WELCOME to the new issue of Educate. This is the first term back at school since the shocking far-right violence that took place over the summer. Mosques attacked, hotels burned, people stopped in their cars and attacked in a fearsome display of bigotry and hatred.
That’s why the work of the union in combatting racism and the far right is as important as ever. We’re proud to report on a pivotal conference organised by the NEU – Educators countering the far right –in September (see page 19).
As NEU executive member Denise Henry, who attended an event commemorating the transatlantic slave trade, says, liberation is still very much an ongoing process and only through our collective solidarity will we see the change we urgently need (page 17).
This issue is also peppered with adverts for anti-racist organisations – including Stand Up to Racism (SUTR), which has organised protests against the far right. We urge you to join SUTR and ask your branch to affiliate (page 20). And Show Racism the Red Card (page 44) has an Education Hub you can access to help your school challenge racism.
Or if you want to support refugees fleeing war and persecution, Care4Calais (page 36) is asking for donations of coats to help those freezing in tents across the Channel in France this winter.
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede looks back at the union’s proud history of anti-racism as a union, celebrating the legacy of Blair Peach, how we stood up to the National Front and then the English Defence League (page 11).
We also have a moving account by an NEU member calling for better support for those seeking fertility treatment (page 28). DevonLouise Oakley-Hogg makes a powerful case for a multitude of changes that would help “those grieving a future without children”.
We also highlight the Waspi women’s campaign, which demands justice for their pension robbery (page 25). And we have a hard-hitting interview with Corinne Beaty, a teacher who was assaulted outside her school and awarded a six-figure payout after the NEU legal team fought and won her case (page 26).
And, of course, we have all your regulars – photos, puzzles, teacher’s pet, news and opinions, advice and tips.
Please let me know your thoughts – email me at educate@neu.org.uk
Max Watson Editor, Educate
Frank Crichlow complains to the race relations board about his restaurant, Mangrove, being denied an all-night licence due to racial discrimination. Despite being a hub for Black activism, the restaurant is subjected to repeated police raids based on false drug allegations. A trial takes place in 1971 and results in a ruling against the police, increasing awareness of racial injustices in Britain.
Teacher Devon-Louise’s IVF struggle Schools
to better support staff with fertility issues; NEU to extend its suite of Maternity Matters resources to cover fertility leave (above).
PHOTO by Rehan Jamil
PHOTO by Rehan Jamil
Supply officers shaping the NEU
By Kieran DeRoche, supply officer, Southwark NEU
IN September, I attended the two-day supply officers’ course in Birmingham, which was a really positive experience.
We tackled issues including commercial supply agencies, campaign tactics and how we want to shape the direction of the NEU.
We discussed the importance of reducing the dependency on commercial supply agencies and the NEU’s campaign to bargain for direct employment via local authority or multi-academy trust supply registers. This would allow supply teachers to be paid according to national pay arrangements and have access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS).
n Visit neu.org.uk/supply
Only 8% of secondary teachers think SATs accurate
SECONDARY teachers have condemned year 6 SATs data, calling it “unreliable”, “inaccurate” and “distorted”, in new research conducted by Teacher Tapp for campaign group More Than A Score (MTAS).
The survey of 4,800 secondary teachers found that only eight per cent think SATs results are an accurate basis for putting pupils into ability sets, and only two per cent of respondents said they had no criticism of SATs.
Teachers working in areas with the highest levels of social deprivation are particularly mistrustful of the data, and only 33 per cent of secondary teachers think they are useful in identifying children who need learning support.
Alison Ali, spokesperson for MTAS,
said: “Like their primary school colleagues, secondary teachers are asking: what is the point of SATs? A data-gathering exercise which produces unreliable, untrusted information is a waste of everyone’s time.
“We’re looking forward to sharing our research with the government’s curriculum and assessment review. It’s time to listen to those who know children best.”
Have your say on curriculum & assessment
THE NEU is encouraging members to submit evidence to the government’s independent curriculum and assessment review.
One of Labour’s manifesto promises, the review will examine the curriculum and assessment in England, through key stages 1 to 5, “to ensure they are fit for purpose and meeting the needs of children and young people”.
The review – which is being chaired by academic Professor Becky Francis – has begun with a written call for evidence inviting feedback from stakeholders across the education system. It will be open until 22 November and the NEU is encouraging members and stakeholders across all settings to submit their responses.
Daniel Kebede, NEU general secretary, said: “Teachers are experts in their field, designing curricula and assessing their students every day. Their involvement in this review to improve the educational experience of children and young people is essential.
“Assessment in England is fundamentally broken. It is designed for accountability, rather than teaching and learning.”
Following the call for evidence, the review panel will consult more widely,
including through setting visits and stakeholder meetings. A series of regional roadshows is also being held during November.
To support members, the NEU has created a web page (neu.org.uk/curriculumreview), which provides further information
Find out more and submit your views on curriculum & assessment at tinyurl.com/submit-evidence
on the union’s position and how to submit your views.
NEU members have long been campaigning for reform of curriculum and assessment. The NEU’s recent Independent Commission on Assessment in Primary Education, and the Secondary Assessment Working Party – A New Era report both found that there is agreement among educators, parents and academics that the current highstakes system is not fit for purpose.
Former NEU president Robin Bevan and economist Faiza Shaheen at the launch of the A New Era report into secondary assessment in October 2023
PHOTO by Kois Miah
Sixth form members balloted over pay
UNWILLING to be left behind on pay, NEU sixth form college (SFC) teachers began their national ballot for strike action in selected colleges on Saturday 14 September. It is open until 7 November.
The dispute is over the government’s failure to provide funding to more than 40 nonacademised SFCs, which will allow them to
give staff the 5.5 per cent pay rise awarded to those employed at 33 academised colleges.
Duncan Blackie, NEU executive member for post-16, said: “Many teachers in SFCs have been arbitrarily left out of the 5.5 per cent increase and offered nothing by the government. The united pay structure that governs pay across all SFCs could be in tatters if we don’t fight back to win proper funding and pay for all teachers.”
NEU SFC members are also seeking an increase in London allowances and a commitment to address workload issues. The union is concerned by the move to actively undermine an effective system of collective bargaining, contrary to the manifesto commitment of the Labour party to ensure industrial relations are based around good faith negotiation and bargaining.
By Phil Child, NEU national official, FE and SFCs
95% vote to accept 5.5% pay offer
A HUGE 95 per cent of eligible members have voted to accept the government’s 5.5 per cent pay offer for 2024/25– the biggest realterms award since 2009. A snap poll of around 300,000 teachers employed at state schools in England ran from 21-30 September, with 41 per cent voting.
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said members should be proud that their hardfought campaign for a fully funded, aboveinflation pay rise, including eight days of strike action in 2023, had won them this year’s deal.
He added: “The government should be in no doubt that we see this as just a first step in the major pay correction needed. Teacher pay in England was cut by around a quarter in real terms under the Conservatives and is significantly lower than it is in Scotland. This is unsustainable.”
Without a major boost to teacher pay,
the desire to tackle the recruitment and retention crisis, promised by the government’s remit letter to the School Teachers’ Review Body, will come up short, he said.
n In Wales, 94.3 per cent of members polled accepted the 5.5 per cent award. Interim NEU Cymru secretary Nicola Fitzpatrick said: “The fight to win back the pay that teachers have lost in real terms over the last decade and more does not end here.
“Over the past two years, we have demonstrated that we are a strong and fighting union and, if we do not see further meaningful steps to correct teacher pay and address the multiple crises plaguing our schools and colleges, we are prepared to fight and win again.”
Members also wanted to see “meaningful action” over workload, she added.
Sixth form colleges went on strike for improved pay in 2019
PHOTO by Jess Hurd
Members took eight days of strike action in 2023, which led to increased pay for two years running PHOTO by Matt Wilkinson
Simple steps to minimise flu, Covid and measles infections
THE NEU has produced new guidance in light of the continued spread of Covid-19 and other infectious illnesses.
It includes simple steps to keep infection levels as low as possible.
Good ventilation in classrooms can help reduce the spread of Covid-19, and other contagious diseases, including flu, measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
n Visit neu.org.uk/infectious-diseases
n Visit neu.org.uk/latest/library/ventilationschools for joint union guidance on ventilation
Members win medical leave
STAFF at two schools have won a dispute over a policy that had forced them to take unpaid leave to attend medical appointments.
Members at Reading Girls’ School and Baylis Court School, part of Thames Learning Trust (TLT), took six days of strike action following a 100 per cent Yes vote. The trust has now agreed to reasonable paid time off for medical and dental appointments at all six TLT schools. Concessions have also been made to allow staff to accompany dependants to medical appointments.
NEU joint branch secretary Katie Gumbrell said: “NEU members at TLT have shown their employer that they will take action if their terms and conditions of employment are unfair.”
Award for NEU Ofsted campaign
THE NEU was presented with an award for its Ofsted campaign at this year’s annual Hazards conference in October.
Special mention was given to the NEU’s Ofsted risk assessment.
by musician and broadcaster YolanDa Brown. The NEU has 50 pairs of free tickets for members to win – visit tinyurl.com/MFYproms and enter code NEUCOMP24
Minor tweaks will not fix Ofsted; its time is up
SCRAPPING one-word judgements and making a series of other changes will not fix Ofsted, the NEU’s general secretary Daniel Kebede has warned.
He said: “The idea that you could give a verdict on a whole school in one or two words was always ridiculous.” He added that getting rid of overall judgments was only a small step forward.
“Ultimately, the NEU still thinks Ofsted needs to be abolished and replaced,” he added.
one-word grades (subgrades for four areas –quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management – will remain), other changes were also announced.
n Inspectors will now only contact head teachers about an upcoming inspection on a Monday, although notification of an urgent or monitoring inspection can happen on any day.
Sarah Lyons, NEU health, safety and environment officer, said: “The NEU was proud to accept this award on behalf of all teachers whose lives have been blighted by Ofsted. Our task now is to ensure that the risk assessment is widely used as our campaign to abolish Ofsted continues.”
The inspectorate announced a range of reforms in September, after coming under growing pressure following the suicide of NEU member and primary head Ruth Perry in January 2023, after her school was graded Inadequate. In December 2023 a coroner concluded that Ofsted had contributed to her death.
It prompted Ofsted’s Big Listen consultation, and an independent learning review of the way the inspectorate operates. This was carried out by Dame Christine Gilbert, who recommended 14 changes.
As well as a getting rid of overall
n In schools where all areas are judged Good or Outstanding, and the only concern is around safeguarding, inspectors will now be able to suspend the inspection for three months to allow the school time to resolve issues.
Daniel said: “It will take a great deal more to convince our members that Ofsted is anything other than a recurring nightmare. The lack of trust runs deep. It has caused untold damage and misery. Its time is up.”
The union is urging schools to use the risk assessment guide it has devised to help leaders and staff identify health and safety concerns around inspections.
n Visit neu.org.uk/ofsted-risk-assessment-guide
ON 27 and 28 November, more than 3,000 young musicians from across the UK will perform at the Music for Youth Proms 2024 at the Royal Albert Hall, London, hosted
No more X at Welsh school
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, in Cardiff, has left social network X – formerly Twitter –over concerns about the “clear racism” and misinformation on the platform..
Taking our free school meals bus on the road
THE NEU headed out on tour in September, calling on the government to extend free school meals (FSM) to every primary school child in England.
MPs, celebrities and health professionals joined educators and trade unionists as the NEU’s bright blue bus made its way across the country visiting schools and communities, before ending its journey at the Labour party conference.
The first stop was parliament on 10 September to deliver an open letter, signed by UK health organisations including the British Dental Association and Diabetes UK, to Wes Streeting, secretary of state for health and social care. It warned that they see the “impact of poor diet and food scarcity on the health of our children and young people” every day and called on him to help protect children’s growth and development.
The bus then headed to west London. At grange primary school in Ealing, children’s TV presenter and author Konnie Huq joined the campaign and worked with children during a creative writing session.
It then travelled north, making stops at schools in Coventry, Birmingham, York, Liverpool and Sunderland.
Children at all saints primary school in Coventry toured the grounds of Coventry
City Football Club – the Sky Blues – and discussed the importance of a good lunch for learning, growth and play with past and present players.
Pupils at monksdown primary school in Liverpool wrote hundreds of letters to the prime minister urging him to provide every primary school child in England with a free school lunch. One pupil told Keir Starmer: “Don’t be like the last prime minister, ignoring our efforts. Do what’s right. We need this.”
At the Labour party conference, children from Liverpool primary schools led a chant of: “What do we want? Free school meals. When do we want them? Now.”
Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, said the last few years had been “catastrophic” for families and children, and that by introducing universal FSM “we can
help tackle one of the most severe public health threats faced by our children”.
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede, who joined pupils outside the Labour party conference, said FSM were “a no-brainer” and urged Keir Starmer and chancellor Rachel Reeves not to turn their backs on children.
“School food is a vitally important aspect of the school day. We all know that children can’t learn if they’re hungry. But thousands of children across the country are going hungry. The issue has become so severe that schools are, once again, stepping into the breach –with one in five schools in England now running a food bank.”
The NEU’s campaign has the support of more than 300 civil society organisations, politicians and public figures. n Visit freeschoolmealsforall.org.uk
Children from Monksdown Primary School in Liverpool, with Dr Simon Opher MP
(Left) Daniel Kebede with pupils from Monksdown and Phoenix primary schools; (right) Zarah Sultana, MP for Coventry South PHOTOS by Rehan Jamil
Our pupils deserve safety and reassurance
NEU general secretary
Daniel Kebede says educators should take the lead in challenging racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism for the wellbeing of their pupils.
THIS summer, towns and cities all over the UK were rocked by racist violence. The far right exploited the heartbreaking murder of three little girls in Southport to incite hatred in communities where our members live and teach.
There were deplorable acts of racist and Islamophobic violence. Thugs targeted people’s homes, mosques, Muslim-owned businesses and hotels housing asylum seekers. They even set their sights on libraries and community centres.
And who can forget the sight of roadblocks being set up, to attack and frighten drivers whose ‘crime’ was to be Black or Asian? Or care workers assaulted on their way to visit elderly patients?
This profoundly affected the nation’s children. In homes and classrooms all over Britain, our pupils went to bed at night frightened by the violence in their own communities. Worried about their fathers and mothers, their sisters and brothers, themselves and their friends.
Whether they would be attacked at work, on the bus or while simply walking down the street.
Bullying,
racism and fear
As educators, we have a special responsibility for the wellbeing of our pupils – we see the effects of bullying, racism and fear on a child and we are on the frontline of providing reassurance and a sense of safety for them.
We see, every day, the many positives that migration and immigrants bring to our country, as well as the benefits for all of us of living in a society that is welcoming and inclusive.
But we also see the damage inflicted by years of irresponsible rhetoric by politicians and sections of the British media, creating a climate that threatens the social cohesion of this country and our progress towards a more equal society.
That’s why we, first and foremost, cannot stand by and allow this to happen.
Our members believe in the power of education. We see how misconceptions, stereotypes and prejudice can be eroded with knowledge and the sharing of common values.
And, in our union especially, we have a tradition of standing up against racism and fascism. Blair Peach was a New Zealand-born special needs teacher and the president of east London National Union of Teachers (NUT), the forerunner of the NEU.
On 23 April 1979, he was killed by police during a protest in Southall, in west London, against the rise of the fascist National Front.
Blair knew the effect racism was having on his pupils and he stood up to give them a voice against the scourge of the far right.
Educators against the far right
Today, we must give our pupils a voice and take the lead in challenging racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism and tackling harmful prejudices and stereotyping.
We urged our members to attend a counter demonstration last month, against the fascist Tommy Robinson, who founded
the English Defence League, which helped to whip up terror and racism on our streets.
We have produced Educators against the far right materials for our members – mugs, T-shirts, stickers, badges and bags – which are all available from the NEU shop, to help spread that message every day (see page 19).
Our Anti-racism charter provides a framework for developing an anti-racist approach in education, and we produce resources to help you in the classroom – lesson plans on Windrush and the Holocaust; on welcoming refugee children; and Black history for key stages 1 and 2.
Our children have the right to grow up without fear and we have a responsibility to help them do just that. I am always proud of our members and the work they do, day in and day out, in our classrooms.
By fighting the rise of the far right in our communities, standing up for human rights and social justice, we can also show that education and educators can challenge racism and make the world a better place for all our children.
n Find all our materials at neu.org.uk/raceequality
Anti-racist protesters march against the far right in London on 28 September
PHOTO by Kois Miah
MAT-wide win for members at 33 schools
NEU members have won significant improvements to their leave, maternity and paternity entitlements across all schools in one of the largest academy trusts in the country.
The enhancements at the 33 schools in Leigh Academies Trust include leave for fertility treatment, which has been increased from five to 12 days (see page 31).
Health-related leave and time off work for teachers who are foster carers have also been increased. In addition, the trust has committed to review other entitlements including an additional two weeks’ halfpaid paternity leave on top of the two weeks outlined in the Burgundy book.
Playing catch-up
Negotiations began when Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey was transferred to the trust during October 2023. Some of the policies and entitlements at Sheppey were significantly better than those available to other Leigh employees.
Caroline Watson, a science teacher at Longfield Academy and lead NEU rep for the multi-academy trust, began discussions with staff and the trust to see what entitlements
Leigh’s leave enhancements
Fertility treatment
WAS 5 days’ paid leave
NOW 12 days’ paid, plus 3 days’ paid leave for spouse or partner
Foster care
WAS 2 days’ paid leave
NOW 5 days’ paid leave
Job interviews
WAS at discretion of SLT
NOW up to 3 days’ paid leave
Religious purposes
WAS 2 days’ unpaid leave
NOW 2 days’ paid leave
The trust has made a commitment to review entitlements for adoption leave, British armed forces leave, occupational maternity pay and paternity leave.
“We have a great relationship with the trust. You have to be fair. You have to take everyone with you.”
Caroline Watson
could be brought in line with those at Sheppey. Members were consulted to find out whether current leave entitlements were working for them, and what they felt could be improved. Caroline and officers from the NEU south east region then took these suggestions to management.
Leigh was keen to improve conditions for staff. “We have a great relationship with the trust,” said Caroline, adding that this –along with close collaboration between reps and members – was the foundation of much of their success. “You have to be fair. And you have to take everyone with you.”
There are more than 1,000 NEU members at the trust, making it the union with the largest membership. There are
reps at 17 schools, who work together and communicate regularly under Caroline’s leadership. At the end of the last academic year, they gathered for an in-person reps day to build relationships and collaboration. They shared experiences about their different schools and discussed where and how policies were being implemented successfully, and where there was still work to be done.
Caroline encourages members in other MATs to speak to their trust about issues in their school, no matter the size of the membership.
“You have so much power. And that power is seen when you meet. That’s where you show your strength. You have a voice. So let your voice be heard.”
Reps from Leigh Academies Trust schools
Further education pay offer condemned by NEU
Daniel Kebede has labelled the Association of Colleges’ (AoC) recommended pay offer of just 2.5 per cent or £750, whichever is greater, as “deeply unsatisfactory”.
MEMBERS at Highgate Wood School (pictured above) are celebrating a victory after six days of strike action in a dispute over a proposed restructure which would have seen four members of staff have their pay cut. Teachers and support staff came together to fight the plans and after negotiations, the school agreed to offer affected members five years’ pay protection. This is in addition to the three-year salary safeguarding provided by the school teachers’ pay and conditions document. There is also a commitment to review teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) payments in 2027, with the potential to uplift them to previous levels.
Haringey NEU district secretary Efe Kurtluoglu said: “This victory is a testament to the power of collective bargaining and the determination of educators to protect their livelihoods.”
Phil Lindsey, Newham
NEU assistant secretary
Newham to improve SEND support for staff and pupils
NEWHAM NEU has won several commitments from the local authority to help improve the quality of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision and the working conditions of teachers and support staff in the borough.
In December 2023, Newham NEU conducted a survey of members about the quality of SEND provision. Of those surveyed, 78 per cent said SEND support at their school or education setting was inadequate.
Phil Lindsey (pictured left), support staff member and Newham NEU assistant secretary,
took the results of the survey to the local authority’s director of education. Consequently, several recommendations were agreed, including: n positive handling training to be mandatory for all staff who work with children who have had one or more violent outburst n mandatory recuperation time for injured staff n a minimum of 30 minutes per day within support staff timetables for planning and resourcing.
“As a teaching assistant, it can feel hopeless at times, which is why it’s been great to be part of this campaign to improve SEND provision in Newham for staff and students alike,” said Phil.
‘Education back at heart of national life’
THE NEU was on the road at the start of the new academic year for the first party political conferences since this summer’s general election.
The union had stalls and hosted fringe meetings at the Green, Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative conferences.
They were an important opportunity to get the NEU’s key concerns and priorities across to as many politicians and party members as possible.
Disabled LGBT+ residential
By Zoë Hughes (they/them), NEU LGBT+ and disabled member
I HAVE been a member of the NUT, then the NEU, for a number of years, but had never been to an event. I often feel I don’t quite ‘fit’ anywhere on account of my intersectionality. However, the first NEU disabled LGBT+ residential – which took place in August in London – was exactly the kind of representation I needed.
We explored and discussed everything from the social model of disability, to how LGBT+ and disability rights have passed through law over
At a meeting at Labour conference, which the union held jointly with NAHT, ASCL and NASUWT, the secretary of state for education, Bridget Phillipson, said that education was right back at the heart of national life under the new government. She said that she wanted to work in partnership with the profession because the changes that are needed to education are vast.
She acknowledged there was much to do within schools, and said that she wanted to see more flexible working, particularly for
the years, and also got the chance to contribute to the new NEU Coming Out Guide, due for publication in February. Being in a space where my lesbianism was celebrated, my neurodivergence recognised and where my pronouns were not deemed problematic was genuinely life changing.
‘Fantastic’ West Mids event
By
Lisa Freeman, disabled members’ organising forum, and Colleen Johnson, NEU executive, disabled members’ seat IN July, NEU West Midlands disabled members met for a fantastic residential
women with family and caring responsibilities as far too many women in their 30s are leaving the profession.
The NEU held another joint union meeting at Labour on the future of inspection and accountability. Here, Professor Julia Waters welcomed the scrapping of one-word Ofsted judgements but said that the wider system still needed urgent reform.
At the opposition parties’ conferences, the NEU was pleased to have all their education spokespeople attending our fringe meetings.
event in Birmingham. The first session was on disability-related language, which led to some great discussions, followed by a focus on Access to Work, which was really informative.
After lunch, members heard about our Disability Pride initiative and followed this up with placard making. Finally, staff member Shelley East gave a presentation about the importance of reasonable adjustments for disabled educators in the workplace. A high point was hearing an inspirational story about how well a member works with their support assistant in school.
West Midlands disabled members’ residential
The first NEU disabled LGBT+ members’ residential
(From left) NEU general secretary (GS) Daniel Kebede, NAHT GS Paul Whiteman, Prof Julia Waters (Ruth Perry’s sister), Laura McInerney of Teacher Tapp, ASCL GS Pepe Di’Iasio and NASUWT GS Patrick Roach
PHOTO by Jess Hurd
A MURAL celebrating the contribution of African women to the field of healthcare, outside Guy’s and St Thomas’ Trust in south London, was unveiled in October.
The mural of six pioneering African women, painted by Dr Michele Curtis
(@michelecurtisartist), was commissioned by the Young Historians Project (@younghistoriansproject), which aims to encourage the development of young historians of African and Caribbean heritage in Britain. Kaitlene Koranteng, project manager at the Young Historians
Project, said: “The achievements of African women, both in the present day and historically, are underacknowledged. This mural is the result of research, listening and learning about that history. I hope it will allow people to stop, learn and dig deeper.”
PHOTO by Rehan Jamil
Members win T&Cs guarantee
MEMBERS at a secondary school who took industrial action to protect their terms and conditions have won assurances that they will not be changed when the school is academised.
Teachers at Swanshurst School in Birmingham went on strike on 18 July and 11 September. But they called off a further ten days of action following meetings with arbitration service Acas and a guarantee from the school that their terms and conditions will remain.
Members were grateful to parents for their support on the picket line, and to those who signed a petition opposing academisation of the school, which is graded Good. The petition had around 450 signatures at the time of writing.
General secretary of Birmingham NEU David Room said members would keep a “watching brief” on the situation.
TUC congress: from Palestine to public services
THE NEU sent a delegation to the annual TUC congress in Brighton in September.
They gave strong speeches in a number of debates, including on public services, the climate crisis, teacher wellbeing, free school meals, sexual harassment and a fair personal independence payment. NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede spoke passionately about challenging the politics of hate.
A highlight of congress was the passing of the NEU’s Palestine motion calling for an immediate ceasefire, an end to all licences for arms traded with Israel, meeting international law, and the immediate creation of a Palestinian state. Dr Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, addressed congress in a moving speech, and NEU executive member and chair of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign Louise Regan received a standing ovation for her rousing speech while moving the motion.
Keir Starmer was the first prime minister to address the TUC for 15 years, and spoke to congress about a “new deal for working people”. However, he received a mixed
NEU calls on government to protect staff after VAT change
THE union is pressing the government to ensure independent sector members are protected following the announcement that tax breaks for private schools will end on 1 January.
As part of the government’s new finance bill, the 20 per cent VAT rate will be added to private school fees from January, and those with charitable status – about half of England’s private schools – will lose their business rates relief exemption from April 2025.
The NEU has more than 34,000 independent sector members and this policy may affect for their jobs, terms and conditions if schools become financially unviable. We are calling on the government to protect staff and have adopted five demands on VAT on school fees (neu.org.uk/independent-school-VAT).
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said employers must not use Labour’s policy as an excuse to erode the terms and conditions of hardworking members, warning that “should any employer make such a mistake, they will be met with sustained strike action”.
Disability History Month
UK Disability History Month runs from 14 November to 20 December and is an opportunity to celebrate disability history and continue the fight for liberation. This year’s theme is disability livelihood and employment. Why not organise a workplace meeting using the NEU disability equality toolkit to engage your colleagues in making your workplace accessible? n Visit neu.org.uk/disability-toolkit
reception, with some in the hall giving him a standing ovation while many staying seated.
Onay Kasab, the national lead officer for Unite union, echoed many trade unionists’ feelings when he stated to a congress fringe
meeting: “We’re hearing an awful lot about tough times, it’s like being in a Dickens novel. What comes after the tough times? We need to hear about hope.”
By Mairead Canavan, NEU executive
The NEU delegation to TUC congress 2024
Rep and officer of the year awards
The nominations for this year’s representative and officer of the year awards are now open. Visit neu.org.uk/rep-and-officer-award
‘The fight for Black liberation is far from over’
By Denise Henry, NEU executive, Black members’ seat
ON 23 August, I attended an event in London commemorating UNESCO’s Day for Remembering the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Its Abolition.
The theme, Black liberation: our journey to repair, underscored both our shared history and the urgent need to address ongoing struggles for justice, equality and healing within our communities.
Historian Dr Nathaniel Adam Tobias Coleman and barrister Priscellia Robinson welcomed the attendees, emphasising the importance of coming together to remember our past while actively working towards a just future.
A key focus of the event was the alarming rise in hate and racial violence, particularly the recent far-right riots. The hosts and speakers expressed deep concern about the growing fear within our community. This issue was emphasised as a critical reminder that, despite the progress made over the years, true equality remains a distant goal, and the fight for Black liberation is far from over.
Our role in creating a safer and more equitable society
Andrew Boff, chair of the London Assembly, addressed these concerns head on, acknowledging the urgent need for action to combat the rising tide of hate and racism. He highlighted the critical role that we, as educators and community members, play in challenging these injustices and working towards a safer and more equitable society.
Dr Patricia da Silva from the United Nations Population Fund initiative on people of African descent connected the historical legacies of the transatlantic slave trade with today’s struggles against racial violence and hate.
The keynote address by Dr Sasha Turner, associate professor of history at Johns Hopkins University, offered insights on the theme of Black liberation. Dr Turner discussed the historical and contemporary efforts to achieve equality and reparations, urging all of us to remain committed to the cause of justice, especially in light of the recent violence targeting our communities.
A moment of silence was observed in memory of those who suffered and perished due to the transatlantic slave trade, as well as the victims of recent racial violence.
As Black members of the NEU, it is vital that we stand together in addressing the inequalities, injustices and safety concerns that impact our lives and communities. The recent far-right riots and the rise in racial violence remind us that our journey towards liberation is ongoing, and it is through our solidarity and collective action that we will continue to push for the change we so urgently need.
Strike action resumed as school reneges on safety and workload promise
THE employer’s failure to stick to its promises has forced members to resume strike action at The Deepings School in Lincolnshire.
Staff at the school, part of the Anthem Schools Trust, went on strike for two days in October, after the school failed to adequately enact aspects of an agreement made in July.
Spencer Bannister, NEU rep at Deepings, said: “We’ve had two days of very strongly supported strike action and
lots of support from parents and members of the local community. We hope that the trust will now take the opportunity to work with us to bring those changes about.”
Last academic year, staff raised concerns about safety issues, poor communication and excessive workload. An agreement with the school was reached but staff say several commitments have not been fulfilled, including provision of increased senior leadership support for behaviour.
Denise Henry (left) with Dr Sasha Turner, associate professor of history at John Hopkins University
‘We are in the throes of a far-right epidemic’
ACTIVISTS gathered for a one-day conference in September where they heard from a panel of international speakers on how educators can tackle the growing threat of the far-right.
Opening the event, NEU general secretary and long-time anti-racism campaigner Daniel Kebede called on members to tackle the “filth of the far-right” on the streets and in their communities and workplaces.
The NEU had a proud history of being at the forefront of campaigning against racism, fascism and xenophobia, and members’ collective power had the potential to make positive change, he said.
“When 12-year-olds are convicted of being part of mobs trying to burn people alive, it is our duty to challenge the ideology that lies behind such actions,” added Daniel. “Members already do this work in classrooms, but it is often under the radar or down to the initiative of an individual educator. We want it to become the expected practice of professionals.”
Stop Tommy Robinson and Reform UK Joint convenor of Stand Up to Racism
Weyman Bennett warned “we are in the throes of a far-right epidemic”, pointing to the growing support for far-right political parties across Europe. “I’m really proud of what the NEU is doing by saying we need to organise from the grassroots,” he said. “We have to stop Reform UK and the street movement led by Tommy Robinson coming together.”
Weyman said educators, as trusted members of their communities, were in the best position to help fight the narrative that migrants are to blame for the problems blighting the country.
Stand Up to Racism, which is working closely with the NEU, launched a trade union network in September. Weyman urged members to get out on to the streets for the anti-fascist demonstration on 26 October, in the same way they had organised and joined counter protests to the nationwide riots in August.
Lambeth NEU branch secretary Jess Edwards encouraged members to rally as many colleagues as possible to join the demonstration, saying it was a “decisive moment”. She added: “We have to turn out in our thousands. We’ve done it before.”
Speakers from international organisations including Care4Calais, Migreat, a charity in the Netherlands which campaigns against borders and supports refugees, and the Irish Network Against Racism also addressed the conference. In the afternoon, they ran workshops to share and discuss ideas and strategies for tackling racism and fascism. Resources, including T-shirts, stickers and badges, are available from the NEU shop. n Visit neu.org.uk/educators-against-far-right
Hundreds of anti-racists mobilised against a threatened far-right gathering at Trafalgar Square, London, on 28 September PHOTO by Kois Miah
Weyman Bennett (above) and conference attendees
PHOTOS by Rehan
Jamil
Network
An international event hosted by Stand Up to Racism
12-5pm Central LDN
SAT 16
NOV SUMMIT AGAINST RACISM & THE FAR RIGHT
Carol Jumpp-Graham has taught at Barnhill Community High School in West London for 22 years. She is head of health and social care and child development, as well as the NEU rep.
Fighting for women’s maternity rights
What do you love about your job?
It’s a vocation. I trained in Jamaica – there was a shortage of teachers, and I answered the call. Then I was recruited to work in the UK in 2001. Teaching is hard work. You need a passion for your subject and a passion for working with young people, to enable them to become successful citizens.
The subject I teach attracts mainly disaffected students and I work the magic with them. They go on to university and are often the first in their family to do so.
What do you love about being in the union?
The opportunities it gives me. I didn’t plan for it to take over my life, but it really has. The NEU allows me to explore ideas, work with members and promote a spirit of togetherness.
What have you been up to lately?
I have been working with the union’s Windrush group, looking into resources for primary and secondary schools. I attended the NEU event The legacy of Windrush: education and beyond, in June, and read one of Benjamin Zephaniah’s poems.
I am also helping schools update their maternity guidance and adopt the NEU model policy (neu.org.uk/maternity). I started with my own school – its policy didn’t include anything about days off for IVF treatment or
providing a room for breastfeeding mums, for example. I’m now looking at policies across the borough of Hillingdon.
What’s important to you right now?
As Hillingdon branch secretary, I’ve taken on many cases where I’ve had to fight for women wanting to work part-time after having children. It’s disheartening to see women being denied this right.
On a positive note, the Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023, which came into effect in April, introduced a number of changes to statutory flexible work, including the right to request it from day one of employment.
What do you do on your days off?
I love international travel – my degree was in hotel, restaurant and tourism management. I sing in my church choir. I’m very family oriented and look forward every summer to going to Jamaica and spending time with my family, eating good food and going to the river.
Tell us something we don’t know. I love singing and wanted to be a singer when I was younger.
Members win battle for pay rises during maternity leave
WOMEN at a south London school who were denied pay progression during their maternity leave are celebrating after their trust agreed to compensate them.
The school NEU rep discovered that more than 12 women had not received pay rises while on maternity leave. Denying pay progression on the grounds of pregnancy or maternity is unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.
The rep wrote a letter, signed by 12 affected NEU members and 39 further members in solidarity, to the chief executive of the multi-academy trust and the school’s chair of governors, demanding immediate
reinstatement to the correct pay point for those women affected.
“A lot of women felt angry,” said the rep. “There was a lot of disappointment.”
The trust agreed that the policy was discriminatory and is in the process of
amending it. The women affected have been put on the correct salary point and will receive a settlement payment.
The conversation about pay led to other issues being discussed, and members have requested the trust includes five days’ paid dependants’ leave and adopts the NEU’s model breastfeeding policy.
The rep said: “For most members at the school, this was the first time they had been involved in union action.
“They are really happy about the result so far and we are continuing to push for other improvements.”
n The NEU has produced new guidance on pay rises and maternity leave. Visit neu.org.uk/ maternity-leave-pay-rises
Tune in to the NEU’s podcast to hear about the issues that members are talking about, including:
> How do I get involved in the NEU?
> Why is the early years sector in crisis?
> Why do we need a reform of the assessment system?
Search The NEU Podcast on your podcast platform and make sure to give us a follow.
Join the conversation at @TheNEUPodcast or by emailing podcast@neu.org.uk
Shaping the education debate
Same old story
A new government! So we expected a minimum: they would set up a review of the old curriculum.
Good news came in: indeed, they would. They were listening. Would do what they could.
But how would they tap into teachers’ thoughts? Summon representatives? Read reports?
What about regional councils? Sharing ideas? But proposals like these seem to provoke their fears.
So instead they did what they always do. They set up a committee stuffed with you-know-who.
It’s the same old story, top-down government to get the advice that government want.
Words by Michael Rosen Illustration by Dan Berry
‘Fair and fast compensation’
Hundreds of thousands of women born in the 1950s are suffering financial hardship due to abrupt changes to their pension age. Emily Jenkins reports on the Waspi campaign.
CAMPAIGN group Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) is one step closer to compensation for pensions injustice after a meeting with new pensions minister Emma Reynolds.
The group has been calling on the government to agree fair and fast compensation for women affected by historic changes made to their state pension.
Under the Pensions Act 1995, the Conservative government outlined a plan to raise women’s pension age to 65, so that it was the same as men’s. Then the Pensions Act 2011 brought forward the date of the rise to November 2018 in a speeded up timetable. This meant that suddenly, millions of women born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1960 were left unable to plan for their retirement.
It is estimated that around 3.5 million women were affected, including thousands of educators. Many continue to suffer severe financial hardship. At this year’s NEU conference, members voted to support the Waspi campaign.
Sudden change left no time to rethink retirement plan
Teacher Judith Robertson took early retirement in 2012 at the age of 57. “Almost immediately I got a letter to say that my state retirement pension would be delayed until I was 66,” she said. “I had not received any other letters from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and I was not given time to make sensible financial decisions.
“I felt cheated by the DWP because, as far as I was concerned, I had planned every aspect of my financial life to fit in with retiring before the age of 60. I was exhausted and although I loved my job, especially being with children and making a difference, I realised it was affecting my health.” To financially manage, Judith and her husband had to suddenly change their retirement plan; her husband continued to work and Judith became a supply teacher.
On 21 March this year, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman concluded that the DWP was guilty of maladministration due to inadequate communication with 1950s-born women about the changes to their state pension age. It added that the women involved suffered injustice as a result, and that they should receive compensation – payments of between £1,000 and £2,950 each (which falls far short of the £10,000-plus that campaigners were calling for).
Compensation urgency: ‘a Waspi woman dies every 13 minutes’ The previous government failed to take any action. However, on 5 September, representatives from Waspi met with new pensions minister Emma Reynolds in parliament – their first face-to-face meeting with a pensions minister since 2018.
The Waspi campaign said in a statement after the meeting: “We are grateful to the pensions minister for meeting with Waspi today and look forward to working collaboratively with her. It is a step forward to have ministers really listening and considering this properly.
“Waspi has always been a pragmatic campaign and we remain determined to see a financial remedy that works for both affected women and the taxpayer.”
Following the meeting, a Waspi drop-in information session took place at Westminster on 11 September, which was attended by 155 MPs. They were given information packs about the need for speedy compensation – campaigners say a Waspi woman dies every 13 minutes. Campaigners also had an information stand at the Labour party conference, and stood outside holding banners.
“The new government says it wishes to restore trust in politicians. For women born in the 1950s, trust will not be restored until the recommendations that the Ombudsman has laid before parliament are accepted and a compensation scheme is set up. We look forward to a speedy response,” said Judith. n Visit waspicampaign2018.co.uk
(Left) Waspi campaigners – including Judith Robertson, second left – with MP Rebecca Long-Bailey (far right), co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on state pension age for women, outside the Conservative party conference in 2022; and (right) campaigners at Labour party conference this year PHOTO by Martin Stott
Art
teacher Corinne Beaty’s career ended after an assault by students and unable to teach. She was awarded a six-figure sum in compensation, after
CORINNE’S ordeal began on 6 May 2016. She was walking her dog outside the grounds of New River College in north London with two members of staff and three students. It was an activity recently introduced at the school, where she had worked for nine years, to allow some students time away from the classroom to develop skills in self-confidence and managing relationships.
Not long into the walk, the group was confronted by three girls, also students at the college. They were verbally abusive and threatened to steal Corinne’s dog.
“They were in your face, moving around, circling,” says Corinne. “The physicality of it was quite something.”
The group was forced to return to school, and Corinne’s colleagues took the other students to safety. Corinne attempted to stop the girls entering the building, but one of them pushed past her into the foyer. “It was intimidating. I was just so scared and felt I really could do with some help,” she says.
However, Corinne’s initial relief when her manager arrived quickly turned to shock, as she realised there was no intention of backing her up. “I was terrified, but my manager didn’t seem to pick up on this. They weren’t really doing anything. They weren’t calling the police, or clearly telling the girls to stop. It was all quite low-level managing.”
Corinne felt completely alone and, desperate to escape the situation, she ran to her car. The group followed and started banging on the doors and rattling the handles. As Corinne attempted to drive away, they threw a bottle at the car and one girl chased after her on a bike.
No support from management
Shaken from the incident, Corinne notified school the next day that she would need a few days of leave. But rather than offer any support, in the days that followed the management made decisions which, Corinne says, sent her “careering down a road of really ill health”.
Three days after the assault, she received a letter warning her about absence from school.
Back at school, she continued to have to deal with threatening behaviour from one of the girls who remained on site. A colleague reported that violent threats had been made about Corinne during an exam, and on another occasion, Corinne was subjected to harassment while teaching. “She came to my door, which had a glass panel, and started banging on it, trying to bash it through. I thought at one point the whole door was
going to collapse. All the kids in my room were terrified.”
On 25 May, Corinne arrived at work and was told to leave the building. Management had decided to carry out an investigation into the part Corinne played in the incident.
Staff safety flagged as an issue
For some years, staff at the college had been expressing concerns at a deterioration in student behaviour. A 2013 document submitted by union members to the head teacher paints a picture of a workforce concerned for its safety, including possible repercussions outside of school. It notes several assaults on staff and instances of students bringing weapons into school.
“It had become quite a worrying place for young people and for staff. If you were a teacher or a teaching assistant, you were quite regularly in the firing line,” says Corinne.
Union support
Corinne says she is “eternally grateful” to her NUT (now NEU) workplace rep and the Islington secretary, who provided support from the outset.
In early September she received a phone call from HR about her “long-term sickness” –despite the fact she had been asked to leave the school under investigation. She was offered an exit package, which she turned down.
“It felt like I was in a weird vortex,” she says. “I was powerless. It was the management doing this, and I was just the little art teacher. I had to battle all sorts of accusations, including about me maybe even causing the incident.”
By the end of that month Corinne’s health had worsened. She was signed off work with anxiety and depression. This was followed, in November, with a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
She describes her PTSD as “really bizarre and overwhelming”. The physical and mental symptoms include fainting, nausea, pins and needles in her hands and feet, dizziness and panic attacks.
‘I felt like I was in a weird vortex’
While she received CBT and talk therapy through the NHS, she admits “they didn’t touch the sides”.
It wasn’t until June 2017 that Corinne felt ready for a phased return to the classroom. But just days before she was due to start, she was told the school was undergoing a restructure and she would need to interview for her job.
Despite a recommendation by occupational health that it be pushed back
subsequent lack of support from management left her with PTSD and the NEU took up her case. Sarah Thompson reports. Photo by Rehan Jamil.
– she was also grieving for her very recently departed sister – the interview took place on the site where she was assaulted. Corinne describes it as “probably the most humiliating, awful experience of my life”. She was made redundant, effective from 31 December 2017.
NEU involvement
In November 2017, the NEU litigation department informed the school that it was supporting Corinne in taking legal action.
The NEU investigation found “a consistent pattern of bad behaviour management and a culture of indiscipline, which likely led to the incident” and argued that Corinne’s ongoing trauma, and consequent unemployment, was a result of the college’s negligence.
Finally able to move forward
With no full-time work since December 2017, the NEU provided emergency payouts to help
The NEU’s in-house legal team provides members with free advice and representation. In 2023, the NEU settled 16 personal injury (PI) claims and recovered compensation in excess of £600,000 for members.
If you think you may be eligible for the NEU’s hardship fund, visit neu.org.uk/trust-fund
with Corinne’s increasing debt and mortgage payments. Her PTSD meant she was unable to leave her home or look for work.
The litigation process against Islington Council took seven years, but in September 2023, the court ruled that Corinne was entitled to damages for trauma and loss of earnings and awarded her a six-figure sum.
Seven years on, Corinne is no longer teaching. Her PTSD symptoms, although improving, are still serious and this, combined with a fear of school environments, means she has had to leave the career she loved, a decision that has been difficult to come to terms with.
“It really messed with my identity, because now I wasn’t Corinne the art teacher. I’d done that for nine years and it was a big part of my life. I still find it hard to get my head around.”
However, the compensation has enabled Corinne to get the treatment she urgently needs. She has begun eye movement de-sensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), a technique used to help people recover from traumatic experiences. She has seen some real improvement through this and has started to feel more positive about the future. Recently, she began to volunteer at a local community garden, delivering art workshops to adults.
“For years, I could not see a future, but now I’m starting to see that I have skills that are transferable. I’m good with community, and it may just be that the type of community I work with is different. Volunteering is giving me my confidence back and I’m thinking: maybe I can do this.”
With infertility on the rise, and more people than ever before seeking treatment,
Devon-Louise Oakley-Hogg (right) argues it’s time for schools to consider how best to support staff grieving a future without children.
A silent grief
Portraits by Kois Miah & Rehan Jamil
“I was told during breaktime that none of our embryos had survived, then walked with a well-practised smile to teach my year 11 class.”
I STILL vividly remember the day I found out that our second IVF treatment cycle had failed. I’m haunted by it.
After being left a brief message, I called our embryology lab back during breaktime to be told, matter of factly, that none of our embryos had survived. I informed my husband via WhatsApp and walked with a well-practised smile to teach my year 11 class.
Days of hormone injections, thousands of pounds, multiple days of unpaid leave for medical appointments and bucket loads of hope, wasted once more. While my students listened to me harp on about language analysis, I silently surrendered another part of myself to grieving a future I wouldn’t get to live. A future as a parent.
My experience, while bleak, is sadly far from unique. According to the World Health Organization, one in six couples suffer with infertility.
Fertility treatment is like falling asleep on the last train home. You never asked for it or wanted it, but feel guilty and responsible. You will absolutely end up paying a small fortune and it will be incredibly frustrating and upsetting. You’ll look around the empty train and feel completely isolated.
Each crisis blends into another as you find out NHS IVF eligibility is postcode dependent and waiting lists grow faster than weeds; not to mention the modest fee of £13,750 for a single round.
And do you know what really just tops it all off? The lack of adequate policies in schools to support teachers like me.
Not only are leave policies often phrased as if fertility is a choice, rather than a medical condition, but they often only include an average of two to four paid appointments, within an academic year at UK schools. The average cycle includes up to ten appointments, meaning fertility leave policies don’t even facilitate one full round of IVF.
With no legal right to time off for treatment, many are forced to take unpaid leave to attend appointments or are told to “schedule it for the holidays” – something impossible to do when the treatment relies on the menstrual cycle. But why would your employer know that?
Government and schools need to do better. As there’s no statutory right to paid time off, the responsibility falls on employers and then schools have to implement employer policy.
Schools must reconsider their fertility leave policies. If not the leave they fund,
then the services they put in place to support staff struggling to start a family. The financial burden is just that, a burden. But the isolation? The shattering of your sense of self? The detrimental effect on all of your relationships? They are the real kicker. While you are surrounded by a sea of children all day, you feel like you’re drowning in your own childlessness.
Even though it’s been proven time and time again that when our wellbeing suffers, our work suffers too, there is very little recognition of those seeking fertility treatment in wellbeing agendas, or in support packages offered. Instead of being an insidious presence in the shadows, we must work to force the issue out into the open.
Here is where schools should start.
1. Listen, don’t lecture
Unsolicited advice about ‘going on holiday’ or ‘relaxing’ may be well-intended, but it feels completely invalidating to someone who is struggling to conceive.
Be a safe space and a sounding board. Listen without judgement – infertility is nuanced and no two cases are the same. Suggestions and advice about treatment or trying to conceive aren’t helpful and often feel dismissive.
2. Educate yourselves
IVF is complex. I still don’t fully understand everything about it, and I’ve had three rounds. That said, it becomes an added burden and frustration having to explain why you need leave, why you can only give a day’s notice and why you need access to a fridge to store your injections. Schools could improve this experience by having a designated member of HR who is clued up about fertility treatment.
Likewise, staff rooms and shared employee areas could benefit from including resources about fertility. While I worked with my previous trust to attempt to establish this, progress was slow and more could be done to have accessible resources to support staff who are struggling.
3. Break the stigma
I’ve yet to work in a school that routinely recognises National Fertility Awareness Week (it is 4-8 November this year).
continued on page 31
Pregnancy loss
For women and parents experiencing pregnancy loss including ectopic or molar pregnancy, miscarriage, termination/abortion, stillbirth or neonatal death, we call for:
Compassion understanding and reassurance if we experience a baby loss
Dignity appropriate washing and toilet facilities at work
Respect for our choices, our
Privacy protect
Time
continued from page 29
There should be an ongoing effort to raise awareness around infertility. It isn’t going to disappear – it can’t be brushed away.
Instead, ongoing non-judgemental dialogue around fertility will aid the breaking down of barriers and support an inclusive school community. Schools should consider support groups and welcoming spaces.
Your reality is quickly altered when struggling to conceive. A future with children quickly dissolves, while you scramble to pick up the pieces.
Those pieces shouldn’t have to picked up alone in the dark. Adequate support and awareness can make all the difference.
4. Provide enough paid leave
If fertility leave doesn’t cover a full round of IVF treatment, how effective is it?
Schools are busy places; cover is more sought after than ever. There’s a recruitment and retention crisis. Do you know what doesn’t help that crisis? Making staff feel even more financial pressure by having to self-fund their leave for fertility appointments.
Fertility leave policies must be reconsidered. Is the cost of a few hours of cover really comparable with the mental and financial impact that not covering this leave will have for the staff member?
1 in 6 couples suffer with infertility
Negotiating leave:
NEU members at Leigh Academies Trust have won several enhancements to their leave entitlements, including for fertility treatment.
After conducting a survey of members across the trust on entitlements, it was clear many felt that the statutory five days of paid leave after, or while receiving, fertility treatment was not enough.
After negotiating with the trust, it was agreed that staff would be able to take up to 12 days’ paid leave to receive fertility treatment. Three days’ paid leave has also been given to the spouse or partner of a person receiving fertility treatment, to attend appointments.
Lead rep at the large trust, Caroline Watson (pictured right), explains why it was important to negotiate for sufficient leave for fertility
As someone who is not childless by choice, I am reminded constantly of the sadness of my situation. People around me find it uncomfortable, offering sympathy or positivity in the hope it will fix it.
The truth is, it can’t be fixed. I can’t magic up a baby, but I can push for change. I can push for better policies. I can push for recognition. I don’t have hope in many things anymore, but I honestly hope that we will do better by the childless who are educating the nation’s children.
n fertilityfamily.co.uk
n fertilitynetworkuk.org
n theivfnetwork.com
n The NEU is working on a model policy for fertility leave – keep an eye out at neu.org.uk/maternity Resources
“You don’t choose to have fertility issues”
treatment. At her previous school, she underwent IVF treatment for her first child but, she says, it was difficult to find time in the school schedule to start the process.
“I was given the appointment to start IVF in January, but I had to say to the doctors: ‘I’m a teacher. There’s no way I’m going to be able to get these hours off.’”
She managed to reschedule the appointment for the end of term. “I was lucky –normally you can’t move appointments; they tell you this is when you have to do it.”
Caroline believes having appropriate leave entitlement for fertility treatment is vital: “You don’t choose to have fertility issues. I think it’s very important to have that leave so, when the dates to start IVF are given, staff can go ahead and do it.”
THANK YOU to all NEU members who supported the Viva La Educación appeal in 2022 which delivered more than £100,000 of educational aid to Cuba. We hope you can also support Cuba Vive – our new appeal to send medical aid to Cuba. á
Medical Aid Appeal
END THE BLOCKADE ON HEALTH
US sanctions are depriving 11 million Cubans of vital medicines and surgical supplies. Cuba’s commitment to health as a human right has helped the country achieve worldrenowned health services for its people despite 62 years of an illegal US blockade. Today, these achievements are under threat. Cuba Vive is an appeal to send life-saving medical aid to Cuba. Thank you to everyone who has already donated and helped to raise £100,000 so far.
Find out how you can support and donate to Cuba Vive at cubavive.org.uk
First year students at the Alejandro García Caturla Elementary School of Music receive new violins
First year students at the San Alejandro School of Visual Arts with paints, brushes and paper
NEU members with the Braille machines they will deliver to Cuba on the October 2024 delegation
Cartoon by Tim Sanders
All change or more of the same old, same old?
Warwick Mansell is a freelance education journalist and founder/writer of educationuncovered.
HOW different will this government be from the last? It’s a question being asked across public policy in these early months of a Labour administration. And it feels especially pertinent with respect to education, which saw complex and controversial reform efforts during the Conservative years.
Some of Labour’s early moves strike me as an obvious break from the past. Clearly, the decision to accept the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body on teacher pay was a welcome start.
The move to provide free breakfast clubs in every primary school, as flagged up in Labour’s manifesto and with plans for a pilot announced at the party conference, also indicates an important contrast with 2010-2024.
The Conservatives often seemed not
to want to talk about poverty in relation to education. This was symbolised by Michael Gove’s decision to change the name of the Department for Children, Schools and Families to the Department for Education, on the basis that his Labour predecessor Ed Balls had been wrong to try to situate schools policy within a wider context.
Under the Tories, it often seemed that there was a reluctance to acknowledge that poverty could hold children back in the classroom, since that might be taken to imply lower expectations.
But looking away always seemed to me to be misguided. If a child arrives at school hungry, how can they learn properly?
Labour’s free breakfast club plan does, then, signal change. While the party is being criticised for not going far enough – the NEU is calling for free school meals for all primary children – this move at least indicates an acceptance that education success depends also on improving children’s socioeconomic conditions.
Looking at the detail of schools policy, however, it is unclear whether the coming years are likely to be most notable for
continuity or change. Labour has launched a review of the curriculum, for example, holding out the promise that it will end up more “modern” and broader than that presided over by Gove and the long-serving schools minister, Nick Gibb.
However, the review is notable for featuring multi-academy trust chief executives rather than union or subject association representatives. And it seems unclear what Labour thinks about the detail of the traditionalist approach pushed hard by Gibb in particular.
Similarly, there seems no obvious break from the Conservative approach to school behaviour management, which leant towards punitive approaches as supported by its lead adviser Tom Bennett.
The academies policy is also crying out for a deep review by a new regime. But at the time of writing this had yet to begin.
Hyperactive school reform efforts were launched in 1997 and 2010. There is certainly a case that schools are exhausted from such change, and need a break. But is continuity with the recent past really the way for this new government to go?
Ask the union
Unqualified as a swim teacher
I’M a reception teacher and have been asked to teach swimming lessons. I’m not a trained lifesaver, although I’ve been told I’ll have a first aider with me. I feel very anxious about this. Does this sound sufficient?
Swimming and water safety is included in the national curriculum in England for key stages 1 and 2. It needs to be taught in a professional way, with safety a priority, whether using a school pool or an external venue.
Drowning is a common cause of accidental death among children, so it is concerning that your school is expecting you to take this on without a trained lifeguard present. We suggest you ask your head teacher to check your employer’s policy on swimming safety.
n Your school can find out more about qualifications covering different levels of swim teaching and supervision from Swim England at swimming.org/swimengland
n The Royal Life Saving Society UK provides information on pool lifeguard courses at rlss.org.uk/our-qualifications-and-awards
Pay progression on mat leave
I’VE been on maternity leave and haven’t received pay progression. I didn’t think to question it until a colleague suggested it was discriminatory. Are they right?
It is unlawful to deny pay progression because of maternity leave. You must receive any pay increase that you would have received had you not been on maternity leave. This includes performance-related pay, an annual cost-ofliving increase, and any other increase due to a pay increment, promotion or re-grading.
Your progression on the pay range should have been backdated and applied to your maternity pay during your leave and to your substantive pay on your return to work.
The Department for Education’s pay advice states: “When a teacher returns to work from maternity leave, the school must give her any pay increase that she would have received, following appraisal, had she not been on maternity leave.”
The NEU therefore advises that pay decisions be taken with reference to such information as is available. This might include information from the most recent appraisal review or any part of the appraisal period when the teacher was present. You should receive pay progression unless you were subject to formal capability procedures before you went on leave.
Take this information to your head teacher and ask for your pay progression to be
Free CPD webinars for all NEU members
Here are some of the continuing professional development (CPD) webinars coming up.
Primary – making the most of break time for learners with SEND
Explore issues and opportunities that arise during recreation, covering social skills, behaviour and language, resolving misunderstandings and emotional literacy.
12 November 3.45-5pm
Surviving & thriving in middle leadership
Discussing the challenges in relation to wellbeing and self-care. It covers values
and purpose, modelling and school culture, courageous conversations, and how to build support networks.
26 November 11am-12.30pm
Poverty
and pupil wellbeing
The links between poverty and wellbeing, and what school staff can do to increase the inclusion of pupils facing these issues.
28 November 3.45-5pm
Developing senior leaders
In-person programme for new leaders in a senior leadership role or experienced middle leaders. Four in-person sessions
instated and backdated. If they refuse, speak to your NEU rep or contact your local office. You are entitled to appeal the decision, and most pay appeals are successful as employers are unlikely to be able to defend a decision to deny a pay award to a pregnant woman or new mother, as it is likely to be discriminatory on grounds of sex, pregnancy or maternity.
n See the NEU’s new guidance on pay rises and maternity leave at neu.org.uk/maternity
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
by TaniaVdB
over six months. Run in partnership with the Centre for Education Leadership, UCL. Starts January 2025
Developing middle leaders
Online programme for middle leaders blending research with practical activities designed to develop your confidence and leadership skills. Five live online sessions over six months. In partnership with the Centre for Educational Leadership, UCL. Starts February 2025
n Webinars are available for 14 days.
n Visit neu.org.uk/national-cpd
PHOTO
A class act
Onwards and upwards
Darren Ingram (pictured) is head of philosophy and belief at Leicester High School for Girls. As Educate went to press, he was trekking the Ancascocha trail in Peru to raise money for LimbPower, a charity which supports amputees and people with limb difference. Sarah Thompson finds out what makes him a class act.
IN August 2020, Darren was involved in a life-changing motorcycle accident. He was airambulanced to University Hospital Coventry intensive care and doctors amputated his left leg below the knee.
“I had damage to my right knee, leading to a knee replacement, broken bones, including my collar bone and nose, and severe bruising to my head, face, arms and back. But the worst was my leg,” he explains.
In rehab, Darren was told it would take up to eight months to learn to walk again. “But I was determined I was going to do better than that,” he says. “And I was home with my prosthetic leg on New Year’s Eve.”
After a year focusing on his recovery, Darren went back to the classroom, joining a new school, Leicester High. He was nervous. “I was concerned about my mobility, dealing with phantom pain, a loss of energy and confidence. Also, accessibility and whether I would get the support I needed. I didn’t want to be a shadow of the teacher I had been.”
In reality, he found that “when it comes to the classroom, I’m the same. And I couldn’t ask for a more caring environment or imagine being in a better place.”
The school has made reasonable adjustments, including providing a classroom on the ground floor near the accessible entrance and the disabled toilet. Hospital appointments are agreed without question. And staff and students are quick to offer Darren help if he needs it on days when he finds it more difficult to get around.
From the clergy to the classroom
A former Methodist minister, Darren left the church in 2000 and began working in the newly created Connexions service, supporting young people at risk of social exclusion.
Occasionally, Darren overheard religious education (RE) lessons and felt disappointed the subject wasn’t being delivered in a more exciting way. He decided he could do better, and in 2002 began training as a teacher.
“Right from the go, I enjoyed the challenge of getting those who were disconnected to connect. I enjoyed seeing the lights go on, when all of a sudden you see a
“When it comes to the classroom, I’m the same. I couldn’t ask for a more caring environment or imagine being in a better place.”
student ‘get it’, and they become interested, then excited. I love that.”
In an increasingly multi-faith society, Darren says RE is so valuable. “It’s a dynamic subject, constantly changing, really relevant. We’ve living at a time when certain branches of the political landscape are trying to bring division, as opposed to unity, and teaching RE is about making sure people have a greater understanding of each other.”
And at Leicester High School, the subject goes beyond just reflecting on topics from a religious perspective, he explains. Darren hopes students will be prepared for an adult world, where they may come across extremist views and misinformation.
“I hope we are giving them the critical skills to navigate their journey and equipping them with the ability to question, debate and rationalise their own beliefs and opinions.”
Support from LimbPower
Darren is hiking the “notoriously difficult” Ancascocha trail to raise money for LimbPower, a charity which has supported him since his accident. It offers people with
limb difference the chance to be involved in sport, and aims to bridge the gap between hospital rehabilitation and community and school engagement. Darren’s JustGiving fundraising page is more than halfway to his £4,500 target.
The climb will be tough. In addition to the altitude sickness most hikers experience with ascents of up to 4,650 metres, those with limb difference face extra challenges.
“Walking down a slope is very hard work,” says Darren. “Most amputees climb better than we descend because we have no real sensation.”
His students, who have “hearts of gold”, are hugely encouraging about his trek and made LimbPower one of the school’s chosen charities this year.
Taking on such a challenge has given Darren new-found confidence, and he is excited about future opportunities.
“I’m not going to let my limb difference hold me back,” he says.
n Visit limbpower.com
n Donate at justgiving.com/page/ darren-ingram-limbpower
Care4Calais is proud to work with the NEU whose members continue to support the refugee community in France and the UK
Join Our Coats4Calais Appeal
As winter approaches, refugees in Calais face dire conditions. With dropping temperatures and relentless rain, many are without the warmth they desperately need. At Care4Calais, we’re dedicated to providing warm coats, but our supplies are running low. We need your help to continue this vital support.
DONATE A SECOND-HAND COAT
Have a warm coat you no longer need? We have drop-off points nationwide
MAKE A DONATION
Can’t donate a coat? You can still help by contributing to the purchase of new coats.
VOLUNTEER WITH CARE4CALAIS
Join our team on the ground to help distribute coats and essentials FIND OUT MORE BY VISITING OUR WEBSITE: WWW.CARE4CALAIS.ORG
OR ORGANISE AN NEU BRANCH DELEGATION TO VISIT CALAIS
NEU report on global teacher shortage
THE NEU has urged the Labour government to prioritise action to tackle the global teacher shortage in a new report published on World Teachers’ Day (5 October).
The UK is experiencing a crisis in the recruitment and retention of teachers that is replicated worldwide. Just as thousands of additional teachers are required in the UK, some 44 million more are required to deliver universal primary and secondary education globally by 2030.
While this phenomenon affects developing and developed countries alike, teacher shortages are largest in the areas where needs are greatest. Fifteen million new teachers – one in three of the additional teachers that must be recruited by 2030 – are needed in sub-Saharan Africa alone to meet the requirements of expanding education systems.
UK government policies in recent years have exacerbated shortages of qualified teachers in the Global South, illustrated most notably by the failure to recruit and retain adequate numbers of trained teachers in Britain.
Education systems in the Commonwealth, especially small states in the Caribbean such as Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, have been particularly affected, with almost 500 teachers from Jamaica recruited to teach in England in 2023.
As the NEU report Prioritise teachers to transform education makes clear, we cannot tackle the teacher shortage in England and Wales by exacerbating the shortage in other parts of the world.
A global response necessary
Today, a quarter of a billion children are out of school around the world, and millions more are in school but not receiving a basic education. Efforts to get more children into the classroom and learning will fail without bold action to invest in the world’s teachers.
That’s why the union is urging the government to stand at the forefront of a global endeavour to get UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 – which guarantees all children and young people the right to
Some 44 million additional teachers will be needed worldwide by 2030.
education – back on track by investing in education at home and abroad. The NEU report outlines the importance of addressing the global teacher shortage as a priority in the new government’s global education and international development policy.
It puts forward a series of recommendations for how the government can support all children globally to access a qualified, well-trained and well-supported teacher. This includes the development of a new global teacher strategy to support the recruitment, retention and training of qualified teachers in the Global South.
The report urges the UK to enhance collaboration with teachers’ unions, source countries and international agencies to address this crisis. We want the UK
government to work with the international community to establish a new mechanism to ensure the timely and regular payment of salaries for teachers working in crisis-affected contexts. This is because in crisis-affected areas across the world, such as Gaza and the West Bank, Lebanon and Sudan, it is common for teachers to regularly go months without payment of their salaries. This has a devastating impact on the livelihoods and wellbeing of teachers and their families – and of course, on teacher retention.
The report was launched at a roundtable at Labour party conference, chaired by NEU deputy general secretary Niamh Sweeney. Speakers were Carlos Vargas, of UNESCO and head of the secretariat for the International Taskforce on Teachers for Education 2030; and Dennis Sinyolo, director of Education International’s Africa regional office.
The report was warmly welcomed by our expert speakers and a range of parliamentarians and partners. Mr Sinyolo said: “Education International is pleased to partner with the NEU and we welcome the publication of this very important report.
“I urge the government to take the report’s recommendations seriously.”
n To read the report, visit neu.org.uk/about/ international
(From left) Dennis Sinyolo of Education International; NEU deputy general secretary Niamh Sweeney; and UNESCO’s Carlos Vargas at the launch of the NEU’s report on tackling the global teacher shortage
Reviews
Making Every PE Lesson Count
THIS is a thoughtful and well-written book, which could be useful for teachers at any stage in their career. It lists six principles to support physical education teaching: challenge, explanation, modelling, practice, questioning and feedback. James Crane combines the best research on learning and teaching with some practical, worked through examples. An excellent guide for anyone who teaches or would like to teach this subject.
Cavan Wood
Making Every PE Lesson Count by James Crane. Crown House Publishing. £14.99.
Art Shaped
FIFTY inspiring 3D art ideas from teacher, artist and trainer Darrell Wakelam, using cardboard and other inexpensive resources. These innovative projects are split into five key topics: Faces and figures, Birds and beasts, The natural world, The made world and Imaginary. Each activity has a list of tools and materials required, step-by-step instructions accompanied by photographs, and cross-curricular links to other subjects including religious education, science and history.
This book gives clear guidelines on how to generate exciting projects, and would be very useful for those who lack confidence in teaching art and design and technology – or anyone with a passion for art.
Cindy Shanks
Art Shaped: Sustainable 3D Art Projects to Kickstart Children’s Creativity by Darrell Wakelam. Bloomsbury Education. £19.99.
Read a book that other educators might find useful?
Send us your 100-word review to educate@neu.org.uk with a link to the book, plus your membership number, and your review could be published.
Physics: 100 Ideas in 100 Words
BY describing 100 ideas, each in less than 100 words, David Sang has produced a short summary of our knowledge of physics, with a flavour of its historical context.
Created in partnership with the Science Museum, this book is a masterpiece of concision, clarity, accuracy and elegant readability. It is accessible to interested GCSE students and might well inspire them to follow a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Even teachers or researchers will find nuggets that are new.
The book is replete with quotes that will be decorating my laboratory walls, and anecdotes that I will weave into lessons. It is worth reading just for the great number of women scientists it celebrates. In the margin of each idea, the author lists why it matters, the key thinkers involved, what comes next and other ideas to explore, providing the impetus for further reading.
A great read that demonstrates why science has become such a powerful way of understanding our natural world and the development of technology.
Mike Follows
Physics 100 Ideas in 100 Words: A Whistle-Stop Tour of Key Concepts by David Sang. Dorling Kindersley. £12.98.
Teacher Man: Diaries of Life Inside a Primary School
THIS book is based on viral tweets George Pointon made about the funny things that kids in his classroom said, and is sure to resonate with primary school educators, especially teaching assistants (TAs). It follows Pointon’s journey starting out as a primary TA, to his decision to become a secondary school personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education teacher. It is full of laughs and wisdom, be it the bizarre insights of five-year-olds or the author’s own thoughts on parenthood and Covid lockdowns.
A fun read that captures the highs and lows of working with kids.
Rosa Grant
Teacher Man: Diaries of Life Inside a Primary School by George Pointon. Harper Collins. £16.99.
SEND Strategies for the Primary Years
A HIGHLY accessible and practical handbook for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Written in refreshing, straightforward language, it contains a wealth of information and expert advice. Case studies open every chapter, highlighting the real challenges that face children with SEND. Jam-packed with practical strategies and activities, each chapter contains an extensive bank of resources to further support learning intentions, providing a treasure trove of ways to support
children in the classroom and at home. Interventions and programmes are enriched with QR codes linking to videos showing how activities are done in practice. These links give opportunity for further reading on specific areas. The positive tone of the book reinforces a can-do approach to inclusivity. A welcome resource for SEND co-ordinators, primary teachers and parents alike.
Sabine Sutton
SEND Strategies for the Primary Years by Georgina Durrant. Bloomsbury. £18.99.
Passing on good reads to parents
LIKE most teachers and school librarians, I regularly get asked by parents and carers for book recommendations. It is enormously rewarding when you suggest a book then the parent or child approaches you a few weeks later to tell you how much they enjoyed it.
However, we all know that some families find it a challenge to engage with their children’s reading, for a variety of reasons. This does not mean that schools should give up though, because an important breakthrough could be just around the corner.
‘My mum watches loads of TikTok’
There are several simple but effective ways to ‘drip feed’ a knowledge of children’s books to parents. As a starting point, it is worth asking pupils for potential strategies as they understand their parents best.
n This year our Reading Champions came up with the idea of recording a short video where they each talked about a couple of favourite books because ‘my mum watches loads of TikTok’. They included poetry, graphic novels, picture books, non-fiction and novels, and showed where the books could be found in the school library.
The video was shared with parents and added to the school’s online platforms. The books were also put on display in the school’s reception area, along with a comment on a sticky note from one of the pupils.
n In our Friday celebration assembly, to which parents and carers are invited, we always ensure that we find the time for at least one book recommendation, usually from a pupil.
n We regularly share books on our school Facebook page as we know that it is often the first port of call for families. When we learned that The Wild Robot was being made into a film, it seemed like the ideal time to let parents know that we have several copies in the library.
the chance to win a copy by liking and commenting on the post. We have learned that, once they are aware of it, some will pick up a copy of the book from the local library or occasionally buy one.
There is the enormous added benefit of increasing book
ownership among pupils. In a 2023 study by the National Literacy Trust, nine per cent of children did not own a book of their own, rising to 13 per cent for children receiving free school meals. If we can help get more books into the hands of our pupils, we have a duty to do so.
Jon Biddle, English lead and NEU rep at Moorlands Primary in Norfolk, is passionate about fostering a love of reading for pleasure. Here he shares ideas and tips for schools to try. Read more ideas from
n Recently, we have started to run an occasional book giveaway, where we promote a book that we know will be popular with pupils, write a short summary of it, then give parents
n We set up a Moorlands WhatsApp reading group a couple of years ago. Although it only has about 20 members and most of them are parents who are already quite engaged with their children’s reading, we have had a few people join who want ideas about how they can help their child with reading. The majority of the suggestions come from other parents, which makes it more collaborative. It is lovely to take a back seat and let parents engage with
each other, especially when they offer to lend books and organise visits to the local library. It’s important to remember almost all parents want their children to enjoy reading but often lack confidence in their own knowledge of children’s books, which is completely understandable. If schools can make it slightly easier for them, suggesting and guiding them towards books we think their children will enjoy, but also providing valuable opportunities for them to interact with other parents, the potential benefits are immense.
@jonnybid
Four of Moorlands’ many avid readers
Arrival of Basque child refugees in 1937
THANK you for the article about the International Brigade (see Educate, September/ October, page 50).
I’m sorry you didn’t mention the arrival of the Basque child refugees in May 1937, on the SS Habana in Southampton. There were 3,964 children, 214 teachers and volunteers, plus seven medical staff. The government refused permission for them to land, until the Salvation Army (SA), the Communist party and a lot of trade unionists agreed that it ‘would be no call on the public purse’.
Inspiring bi+ educators
I AM excited to share my experience of the bi+ educators’ network residential, held during Liverpool Pride in July 2024. I hope it will inspire other members to re-commit to being proactive champions of equity and inclusion by empowering ourselves and others to make a positive difference in our schools and communities.
By deepening our understanding of bi+ and broader LGBT+ issues, we can foster brave spaces for acceptance, understanding and respect. I encourage everyone to pursue similar learning opportunities and become proactive leaders, creating meaningful change in our schools and communities.
C.M.P (HBASc, HBSW)
More good news?
Welcomed in Southampton, the children were put up in large tents, then gradually dispersed around the country to local communities who cared for them. The costs were covered by the SA, trade unions and various political groups.
This was a time when our leaders were appeasing Europe’s fascist dictators and refused to help Spain’s elected government. The British government turned a blind eye as Hitler and Mussolini sent soldiers, airplanes and weapons to help General Franco crush Spanish democracy. Spanish towns and cities were mercilessly bombed, streams of refugees fled Franco’s advancing army and violence was inflicted on the civilian population.
Anti-fascists around the world were outraged that Spain was being abandoned. Tens of thousands of them crossed the Pyrenees to defend a progressive government that had given votes and legal rights to women and had built thousands of new schools and hospitals. They warned there would be another world war unless fascism was stopped in Spain. They were proved right and, five months after Franco declared victory, World War II began. The International Brigade volunteers came from all walks of life. In Spain their cry was ¡No pasarán! – They shall not pass! – also used by demonstrators who stopped fascist Blackshirts marching through the Jewish area of Whitechapel in London in October 1936. Scores of those who took part in the Battle of Cable Street went on to fight in Spain. The IBMT’s mission is to keep alive the memory and spirit of the International Brigades, both in schools and in trade unions. We believe their example of anti-fascism and international solidarity is as inspiring and relevant today as it was in the 1930s. Unions have a special role to play. Just as we remember those who fought for trade union rights, for the vote, and for women’s rights, so we should remember those who first resisted fascism. n Visit international-brigades.org.uk to access educational resources and to search a database of more than 2,000 International Brigade volunteers.
When the Spanish Civil War ended, Franco demanded the children be returned to Spain, and many went, but a lot remained in the UK as it was too dangerous to go home.
You can find a good account of this in Victoria Hislop’s book, The Return.
Peter Ryerson, Middlesex
Teacher’s pet Luna
Luna is the lovely dog of Heather Blain, an English and media studies teacher in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.
Heather says: “Luna is my eccentric labradoodle. She smacks open my bedroom door every morning at 6am with a firm paw to wake me up for walkies.
“Watching the sunrise, listening to birdsong and smelling freshly mown grass or tree blossom with my furry friend is the perfect start to my teaching day.”
If you have a treasured pet you’d like to show off, email a high-resolution photo with 50 words about what makes them so special to educate@neu.org.uk
As educators, we have a crucial role in empowering young people and shaping a better future. The residential offered strategies to better support bi+ students and colleagues. Through guided discussions, we delved into the complexities of bi+ identities and the unique challenges faced by this community.
I BECAME a member of the NUT in 1979 and always looked forward to receiving the union magazine.
I enjoyed reading the items from education staff about what was happening in their school and classrooms. The magazine was full of new ideas, resources
¡No pasarán! Remembering the International Brigades
International Brigade Memorial Trust drummers at the Durham Miners’ Gala in July
PHOTO by Paul Mattsson/reportdigital.co.uk
Please write The editor welcomes your letters but reserves the right to edit them. Write to Letters, Educate, NEU, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD or email educate@neu.org.uk
Please note we cannot print letters sent in without a name and postal address (or NEU membership number), although we can withhold details from publication if you wish.
and items that challenged and inspired my approach in the classroom.
Since the NEU took over the reins, I have become more and more depressed with the content included in the magazine. In the September/October issue I found barely four pages that gave any positive, useful information for classroom teaching. Your magazine has evolved into a political sounding board for every negative issue happening in education.
Yes, we need to be aware of issues, but this is overkill. Any new teachers joining the profession must be so disillusioned after reading the articles and wondering what the future holds for them.
Surely we want to strengthen teachers’ morale and enthusiasm, and focus more on positivity and support for them in the classroom, rather than publishing endless pictures of rallies and banners?
Tina Langford, Telford
The editor writes: We are proud to shout from the rooftops about the courageous work of local reps who are fighting important disputes to defend their terms and conditions. It’s important to see your union backing you and cheering you on when you’re involved in such battles.
We’re a campaigning, organising union and therefore it’s important for us to showcase the many campaigns our union is involved in – nationally and locally. We also carry features on a wide variety of issues.
However, we take your feedback on board, and are considering running a readers’ survey to see how we can improve what we think is an excellent magazine.
Star letter Passionate NEU reps sharing best practice
THE NEU’s first reps conference took place in Leeds in September. Reps from up and down the country gathered to network and share best industrial practice, and it was so popular that organisers had to book an extra hotel to accommodate all those attending.
The conference kicked off with a panel of speakers, including NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede and president Phil Clarke, and president of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), Cecily Myartz-Cruz.
Sessions included practical workshops such as Organising the workplace; an educational session on the union’s Free School Meals for All campaign (the legendary blue van parked outside for members to sign up and show their support); and a discussion on the NEU snap poll on pay and funding (see page 7).
In the latter session, reps raised concerns about future funding and budgeting, as well
as the impact on support staff. Discussion around the poll also led to a much wider debate on how best to plan for ballot action. A panel of reps in dispute spoke passionately at both venues about their workplaces, including the organisation of a ballot across multiple workplaces in a multiacademy trust (MAT).
The conference closed with
a fiery, galvanising speech of solidarity from Cecily MyartzCruz, who received a standing ovation.
With an increase in localised action and a growing need for coordinated efforts across MATs, conferences such as this one are a good opportunity to reflect on strategy and share best practice.
Sarah Green, Greenwich
CLASSROOM confidential
Moving from primary to secondary school can be a traumatic time for some children, and with that in mind, year 6 children were asked by the local secondary school to fill out a booklet to ease transition.
The ‘getting to know you’ section was a series of questions. The first was: “Do you have any pets?” to which one of my pupils answered: “No.”
The second was: “What are they?”
“Dead,” came the reply.
n Email your classroom confidential to educate@neu.org.uk
Send us your funny stories to win a £30 gift voucher
Cheshire East NEU reps with new Educators against the far right merchandise at the reps conference in Leeds
PHOTO by Kois Miah
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Podcasts and puzzles from the BBC
BBC Bitesize and BBC Teach have free, curriculum-relevant resources for teachers this half-term.
BBC Bitesize has simple, impactful learner guides with videos, activities and quizzes to help primary pupils learn step by step, and a collection of games which help them practise skills and level up.
For secondary students, there are video-rich, self-study modules for GCSE which include quick-fire quizzes, examstyle questions and revision podcasts, and interactive activities and award-winning games for key stage 3.
n Visit bbc.co.uk/bitesize
Anti-Bullying Week starts on 11 November and BBC Teach has a live lesson and an assembly plan, both for key stage 2 pupils, which explore ways to foster a positive, respectful environment.
Look out for more resources on BBC Teach, including a Quentin Blake live lesson in December.
n Visit bbc.co.uk/teach
Super Sonic design for the silver screen
THE British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and Paramount Pictures UK are calling for children aged four to 11 to showcase their artistic talent by designing the official BBFC black card for Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Once the BBFC black card – which includes the title, register number and age rating symbol – appears onscreen, you know your film is about to begin. The winning design will be shown in cinemas across the UK before every Sonic 3 screening.
The winner will be invited to the film’s UK premiere, where they will be presented with a framed copy of their winning black card and a BBFC goody bag.
The competition encourages children to unleash their creativity while educating them about the importance of age ratings in protecting young audiences.
The competition closes on 22 November. n Visit bbfc.co.uk/education/create-the-cardcompetition-2024
UK Feminista launches antisexism resources and award UK FEMINISTA has launched a suite of resources to help primary schools tackle sexism. They include classroom activities for all year groups to challenge gender stereotypes and promote equality in an ageappropriate way.
All are available to download on UK Feminista’s online resource hub for teachers, where you can also find a variety of other tools to tackle sexism in school.
Applications are also now open for the annual UK Feminista: Action Award (see Educate, September/October, page 23), a national programme recognising and rewarding schools and colleges for taking action to combat sexism and sexual harassment.
n Visit ukfeminista.org.uk/teachers
Free online yoga classes for NEU educators
FORMER secondary school teacher Jess Glassock (pictured) is offering NEU members access to two free yoga classes.
Taking place online on 12 and 26 November from 8-9pm, the sessions are on a first come, first served basis with a maximum of 40 participants per session.
Jess said: “As a former teacher, I know the importance of staff wellbeing within education. For this reason I wanted to offer two free online classes for educators. I hope to see some of you at the online sessions, and I hope you are having a great start to the academic year.”
Book your space at tinyurl.com/jessyoga and select the Yoga for Teachers class on either 12 or 26 November.
@jmgyoga
JMG Yoga
The NEU knows the importance of early years education and we’re proud to represent early years professionals across the sector, from reception classes, to maintained children’s centres, to private nurseries.
Check you’re on the correct membership type:
If you’re a teacher working in a maintained nursery or reception class, the NEU standard membership type will apply to you.
If you’re a nursery nurse, a room lead, an early years practitioner in an early years setting, the NEU support membership type will apply to you.
If you’re unsure about your membership type, contact the membership team on 0345 811 8111 or membership@neu.org.uk
Working in early years and want to get involved?
Did you know the NEU has an Early Years Reference Group for members to connect and organise?
Go to neu.org.uk/EYWhatsApp to find out more.
THIS beautiful photo was captured by Lily-Mae Hackett, a teacher based in Melton Mowbray.
Lily says: “Over the summer, my dad and I climbed Mount Snowdon to celebrate his 50th birthday. This photo was taken in the early hours of the morning as the first light of day crept across the mountain and the sun edged over the horizon. There was something special about
seeing the start of a new day from the top of the highest mountain in Wales.”
Why not send a picture to us at educate@neu.org.uk. It should be large and high resolution, accompanied by 50 words about its subject. We send a £20 book token to each featured so don’t forget to include your address in the email too.
IT’S vital that the NEU has up-to-date details for all its members. You may be eligible for reduced subscriptions – for example, if you work part-time, are about to take maternity leave or retire.
It’s important that we have the correct address for you for balloting purposes so, if you have moved, make sure you tell us your new home or workplace address.
The easiest way to update your details is by logging on to myNEU. Go to my.neu.org.uk to manage
your membership, including updating your address, workplace and equality information. Alternatively: n call us on 0345 811 8111 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm) n email membership@neu.org.uk
n or write to Membership & Subscriptions, NEU, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD.
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Quick crossword
Across
1 US state, birthplace of George Washington (8)
6 ___ Winslet: English actress (4)
8 Pierre de ___ : French mathematician known for his Last Theorem (6)
9 Chess piece (6)
10 Flightless Australian bird (3)
11 Villain of Shakespeare’s Othello (4)
12 Material used in sculptures, for example the Venus de Milo (6)
13 ___ the Confessor: English king (6)
15 The ___ Underground: rock band (6)
17 DC Comics hero from Gotham City (6)
20 Florence ___ : English actress (4)
21 ___ Lovelace: English
mathematician (3)
22 Country ruled by a sultan (6)
23 British gold coin, replaced by the sovereign (6)
24 Mediterranean island where Napoleon was exiled (4)
25 Devon setting of The Hound of the Baskervilles (8)
Down
2 Country whose largest city is Reykjavik (7)
3 Stew popular in Louisiana (5)
4 Pocket-sized computer (7)
5 Abbey Road or Come On Over, say (5)
6 Bird of prey that can hover (7)
7 Fantasy creature found under bridges (5)
14 Chemical with the formula NH3 (7)
15 Name of two interstellar NASA space probes (7)
16 Greek artist who lived in
Toledo (2,5)
1 - US state, birthplace of George Washington (8)
6 - ___ Winslet: English actress (4)
18 ___ Lavigne: Canadian singer (5)
Down
19 Greek water spirit (5)
20 In the Iliad, the king of Troy (5)
8 - Pierre de ___ : French mathematician known for his Last Theorem (6)
9 - Chess piece (6)
10 - Flightless Australian bird (3)
11 - Villain of Shakespeare's Othello (4)
12 - Material used in sculptures, for example the Venus de Milo (6)
13 - ___ the Confessor: English king (6)
15 - The ___ Underground: rock band (6) 17 - DC Comics hero from Gotham City (6)
20 - Florence ___ : English actress (4)
21 - ___ Lovelace: English mathematician (3)
22 - Country ruled by a sultan (6)
23 - British gold coin, replaced by the sovereign (6)
24 - Mediterranean island where Napoleon was exiled (4)
25 - Devon setting of The Hound of the Baskervilles (8)
2 - Country whose largest city is Reykjavik (7)
3 - Stew popular in Louisiana (5)
4 - Pocket-sized computer (7)
5 - Abbey Road or Come On Over, say (5)
6 - Bird of prey that can hover (7)
Sudoku solutions will feature on this page next issue. Last
7 - Fantasy creature found under bridges (5)
14 - Chemical with the formula NH3 (7)
15 - Name of two interstellar NASA space probes (7)
16 - Greek artist who lived in Toledo (2,5)
18 - ___ Lavigne: Canadian singer (5)
19 - Greek water spirit (5)
20 - In the Iliad, the king of Troy (5)
Prize crossword
£50 Marks & Spencer voucher
Across 1 Teach a sport wrongly? Disaster! (11)
9 Paying attention? Maybe Nigel isn’t (9)
10 A small department is very skilled (5)
11 More inquisitive than new one, Sir (6)
12 Pre-natal arrangement is concerning Mum and Dad (8)
13 Most recent news on the French exam? (6)
15 Wonderful dancing OU girls grab Oscar (8)
18 Novice puts out green bin (8)
19 Penny Lane combined with Holst’s ending for Mars, perhaps (6)
21 Create art elite able to read and write (8)
23 Sadly is left to suffocate (6)
26 Lied badly about a perfect thing (5)
27 Possibly even Craig has cause for complaint (9)
28 Class and set moved beach structures (11)
Down
1 Rank punctuation mark using help centre (7)
2 Head of Training requests jobs (5)
3 ‘As seen on TV’ perhaps, but not a 19th-century Scottish author (9)
4 Republican to help with surprise attack (4)
5 Gail’s tip for making girls’ hairstyles (8)
6 Rub out part of answer as erroneous (5)
7 Babies’ toys startle unexpectedly (7)
8 Expelled from university? Dons went mad! (4,4)
14 Revised Roget includes the synonym for ‘simultaneously, at the same time’ (8)
16 Members of your family are reversing some of these vital errors (9) 17 Shape produced by ballpoint with label on (8)
18 Oxford college partially backing
mineral oil laboratory (7)
20 Article uses different Greek hero (7)
22 Regrets about 50 regulations (5)
24 Last game in France, with a ‘nil’ outcome (5)
25 Metal making a bit of a fizz in Chemistry (4)
Send your completed crossword, with your contact details, to: November/December crossword, Educate, NEU, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD, or email a photographed copy to crossword@neu.org.uk. Closing date: 30 November.
This issue’s quick crossword solution (p48)
The winner and solution of this prize crossword will feature on this page next issue. Congratulations
Adam
Unite behind the climate and nature bill
THERE is a movement growing in the UK calling on the Labour government to pass an innovative new law.
Fact file
Professor Becky Parker is a physics teacher and project lead at Project Earth. Visit zerohour.uk and projectearth. global
This legislation is called the climate and nature (CAN) bill. The campaigning group Zero Hour is spearheading 53,000 individuals, 1,200 scientists, 370 councils, 900 organisations and – perhaps most significantly – 173 MPs, all of whom are calling for this new law to become reality.
The CAN bill is a framework for a joined-up, science-led law, which will help us properly address the worst impacts of climate and nature breakdown. It will also deliver lots of co-benefits, such as cleaner air for our children to breathe, cheaper energy bills using homegrown renewable energy to heat our homes, and more green jobs.
Once law, it will reverse the destruction of nature in the UK, and this will enable us to honour the Paris Agreement and play our part in keeping below the 1.5°C temperature increase threshold. It will enable a just transition to a low-carbon, nature-positive economy involving citizens who will help ensure that it is delivered.
Climate and nature breakdown impacts on us all
Our purpose as educators is to educate, broaden learning horizons and empower young people for their futures –but this is becoming increasingly difficult due to climate and nature breakdown.
There are many issues we as teachers face that are directly connected to climate and nature breakdown. The impact it has on the mental health and wellbeing of young people. Our schools closing due to extreme heat, floods and wildfires. The impact on young people’s health affecting attendance – for example, through air pollution. The concerns of young people and educators alike triggering eco-anxiety. The list goes on.
Giving hope for the future of young people
As teachers, we rightly spend a lot of time on safeguarding, but it can feel overwhelming. When it comes to safeguarding the planet for our young people’s future, the CAN bill is a tangible solution within our grasp, written by scientists. Along with climate education and opportunities in schools, this will give hope to young people that they have a future.
Current legislation isn’t fit for purpose. We need to follow scientific evidence, and have a joined-up strategy to tackle climate and nature breakdown together – exactly what the CAN bill does.
We as teachers can play a meaningful part in calling for the CAN bill, to help secure a liveable future for the young people we teach and help reduce the impacts of climate and nature breakdown on education delivery. We must do this because it is a battle that we cannot lose.
n Zero Hour needs as many MPs as possible supporting the CAN bill. Visit action.zerohour.uk and write to your MP today.
Zero Hour campaigners are calling on MPs to pass the climate and nature (CAN) bill into law
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We’re here to help in so many ways which is why we also have appointments for you when you need them, in the evenings and on Saturdays. Find out more about the many ways we can help you into your first home. Ready to chat? Scan the QR code to arrange an appointment.
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