for more information.

a paper copy of your next P60 at the beginning of 2017.

RE-EMPLOYMENT AFTER RETIREMENT If you are planning on returning to work after retirement, or are already in that position, remember that you must complete a certificate of re-employment and submit it to Teachers’ Pensions – and make sure you know what your earnings limit is if you have taken age retirement from the final salary pension scheme. Also, you must take at least one day out of service before returning to employment. Call ATL’s pension advisers on 0207 782 1600 if you need any clarification.

NEW PARTNER – AL FRESCO HOLIDAYS With family-friendly mobile homes in 72 of Europe’s favourite parks in France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Croatia, Al Fresco is a perfect, great-value choice for family holidays.

Each park is handpicked for its wonderful location, fantastic facilities, entertainment and modern, wellequipped accommodation. If you book now for 2017, there are some great early savings to be made – and ATL members can save up to 20% with our special introductory offer. Visit www.atl.org.uk/plus for further details.

NEW BENEFIT FOR ATL MEMBERS Offering financial back-up when you and your family need it most, Union Insurance Services arranges £5,000 free accidental-death cover, accidentprotection cover, over-50s accident cover, funeral plans and female cancer cover. Visit www.atl.org.uk/plus for more information; terms and conditions apply.

TEACHERS’ PENSIONS DIGITAL AGENDA ATL is aware that there is some concern, especially from retired Teachers’ Pension members, around the DfE’s move to all-digital communication. We have brought this up with the DfE, which has undertaken to review its communication methods, and will keep you posted. You can call to request SEPTEMBER 2016 | REPORT 27

18/08/2016 15:51

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18/08/2016 10:50

IN P YOUR R O F IATL… LE RESOURCES

ATL RESOURCES Recruitment poster

The autumn issue of the Independent Schools newsletter has been sent out to all members working in the independent sector, and leads with very successful negotiations at one school that ended in a union recognition agreement and some very harmonious working.

There is also news of members working in the Girls’ Day School Trust forming their own ATL branch, while other members were treated to training in mindfulness.

Additionally, you can put the date in your diary of the independent schools conference in November.

Reps and contacts should also receive the latest recruitment poster (see below) to display somewhere prominent in their workplace.

ATL/PS111

Independent Schools

first rate I received advice al g le , p hel sentation and repre d a ce when I fa tuation difficult si place. rk in my wo

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www.atl.org.uk/join 0845 057 7000 (local rate)

Being a Rep Reps and contacts will have received the latest copy of the Being a Rep newsletter, which details the latest developments in talks around forming a new union, as well as opportunities to influence discussions.

Elsewhere, there are updates on pay deals in the maintained and independent sectors, and the latest on ATL’s ongoing workload campaign.

Member offer for new workload book Managing Teacher Workload: a Whole School Approach, compiled by ATL assistant general secretary for policy Nansi Ellis and published at the end of August, contains a broad range of member case studies and expert tools, strategies and advice to

help education professionals tackle excessive workload. You can get more information at www.johncattbookshop.com, where members can also buy a copy for £8.00 – a discount of 33% on an RRP of £12.00 – by using the code ATL8 at checkout.

TACKLING WORKLOAD A new academic year brings with it the ATL CPD programme This year, we’re pleased to say that there are lots of new courses, which we hope will pique your interest and enhance and improve your working life.

We’re continuing to work with YoungMinds – the mental health charity for children and young people. In addition to our ‘Teens, turmoil and transition’ courses, we will also be looking more closely at the mental health of much younger children in our ‘Promoting positive mental health in primary and early years settings’ course. Given the staggering statistic that one in 10 children aged between five and 16 has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem, this is clearly an area of the utmost importance.

As always, behaviour management features prominently in the programme, with both one-day and online courses.

We have also added a course specifically for support staff in recognition that they often manage some of the most challenging classroom behaviour.

ATL’s ongoing workload campaign is reflected in the courses on ‘Time

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

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Photography: Paula Duck

management – making every second count’ and ‘Effective team working’. Both offer practical strategies about how you can best manage competing demands and get the best out of everyone you work with.

The challenges of running an inclusive classroom will be addressed in our ‘Inclusive teaching and learning’ courses, and we will look more closely at the recent SEND code of practice in ‘From code to classroom’. The fascinating subject of the role memory plays in academic attainment will also be covered

in ‘Memory working? Working memory’, which explores how you can support students with a weak working memory to develop their full learning potential.

Leadership members are well catered for too, with a range of new courses, including ‘Leading change successfully in turbulent times’, surely a must for all those responsible for managing in today’s education sector.

For more details of these and other courses available, visit www.atl.org.uk/ learningzone.

SEPTEMBER 2016 | REPORT 29

18/08/2016 15:51

FINAL WORD… SARAH SIMONS

Spreading the word

ILLUSTRATION: PHIL WRIGGLESWORTH

Everyone should understand what FE can offer, says TES columnist and director of UKFEchat, Sarah Simons

THE GOVERNMENT has recently discovered the value of apprenticeships, despite the framework for work-based learning being formalised more than 500 years ago – still, better late than never. But the FE and skills sector has far more to offer than just apprenticeships. It benefits everyone, from society’s most vulnerable to those with the highest level of professional expertise.

Community education empowers people to gain the skills and knowledge they need to reach beyond their own expectations. It supports adult learners into employment, to retrain for a new career or to make a positive contribution to the world around them.

FE colleges offer a vast range of academic courses up to degree level, plus qualifications in every imaginable vocation. Last year, 335 colleges in England served 2.9 million people.

So why does the FE sector remain a mystery to most?

30 REPORT | SEPTEMBER 2016

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I didn’t find out about FE until my late 30s, even though both my parents had done apprenticeships and studied at the local ‘tech’ – Mum as a hairdresser, and Dad as a plumber. As a kid of the assisted places era, I was packed off to the highly academic fee-paying school an hour’s bus ride away.

I was a lazy bugger and a born rebel, and saw the all-girls school as a place to have a snooze between boyfriend dramas and big nights out. I drifted into the school’s sixth form and went on to do terribly at A-level. This was no surprise, as I’d notionally checked out years before. My academic education didn’t matter to me then. I’d secured a place at a top drama school and was counting the seconds to reach 18 and flee to London.

Looking back, my A-levels were a complete waste of time and I should have taken a course at a local college. However, I didn’t know FE was an option; I didn’t know that studying something

Sarah Simons is a lecturer, columnist for the TES and director of UKFEchat, the largest community of FE professionals in the UK @MrsSarahSimons

that I was interested in was on the table, and neither did my teachers.

My first experience of FE came after two decades as an actor and screenwriter when an FE lecturer mate strongarmed me into taking a teaching course. It was intended to give me a break for a couple of hours to teach in a local college’s drama department. Instead, I accidentally found my home.

Now, I talk to teachers from schools and colleges around the country. Sadly, I don’t think the understanding of what FE is, and what colleges do, is any more widespread than when I was at school. I have spoken to many inspirational school teachers for whom I have great respect, but who have no clue about FE. They are not wilfully dismissing the value of FE, nor guiding their students towards their own sixth forms for funding-based reasons.

They simply haven’t happened upon the information.

This must change.

As I write, Nick Boles MP, minister for FE and skills, has raised concerns about the quality of independent information, advice and guidance for young people in some schools. He has suggested that the Government is considering financial penalties for sixth forms that steer students into A-levels that are ‘not appropriate’ for them.

Getting information to teachers, parents and students so they are armed with the knowledge to access the type of learning that suits them best is essential. It gives young people a stake in their own futures. Staying on at school may be the right path for some, but it is not the only one.

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18/08/2016 15:49

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