Report September 2015

THE MAGAZINE FROM ATL, THE EDUCATION UNION

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

SEPTEMBER 2015 £2.50

Life after levels Will the new assessment policy free teachers from unnecessary paperwork and evidence-gathering?

GUIDE

TACKLING ANGER Tips on defusing aggressive behaviour from students

SEPTEMBER COVER.indd 1

IN PROFILE

FINAL WORD

LEADING THE WAY

PRESSURE POINTS

Meet ATL’s new president, Kim Knappett

Double Paralympic champion Danielle Brown on coping with stress

25/08/2015 11:29

w No

d de t! ad en ith sm w ses

as

There’s never been a better time to try Bug Club Thousands of schools know that Bug Club has the power to raise reading standards. Now, from September, its about to get even more powerful.

A new assessment tool will be available in Bug Club to help schools map their children’s progress against age related expectations. All in line with the new National Curriculum guidelines.

And Bug Club is now on iPad! What are you waiting for?

Sign up for the future of reading at www.pearsonprimary.co.uk/bugprogress/tp or email primaryappointments.uk@pearson.com

Moshi Monsters - © Mind Candy Ltd

IFC_ATL_Sep15.indd 1

Angelina Ballerina - [2009] Hit Entertainment Limited

24/08/2015 15:51

Contents UPFRONT

Y O U R AT L

4 UPDATE

21 USEFUL CONTACTS

News of ATL’s lobby against FE cuts, concerns about the Education and Adoption Bill, rep summer seminar series and award-winning members

10 AGENDA

Nicky Morgan’s idea to ban emails after 5pm misses the point, says Mary Bousted

11 WALES AND

How to get in touch with ATL

23 LEGAL ADVICE

Your sickness absence rights explained

by ATL’s legal experts

24

YOUR VIEWS

ATL members on teacher training and Nicky Morgan’s solutions to excessive workload

25

NORTHERN IRELAND

Mark Langhammer on the difficulties facing Northern Ireland’s schools and Philip Dixon on putting education centre stage ahead of next May’s election

CROSSWORD

Your chance to win a £50 Marks & Spencer voucher

27

F E AT U R E S

12 LIFE AFTER LEVELS

Scrapping national curriculum levels is a good policy move, but its implementation leaves much to be desired

16 GUIDE

Advice on de-escalating confrontations with students

18

IN PROFILE

NOTICEBOARD

Information, events and opportunities to get involved

29

YOUR RESOURCES

Newsletters for reps, independent school members and those working in post-16

30 FINAL WORD

Paralympic champion Danielle Brown on performing under pressure

ATL’s new president Kim Knappett on her background in, and hopes for, education Report is the magazine from ATL, 7 Northumberland Street, London WC2N 5RD Tel 020 7930 6441 Fax 020 7930 1359 Email report@atl.org.uk or membership@atl.org.uk Website www.atl.org.uk Editors Alex Tomlin, Charlotte Tamvakis Report is produced and designed for ATL by Think Publishing, Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London NW1 5DH Tel 020 3771 7200 Email info@thinkpublishing.co.uk Senior sub editor Rachel Kurzfield 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_SEPT15.indd 3

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. Cover illustration: Marc Aspinall

Welcome MARK BAKER, IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT, ATL Well, that went fast! Welcome to the new academic year and I hope the summer’s been kind. If you’re just starting out, welcome to a fantastic profession; the rewards are endless and the work we do in education and as trade unionists is always worthwhile.

The role of president has given me the opportunity to learn far more of colleagues’ concerns over workload, rural poverty, special needs and much more. It has also confirmed just how important our work is, even if the Government and Ofsted don’t see it.

I thank everyone for their support.

I look forward to the next year, and the opportunity to work alongside new president Kim Knappett who, I know, will do us proud – read more on page 18.

There are some real challenges ahead as we worry over the increasing problems with children’s mental health, school places, recruitment, funding, corruption, a busted inspection system, examinations, and the rest – take a look at the articles by Ollie Frith (p16) and Danielle Brown (p30) for examples of the stresses we face. The evidence of what is going wrong appears unending.

Policymakers certainly have some explaining to do.

Our profession will need to scrutinise more, question more and work more closely with colleagues to protect education for all our children and young people. However, we are stronger and more confident than we used to be, so these are challenges we’ll meet if we stick together. Have a great year.

JOIN THE DEBATE…

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

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

24/08/2015 15:11

IN WORDS

U P D AT E

“IT’S LOVELY TO FEEL VALUED AND THE SCHOOL HAS REALLY SUPPORTED ME. I’M NOT EXPECTING TO WIN, IT’S JUST NICE TO HAVE GOT THIS FAR”

IN WORDS

“IT IS VITAL STAFF HAVE ACCESS TO PROPER TRAINING”

From far left: José Picardo, William Bateman and Jolene Swan are among the ATL members to be honoured with a 2015 Silver Pearson Teaching Award

Winning teachers Seven ATL members have had their hard work and dedication recognised with a Silver Pearson Teaching Award in 2015 The annual Teaching Awards honour outstanding teachers and teaching across a range of categories. The ATL members are among 67 exceptional teachers chosen from thousands of nominations.

Jolene Swan, 27, a teacher at Brightlingsea Junior School in Colchester, where she trained in 2010, received an award for teacher of the year in a primary school. She said: “The parent and child who nominated me did so by writing a thank-you message. The card I received from them mentioned I would be entered for the award, but I never thought it would go any further.

“I was shocked when I was told I was a finalist and even more surprised when I discovered I was a Silver winner. Receiving thank-you cards is so lovely and this one turned out to be even more special.”

William Bateman, 30, who works at Pembrokeshire College, received an award for FE lecturer of the year. “I am overjoyed. I think they have the wrong person, I am still pinching myself.

I have been teaching for five years now – previously, I completed a toolmaker apprenticeship. I teach engineering to children aged 14-16, level 1, level 2, level 3 and HNC/D level, and am a course tutor to level 2, level 3 and HNC/D groups.

This keeps me very busy.

“It feels great to represent Pembrokeshire College. It has invested in me so much since I joined and supported me in gaining higher education qualifications, including my PGCE. It feels great to be nominated, to say thank you for believing in me.”

4 REPORT | SEPTEMBER 2015

004-005_ATL_SEPT15_UPDATE.indd 4

Sarah Imbush, director of the maths faculty at Southend High School for Girls, won an award for teacher of the year in a secondary school.

She said: “It’s lovely to feel valued and the school has really supported me. It’s a lovely feeling. I’m not expecting to win, it’s just nice to have got this far.”

José Picardo, 41, assistant principal at Surbiton High School in south west London, who teaches Spanish and German and leads on digital strategy, won a CleverTouch Award for outstanding use of technology in education.

He said: “It was a complete surprise.

I knew I had been nominated, but given thousands receive nominations every year, I knew it was very unlikely I would become one of the winners. The school arranged for a special assembly to present me with the award. It was certainly the most memorable moment in my teaching career.

“I take a very pragmatic approach in how technology is used in my lessons, using it only when it adds value and it supports the processes involved in teaching and learning.”

Simon Bayliss, an NQ at Oxford Spires Academy, won an award for outstanding new teacher of the year. Jemma Sherwood, of Haybridge High School and Sixth Form, in Hagley, Worcestershire, won an award for teacher of the year in a secondary school, and Joanna Ross won an award for special needs teacher of the year for her work at Richard Cloudesley School in Islington, London.

All the Silver winners go forward to the national finals in the autumn, which are televised on the BBC.

Illequipped for new duty Almost half of members working in the FE sector received no training in the Prevent duty that came into force in July, an ATL survey has found.

At the same time, nearly 30% of ATL and AMiE members who took part in the survey were not aware of their duties under the new law, which requires educational establishments to have “due regard” to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.

Of those who had received training, more than a third (35%) said it came in the form of online training; the same amount said the training was less than an hour, and 34% said they do not feel they have adequate awareness of their responsibilities under the Prevent duties.

ATL’s lead equalities officer Wanda Wyporska said: “It is vital staff have access to proper and thorough training that allows them to raise their own questions about the Prevent strategy.

“It is also imperative the duty does not stifle the opportunity for safe and educational debate. ATL members, like all education staff, are committed to the well-being of their students, but it is not the role of education staff to police those they teach.”

ATL has produced a new factsheet for members on the Prevent duty – see www.atl.org.uk/factsheets.

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

24/08/2015 14:52

IN PIC TURES

U P D AT E

ATL general secretary Mary Bousted chairs a debate for apprentices at the Unionlearn conference

Engaging reps

PHOTO: PAULA DUCK

The panel answers members’ questions at the rep seminar in County Durham

In June, reps in the north east attended a day of debate and training at Lumley Castle Hotel in County Durham, where they put questions to a panel including Laura McInerney, editor of Schools Week; Pat Glass, MP for North West Durham; Professor Carl Bagley, head of the School of Education at Durham University; Adrian Prandle, ATL’s director of economic strategy and negotiations; and Councillor Ossie Johnson, cabinet member for children and adult services at Durham County Council. Neil Foster, policy officer of the Northern TUC, acted as the chair.

Questions posed by reps included: what did the panel think

ATL’s reps took part in a series of seminars promoting debate and professional development across the country over the summer a ‘coasting’ school is and what would be the effects of the 24% funding cut in FE? On academies, Pat Glass MP said: “Labour brought in academies for specific areas where we had tried everything else to turn them around. There is no evidence that academies improve any faster than LA schools.” Laura McInerney said: “I think academies are a good model, but why is there such secrecy around them?” Regarding FE funding, Ossie Johnson said: “FE has helped reduce the number of NEETs in Durham. If we take FE away, how can people retrain to get themselves to retirement at 68?” Adrian Prandle said: “The

PHOTOS: ROD LEON

Speaking up for equalities ATL members from across the UK took part in the TUC’s disabled workers’ and LGBT conferences this summer.

At the disabled workers’ conference, Tamsin Honeybourne spoke to ATL’s motion on carers and mental health. She described how carers are affected by mental health and how some carers are not actually aware of their role as a carer.

The motion was carried. ATL also seconded a motion on SEN reform and supported a motion on universal credit, which were both carried.

An ATL delegation also attended the TUC’s LGBT conference in June, which had the theme of solidarity and LGBT equality. ATL proposed a

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

004-005_ATL_SEPT15_UPDATE.indd 5

ATL’s delegations at the TUC’s disabled workers’ and LGBT conferences this summer

motion on supporting LGBT carers and seconded a motion calling for a good local school for every LGBT young person. Both were carried.

Government talks about improving skills, but decimates funding for FE that could give us those skills.”

In July, reps from London and the south east benefited from a day of CPD, focusing on mental health issues among students and staff.

In Manchester, reps discussed their roles, ATL’s Shape Education campaign and Ofsted, before taking part in a ‘laughology’ workshop.

Reps from the eastern region focused on stress and workload issues. Double Paralympic gold medallist Danielle Brown MBE was the keynote speaker (see p30), while discussions and workshops included the rep’s role in wellbeing and mindfulness.

An inspiring curriculum ATL members visited a secondary school in London in July to see its innovative approach to the curriculum in action.

During the visit to Stanley Park High, members saw how the school uses communal and outdoor spaces as an extension of the classroom, how the role of the tutor has been developed to support students, how different teams within the school, including non-teaching teams, can work together to create exciting projects, and the strength of vocational and real-skills education.

One member, Sophia, said: “The layout really works – the use of spaces encourages a trust and freedom.” Another, David, said: “The range of vocational learning on offer is great – far more children should have these opportunities.”

Stanley Park High features on ATL’s A Curriculum that Counts website. High Storrs School in Sheffield is the latest case study to be included. See www. acurriculumthatcounts.org.uk.

DEBATING SKILLS ATL general secretary Mary Bousted chaired the Unionlearn annual conference in July, which focused on skills development to meet the needs of a modern workforce for a sustainable economic recovery.

Speakers included TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady and comedian Rhona Cameron.

Unionlearn is the learning and skills section of the TUC. Dr Bousted introduced a debate among apprentices who had chosen an apprenticeship instead of the traditional A-level/ university route.

The conference also celebrated the work of Unionlearn and unions over the past year and looked to the year ahead.

FE INDICATIVE BALLOT ATL and AMiE members in FE colleges affiliated to the Association of Colleges (AoC) are being emailed a survey in early September to find out which colleges look set to apply the pay freeze in 2015-16 and to gauge members’ willingness to take industrial action to support ATL’s negotiations.

The results of this indicative ballot, which closes on 18 September, will inform ATL’s response to the AoC’s offer. For more information, see www.atl.org. uk/fepoll.

SEPTEMBER 2015 | REPORT 5

26/08/2015 15:37

U P D AT E

IN PIC TURES

IN BRIEF ATL members lobby Westminster

FE lobby and petition ATL members took part in a lobby at Westminster before meeting their MPs as part of the #loveFE campaign calling for a rethink of Government cuts to adult learning in England The lobby and meetings on 16 June came after a 24% cut in the adult skills budget for 2015-16 – which could see 400,000 learners lose access to FE. ATL member Matt Hopton said: “We met with Andy McDonald, Labour MP for Middlesbrough, and he was not optimistic for the future of FE, as he expected further cuts to be implemented.

“James Wharton, Conservative MP for Stockton South, was very frank in not hiding from the fact there will be more painful cuts in the next five years.

He was, however, interested in the positive work Middlesbrough College has been doing and will speak out in support of FE.” Clare Kellett, ATL’s Somerset branch secretary, met Ian Liddell-Grainger, Conservative MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset. She said: “We had a productive discussion, and he agreed that rural issues exacerbate the problems for adult learners, such as transport costs and the availability of centres and courses.

“He said he was keen to see more involvement of local businesses in support of colleges and centres, and to promote lifelong learning as a way to give people more employment choices and to improve their children’s educational chances.”

ATL deputy general secretary Peter Pendle also spoke passionately in the Committee room at the House of Commons.

Later the same month, Mark Baker, ATL president at the time, delivered a petition with more than

42,000 signatures to Downing Street as part of the campaign, alongside representatives from Unison, NIACE, UCU and the AoC. He said: “FE has already been battered by excessive cuts, and these further budget reductions look like nothing less than a deliberate attempt to destroy the sector. The Government should get its priorities right and help young adults to get into work.

“How can the sector provide vital education and training for adults in order to meet the needs of the workforce and boost the economy? A report from the 157 Group states the FE return on investment for learners is 11%, for society 13% and for taxpayers 12%.

Why decimate a sector that is providing so much to so many?”

In July, the National Audit Office (NAO) published a report into the financial viability of FE and the Government’s plans for a review of the sector, which found a “rapid decline” in finances in England, with almost half of colleges in deficit in 2013-14.

Nansi Ellis, ATL assistant general secretary, said: “It is glaringly obvious this Government does not value FE and totally fails to appreciate the importance it plays in providing skills for millions of people every year. We want a new funding model for FE that frees them from centralised control and allows colleges to collaborate with local employers and plan their curriculum, education and training strategies to meet the needs of students and local companies.”

Member’s merit Member Ken Farrar has received the union’s order of merit in recognition of his work for ATL and was personally congratulated by the Welsh education minister for his long-standing commitment to the union.

Ken has played an active role in ATL for more than 40 years, as a school representative, branch secretary and on ATL’s Executive Committee.

Alec Clark, Mid Glamorgan district president, said: “Mid Glamorgan 6 REPORT | SEPTEMBER 2015

006-007_ATL_SEPT15_NEWS.indd 6

district and branch members are most proud that Ken’s work and his service has been recognised with this award. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience that is invaluable.

Ken is always willing to give time to support members and colleagues in ATL, and his advice is sound and based on practicality.”

After completing his PGCE in 1964, Ken taught in Canada before returning to a secondary school in Wales to teach maths. He retired from

full-time teaching in 1995, but taught part-time until 2011, with his last role at a pupil referral unit working with excluded children.

Ken joined AMA, as ATL was known then, in the 1960s, and was first elected as a branch secretary in the 1980s and then held the Mid Glamorgan branch secretary role for more than 18 years until 2014. He was on ATL’s Executive Committee between 1988 and 2002, and also served as treasurer and chair of the committee in Wales.

Ken remains active at district and branch meetings. Education minister Huw Lewis congratulated Ken at an informal celebration in the summer.

OWNING OUR PROFESSION ATL and NUT hosted a joint event in June looking at strengthening our voice in the workplace, in our unions and with decision-makers on the issues of workload and professionalism.

ATL deputy general secretary Peter Pendle, NUT vice president Anne Swift and NUT deputy general secretary Kevin Courtney spoke to delegates before workshops on tackling workload together and closer working to raise our status.

Following the success of this and a previous event in Manchester, two more are planned in York on 17 October and in Bristol on 12 December. These one-day conferences will bring together education professionals to learn strategies and share ideas. More information will be sent to members in due course.

SEX ED BILL WELCOMED ATL is supporting a bill on personal, social and health education and sex and relationships education (PSHE and SRE) introduced in the House of Commons.

The Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (Statutory Requirement) Bill, introduced by Green MP Caroline Lucas, received its first reading in July.

ATL lead equalities officer Wanda Wyporska said: “We call upon the Government to protect all children, by making PSHE and SRE statutory.”

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

24/08/2015 15:01

IN WORDS

Ann Hodgson addresses members at ATL’s FE conference in July

Professional focus for FE Members working in further education joined experts in the sector to discuss the role of professionalism as it applies to vocational lecturers and courses at ATL’s second annual FE conference in London in July Mary Bousted, ATL general secretary, began by outlining how the sector is facing huge challenges and has borne the brunt of cuts, particularly for those over the age of 19, which make it harder for unemployed young people to acquire the skills they need to get a job.

After citing a recent report from Conservative peer Alison Wolf that found debates over higher education take place as though FE and adult training do not exist, Dr Bousted said: “ATL agrees and demands that the Government should get its priorities right and help vulnerable young adults to get into work; stop wasting money on school places where they are not needed and focus attention on a sector that increases productivity.

“England has very little technical development below degree level and FE colleges are well placed to offer this. But, as Alison demonstrates, they are not funded adequately to do so.

Universities cannot make up the skills gap on their own.”

Professor Ann Hodgson of the UCL’s Institute of Education (IoE) outlined her view of the changes facing professionalism in FE. She described the impact of a top-down, market-driven approach to FE, which limits professional autonomy and independence, and argued for “regional high-skills ecosystems” and “triple professionalism”.

“Dual professionalism is not enough; I think there’s a need for triple professionalism,” she said.

“Professionals no longer work in isolation but are expected to work in networks. They have to communicate and cooperate with a range of colleagues but also professionals in other sectors who have different

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

006-007_ATL_SEPT15_NEWS.indd 7

languages, who work in different patterns and have different values.

That means we need to think more expansively about what it means to be a professional.”

Frank Coffield, emeritus professor of education at UCL’s IoE, described a “crisis in education” and presented a bill of rights for the sector while highlighting the need for an independent, democratic organisation, run by and for FE tutors, with the knowledge and expertise to stand up to Government. He introduced a group to fulfil this role, called Tutors’ Voices, due to be launched in the autumn.

Tim Weiss, director of strategy, quality and research at the Education and Training Foundation, talked about the Society for Education and Training, the new professional membership organisation of the Education and Training Foundation for practitioners in the post-16 education and training sector, following the closure of the Institute for Learning in 2014.

And Professor Bill Lucas, of the University of Winchester and the Centre for Real-World Learning, addressed the question of what vocational pedagogy means and how it would help develop high-quality apprenticeship learning.

Members also took part in workshops including workplace professionalism, policy in the age of austerity, lesson observations, pedagogy and apprenticeships, changing attitudes in disaffected students, and dealing with stress.

You can follow ATL’s post-16 Shape Education campaign using #ShapeFE. If you want more information or are interested in joining Tutors’ Voices, email TutorsVoices@mail.com.

U P D AT E

“THE DESIGNATION ‘COASTING’ SEVERELY DISADVANTAGES MAINTAINED SCHOOLS”

Education bill warning ATL joined other unions in organising a meeting with MPs at Westminster in July to highlight concerns about the Education and Adoption Bill as it made its way through Parliament.

The bill would speed up the process of converting failing schools into academies, but could also see some so-called ‘coasting’ schools forced to become academies.

ATL members also took part in a lobby and briefing for MPs, sponsored by ATL, NUT, the NAHT and Unison, and also attended by the National Governors’ Association and the Local Schools Network.

Speaking at the event, ATL general secretary Mary Bousted said: “The designation ‘coasting’ severely disadvantages maintained schools – and is designed to do so. Schools with deprived pupil intakes will struggle to meet the threshold to avoid being deemed as coasting, and will be named and shamed, even when they are providing an excellent education, given their intake and the progress their pupils make.

“The number of academies and free schools not meeting the 60% five A-C benchmark has almost trebled in the past three years, whereas the number of maintained schools failing to meet the threshold has halved – so there is no rationale for maintained schools being eligible for the designation, and academy schools not.”

The unions’ briefing for MPs highlighted that simply turning a school into a sponsored academy does not necessarily bring about change, with evidence suggesting there is no ‘academy effect’ in terms of academy status and school improvement, and that sponsored academies in many chains perform less well overall than maintained schools, particularly for the most disadvantaged pupils.

It also called for schools to be given opportunity and time to improve with appropriate support, and raised concerns that the powers the bill gives to the secretary of state for education could see governing bodies replaced if they legitimately disagree with immediate conversion to academy status or the proposed sponsor. It also stressed that consultation with local stakeholders before a school becomes an academy is an essential part of community engagement and should not be abolished.

Earlier the same month, ATL submitted evidence to the Education and Adoption Bill Committee, calling for sufficiently robust safeguards and mechanisms to be put in place before remaining community schools are handed over to academy sponsors.

SEPTEMBER 2015 | REPORT 7

24/08/2015 15:01

37023445_BFBD_ADVERT_RM_A4_210x297mm_V1_HR.pdf

1

08/08/2015

12:30

B Vitamins & Iron

Vitamin D

1 in 7 children go to school

without breakfast

1

Breakfasts for

Better Days

™

Kellogg’s is helping to feed 80,000 people in need in the UK every day through its Help Give a Child a Breakfast Campaign.

This will be achieved through our partnerships with food redistribution charities and food bank networks.

Reference: 1. Hoyland et al. (2012) Nutr Bull, 37(3), 232-40. Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies contain ≥ 15% of the nutrient reference value of vitamin D, 6 B vitamins and iron. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of bones. Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and iron contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism. Enjoy as part of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

www.kelloggsnutrition.com

008_ATL_Sep15.indd 8

© KELLOGG COMPANY 2015

24/08/2015 15:42

A D V E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E

BREAKFAST CLUBS

MAKING A DIF FERENCE IN SCHOOLS Eating breakfast at the start of every school day is known to improve not only children’s nutritional intakes, but also performance both physically and mentally.1,2 One in seven UK schoolchildren miss breakfast before school,1 rising to a quarter of secondary school pupils.3 Equivalent to more than 860,000 children arriving at school without breakfast,1 the opportunity to eat breakfast at school can help to improve nutritional status and health, and the ability to learn WORDS BY ANGIE JEFFERSON, REGISTERED DIETITIAN

A BRIEF HISTORY Breakfast clubs began as a pilot scheme in the US back in 1966.

Initially aimed at ‘nutritionally at risk’ children, this was adopted as a national scheme. In the UK, breakfast clubs gained pace during the 1990s, driven by a demand for nutritious food provision, and also for a safe, supervised place for parents to leave their children before the start of the school day. Today, more than eight out of 10 UK schools (85% in 2014) now provide breakfast clubs.4

1 Hoyland A et al (2012) Breakfast consumption in UK schoolchildren and provision of school breakfast clubs. Nutrition Bulletin 37: 232-240 2 Williams P (2014) The Benefits of Breakfast Cereal Consumption: A Systematic Review of the Evidence Base. Advances in Nutrition 5: 636S–673S 3 British Nutrition Foundation (2015) www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritioninthenews/ pressreleases/a-quarter-of-uk-secondary-school-children-have-no-breakfast.html 4 An Audit of School Breakfast Club Provision in the UK. Kellogg’s, 2014 5 Defeyter MA et al (2010) Breakfast clubs: availability for British schoolchildren and the nutritional, social and academic benefits. Nutrition Bulletin 35: 245–253 6 A Lost Education: the reality of hunger in the classroom (2013). Kellogg’s Report,

ATL KELLOGGS ADVERTORIAL.indd 3

START EVERY DAY RIGHT Children who regularly eat breakfast, and particularly cereal with milk, either at home or at a club, are more likely to meet their nutritional requirements for the day and arrive at school ready to perform both physically and mentally.2,10 In addition, those who attend a breakfast club are known to behave better in class, attend school more frequently, demonstrate improved school performance and exhibit better quality friendships.1,5 For most schools, a breakfast club provides far more than just food.

EDUCATIONAL IMPACT OF SKIPPING BREAKFAST Hungry children can struggle to learn.

If a child arrives at school hungry, they can lose one hour of learning time.6 If this happens once a week, this could be equivalent to losing 70% of a term* over the whole of their primary school life.6 For a child arriving at school hungry every day, the loss of effective learning time could be significantly more.

Evidence suggests not only academic benefit from breakfast club attendance but also: improved attendance and punctuality; a better sense of community and belonging; and better quality friendships.1,5 Breakfast clubs have also been found to help prevent bullying.1,5 MEETING NUTRITIONAL NEED Eating a healthy, balanced breakfast is the best start to every day. The nutritional benefits of breakfast for school-aged children are well accepted, and numerous studies have documented that breakfast eaters achieve a healthier overall diet compared to breakfast skippers.1,2 In particular, eating a breakfast cereal will help to provide some of the essential vitamins and minerals known to be ‘at risk’ in UK children’s diets (eg iron, vitamin D, B vitamins, plus calcium from the milk),7,8 and may offer a higher nutritional content compared to other breakfast choices (eg bread or pastries).9

http://pressoffice.kelloggs.co.uk /index.php?s=20295&item=122412 7 Bates B et al (2014) National Diet and Nutrition Survey Results from Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 (combined) of the Rolling Programme (2008/2009 – 2011/2012). Public Health England 8 Gibson S & Gunn P (2011) What’s for breakfast? Nutritional implications of breakfast habits: insights from the NDNS dietary records. Nutrition Bulletin 36: 78–86 9 Papoutso S et al (2014) The combination of daily breakfast consumption and optimal breakfast choices in childhood is an important public health message. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 65: 273–279 10 Hoyland A et al (2009) A systematic review of the effects of breakfast on the cognitive performance of children and adolescents. Nutrition Research Reviews 22: 220-243

* If a child arrived at school hungry once a week over a school year, that adds up to 36 hours of learning time – rising to a shocking 8.4 weeks, or 70% of one school term for pupils aged between five and 11 over their entire primary school life.6

24/08/2015 16:39

AG E N DA

AT THE BEGINNING of the summer, Nicky Morgan came up with a bright idea to tackle the workload crisis after visiting a school that had banned staff from sending work emails after 5pm. Ms Morgan was very taken with this idea, which, she suggested, could be more widely adopted to help to tackle the workload issue.

There is merit in limiting official communications outside working hours. Many teachers feel under pressure to answer emails from senior colleagues and, in some schools, from parents and students in the early morning or late evening. This pressure can result in the working day extending far beyond what is reasonable and the sense, felt by many teachers, that they are ‘on call’ all hours of the day and night.

Teaching, as we know, is extremely demanding, both physically and mentally. There are few, if any, professions where the opportunity to make decisions about how you order your working hours is so limited. Teachers cannot choose to delay their teaching because they have another urgent task to complete. Given teachers’ time is so highly constrained while they are in school, it is important that time out of school is theirs.

Email intrusion can be a real problem and causes raised stress levels – the sense the job is never done and that the long arm of the school extends into your home.

So the issue is not that Nicky Morgan said the wrong thing. The issue is that her announcement displayed staggering levels of naivety and ignorance about the causes of workload. The plain truth is the last coalition Government set in motion a policy tsunami that is now creating a veritable workload storm for teachers.

The introduction of a new national curriculum coinciding with radical reform of GCSEs, ASand A-levels, all conducted without proper time for consultation and preparation, has led to hugely increased workloads and stress.

Too often, essential information upon which professional decisions about the new curriculum and qualifications should be made has been delayed or has simply never 10 REPORT | SEPTEMBER 2015

010_ATL_SEPT15_AGENDA.indd 10

Missing the point ATL general secretary Mary Bousted on the education secretary’s latest idea to tackle workload arrived in schools. Many secondary teachers spent their summer holidays preparing new courses because of the vast differences between the subject content of the old and new qualifications. They are not starting the new term refreshed and reinvigorated.

Rather than acknowledge the major part the Government has played in increasing workload, Nicky Morgan casts around for others to blame. Not content with castigating out-of-work-hours emails, in a speech made a few days later, she turned her sights on school leaders who, she said, should not be ‘defeatist’ about tackling workload issues.

Again, there is a kernel of truth in her criticism. Some school leaders have not taken into account the effects of school bureaucracy on teacher workload. Inappropriate assessment pro formas, data-driven

JOIN THE DEBATE… report@atl.org.uk

@ATLReport

facebook.com/ ATLUnion

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

progression records, over-elaborate lesson plans, overzealous lesson observation – all the results of leaders who require their teachers to document everything. So much of this bureaucracy is unnecessary, and worse, diverts teachers’ attention away from their core professional purpose of thinking deeply about teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable pupils to learn and develop.

But it is important to understand why some leaders behave in this way. The root cause of most in-school bureaucracy is Ofsted.

School leaders, whose jobs are as secure as their last inspection grade, over-compensate for an inspection regime that promotes fear and compliance rather than professionalism and creativity.

The negative effect is now widely recognised – even by the directorgeneral of the CBI, John Cridland, who recently said: “In weaker schools, fear of Ofsted drives behaviours which lead to perverse outcomes, instead of better ones.

All too often, it’s only the data which matters. In stronger schools, rebel headteachers succeed in spite of the system, not because of it.

Devolving control to schools could drive innovation – but the inspection regime too often means teachers and heads don’t believe in these freedoms. And politicians have a habit of talking the language of freedom while specifying things schools should do in detail.”

This is a strong statement from a business leader who wants schools to grow “rounded and grounded” individuals who are able to work in teams, use initiative, have good communication skills and be resilient. What John Cridland understands, and Nicky Morgan does not, is it is not enough to fiddle while Rome burns.

Unless the Government radically revises its relationship with the teaching profession and understands policy churn creates instability and excessive workload, while doing nothing to raise standards, then no real progress will be made. Teachers will continue to work excessive hours, providing an inappropriate curriculum to pupils that fails to inculcate the skills and abilities employers need.

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

24/08/2015 15:02

THE VIEW FROM… WALES / NORTHERN IRELAND

Wales

Northern Ireland

DR PHILIP DIXON

MARK LANGHAMMER

We need to make the politicians take notice

With such a bleak outlook, it’s time to talk

LAST YEAR SAW a record number of redundancies in schools; more than 600 staff lost their jobs. The picture was the same in the FE sector, where savage cuts to college budgets are starting to bite.

At the same time we are seeing the introduction of a new curriculum in the wake of the Donaldson report, and a new qualifications regime for many GCSEs. Goodquality CPD is of the essence and yet is often hard to find.

It would be easy to sit back and moan. Instead we need

to make the politicians sit up and take notice. Next May, they will be asking for your vote in the National Assembly election. Before then, we need to ask them to put education first. Our children deserve the best chance and they can no longer be short-changed.

In the next few weeks, we will be launching the ATL/ AMiE Cymru manifesto.

It will put centre stage the things that need to be done if we are to build a better education system in Wales.

But our manifesto is not just a document: it distils the things you tell us really matter, and gives you a tool to use in engaging with assembly members and prospective assembly members. They want your vote – you can tell them what you want in return.

This ATL/AMiE manifesto will be the spearhead of a broad campaign. There will be lots of ways in which you can engage with it. We have to give a loud and clear message: put education first.

“WE HAVE TO GIVE A LOUD AND CLEAR MESSAGE: PUT EDUCATION FIRST”

011_ATL_SEPT15_NI.indd 11

THE NEW TERM starts against the backdrop of a devolved Government teetering on the brink of collapse, as austerity-driven budget cuts continue. The voluntary exit scheme, agreed under the terms of the 2014 Stormont House Agreement, proceeded in the school and FE sectors.

A further redundancy programme for 500 posts in FE was announced by Minister Farry in August.

What are the consequences of five years of cuts, with five or more to come? At ATL, we have detected worrying trends in our casework. We are referring record numbers of members to counselling for stress-related conditions.

More cases are contested and unnecessarily escalated.

Schools are taking hasty, budget-driven decisions, often against legal and employing authority advice.

Union support is stretched, with formal hearings and appeals backing up. We have noticed atrocious industrial relations practices in self-governing schools in particular, which members are loathe to contest as they are scared of victimisation.

Teachers are burdened with an overwrought accountability system that is not just bureaucratic, but self-defeating and of no educational value. The low-trust, low-discretion, target-driven, data-driven and micromanaged culture appears all but ubiquitous.

In this context, ATL will maintain its industrial action of non-cooperation with the flawed system of key stage assessment, and will proceed with a general ‘work to rule’ to protect teachers’ workload and health. It’s not the way we want it and there must be a better way. So, to the Department of Education, is it ‘jaw-jaw’ or more of the same?

24/08/2015 15:03

SCRAPPING NATIONAL CURRICULUM LEVELS MEANS A MAJOR CULTURE CHANGE FOR MANY. ALEX TOMLIN INVESTIGATES THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF ASSESSMENT

HOW DO YOU FEEL about the loss of national curriculum levels from this month? Bereft, perhaps? Scared? Or liberated? Almost half (47%) of members surveyed by ATL professed themselves unsure whether assessment without levels is a good policy.

Levels have been in use in most schools since 1988, so there will be a number of teachers who have never known anything else and may find themselves

floundering without that handy number-letter combination to rely on.

In February 2015, schools minister Nick Gibb launched the Commission on Assessment Without Levels, headed by John McIntosh CBE, headmaster of The London Oratory School for 29 years, and made up of various headteachers and researchers (but no serving teachers).

The commission’s report, which will also act as guidance for schools, was due

to be published in July, but was delayed until September – when schools’ policies should already be in place.

In its statement of intended outputs, the commission says it supports the removal of levels and “will set out the various purposes of assessment to clarify for teachers and parents how assessment without levels supports teaching and learning, and will develop principles which will support schools in developing

ILLUSTRATION: MARC ASPINALL

Life after levels

12 REPORT | SEPTEMBER 2015 WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

012-015_ATL_SEPT15_FEAT.indd 12

25/08/2015 12:08

SPOTLIGHT ON… NATIONAL CURRICULUM LEVELS

effective systems of assessment which both contribute to and measure pupil progress and attainment in ways that assessment with levels failed to do”.

ATL policy adviser Anne Heavey believes levels were fundamentally flawed. “They created pressure on teachers,” she says. “Pupils often missed out on deeper understanding in the rush to reach the next level.”

Anne also explains that levels were too subjective, with different teachers judging levels in different ways. Because of the pressures of the accountability system, teachers also concentrated their efforts on pupils they perceived to be just below level boundaries, to the detriment of other pupils.

Pupils and their parents have also become over-reliant on levels, with peer comparisons particularly harmful for those labelled at the lower end. At the same time, levels were portrayed as representative of the whole of a pupil’s learning despite only being focused on narrow aspects of the curriculum.

Announcing the commission, Nick Gibb said: “Levels were just too vague and imprecise. They were misleading as to what pupils knew and could do. The use of levels was pushing pupils on to new material – in the name of ‘pace’ – when they had not adequately understood vital content, and had serious gaps in their knowledge.”

“Levels could mean predicting progress based purely on data,” says Anne. “You could make judgements about children without meeting them. For teachers, levels could become a safety net, they were easy. Meaningless, but easy. Without them, schools should be able to create more meaningful assessment for learning and explain more clearly to pupils what they have achieved and what they need to do.”

Although Anne welcomes the idea of assessment without levels, she foresees problems. “The spirit of it is hard to argue with, but the way in which schools have been supported in implementing it is really problematic,” she says. “If you bring all of the baggage of the old system to the new system, it can’t work.”

One particularly large item of baggage is the use of levels as an accountability measure. The intention in getting rid of them is to use more detailed and nuanced formative assessment to guide teaching, an approach that is considerably more difficult to evidence.

A copy of the commission’s report was leaked through The Guardian website WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

012-015_ATL_SEPT15_FEAT.indd 13

in late July, and in its foreword, the committee’s chair, John McIntosh, says: “While few would dispute the need for a robust accountability framework, there is no doubt that the measurement of the performance of schools and of the system as a whole has exerted undue influence on the assessment of individual pupils.”

Anne says: “The ability to do formative assessment, to understand where a pupil is at, is a core teaching skill. What I have a massive problem with is teachers might have to provide evidence for that in order to satisfy external observers.

Some of the best formative assessment is discussing with the pupil what they have done and what they could do next for specific tasks.

“You can’t record all of that, but we’ve got this farce where the pupil stamps the work and writes down the teacher’s comments. Teachers feel the need to evidence everything because the Ofsted and academy axes are looming for schools deemed to be failing or coasting.”

It used to be that teachers worried about assessment measures impacting negatively on the curriculum, now it is the Government’s obsession with accountability that drives both curriculum and assessment. “It is vital we challenge the idea that all formative assessment must be evidenced for accountability purposes,” says Anne.

Ofsted does acknowledge the postlevels world in its handbook, applicable from September 2015, which states:

47% of members surveyed by ATL professed themselves unsure whether assessment without levels is a good policy

“When considering the school’s records for the progress of current pupils, inspectors will recognise that schools are at different points in their move towards adopting a system of assessment without national curriculum levels.”

It adds: “Ofsted does not expect to see any specific frequency, type or volume of marking and feedback; these are for the school to decide through its assessment policy.”

However, as we have seen from the inspection agency’s ‘mythbuster’ document, earlier this year, Ofsted assurances don’t necessarily prevent school leadership demanding unreasonable levels of evidence.

The prevailing evidence culture is not going to disappear overnight.

Parental accountability must also be considered. Parents who have become used to levels may miss the simple reporting of numbers and letters, and schools will need to clearly explain how progress will be communicated under whatever new system they opt for, a factor Ofsted will be judging on.

“As a school community, we bought into this myth that levels told us something,” Anne believes. “We need to communicate with parents about how assessment works now. But parents are used to seeing evidence of progress.

How are schools going to show that now? It’s not feasible to have a list of statements saying, ‘this child can do xyz’, and to what extent. That’s a massive workload issue.”

Anne adds that the current fiveminute format of many parents’ evenings may have to change to accommodate more detailed feedback.

And, of course, pupils’ perceptions of their own progress and expectations will change, too. While more detailed feedback should help pupils, Anne believes many will miss the simplicity of levels as an incentive. “It could be useful to say to them, do this and this, and you’ll be a level 6,” she says.

“Instilling a love of learning can be hard at the best of times and a few carrots along the way help, but a lot of carrots have just been taken away.”

Incentives may also be an issue for the 18% of pupils who have special educational needs (SEN), a group Anne is concerned about. “Some SEN students are always going to be below the expected standard and to be told that throughout school is devastating,” she says. “ATL has raised the issue with the Department for Education (DfE), which has said you 3 SEPTEMBER 2015 | REPORT 13

26/08/2015 15:38

nd Inspire confidence a a love of maths and help ever y child master the nat ional curr icul um U676

por t that f teachers re o y Over significantl ry e v s te u ib tr ren’s Abacus con ntly to child or significa ing to ress accord g ro p t, n e nce at tainm nd confide a , e g a ir e th in maths.*

75%

*Sur ve 95 t y run b each y ers w Pearso nm ho h eas ave used uring im Aba pac t cus for o of Aba c ver a ye us on ar.

d request an es pl m sa ee fr y tr e, or Find out m ! a free demo in your school usmathsATL

ac www.pearsonprimary.co.uk/ab

014_ATL_Sep15.indd 14 U676 Abacus Ad.indd 1

24/08/2015 14/08/2015 15:43 15:44

SPOTLIGHT ON… NATIONAL CURRICULUM LEVELS

can measure things like social skills and confidence, but I believe we should be measuring that for all children.”

The commission says it “will have regard to assessment for pupils with SEN” and will “provide advice to the Government on ensuring that appropriate provision is made for pupils with SEN in the development of assessment policy”. Another commission has recently been launched looking more specifically at assessment without levels for SEN pupils.

The loss of a universally recognised system is a concern to ATL members, with almost nine in 10 in our survey believing schools having different assessment systems will be a problem.

Many talked about the difficulty of children moving schools and transferring from primary to secondary, because there would be no clear indication for the new school of pupils’ abilities.

Others talked about the use of assessment for comparisons, although, as one member pointed out:“Yes, it’s a problem if you want to compare schools, but not if it’s used for planning and informing future teaching, which of course is what it should be for.”

Another issue with the move to schools’ own assessment systems is teachers will need training to use and understand their school’s new system.

“There’s hardly any initial teacher training on assessment, and not much CPD either,” Anne says. “Just expecting teachers to become experts in assessment is unrealistic. The skills they might have been taught were geared to levels.”

Just over a third of members in ATL’s survey have received specific training, yet one member described their training as “very vague with no definitive answer or clear direction. The general consensus was to stick to what you’re doing until told otherwise.”

And linked to training is the overarching issue of timing, with the commission only launched in February and its report delayed from July to September. “If you think about writing a policy, training staff, piloting it, you can’t do that in a summer, let alone trying to do it at the point of implementation,” says Anne. “You need a two-year lead-in; a year to explore your options and a year to get them on the ground. Most schools have designed their curriculum with the old assessment in mind.

“They’re not going to want to redo their curriculum, so whatever they come up with for assessment will have to fit WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

012-015_ATL_SEPT15_FEAT.indd 15

with what they’ve got. This report is two years overdue – it should have been produced alongside the new curriculum so schools could design them together.

“Pedagogy, curriculum and assessment are like a holy trinity, so you can’t look at them separately, but the way the Government has behaved has forced schools to, unless they have been superproactive. Giving guidance at the same time, or even after, rollout is not in the spirit of what the Government promised in the Workload Challenge.”

Nick Gibb has stated that assessment without levels should not create a workload issue. He said: “Ensuring pupil assessment provides an accurate picture of a pupil’s attainment and progress without placing a bureaucratic burden on teachers is a key part of the Government’s plan for education.”

“IF YOU BRING ALL OF THE BAGGAGE OF THE OLD SYSTEM TO THE NEW SYSTEM, IT CAN’T WORK” However, two thirds (67%) of members in ATL’s survey said their workload has increased as a result of changes to the assessment policy. “Drastically,” one member commented, adding “each item has to have at least four different recorded examples”. “It is ridiculous,” said another. “We’re spending all of this time changing how we ‘weigh the pig’, that is taking me away from ‘teaching the pig’ in the first place.”

Just over half (52%) of those surveyed said their school has a plan for replacing levels, although many are clearly works in progress. “We are in the process of creating a new system, which is a huge amount of work,” one said. “It feels like we are trying to reinvent the wheel.”

There are commercially available software packages that could be used to support a school’s chosen approach to assessment. However, Anne points out that many schools are already tied into long contracts for tracking and monitoring software, which may cause the software to dictate the assessment approach rather than vice versa.

Anne believes there needs to be more specific guidance for schools that are beginning the new term not fully understanding what assessment without levels means. “Three in 10 in our survey

say their schools are choosing to keep a system based on the old levels system that the policy is intended to destroy,” she says.

“The DfE needs to highlight good case studies, like we do as a union through our www.acurriculumthatcounts.org. uk website.”

The various schools featured on www.acurriculumthatcounts.org.uk have each gone in different directions in their responses to assessment without levels, and ATL will be producing guidance to show more details of these approaches.

Among the approaches identified in our case studies and in our survey are: R Mastery statements – breaking down a task, skill or knowledge base into simple steps and outlining a child’s progress through the steps to mastery.

R Solo taxonomy – similar to mastery statements but using Bloom’s taxonomy to show the depth of understanding.

R Adapted national curriculum levels – keeping the structure and content of the old national curriculum levels, but modifying them to the new national curriculum.

R Assertive mentoring – working in depth with children one-to-one to help understand what they can do and what they need to do.

R GCSE 1-9 grades – bringing the new GCSE grades down through the whole of a secondary school.

“Life after levels is a massive culture change and I don’t think all our members have engaged with it fully yet,” Anne says. “A lot of schools are just carrying on with levels. If you’re still trying to prioritise demonstrating progress over pedagogy, that could see you come unstuck with Ofsted.”

She adds: “The DfE can’t just pull away a system on which so much has relied, so much accountability. Schools’ futures depended on meeting or not meeting the levels; it was life or death stuff for many. And it’s Government obsession with evidence that will harm this policy.

Removing levels, and supporting teachers to understand and use assessment positively is potentially something really good and progressive, but the DfE can’t resist interfering, not trusting schools.” ■

www.acurriculumthatcounts.org.uk

SEPTEMBER 2015 | REPORT 15

24/08/2015 16:36

GUIDE

Dealing with

aggression

Trainer Ollie Frith offers practical tips on defusing and de-escalating aggressive behaviour from students ANGER AND AGGRESSION are powerful responses that reside in us all, and yet we place high expectations upon a student’s abilities to manage their emotions. Anger is not pleasant to witness; worse still is being on the receiving end of aggressive behaviour.

As professionals working with young people, we have a duty of care to manage such scenarios with consideration and de-escalate situations efficiently.

With the ‘fight or flight’ response initiating and the hypothalamus in our brain sending messages to our adrenal glands, within moments we’re ready to defend ourselves. However innate this is, when dealing with an aggressive

we reflect on how a student will respond to physical and verbal approaches.

Effective use of body language Trying to assert status by physically and/ or verbally showing yourself to be more powerful will often be met with a defensive reaction. Someone who is locked in an aggressive response will see this as threatening.

R Do not try to force eye contact.

R Aim to be non-threatening, standing with mindful distance.

R Have a slight angle of your body so you are not blocking their movement.

R Position yourself so you are able to steer students away from the scene.

R Use contact only if appropriate or necessary.

R Remain controlled.

Effective use of the voice

GETTY

R Demonstrate you

student, it is essential to find a way to override our instinctive responses to be bigger, stronger, scarier or more dominant. We need to support our students and help them learn to rationalise and manage their own emotions with far greater dexterity than they have learnt. Through aggressive behaviour, they are actually often asking for help.

The importance of positive modelling is essential. Communication is defined by the response it gets and it’s imperative

feel in control of your own responses with an assertive but calm tone.

R Give embedded commands to the student in crisis so you can move them to a more productive state both physically and emotionally. Embedded commands are instructions that have been softened by embedding them in a sentence, increasing the likelihood the student will respond. For example: “(Name), when you come over here, you will feel calmer.”

R Use the student’s name in dialogue.

R Reassure them that you’re going to help make things better: “It’s okay, [Name], come with me and things will be calmer.”

R Repeat the same sentence in the same tone as required.

R Encourage them to break focus from

the trigger of their outburst.

R Help them towards a more reflective

state by increasing their peripheral awareness: “You don’t want others seeing you feel like this…”

R Telling someone to “calm down” will do as much good as a water cannon trying to stop a flood. They know they should be calmer, but their focus is exclusively on the triggers of their aggression.

Matching and leading During a friendly exchange, we automatically ‘match’ the other people we are with. This is a non-conscious process. However, when an interaction becomes negative, controlling this can be productive.

R Choose some aspects of the other person to match (never caricature).

Make the effort to be in someone else’s model of the world for a while.

R When a student is angry, it is useful to match the energy of their reaction.

R Avoid matching the anger.

R Repeat words they are using with the same tone and energy, yet with a confident and caring tone of voice.

R Walk by their side if they are pacing.

R Matching their gestures as you repeat aspects of what they are saying will communicate that you understand the state they are in.

R Switch to a calmer, quieter state yourself – they are much more likely to follow your lead because you matched them initially.

The adults who respond most effectively in these situations are those who have positive relationships with students and are able to quickly establish rapport. Trust is essential, and to be able to calm a student in a moment of crisis requires that student to feel confident they are safe with you.

The real work, however, does not begin at the point of responding to an angry student. If we really want to effectively manage this kind of scenario, we need to have committed time and energy to establishing positive relationships with our students early on. They need to view us as the ‘safe’ option and so will be more willing to follow our lead.

Ollie Frith is a senior trainer at Pivotal Education, behaviour specialists providing support and training for schools and colleges throughout the UK. See www.pivotaleducation.com.

16 REPORT | SEPTEMBER 2015 WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

016_ATL_SEPT15_GUIDE.indd 16

24/08/2015 15:24

017_ATL_Sep15.indd 17

24/08/2015 15:43

Meet the president ATL’s new president Kim Knappett explains to Charlotte Tamvakis why we need more time, talk and trust in education governors just imposed it. When we looked at the policy, it was really bad – even I knew it was bad, and I hadn’t even had my rep training yet,” she says.

“We had a staff meeting. Some people said we should go on strike, others said they didn’t want to.

I suggested working to rule – that school ran on its extra-curricular activities – which we agreed. Then I received a note saying I had to see the head. The chair of governors asked what we wanted, and within two days they agreed they would take the pay deal off the table and negotiate. It was this idea that, actually, we have rights; we got a better deal. I saw you can make a difference without striking.

And it’s grown from there.”

Since then, Kim’s involvement in the union has gone from school rep to Lewisham branch secretary – which she still is – to member of ATL’s Executive Committee in 2002, and, in 2013, being voted onto the presidential cycle. “Being the local branch secretary is something I really enjoy. You learn so much and come out of your own school setting. It’s always better to be able to see the bigger picture.”

Kim, who was born and has lived and worked most of her life in south-east London, says: “Teaching was always something I wanted to do. My dad was a builder, and I think that pushed me towards science. At one point, I wanted to be a pharmacist, but then I realised I wouldn’t really have much contact

ATL president Kim Knappett believes there’s great power in acting together

PHOTOGRAPHY: BOB FALLON

KIM KNAPPETT MADE the decision to join ATL as a student teacher in 1987. “The really honest reason,” she explains, “is because the other two unions ran out of application forms.” However, it didn’t take long for Kim to understand how ATL membership could improve her own, and her colleagues’, working lives – and for her to start on the journey to president.

“Not long after I qualified, I was working in a school without an ATL rep, so two of us took on the role,” she says. “Then the school asked me, as a main pay scale teacher, to be on its appraisal working party when teacher appraisals were first coming in. I didn’t even know what the word meant. Then, through the letterbox – this was pre-email – came an ATL branch letter about a meeting on appraisals, which I went to.

“Then I went back to school knowing what appraisal was, and realised at the end of the meeting I’d probably spoken far too much, but only because I was the only person who knew what appraisal was as I’d been to a session run by my union.

There was this realisation that being in the union wasn’t just an insurance policy, it was something that was going to have an impact.”

Kim also played a key role in getting a better pay deal at her school. “Just after I became a rep, they imposed a new pay policy.

When I asked the other reps if they’d negotiated it, as I knew you had to do that, they said the

with people. I realised I could link chemistry, which I really enjoyed, with teaching.”

She did a chemistry degree, then a PGCE in secondary science teaching, and, until she took up the position of ATL president, continued to teach at a secondary boys’ school. “I want to be a president who is rooted in the classroom and education,” she explains. “One of my favourite moments this year was doing a television interview and being asked ‘when were you last in the classroom, or have you ever been there?’ and I could turn around and say ‘two days ago’, and the reply was ‘oh, you’re a real teacher’.

“I want other people to know what it’s like, not just for teachers, but for all our members on the ground, and, when I’m discussing things with people who can make decisions, to try and get them to see it from other people’s point of view rather than just from their own ideological standpoint.”

She adds: “People think of active trade unionists as people on strike, people on demonstrations, people making a lot of noise. But we have a lot of power using the voice of our members, so I want members to talk to us so we can talk on their behalf. You don’t have to be radical to make a difference – it could be

18 REPORT | SEPTEMBER 2015 WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

018-019_ATL_SEPT15_PROFILE.indd 18

24/08/2015 15:10

IN PROFILE… KIM KNAPPETT

IN BRIEF

NAME Kim Knappett AGE 50 DAY JOB Secondary science teacher LIVES South-east London

“WE HAVE A LOT OF POWER USING THE VOICE OF OUR MEMBERS. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE RADICAL TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE” signing a petition, making sure you’re aware of what’s going on, or what you can say yes and no to.

“Members think if their head or head of department says something, they have to say yes, but that’s not always true. Read our publications and the information on our website, talk to each other. There’s great power in being together. Getting involved doesn’t have to mean committing yourself to lots of things. Adding your name to something, or agreeing with something, can make a difference.”

High on Kim’s agenda are “time, talk and trust”. “Teachers don’t have time; we need to reclaim it – not so people have necessarily got more leisure time, but so they can do the things that really count with their students,” she says. “Teachers don’t talk anymore; it’s one of the big changes I’ve seen in 30 years.

There used to be time to sit in the staffroom and share ideas.”

She continues: “There are always new policies, and everything has to be written down and documented, and that is the difficulty. In the past, if someone said that a child has not done well in an exam, you would WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

018-019_ATL_SEPT15_PROFILE.indd 19

say: ‘Yes, but I made extra worksheets for them and, in most lessons, I went over the instructions with them, and made homework easier.’ Now, the Government wants all the evidence and it takes so much time. It’s the same with our performance management. It’s back to the trust thing – nobody will believe you without the evidence.”

Kim says this leaves staff feeling conflicted: they may know what would be best for their pupils, but they worry they might be observed and challenged. “Teaching is a lonely job; you may be the only adult with 30 children and if you’re teaching every lesson, you might not interact with any other adults, so you’ll be making decisions on the hoof. But then you’re called to account. When I started teaching, your head of department and leadership team would have taken your side; now, not only do the parents listen to the child first, the head will, too,” Kim says.

“Teaching used to be a respected profession and we were trusted.

If you went into a classroom and something wasn’t working, you changed it. You did what you

PROUDEST MOMENT When you see children and young people understand something; when they discover learning is something they enjoy, and will go on to be lifelong learners.

ONE THING YOU WOULD CHANGE IN EDUCATION Trust education professionals and stop this constant change.

Everything should be evidence-based.

FAVOURITE THING ABOUT WORKING IN EDUCATION No two days are the same; no two lessons are the same.

TWITTER ACCOUNT @ATLKimK

knew was best for those children.

Nowadays you have to do what you’re told, whether or not it’s a good idea. We’ve lost trust from the Government; we need to look at how we can get it back.”

Part of the problem, in Kim’s view, and one of the main challenges facing the education sector, is the constant change.

“We never seem to think anything through, and we never properly evaluate something before we’re on to the next thing. As a scientist, I believe you get your evidence and evaluate it, then you make a decision. Every Government and every secretary of state feels they have to be seen to make a major change, whether or not what’s already there is working.

“Somebody comes up with a policy, then they look for evidence that backs it up, even if it doesn’t really. As a result, nobody knows whether they’re coming or going.

Yet teaching is about what you have learnt over time and what you bring back to the class. The challenge for ATL and everybody else is to collect the evidence and call for evidence-based policy.

“I’ve seen the curriculum do the spiral of ‘this is in, this is out, it’s back in again’. Sometimes, when colleagues ask how to teach something and I give them a resource, they ask: ‘What is this purple ink?’ I have to explain it’s a Banda machine – we had them instead of photocopiers when I first started teaching. That’s how old the resource is, yet it’s relevant again.”

Kim believes now is the time ATL, and unions generally, need to pick their battles. “What are the things that are going to make the biggest impact for our members and the students, and the things we’re going to need to stand up to? If you shout all the time, you’re the boy who cried wolf.” she says. “However, one of the things where ATL has the moral high ground and the history, one of the things that makes me proud of ATL and of being its president, is that we don’t just sit and whinge. At ATL, we say: ‘This isn’t very good, and this is how it could be better; this is what would help the students’.”

SEPTEMBER 2015 | REPORT 19

24/08/2015 15:10

Work hard, now relax Car insurance from just £186 Plus, receive

a

£az3on0 .co.uk

Am ficate** Gift Certi

We understand how hard you work. So we think it’s only fair that you’re rewarded. We offer great value car insurance so you can relax outside of work. With prices from £186 – that’s all 10% of our customers paid for our standard cover* – plus a £30 Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate when you take out a new policy online, we look after our customers.

We were the first car insurer to share our customer claim reviews on our website. So now you don’t need to make a claim to find out how good your insurance is.

Plus, you could save up to 20% online – 30% of our customers are expected to receive the maximum saving***.

Get a quote online in five minutes^ at fromyourassociation.co.uk/ATL and quote atl30car when you buy to claim your Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate**.

Full terms and conditions at www.fromyourassociation.co.uk/ATL *10% of customers buying comprehensive car insurance with us from February to April 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. **Amazon.co.uk is not a sponsor of this promotion. Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates (“GCs”) may be redeemed on the Amazon.co.uk website towards the purchase of eligible products listed in our online catalogue and sold by Amazon.co.uk or any other seller selling through Amazon.co.uk. GCs cannot be reloaded, resold, transferred for value, redeemed for cash or applied to any other account. Amazon.co.uk is not responsible if a GC is lost, stolen, destroyed or used without permission. See www.amazon.co.uk/gc-legal for complete terms and conditions. GCs are issued by Amazon EU S.à r.l. All Amazon ®™ & © are IP of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. ***Discount depends on individual circumstances and does not apply to optional extras. Minimum price applies. ^Source: average online quote times April – October 2014.

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.

CFPOCA0099 06.2015

97044631.indd 1

26/05/15 5:32 pm

GOLDSMITHS’ GRANT FOR TEACHERS

2016 GRANTS FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TEACHERS Take Time Out from the Classroom!

The Goldsmiths’ Grants for Teachers provides an opportunity for teachers and headteachers to undertake a project of their choice, in UK or abroad, aimed at enhancing their personal and professional development.

The Grant forms part of the long-term commitment of the Goldsmiths’ Company to support teachers and headteachers in the United Kingdom.

Grants will cover travel, accommodation, materials costs, etc, up to a maximum of £3,000.

In addition the Goldsmiths’ Company will pay a maximum of £2,000 supply cover to your school.

For guidelines and further details visit our website: www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/charity-education/education or apply to: The Deputy Clerk, The Goldsmiths’ Company Goldsmiths’ Hall, Foster Lane, London EC2V 6BN

DON’T DELAY – APPLICATIONS MUST BE IN BY 1 DECEMBER 2015 The Goldsmith Company_ATL_ Sept15.indd 1

020_ATL_Sep15.indd 20

26/08/2015 15:03

26/08/2015 15:04

YOUR ATL… CONTENTS AND CONTACTS

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

IN THIS SECTION

24 YOUR VIEWS ATL members speak their minds on teacher training trials and tribulations, and respond to Nicky Morgan’s suggestion of not working past 5pm

25 CROSSWORD Your chance to win a £50 M&S voucher with the ever-popular cryptic crossword

27 ILLUSTRATION: IKON

NOTICEBOARD Find out where you stand at work if you fall ill

23

LEGAL ADVICE

ATL SOLICITOR ELIZABETH DOHERTY EXPLAINS YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN OFF WORK ON SICK LEAVE

Chances for a scholarship to study in the US, new pensions freedoms explained, and an exciting ATL teachmeet in the Midlands

29 RESOURCES Newsletters for reps and those working in the post-16 and independent sectors, as well as new recruitment materials and factsheets

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

Membership enquiries: membership@atl.org.uk

AMiE MEMBERS: contact your regional officer (details at www.amie.atl.org.uk) or call the employment helpline on 01858 464171 helpline@amie.atl.org.uk

ATL’s regional officials are available to speak to you about work problems Monday to Friday from 5pm to 7.30pm during term time.

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

021_ATL_SEPT15_YOUR ATL.indd 21

Pension enquiries: 020 7782 1600 Out-of-hours helpline: 020 7782 1612

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.

SEPTEMBER 2015 | REPORT 21

26/08/2015 12:47

Trade Union Services

INJURED AT WORK? AS A UNION MEMBER, WE’LL GUARANTEE YOU 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 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

022_ATL_Sep15.indd 22

24/08/2015 15:44

YOUR ATL… LEGAL GUIDE

Sickness absence

ILLUSTRATION: IKON

ATL solicitor Elizabeth Doherty explains your rights when you need to take time off work because of illness or injury AT SOME POINT in your career, it is likely you will need to take time off work as a result of illness or injury. If you are a teacher in a maintained school, your entitlement to salary while on sick leave, under the terms of the Burgundy Book, is 25 working days on full pay and an additional 50 days on half pay after completing four months in the first year of employment. This gradually increases to 100 days on full pay and a further 100 days on half pay in the fourth and successive year of service.

For support staff employed under the Green Book, entitlement to sick pay increases each year of service over the first five years, after which there is an entitlement to six months’ full pay and half pay for a further six months.

Sick pay among other staff, including those employed in the independent sector, will be governed by the terms of their contract of employment. It is a statutory requirement for an employer to provide information relating to sickness absence, including entitlement to sick pay, in writing.

A common misconception is that as long as an employee provides an appropriate sick note from their GP, he or she cannot be dismissed for absence due to illness or injury. This is not the case. An employee can be fairly dismissed on grounds of capability if an employer deems they are unable to do the job due to ill health.

An employee dismissed as a result of their health may decide to pursue a claim for unfair dismissal through an employment tribunal.

When deciding whether an employee has been unfairly dismissed, a tribunal will consider the following: R whether the employer had consulted with the employee R the length of the absence R whether the employer had conducted a medical investigation to find out the nature of the employee’s ill health R when he or she was likely to be fit to return to work WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

023_ATL_SEPT15_LEGAL GUIDE.indd 23

R whether consideration had been given

to any suitable alternative employment.

In cases of persistent short-term absence, the employer would be expected to conduct a fair review of the employee’s absence record, including the reasons for absence. A tribunal would expect the employee to be provided with an opportunity to make representations and to have received appropriate warnings that they may be dismissed if there is no improvement.

If an individual’s medical condition is such that they are disabled within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010, an employer is under a duty to consider whether there are any reasonable adjustments that can be made to assist the employee returning to work.

Reasonable adjustments could include altering working hours or making changes

to the building. It may be unlawful to dismiss an employee for absences arising from a disability, provided the employer has knowledge of the condition. However, this is a complicated area of law and if an individual has concerns about their dismissal, they should contact ATL as soon as possible.

Another issue that frequently arises is whether a hearing to determine if an employee should be dismissed can take place while they are off sick. The answer is it can, unless there is something in the procedure that would prohibit it. ATL would try and resist such a move, but if the employer insists, it may be that your caseworker can attend or written representations can be made on your behalf. If you are dismissed on grounds of ill health, you should be entitled to appeal and invited to a further hearing.

If you are off sick, it is always advisable to cooperate as far as possible with any request from your employer for information regarding your absence and keep them updated about when you expect to return to work. You may be asked to attend a consultation with your employer’s occupational health provider and it is advisable to make every effort to comply with such a request.

An employer is expected to weigh the needs of the job and the business against the employee’s need to have time off to recover from his or her ill health. Employers are not expected to keep a job open for an unlimited period of time when an employee is on longterm sick leave, irrespective of whether the cause of ill health is because the employee is disabled.

Issues around sickness absence can be complicated. If you are unsure of your position, contact ATL as soon as possible – the contact details are on page 21. You can also find information in the ‘Help and advice’ section of www.atl.org.uk, or you can download a factsheet on the subject from www.atl.org.uk/factsheets.

SEPTEMBER 2015 | REPORT 23

26/08/2015 12:50

YOUR ATL… YOUR VIEWS

Letters STA R L E T T E R

I have now worked in a total of 41 schools as a supply teacher NQ NIGHTMARE and am starting my third supply After reading ‘Falling short’ year in September 2015, but (Report, July 2015, p10) I have am yet to be ‘allowed’ to do an axe to grind. I’m a middlemy NQ year. It seems schools aged married, family man who would rather wait for the has recently become a few naturally secondary science outstanding teacher. I was made teachers who do redundant from a The author of this letter wins come along, as it 16-year career in £100 in book tokens. If you want to is a better blag science in May voice your opinion on issues raised in for poor classes 2011. I looked Report or any other aspect of education, please send a letter or email to the and results to around for addresses below, including your Ofsted to say employment phone number. One letter will be you can’t get and found very chosen every issue to win the staff and little, but after some the tokens. have had a string of voluntary work in local supply teachers. schools I was accepted on a The Government needs to PGCE secondary science course. act to remove the financial Having found the transition stranglehold on schools so they into teaching difficult, I was more can afford to invest in teachers. than pleased to receive, in July 2013, a PGCE, passed at master’s Ofsted needs to stop its culture of teacher condemnation, and level. However, this joy was actually be encouraging and heavily tarnished by the lack of supportive, like teachers have job in September 2013. In fact, to be towards less-able and I was the only one of the 17 on failing students. the PGCE secondary science I find it the most soulcourse not to get a job. destroying conundrum that I have applied for many schools want me on a full teaching roles and I seem often timetable and ask for me back to be rejected because of my time and time again on shortage. At 44, I’m seen as too old term supply or longer term and and in some cases just too yet don’t feel able to let me do unfashionable to be in the my NQ year, and at the same modern classroom. I feel senior time complain there are not leadership members need to enough teachers available. open doors to older newly Name supplied qualifieds (NQs).

WIN!

PGCE LOTTERY In response to your article ‘Falling short’ (Report, July 2015, p10), greater precedence needs to be given to the courses. I was a physics PGCE student but had to leave as the school I went to for a placement was unprepared, which led to additional undue stress.

I am not on my own with regards such failings because schools see students as an additional resource and cash cow for funding. ‘Falling short’ is happening at the training stage where many students are failing, not because of lack of desire to teach, but because they are forced into schools that are under-resourced.

Passing the PGCE is in part luck of the draw; you may be placed in a school that is supportive in its position towards trainees.

My route into teaching has now disappeared as I have lost bursary payments and the university has taken course fees that have left me in debt with no career options.

I admire all the teachers I worked with, but if the business managers and headteachers continue to syphon trainees’ course fees for projects other than trainees’ training needs, then departments grow resentful of having to look after students.

Schools are not obliged to allocate any of the course fees given to them to the training and support of the student, so often students are dumped on to already over-stretched teachers and department budgets.

Name withheld

JOIN THE DEBATE…

Overheard Members’ views on Facebook on education secretary Nicky Morgan stating teachers must stop work at 5pm to solve the workload problem and help recruit more teachers.

Caroline Gordon: So, when will all this be done? My time with my kids does not stop until the last one has gone home and the room is tidy, paperwork has been turned in, and all materials for the next day are set up and ready.

Most teachers leave around 5pm to 6pm and then settle into paperwork. Good luck.

Lee Evans: Ms Morgan, you are missing the point.

(1) If I ask my kids to do their best work, I will return the favour and mark it, and (2) I care about what they learn, so I plan carefully.

If you disagree, could you: (1) Tell Ofsted what you just told us, and (2) When you are stressed in your 30-week-ayear job, spare a thought for the teachers who get wrongly labelled with a 39-week-ayear job and have to read this nonsense.

Julie Jackson: Stop work at 5pm? Easy. Just get up at 3am or 4am to do all the work you didn’t do last night.

Tony Bell: I’d love to be able to do my job properly without working every weekend and regularly into the night; when else does she expect a teacher to mark? A time machine would be helpful.

report@atl.org.uk @ATLReport facebook.com/ATLUnion Report, ATL, 7 Northumberland Street, London WC2N 5RD

24 REPORT | SEPTEMBER 2015 WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

024_ATL_STEP15_LETTERS.indd 24

24/08/2015 15:15

YOUR ATL… PRIZE CROSSWORD

WIN!

Prize crossword ACROSS 9 Arrange tea for non-period following lunch (9) 10 Dance with beat, then leave (5) 11 Valet, and French painter (5) 12 Cunningly he plots with OU in Antarctica (5,4) 13 and 17 Corrupt policeman, DI, takes tip of truncheon to mathematical symbol (7,5) 14 Undertook a course of exercise in art, perhaps, with Miliband (7) 17 See 13 across 19 and 20 Takes History final, eg, messing up part of the national curriculum (3,5) 21 It’s a bit drastic if education reverses an excess of expenditure over income (7) 22 In addition, Mr James is surrounded by stingers (7) 24 MP abandons dreadful punishments in wartime accommodation (6,3) 26 She’s a bit of a champagne socialist (5) 28 Annoyed at religious symbol? (5) 29 Tony and I went out 23 years ago? (6-3)

A £50 Marks & Spencer voucher

DOWN 1 Unruffled – just some clerical mistake! (4) 2 Trophy initially placed in new niche – it’s to do with races (6) 3 Subject I teach and trim carelessly (10) 4 Endeavour to get fifty, but result is a small amount (6) 5 Awful din leads us to attempt hard work (8) 6 State gives heads of universities truly awful hammering! (4) 7 Simon and Ian suffering sleeplessness (8) 8 Scholarly book from you?

Quite the opposite! (4) 13 Do Physical Education at beginning of day, though on drugs? (5) 15 SATs isn’t as confusing when they help in the classroom! (10) 16 Without us, studies different food regimes (5) 18 Could be tea I blend is no fun (8) 19 Where school meals are prepared redefined in sketch (8) 22 Brown takes young man outside for plant study (6) 23 Give money to university teacher – had a meal (6) 24 Steal – arrest – prison (4) 25 Lack of difficulty with which head used centres (4) 27 Catch sight of head of school taking cannabis (4)

1

2

3

4

5

9

8

12

13

14

18

19

21

24

7

10

11

17

6

15

16

20

22

25

28

23

26

27

29

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 12 October 2015. 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: 8 Bonehead 9 Ritual 10 Stay 11 Mob 12 Debris 13 Listen 15 Leapfrog 17 Mediate 19 Revenue 22 Obstacle 24 Budget 25 Slates 27 Tar 28 Bash 29 Presto 30 Randomly DOWN: 1 Doctrine 2 Defy 3 Sermon 4 Oddball 5 Graduate 6 Stub 7 Casino 14 Taint 16 Field 18 Tuck shop 20 Utensils 21 Mentors 23 Belfry 24 Boring 26 Task 28 Book CONGRATULATIONS TO JUNE’S WINNER – K PARTRIDGE, LONDON

Work hard, now relax Home insurance from just £135

e Plus, receiv

a

£25

.uk Amazon.coate** fic Gift Certi

We know how hard you work. In your profession, you have to. So it’s only fair that you’re rewarded. We offer great value home insurance so you can relax outside of work. With prices from £135 – that’s all 10% of our customers paid* – plus a £25 Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate** when you take out a new combined buildings and contents policy online, we look after our customers.

We share our customer reviews on our website too. So now you can see for yourself before you buy.

Plus, you could save up to 20% online – 46% of customers are expected to receive maximum saving***.

Get a quote online in six minutes^ at fromyourassociation.co.uk/ATL and quote atl25home when you buy to claim your Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate**.

Full terms and conditions at www.fromyourassociation.co.uk/ATL *10% of all customers buying home buildings and contents insurance with us from February to April 2015 paid £135 or less. Source: Aviva. The price you pay will depend upon individual circumstances, cover chosen and payment method selected. **Amazon.co.uk is not a sponsor of this promotion. Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates (“GCs”) may be redeemed on the Amazon.co.uk website towards the purchase of eligible products listed in our online catalogue and sold by Amazon.co.uk or any other seller selling through Amazon.co.uk. GCs cannot be reloaded, resold, transferred for value, redeemed for cash or applied to any other account. Amazon.co.uk is not responsible if a GC is lost, stolen, destroyed or used without permission. See www.amazon.co.uk/gc-legal for complete terms and conditions. GCs are issued by Amazon EU S.à r.l. All Amazon ®™& © are IP of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. ***Excludes optional covers. Minimum price applies. ^Source: average online quote times April – October 2014.

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.

CFPOCA0092 06.2015

97044645.indd 1

025_ATL_SEPT15_CROSSWORD.indd 27

26/05/15 6:44 pm

24/08/2015 15:16

Working on your school improvement plan for 2015-16?

All about excellence in teaching and learning We work with teachers, leaders and businesses to help them deliver excellent Further and Vocational education and training. We offer a wide range of support and resources including:

• Professional Standards for teachers and trainers in Further and Vocational education and training.

• Our new Excellence in Leadership, Management and Governance (ELMAG) online portal.

• Workforce data for the whole of the sector.

• Resources to help you comply with the Prevent duty.

• Apprenticeship and • Accreditation for Qualified Traineeship Staff Support Teacher Learning and Skills Programmes.

(QTLS) which is recognised • Excellence Gateway – as equivalent to Qualified free resources for everyone Teacher Status (QTS). working in the learning • Programmes to help you and skills sector . prepare to teach maths and English GCSEs.

www.etfoundation.co.uk

ATL_QP page.indd 1

026_ATL_Sep15.indd 26

Become a self-improving school with Pathways on

To find out more, take a video tour at www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-school

web www.oxfordprimary.co.uk email primary.enquiries@oup.com

tel 01536 452610 fax 01865 313472

20/08/2015 16:21

25/08/2015 10:55

YOUR ATL… NOTICEBOARD

NOTICE BOARD

WALTER HINES PAGE SCHOLARSHIPS

Teachers and lecturers are being offered the chance to study an aspect of the education system in the US on a two-week scholarship.

ATL sponsors two Walter Hines Page scholarships, worth £1,100 each, which include provision for accommodation, travel and hospitality during the 2016-17 academic year.

Read more at www.atl.org.uk/ scholarships. To apply and for further details, contact Monique Lowe at mlowe@atl.org. uk or on 020 7782 1551.

NEW PENSION FREEDOMS FOR TEACHERS AT RETIREMENT Since 6 April 2015 there has been greater flexibility around how you can take money out of Prudential Teachers’ Additional Voluntary Contributions (TAVCs).

Building up an additional pension pot alongside your Teachers’ Pension could help you choose the retirement you want, such as retiring early, reducing your hours or building up a larger pot of retirement funds.

As well as receiving 100% of your benefits as a cash lump sum, the new changes will give you more options when you decide to retire.

From the age of 55 you can now: R Take your money in one go – 25% tax-free, with the remainder added to your income for the year and taxed accordingly.

R Take partial withdrawals – on each withdrawal, 25% is tax-free with the remainder added to your income for the year and taxed accordingly.

R Take a tax-free lump sum and flexible income – a 25% tax-free lump sum with the remainder used to provide taxable income. In order to do this you must transfer into a drawdown plan; you may need to take financial advice.

R Take a tax-free lump sum and a guaranteed income for life, or as it is commonly known, an annuity.

R Take a combination of these options, or, of course, you can continue saving, or leave your TAVC invested.

The Prudential website now allows you to join, or increase your TAVC, online. You WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

027_ATL_SEPT15_NOTICEBOARD-KG.indd 27

can do so quickly and securely 24 hours a day. See www.pru.co.uk/pruteachers for more information.

MEET IN THE MIDLANDS ATL’s first teachmeet in the Midlands takes place at Halesowen College on Thursday 15 October 2015. This free CPD event is open to all education professionals across teaching sectors. In addition to the usual teachmeet elements, there are 10 half-hour workshops to choose from, and you can take part as an enthusiastic audience member or choose to share either a two-minute ‘nano’ presentation or a five-minute ‘micro’ presentation on a topic of your choice.

The event will be compèred by awardwinning trainer Mark Anderson, and the keynote speech ‘Adventures in Learning’ will be delivered by Hywel Roberts.

The teachmeet takes place from 4.45pm to 8pm. For more details and to book a place, see www.atl.org.uk/learning-zone/ regional-learning/midlands.asp.

YOUR MEMBERSHIP AND MATERNITY, ADOPTION OR CARER’S LEAVE Members who are on maternity, adoption or carer’s leave now or in the future are eligible to take advantage of ATL’s discounted membership scheme.

Simply email membership@atl.org.uk telling us your membership number, the date you intend to go on leave and a prospective return date. Once we have that information your membership will be free from the end of the month you go on leave until the month you return to work.

Alternatively, you can call 020 7782 1602 and we can send you an application form via post or email.

This scheme is not available to those in their first year of membership and we are not able to make any retrospective changes to members’ subscriptions from previous years. If you have any questions, or for further information, contact us using the details shown above.

ATL’S INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS CONFERENCE Get the inside track from ATL general secretary Mary Bousted, hear from your

new president Kim Knappett, and choose from a range of workshops on key issues affecting the sector at ATL’s independent schools conference on Saturday 7 November 2015.

The conference will take place in London and provides an excellent opportunity to meet colleagues in the sector, learn new things and take part in policy debate. Many headteachers view the conference as excellent CPD and it is free to members, including lunch and refreshments.

Leading members from the sector, ATL’s Independent and Private Sector Advisory Group and professional advisers will be on hand to discuss individual and collective issues.

Priority booking is given to ATL reps and contacts, with untaken places offered to other members on a first-come, first-served basis. For more details and to book, see www.atl.org.uk/independentconference.

GET INVOLVED TUC equalities conferences in 2016 ATL members have an opportunity to shape and take part in debate at the TUC women’s and black workers’ conferences in 2016.

TUC women’s conference takes place in the first week of March, and the black workers’ conference will be in April. If you are interested in joining ATL’s delegations, email ATL’s lead equalities officer Wanda Wyporska at wwyporska@atl.org.uk, and you will be sent an application form.

To take part in the women’s conference you need to apply by the end of October 2015, and to take part in the black workers’ conference, apply by the end of December 2015.

Independent sector pay and conditions survey More than 1,500 members take part in ATL’s pay and conditions survey for the independent sector and your participation makes the survey authoritative. It is widely reported in the national press, informs motions to ATL’s Annual Conference and campaigns, and helps enable members improve policy in their schools.

This year’s survey is being conducted by email during October. Please make sure we have your current email address – you can let us know of any changes by emailing membership@atl.org.uk.

SEPTEMBER 2015 | REPORT 27

24/08/2015 15:17

!

I

sk y

G

y!

ph e

st

d

Excell

n

!

w

e ll d o n

e

ly .

e ll d o n e

i

W

on ati

n Scie ce

n e t s afe

t e c h n ol o

t observ en

e ll d o n e

!

W

.

G

e

o r y.

e ll d o n

gy

y! tr

G

!

rk

d work oo

e

C

as the

in

w

g i n hi

Bravo!

n use th ca

er

gh

ra eog ph

fo o

e ll d o n

g e o g ra

y

in

e

I

at

d critic oo

al

g

put om in

G re

iv e w o

w

e ll d o n

can jump

i as h

w

t hin k

at

n c arefu

s ci e n c e

.

s

te

Maths

THE STICKER FACTORY

lly .

I li

geo me

Lovely,

i nt

• Economics History • History l Economics • Maths l Geography • Geography l Government and Politics l

at

cre

We Wehave haveexciting excitingopportunities opportunities for forteachers teachersof: of:

G re

Do something different and become an Edexcel GCSE or GCE Examiner with Pearson

We've got the Curriculum Covered... in Stickers!

Reward Encourage Motivate

www.thestickerfactory.co.uk FREEPHONE: 0800 055 6121 for a brochure or phone orders

Visit our website for opportunities to develop and further your career in education: http://www.edexcel.com/i-am-a/teacher/ www.edexcel.com\aa-recruitment aa-recruit/vacancies/Pages/home.aspx

 SAFE, HIGH QUALITY LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR ALL  TAILORED ACTIVITY PROGRAMMES DESIGNED TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS  A WIDE RANGE OF ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS AVAILABLE  BURSARY PLACES AVAILABLE For more information about our adventure centres or to make a booking contact us on 0844 8000 222 or email sales.info@rockuk.org or visit www.rockuk.org / /

/ /

Rock UK Adventure Centres Ltd is a registered charity No: 1107724 (England & Wales) SC040118 (Scotland)

Pearson Education_ATL_vert.indd 1

028_ATL_Sep15.indd 24

04/12/2014 10:54

25/08/2015 10:24

YOUR ATL… RESOURCES

ATL RESOURCES Being a Rep Reps and contacts will have received their dedicated newsletter, Being a Rep, with this issue of Report. This issue opens with a reference pay scale for teachers in response to the secretary of state accepting recommendations on pay for teachers in maintained schools in England and Wales.

Elsewhere, there is news of ATL’s part in the new roundtable talks with Government, and

lobbying on the Education and Adoption Bill and against baseline testing. With the new legislation around reporting concerns about female genital mutilation, ATL explains what is expected of you. There are ATL’s rep of the year awards and you can also find details on equalities training for reps.

For health and safety reps there is comprehensive guidance on supporting women going through the menopause – a time that can affect a woman’s health and lead to emotional changes.

These can impact on how a woman does her work and the relationship with her boss and colleagues. For union learning reps there is news of ATL’s Union Learning Fund and a plethora of local learning events across the country.

Independent Schools Post-16 16 News The latest issue of Post-16 News has been sent to all members working in FE, sixth form colleges and HE, and leads with the 0% pay offer from the Association of Colleges.

There is also an update on pay negotiations in sixth form colleges and advice on new duties for staff in FE and HE under Prevent, the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy.

Elsewhere, there is a roundup of the second annual ATL FE conference in July, which featured a host of expert speakers from the sector and career-enhancing CPD for delegates. Finally, as ATL lobbied Parliament against FE cuts, one member explains how she told her MP of the challenges facing the sector.

Members working in independent schools have been sent the Independent Schools newsletter, which recalls the impressive contribution made at ATL’s Annual Conference by independent sector members, who proposed and debated several key motions.

This issue also looks forward to ATL’s long-running and successful independent sector conference in November and to the annual survey of members in the sector, while also looking closely at a north/ south divide in the fortunes of independent schools.

We offer advice on the use of minibuses and personal vehicles at work, while there is also a significant change to the law around the National Minimum Wage that will affect those in the independent sector.

ATL’S NEWSLETTERS ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.ATL.ORG.UK/PUBLICATIONS

New recruitment materials for trainees and NQs Reps should have received, or will shortly receive, a selection of recruitment materials.

This includes some new materials we have produced for the recruitment of trainees and NQs, based on the idea ‘We understand that all our members are unique’, and as a union we are ‘Tailored to fit’ their needs. We hope you find them useful in attracting those just starting out in the education sector. Our offer is the same as in previous years: R NQs are eligible for free membership for the year they qualify (2015) and the

WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

029_ATL_SEPT15_RESOURCES.indd 29

following year (2016), plus half-price membership for the subsequent year (2017) provided they agree to pay their future subscriptions by direct debit.

R Trainees – membership is free.

All new teachers, lecturers, leaders and support staff can join ATL and AMiE for half price in their first year of membership, by visiting www.atl.org.uk/joinonline or calling 0845 057 7000 (local call).

Any member can order recruitment materials by contacting ATL Despatch on 0845 4500 009 or emailing despatch@atl.org.uk.

Understanding the Prevent Duty ATL has produced a new free factsheet, Understanding the Prevent Duty, which explains what is expected of education staff under the Government’s anti-terrorism policy. You can download it, and all the other ATL factsheets, at www.atl.org.uk/factsheets.

SEPTEMBER 2015 | REPORT 29

26/08/2015 12:52

FINAL WORD… DANIELLE BROWN

Double Paralympic champion and three-time world archery champion Danielle Brown MBE on how athletes and teachers both have to perform under pressure

ONE ARROW SEPARATED the gold and silver medals in London 2012.

As I made the shot, I can honestly say I’ve never been as nervous in my life, but there’s one common trait all elite athletes possess: the ability to perform when they need to produce results. My arrow found its way to the middle of the target and with it came the realisation I’d done it – the gold medal was mine.

Spectators get to share those few moments of glory, but very few get an insight into the years of hard work that goes into an Olympic performance – that long, arduous journey where you push your body to the brink of exhaustion and beyond, all for the sake of a dream.

But talent alone is not enough. The real battles are fought in the mind,

Danielle Brown MBE is a Paralympic and world champion archer

and the athlete who is able to harness mental strength delivers results when everything is at stake.

Designed to help athletes cope with the enormous pressures of competition, sport psychology allows them to channel that nervous energy into a winning performance. Stress becomes a comfort zone, a challenge. Yet, while the support is there for athletes, other vocations are ignored. The pressure in education for both students and staff is intense and, undoubtedly, affects their performance levels, too. The crossovers are uncanny and it’s been incredible to witness the benefits of applying sport psychology strategies to the sector.

My work with education staff is primarily concerned with exam preparation. After all, that is the standard by which all students are judged. Providing support to students only goes so far because, for it to truly work, the team behind the team must also apply these strategies. Consider this example: in the London 2012 Paralympic Games our coaching team was visibly

nervous and it was difficult not to get caught up in it. I remember asking myself: “Are they worried because they don’t think I’m capable of winning?” Of course, their apprehension had nothing to do with my performance. They were emotionally invested in the Games. They wanted me to do well, for my own sake as well as their reputations. Sitting on the sidelines, they had to surrender absolute control to their athletes. As for me, I was boot-shakingly nervous, but you’d never be able to guess. I’d learned to control my stress levels.

Nerves are contagious. Body language betrays our stress levels and can transfer to others, magnifying the levels of pressure they feel they’re under. As a staff member, the impact you can have on your students is profound.

Any stress you might exhibit in the workplace, whether related to workload, deadlines or even personal issues, can be picked up by your students. Subconsciously primed to notice such things, they establish a connection between their stress and yours. In their minds the two are related. You couldn’t possibly be worried about anything other than their exams!

Developing strong self-awareness levels is the key to controlling stress, because it’s only when you recognise how stress affects you that you can do something about it.

Body language speaks louder than words, so, when you’re put under pressure, what happens to yours?

This knowledge allows you to make small changes with big effects, reducing the physiological consequences of stress, as well as the impact it has on others.

For more, see www.daniellebrown.co.uk or email info@daniellebrown.co.uk.

ILLUSTRATION : PHIL WRIGGLESWORTH

Performing under pressure

30 REPORT | SEPTEMBER 2015 WWW.ATL.ORG.UK

030_ATL_SEPT15_FINAL WORD.indd 30

24/08/2015 15:50

TEACH HEART DISEASE A LESSON

FREE: OVER £100 WORTH OF SKIPPING ROPES for your school when you help raise money for our life saving research.

Skipping is a great way for boys and girls of all ages and abilities to have fun and get active.

For more information on our popular Jump Rope For Heart initiative, visit bhf.org.uk/jumprope or email jumprope@bhf.org.uk

© British Heart Foundation, a registered charity in England and Wales (225971) and in Scotland (SC039426) ATL0915

IBC_ATL_Sep15.indd 1

24/08/2015 15:50

ATL

LOGIN: ATL

MEET THE NEW

CORSA NEW CORSA EXCITE 1.4i 90PS 3DR (A/C) £149 PER MONTH

OVER 23 MONTHS WITH A £2,384 ADVANCE RENTAL To find out more visit: www.partnersprogramme.co.uk login: ATL or visit your Vauxhall Retailer.

www.partnersprogramme.co.uk Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km). New Corsa Excite 1.4i 90PS 3dr (a/c): Urban: 42.8 (6.6), Extra-urban: 65.7 (4.3), Combined: 54.3 (5.2). CO2 emissions: 121g/km.# Personal contract hire offer on New Corsa Excite 1.4i 90PS 3dr ecoFLEX (a/c) in Carbon Flash on orders received between 2 July 2015 and 7 October 2015, subject to availability and status. Age 18+ only. Figures based on a non-maintenance contract hire package with advance rental of £2,384, then 23 monthly rentals of £149.00. Excess annual miles over 16,000 charged at 6.64ppm. Excess charges also apply if you breach manufacturer servicing or maintenance guidelines or if the car exceeds BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear guidelines for its age/mileage when it is returned to Vauxhall Leasing. Package includes Road Fund Licence and Vauxhall Assistance. Guarantee/indemnity may be required. Prices and details are subject to change without notice. Offer applies to Vauxhall Partners only. You will not own the car. For full specification and Ts&Cs contact your local Retailer. ALD Automotive Ltd., trading as Vauxhall Leasing, BS16 3JA. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. For Partners Terms and Conditions go to www.partnersprogramme.co.uk/legal-notice. Offer applies to pre model year 2016 vehicles only. #MPG figures are official test data and may not reflect real driving results. Correct at time of going to press 11/08/2015.

OBC_ATL_Sep15.indd 1

24/08/2015 15:51