Ask the union

Giving medication to a pupil

I WORK in a primary school and a child in my class is diabetic. I am expected to administer medication and feel uncomfortable doing this.

There is no legal or contractual duty on teaching staff to administer medication. Support staff may have this duty in their job description, but should not be expected to take on this role without consultation and if there are practical or workload concerns.

Where staff have agreed to administer insulin injections in the case of younger pupils, they should be fully trained by an appropriate health professional. They need to be aware of arrangements for safe disposal of needles and syringes and the local policy for collection. All such arrangements should be detailed in the child’s individual healthcare plan. n Visit neu.org.uk/advice/diabetes-schools

Child/staff ratio in early years

I WORK in early years and have been told that when there are other adults in the school building, they count towards the child/staff ratios and, strangely, that staff ratios don’t apply when children are sitting down.

Your concerns are fully justified. The statutory framework for the early years foundation stage stipulates that for staff to be included in child-to-staff ratios, children must usually be within sight and hearing of staff, and always within sight or hearing. These ratios do not change if children are sitting down.

Politely draw your head teacher’s attention to what is required by the statutory framework, or ask your NEU rep to do so, as the current situation could put children at risk and create problems for staff if there is an accident, or if parents challenge supervision ratios.

Maternity pay eligibility

I WAS employed on a fixed term contract and have been on maternity leave. Although my contract has ended, I’m told I must return to my previous role for 13 weeks after the leave finishes to be eligible for maternity pay.

If you are entitled to occupational maternity pay under the Burgundy Book scheme but can’t return to your job for the 13-week period after the end of your maternity leave, you are entitled to retain all of your statutory maternity pay and the first six weeks of occupational maternity pay, but your employer may claw back the 12 weeks of half pay.

Employers can waive the requirement to return to work and they have discretion to reduce the amount that is clawed back. We believe that teachers unable to complete the 13 weeks of service for a reason which is in the hands of their employers should not be expected to repay occupational maternity pay. In addition, some local authorities have

Free CPD webinars for all NEU members

NEU members have exclusive access to our continuing professional development (CPD) webinars. Here are some of the courses coming up.

Support staff: strategies for reading and study skills

This webinar will equip support staff with a wealth of strategies to support reading, and look at key study skills to enable pupils to get the most out of their learning. The strategies can be taught one-to-one or in small groups in both primary and secondary settings.

4 July 3.45-5pm

Meeting the needs of children with English as an additional language (EAL) Delivered by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, participants will develop an understanding of the stages of language acquisition and explore a range of teaching approaches and texts that can be used to support EAL learners.

5 July 3.30-5.30pm

Returning to work after parental leave

An interactive online workshop for those preparing to return to work following a period of maternity, adoption or shared parental leave. It will explore the practical a policy of not reclaiming maternity pay if teachers return to work at another school after obtaining a new post during maternity leave. We believe returning to work on this basis should be regarded by the current employer as sufficient to comply with this condition.

Check the reason for ending your fixed term contract. Termination of a fixed term contract because of pregnancy or maternity would be discriminatory. Your employer must provide written reasons for your dismissal, regardless of your length of service.

Contact your NEU branch or the AdviceLine if you believe you may have been discriminated against or if you need support in persuading your employer not to claw back your maternity pay.

Contact us…

n Please email your questions to educate@neu.org.uk n If your question is urgent, please call the AdviceLine on 0345 811 811 and emotional sides of returning, along with building confidence.

14 July 11am-12.30pm

Support staff: strategies for writing and spelling

Writing proficiently and creatively is a vital part of education and spelling is an important element. This webinar will equip support staff with strategies to help primary and secondary learners.

19 July 3.45-5pm n Webinars are available for seven days. n Email cpd@neu.org.uk or visit neu.org.uk/national-cpd