Julia Waters is optimistic for change. See page 21.
Tackling sexism in schools
UK Feminista school awards with Onjali Q Raúf. See page 23.
A year of solidarity
Forty years on from the miners’ strike. See page 26.
September/ October 2024
NEU backs carnival relaunch of Love Music Hate Racism
Educate September/October 2024
NEU members Gloria Anie (left) from Lambeth, London, and Elisabeth Jean-Marie from Essex, in front of the Love Music Hate Racism float at Notting Hill carnival, London, in August.
WELCOME to the first issue of Educate this term. I hope you had a wonderful break away from your colleges, schools and screens during the summer holidays.
This issue is the first under the new Labour government – the first in 14 years. And there are reasons to be cheerful about that (see page 6) – but also good cause to be vigilant.
It’s great that the chair of the government-commissioned curriculum review, Professor Becky Francis, has been appointed and is asking for evidence already (see page 8).
There is also cause to be optimistic around accountability – Julia Waters certainly thinks so. We interview the sister of head teacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life following an Inadequate Ofsted judgement (page 21). She has already met with new Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson, who has committed to scrapping single-word judgements.
And the NEU is recommending members accept the 5.5 per cent pay rise for teachers and leaders in England (for the delayed Welsh pay review recommendation, see Educate in Wales). Not to be sniffed at. But as NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede says on page 11, this still won’t bring teachers back to their 2010 pay levels.
The union is pressing Labour on free school meals (see page 9), restoring funding and tackling workload. And academisation – a test case on Labour’s view was the Byron Court Primary School campaign in Brent (see page 8). Despite a meeting with Bridget Phillipson, calling for a review of the Ofsted inspection which led to the academisation order, members and parents have been left bitterly disappointed.
We’ve plenty of reasons to oppose academisation. In this issue alone, we cover the NEU dispute at Longsands, in Cambridge, run by Astrea Academy Trust – which has seen more than 40 staff jump ship this year alone over workload and micro-management practices (see pages 13 and 31). Also of concern is the proposal by United Learning Trust – the largest multi-academy trust in England – to ask staff to opt out of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (page 9) in return for a higher salary.
I’ve barely space left to mention the features in this issue – from fighting sexism in schools, to a celebration of the 1984 miners’ strike – plenty to reflect on. And, of course, we’ve all the regulars for you.
Let us know your thoughts –email me at educate@neu.org.uk
Max Watson Editor, Educate
NEU president Phil Clarke
general secretary Daniel Kebede
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Schoolchildren in east London stage walkouts against corporal punishment and excessive workload, demanding shorter school hours, more holidays and the abolition of home lessons. Their action takes place shortly after the successful strike by dockers in London’s East End. The walkouts spread across the UK, with thousands of children participating, making banners with slogans such as ‘no cane’ and ‘shorter hours’. Corporal punishment is outlawed in UK state schools nearly 100 years later, in 1986.
26 ‘Knock on doors for a spare tin of coffee’
Educators share their stories of solidarity, 40 years after miners went on strike for 12 months over pit closures (above).
Julia Waters, sister of Ruth Perry, on her hopes for changes to Ofsted.
PHOTO by Christine Powell
PHOTO by Kois Miah
PHOTO by Jess Hurd
PHOTO by Marc Schossman
United in taking a stand against far-right hatred and violence
THOUSANDS of NEU members organised and joined anti-racist rallies and events across the country to counter a week of far-right violence in August. Uniting against racism and Islamophobia, members took part in local protests to reclaim the streets from thousands of fascists who had attacked communities, migrants and businesses, after three girls were killed in Southport. Hundreds were swiftly jailed for their part in the racist violence.
Daniel Kebede, NEU general secretary and a long-time campaigner against racism, spoke at the launch on 17 August of national campaign Stop the far right, in Hackney, east London, organised by Stand up to
Racism. The NEU is encouraging members to keep up the fight by taking part in local Stand Up to Racism groups and other initiatives.
On 28 September, the union is hosting an event, Educators countering the far right, at the NEU’s London headquarters. A range of UK and European organisations will talk about their work on challenging racism and run workshops with members to share resources that can be used in schools. Daniel said: “Divisive, hateful language and negative, racist stereotypes have a real and immediate impact on classrooms and the wellbeing of students and educators.”
n Sign up at tinyurl.com/anti-racism-neu
Resetting our relationship with government
THIRTEEN members and former NEU staff are now MPs following Labour’s landslide victory on 4 July, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.
They include former teacher and NEU members Allison Gardner and Tristan Osborne, former NEU organiser Natalie Fleet, and 2019 NEU president Amanda Martin – who defeated Conservative party chair, Penny Mordaunt, to win the Portsmouth North seat (see page 17).
Labour’s proposals include:
n a review of curriculum and assessment (see page 8)
n an end to single-word Ofsted judgements (see page 21)
n the recruitment of 6,500 new teachers
n breakfast clubs for all primary school pupils
n overturning the prohibitive 50 per cent
strike ballot threshold
n ending minimum service level requirements during strike action
n banning fire and rehire practices
n scrapping zero-hour contracts
The latest School Teachers’ Review Body pay recommendation of 5.5 per cent has been accepted by the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson (see opposite).
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede welcomed the new government, describing its willingness to reset the relationship between ministers and education professionals as “music to our members’ ears”.
But he warned that significantly more funding than promised was needed to counter 14 years of neglect, which had resulted in 70 per cent of schools being worse off than in 2010, and an unprecedented teacher recruitment and retention crisis.
The biggest obstacle to children’s learning was poverty, he said, calling on the new government to scrap the two-child benefit cap and introduce universal free school meals for all primary school children (see page 9).
“The NEU stands ready to work with Labour to ensure that we have the policies and funding in place to give every child the education they deserve,” said Daniel.
A Redbridge NEU banner in a 10,000-strong protest against racism in Walthamstow, north London, to counter a threatened far-right demo PHOTO by Jess Hurd
School year reform paused in Wales
NEU Cymru convinced Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle MS, to pause proposed school year reforms. See Educate in Wales.
Vote in our snap poll on 5.5% pay offer
THE union is urging members to vote to ACCEPT this year’s 5.5 per cent pay rise – the biggest real-terms award since 2009.
Teachers and leaders at local authority and academy schools in England, including those on maternity leave, are being asked to take part in the NEU’s snap poll between 21-30 September and ACCEPT the offer (there is a separate Welsh pay mechanism, see Educate in Wales).
SNAP POLL
10am on 21 September until 5pm on 30 September
The government decided to honour the pay rise for teachers and leaders recommended by the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), which warned in its report that it was “deeply concerned” about recruitment to teaching. It added: “While several factors affect teachers’ motivation, we believe the supply challenges are influenced in part by pay.”
In its evidence to the STRB this year, the NEU included results from our indicative ballot in March showing 53 per cent of members were prepared to strike for an above-inflation rise. Former Education Secretary Gillian Keegan had indicated an award of between one and two per cent would be given.
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said the offer was a “first step” in reversing
“This pay offer is a first step... a strong signal to the profession about a new course of direction in education.”
many years of real-terms pay cuts, but added there was some way to go in further pay rounds to restore the pay lost since 2010.
He added that the award was a “strong signal to the profession about a new course of direction in education”.
The union’s national executive believes the pay award, which is funded by an extra £1.2 billion, was won by members’ strike action in 2023 and your commitment to take further action, if necessary, if you were not offered a decent pay rise in 2024.
n Members will be texted or emailed a link to vote.
n It’s important that we have the correct contact details for you for balloting purposes. The easiest way to update your details is to go to my.neu.org.uk and log on to myNEU Alternatively, call us on 0345 811 8111 (Monday to Friday, 9am5pm) or email membership@neu.org.uk
Primary teacher and SENCo Katie Gumbrell (left) and secondary teacher Emma Brady were among members who gave evidence to the STRB on why teachers needed a pay rise
NEU members marching through central London on 5 July 2023
PHOTO by Rehan Jamil
NEU welcomes DfE’s curriculum review
PARENTS are “devastated” after losing their campaign to save their children’s school from academisation. This September, Byron Court Primary, founded in 1932, opened as Harris Primary Academy South Kenton, despite huge opposition from parents, NEU members and the community. They had fought hard to keep it as a community school, after an academy order was triggered by an Inadequate inspection grade. Campaign group Save Byron Court said: “We are devastated by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson’s decision to proceed with the takeover of Byron Court.” A petition with 2,100 signatures was delivered to the Department for Education in June. On 2 July parents, pupils and NEU members boarded a Routemaster bus draped in Save Byron Court banners and travelled from the school gates to demonstrate in Parliament Square. MP for Brent West Barry Gardiner backed the campaign, telling Educate the Ofsted judgement published in February was based on a “deeply flawed report”. He joined NEU rep Jenny Cooper and a school governor at a meeting with Bridget Phillipson on 22 July. Despite them highlighting school improvements, the DfE confirmed in August that Harris would take over. In a letter, it said more delays would cause “further uncertainty”.
THE new Labour government announced in July that Professor Becky Francis, chief executive of charity the Education Endowment Foundation, will lead a curriculum and assessment review.
The review will span key stages 1 to 5. In a statement, the Department for Education said the purpose was to “ensure that the curriculum balances ambition, relevance, flexibility and inclusivity for all children and young people”.
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede welcomed the appointment: “Professor Francis has an important role to shape and improve the future of education. Making the curriculum more modern, engaging, inclusive and fit for the future, while ensuring that all students have access to the full breadth of subjects, is crucial. For too long these aspects of the curriculum have been eroded. This has contributed to disengagement and to students not being properly prepared for their future.”
New Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Our dedicated school and college staff deliver better life chances for countless children, but for too long they have been held back by a curriculum and assessment system that fails to prepare enough of our children for work and for life.”
The review will launch a call for evidence in September. Prof Francis participated in the NEU-sponsored Education Renewed conference on 14 June.
The NEU has worked on several assessment reviews, including:
n Independent Assessment Commission (IAC) neweraassessment.org.uk
n Independent Commission on Assessment in Primary Education icape.org.uk
n Secondary assessment working party neu.org.uk/secondary
Prof Becky Francis at the NEU-sponsored Education Renewed conference in June PHOTO by Rehan Jamil
Parents, pupils and NEU members travelled on a campaign Routemaster bus from Byron Court Primary in Wembley, north-west London, to Parliament Square PHOTO by Rehan Jamil
NEU Northern Ireland summer school 2024
On 21 June, NEU NI hosted a summer school for workplace reps, focusing on effective campaigning and strategies for recruiting new members.
Unions warn of ‘hardship now or in retirement’ TPS exit deal
PLANS by England’s largest academy trust to offer teachers higher pay in exchange for leaving the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) are “shortsighted and divisive”, unions have warned.
Under the plan, staff at United Learning Trust (ULT), which runs 90 schools, will be given the option of staying in the TPS with a 28.68 per cent contribution from the employer, or moving to a defined contribution scheme with a ten per cent employer contribution.
As an incentive to leave the TPS, ULT is offering a 15 per cent pay rise.
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede condemned the move as “a flagrant attempt to undermine teachers’ terms and conditions”.
Under the proposal, salaries would rise from £32,850 to £38,000 (or from £39,000
to £45,000 for those in inner London). This is likely to tempt teachers who have suffered years of pay erosion, especially younger staff struggling with the high cost of housing.
If ULT implements the scheme, other schools could follow suit.
The NEU and unions ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT have written to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson warning of the potential threat the proposal poses to the stability of the TPS, urging her to encourage ULT to withdraw its plan.
“Teachers want fair pay for the difficult job they do, and they want to defer some of their earnings so they can live a dignified retirement,” said Daniel. “What they don’t want is chief executives running trusts with reserves in excess of £50 million giving them the choice between hardship now or hardship in retirement.”
SINGER Joy Crookes joined educators, politicians and antipoverty campaigners at Parliament Square in July to demand free school meals (FSM) for all primary school children in England.
Students from Surrey Square Primary School in south-east London (pictured with Joy) led the chanting, while MPs Kim Johnson and Richard Burgon supported the NEU-organised picnic event as part of the No Child Left Behind campaign.
In England, household income must be less than £7,400 a year –before benefits and after tax – to be eligible for FSM, meaning hundreds of thousands of children who are living in poverty are going hungry.
Dumebi, a representative from Child Poverty Action Group’s youth panel, said: “I’ve seen students and friends, who are excited for lunch and visibly hungry, being told they don’t have enough money on their lunch accounts and having to walk away with no food.”
n Our Free School Meals for All bus will be on tour again in September. Visit nochildleftbehind.org.uk
Workload wins with NEU audit
WORKPLACE reps at three schools in Darlington, in the north east of England, have won major victories on workload after using the NEU’s workplace audit. They used the audit, which includes a checklist to identify the most prevalent workload issues, then took their concerns to management and won major changes.
At Carmel College, reps Michelle Duffy and Tony Graham managed to get meetings reduced from an average of three or four per week to one.
Red Hall Primary School NEU rep Stacy Akers found many teachers were working 200 hours over their annual directed time of 1,265 hours. This is now 80 hours, with regular reviews aiming for zero.
At rep Clare McAdam’s school, St John’s Church of England Academy, after-school clubs are no longer a requirement.
n Visit neu.org.uk/workload-audit
PHOTO by
Rehan
Jamil
Your school’s mood.
You did it: now have your say in our snap poll
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede celebrates the new pay offer won by teachers. And recommends they vote to ACCEPT.
AS I write, most of you will have embarked on a new academic year, with all the joys and challenges that brings.
At the beginning of the summer holiday, the government announced that it would honour the recommendation of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) to award a 5.5 per cent pay rise to all teachers and leaders in England. It also said it would provide schools with an additional £1.2 billion to fund it.
On top of that, the government said the requirement for schools to use performancerelated pay (PRP) would be removed from 1 September and planning, preparation and assessment (PPA time) can be taken from home.
Vote from 21-30 September
At our annual conference in April, delegates agreed that, when an offer was made, the union would conduct a snap poll, asking members whether they would like to accept or reject it.
True to our word, this consultation of all eligible teacher and leader members will run from 21-30 September.
When the government announced the offer, the union’s national executive held an emergency meeting and voted to recommend that members ACCEPT the pay offer.
We feel that the 5.5 per cent is significantly above the anticipated level of inflation for September (2.5 per cent) and amounts to the largest real-terms increase in teacher pay since 2009. Crucially, we believe that the £1.2 billion of additional
funds the government has promised will cover the full cost of the teacher pay rise and the cost of the last pay offer to support staff (see page 18).
The executive recognises that the offer doesn’t restore all the money lost over 14 years of underfunding by the previous government. But we do believe it represents a significant, fully funded step towards a long-term correction in pay – and that’s why we are urging you to ACCEPT
Your resolve won this pay offer
The Labour government has got off to a good start, honouring the STRB and other pay review body recommendations on public sector pay. But it’s important that you, our members, see this win as your own.
This offer has been secured as a direct result of your determination on pay. The fantastic strike action you took in 2023 and your positive vote in our indicative ballot this March, which resolved to take further action should a good deal not be forthcoming.
You stood up for yourselves, your schools and your pupils and you should be proud.
Please look out for our emails and make sure that you have your say in our snap poll when invited to vote via text or email (more information on page 7).
This pay award is for teachers and leaders in England only (see Educate in Wales for news on the Welsh pay offer). Support staff pay is determined by a different process – in negotiations between the Local Government Association and Unison, GMB and Unite.
We will be discussing the next steps on support staff pay at a special executive at the beginning of September. Look out for news on that shortly.
Workload and funding on our agenda
While this teachers’ and leaders’ pay offer represents a significant first step towards a long-term pay correction, if we are to properly resolve the teacher recruitment and retention crisis it must not be the last. Future steps must be accompanied by further measures to reduce workload and improve flexible working.
And although £1.2 billion provides schools sufficient additional money to cover the costs of the award, there is still a long way to go before school funding returns to five per cent of GDP, as it was in 2010.
Our campaign to save education must and will continue. We have so much more to achieve, for ourselves and our pupils, and I look forward to standing alongside you through this school year.
Daniel Kebede, executive member Chris Denson, former president Emma Rose and NEU members Emma Brady, Kathryn Norouzi, Katie Gumbrell and Michelle Purdie hand in the union’s submission on pay to the STRB
THIS summer, NEU members took part in 75 Pride events across England and Wales, championing our campaign message Celebrate, Educate, Protect: Together. NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede joined more
Supportive supply conference
By Angela Riddle
I WAS fortunate to attend the NEU supply teachers’ conference from 29 June-1 July in Warwickshire. The presentations and workshops were excellent and generated thoughtful discussions. It was fascinating to hear from then president Emma Rose and general secretary Daniel Kebede, who recognise the issues facing supply teachers and the importance of campaigning to address them.
I was particularly impressed by visionary head teacher Fahri Francis and her presentation, How schools and senior leaders can better support supply staff. Her attitude to supply staff was positive, inclusive and supportive. Samina Randall, supply teacher officer for Leicester, presented an informative workshop on agency worker regulations. We were told that after 12 weeks in the same role with an employer, we are entitled to the same basic pay and conditions as directly employed staff. I intend to help raise awareness of this and have since become NEU supply rep in Worcestershire.
It was wonderful to meet likeminded people who are sadly facing the same issues: poor pay, no access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and its 28.68 per cent employer contribution.
than 60 LGBT+ members on the NEU Pride bus travelling through London. In Yorkshire and Humber, the LGBT+ organising forum reps co-ordinated efforts across districts to support numerous events, including UK
Pride in Doncaster in August. Their dedication ensured widespread representation and support for the LGBT+ community.
n Visit neu.org.uk/LGBT or email LGBT@neu. org.uk PHOTO by Martyn Wheatley
Win for JAGS staff over pension and pay threat
STAFF at James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS) in south-east London are celebrating after settling a pay dispute.
At the beginning of the year, after years of below-inflation pay rises, NEU members at the school submitted their first collective pay claim, for 13.7 per cent.
This was rejected. The independent school also stated that teachers who wished to remain in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) would receive a lower pay award – just 1.3 per cent – than those who opted out. In response, 95 per cent of members voted Yes to strike action.
NEU rep Hannah Lake said: “Members were united in their resolve to defeat the proposed parallel pay scales, which would
have caused division and left us vulnerable to further below-inflation pay awards.”
Members took three days of strike action in May and June, with more than 60 teachers and support staff members joining the picket line. The school then agreed to negotiations at arbitration service Acas.
JAGS has now committed to keeping the TPS open to all eligible current staff and has withdrawn its proposal to give detrimental terms of pay to those enrolled in the scheme. Members have voted to accept the offer of a three per cent pay award on the condition that JAGS commits to future pay restoration, and the school is engaging Acas in the process of establishing a recognition agreement.
Camden independent school pay strike
Teachers and support staff at Devonshire House Preparatory School in Hampstead, Camden, held a day of strike action in a dispute over low pay on 4 July.
NPYW conference: ‘A wonderful weekend’
THE NEU new professionals and young workers’ (NPYW) conference 2024 took place in June, in Manchester, and was so popular it was oversubscribed.
Becky Carter, conference chair, introduced what was a wonderful weekend, and Daniel Kebede, NEU general secretary, joined as a keynote speaker.
NPYW members now have parity with other sectors, so we debated and voted for a motion to annual conference for the first time.
There was a great mix of CPD and organising workshops, including How to win a dispute; Solidarity with Palestine; and Is your classroom anti-racist? A highlight was rounders and football together in the sunshine. We can’t wait for next year when NPYW conference will be even bigger and better.
By Shaniqua Edwards-Hayde (see also page 33)
Membership soars in support staff dispute
FIVE schools in the University of Brighton Academies Trust (UBAT) held strike action in July over redundancies, workload and excessive ‘top-slicing’ – the practice of using a proportion of schools’ government funding to pay for central services, such as human resources and IT.
In April, staff were told redundancies would take place, which would disproportionately affect support staff. This triggered a dispute across the multi-academy trust (MAT), boosting membership increase from 300 to 418 between April and July.
NEU reps say UBAT top-slices an average of 13 per cent (and in some cases as much as 28 per cent), when the average top-slice for a MAT in England is 5.4 per cent.
James Ellis, NEU rep at one of the affected schools, The Hastings Academy, said: “Huge numbers of support staff from across the trust have joined the NEU – many of them joining a union for the first time. Having all of our members out together on picket lines and protests has been brilliant.”
As a result of five days of strike action, the trust agreed to enter negotiations. Concessions won so far include no compulsory redundancies, and a commitment to keeping the specialist alternative provision unit with the same number of support staff. A support staff workload charter will be drawn up.
“Teachers and support staff striking together has been key to the success of the dispute so far,” said James.
The dispute is ongoing.
Mass exodus from Longsands
AROUND a third of teachers have left a school that introduced “demeaning” instructions on how and what to teach.
The mass exodus from Longsands Academy – 40 staff left at the end of the summer term – follows growing frustration at changes introduced by Astrea Learning Trust, which runs the school.
Changes include bringing in the Teach Like a Champion model two years ago, with staff being told to use specific commands such as, “Focus. Three, two, one...” to get pupils’ attention, and “turn and talk” to prompt discussion.
“Many staff felt demeaned by that,” said Peter Jeffery, an English teacher at Longsands for 15 years and NEU rep. “Teaching is not a robotic thing. It is based on rapport and collaboration.” Fellow rep Sam Blake has left the school.
Staff took two days of strike action on 9 and 10 July over a list of grievances that also included extra workload created by introducing mock exams for all subjects. For Peter, this generated 110 hours of marking. He said: “The trust is haemorrhaging hard-working staff at a time when there is a national recruitment and retention crisis.”
NPYW conference delegates
PHOTO by Kois Miah
A support staff member on the picket line at The Burgess Hill Academy PHOTO by Aisling Murray
NEU women’s conferences
East Midlands region
OUR conference, on 9 March at Leicester Football Club, was a triumph.
After starting the day with uplifting music and dancing, we discussed the legal rights of pregnant women at work; the menopause toolkit; and the importance of the pay campaign for women, as we make up around three quarters of the NEU’s membership. We discussed the role of women in war, and their persistent acts of resistance that have led to negotiations and rebuilding.
Feedback from the conference was fantastic. One delegate said: “I felt valued, and it was interesting to see all the common struggles for women. It has empowered me to seek changes at work.”
By Shakila Said, NEU northern Derbyshire equality officer
Eastern region
HELD at Wyboston Lakes in Bedfordshire on 21-22 June, the theme of our conference was the sexualisation of girls and women, with a focus on sexist school uniform policies. Our keynote speaker, academic and author Dr Kate Stephenson, provided a fascinating history of school uniform, explaining there is no evidence that strict uniform policies improve behaviour.
Delegates attended workshops on gender action; assertiveness
Fire and rehire at Tring – a day after new government elected
AT least 24 members of staff at Tring Park School in Hertfordshire were given notice in July and forced to sign new, inferior contracts.
Staff won a dispute in 2021 to defend their teachers’ pension, but management have “returned for a second bite of the cherry”, said NEU joint rep Alice Flauvel. Under the proposals, staff were forced to choose between accepting a 3.5 per cent pay cut or leaving the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS). Alice said members were determined to fight back, and had taken 14 days of strike action so far.
Staff morale was at an “an all-time low” – eight members of staff have left –but has been bolstered by strong support from parents and former pupils.
“Support for strike action remains high. Staff have not given up,” said Alice.
Teachers were issued with a fire and rehire notice on 5 July, the day after the Labour party – which had vowed to legislate against fire and rehire practices within its first 100 days in office – had won the general election.
Nine more strike days are planned for the autumn term.
n Email barhey.singh@neu.org.uk to send messages of support.
and learning to say no; and online misogynist influencers. Local activists spoke about their involvement in the union, and we are holding an event in autumn focusing on activists and reps.
By Amy Clarke, Norfolk NEU
South West region
MORE than 120 members attended our conference in sunny Torbay in June. It was an inspiring weekend full of chat, laughter and workshops. A room of women, fed up with the system but far from defeated, we were united in our desire for change.
Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, gave a keynote address that empowered attendees. Practical tools and workshops offered strategies for navigating professional hurdles and advocating for change.
I returned to my workplace ready to create the change I envisioned. There is nothing more empowering than women coming together to support one another.
By Krystal Murrell, South West women’s organising forum rep
South West
Eastern region
NEU members Katie and Leonie on the picket line at Tring
EVERY year the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival marks the founding of the trade union movement.
Beryl Francis (pictured) has been an NUT then NEU member for an amazing 70 years, and has attended the Dorset festival for around 40 years, including joining thousands of trade unionists this July.
Daniel Kebede, NEU general secretary, addressed a packed audience at the festival’s How do we fix our education system? session, alongside the general secretaries of the NAHT and NASUWT.
PHOTO by Hannah Packham
Dynamic post-16 reps gather
By Phil Child, national official
AN energetic crowd of post-16 reps gathered in Birmingham for the annual college reps briefing on 8-10 July. With a postal ballot over pay and funding set to commence on 14 September in all sixth form colleges, and a 67 per cent turnout in the indicative ballot conducted before Easter, it was an auspicious moment for reps to assemble.
Thanks to the NEU victory of a 6.5 per cent pay rise in most sixth form colleges last year, the post-16 sector was given a brief reprieve from crisis. However, serious challenges remain.
Briefing sessions ranged from workload and pay campaigns, to how AI is making inroads into education and escalating workplace disputes.
Delegates were joined by then president Emma Rose, who spoke about the importance of the sector to our union. Marie Tolan, British Medical Assocation (BMA) council rep and junior doctor, gave an inspirational account of the long-running action by junior doctors on pay (which has won a 22.3 per cent increase over two years).
Solidarity was also sent to GMB Amazon workers in Coventry who were voting on their statutory recognition bid. The vote was narrowly lost. n To become a rep, email post16@neu.org.uk
Promoting an inclusive workplace
By Saeeda Buggti, NEU disabled member
THIS was my first time attending the Trades Union Congress (TUC) disabled workers’ conference and there was a real sense of solidarity among the 200 delegates.
NEU delegates spoke on ten motions and we all wore our fabulous Disability Pride T-shirts. I spoke to support a motion promoting a positive workplace culture, explaining how the NEU’s disability equality toolkit can be used by all unions as a collective response in supporting disabled workers, and to promote an inclusive workplace. As
a first-time speaker, I found everyone very supportive and encouraging.
It is essential to have access to information on reasonable adjustments and Access to Work entitlements to give us the confidence to bargain for a positive workplace culture for all. It is equally important to upskill and educate members, leaders and colleagues.
I would strongly recommend members attend – contact your NEU rep or local branch. n Download the disability equality toolkit at neu.org.uk/disability-toolkit
THE UK Literacy Association (UKLA) hosted its 60th international conference this year in Brighton. The NEU was pleased to fund nine places. Two of those members, Stephen and Theresa, share their experiences.
“Having been involved with the UKLA since 2019, I was thrilled to attend my first conference. We heard from teachers and researchers from around the world about their work within English and literacy, which prompted me to reflect on my own teaching.
“It provided me with new strategies, reminded me of old ones I had forgotten, and validated the things I already do. The conference showcased evidence for more creative, dialogic approaches, which have been sidelined in this educational climate.”
Stephen Dilley
“The power of being with other English teachers, lecturers and trainers cannot be overstated. I have felt like an increasingly lone voice in my setting, so it was affirming to meet with like-minded individuals.
“New friendships were forged, and I was able to engage with writers about current research in reading,
writing and oracy. I would advise anyone thinking of applying to attend the conference next year to go for it.”
Theresa Gooda
n Apply for next year’s UKLA conference at ukla.org
Stephen Dilley
Theresa Gooda (right) with NEU deputy general secretary Niamh Sweeney at the UKLA conference in July PHOTO by David Jinx
NEU delegates at the TUC disabled workers’ conference
From teacher to MP:
‘It all feels a bit surreal, but also right’
ON 4 July, Amanda Martin was elected Labour MP for Portsmouth North, defeating the Conservative candidate and then-Leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt. An active trade union member and primary teacher for more than 20 years, Amanda was also president of the NEU between 2019 and 2020. She spoke to Educate about her new role.
Amanda, you’ve had quite a journey from classroom teacher to NEU president, and now an MP. How does it feel?
It all feels a bit surreal. But it also feels right. I taught for 24 years and when kids tell me they want to be a teacher, I still tell them it’s the best job in the world. I consider myself a teacher but standing for election felt like the right thing to do.
You are a working-class woman, a teacher and a trade unionist. Why is it important to have that kind of representation in government?
I think we need people in parliament who have lived a real life. When I was a teacher, I was a single parent and couldn’t afford to support my kids without a second job. I became an Avon lady so I could pay the bills. And for me it’s important to have that voice and experience in government.
Union people
All the roles I’ve had are about service and helping your community. I care deeply about where I live; I’ve worked here and my family are from here. I care deeply for the people of Portsmouth, but I also feel an injustice. My constituents work hard but are still fighting every day just to make ends meet.
What are the key issues you aim to take on that will have a positive impact on NEU members?
I’m proud of this government and our different narrative around education. Bridget Phillipson is one of the first secretaries of state for education in a long time to praise education staff and say thank you (see page 6).
We’re working on having joined-up
thinking across different departments. Everything that happens in a community affects what happens in the classroom, and this government realises it’s not just schools that need fixing.
Child poverty has a huge impact on education and attainment. Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions have affected kids that I’ve taught and the families of people in my constituency. We need mental health support workers in schools, we need breakfast clubs, we need to look at the curriculum.
I want to make people aware that there are tough decisions ahead. It’s a big job. It’s not going to be easy, following 14 years of chaos. But I genuinely believe that we will make a difference to people’s lives.
Inspiring Windrush conference
AROUND 40 members attended the union’s Windrush conference in London on 22 June, where they took part in workshops and heard from a panel of speakers that included journalist and author Gary Younge.
Early career teacher Mhairi Potts-Wyatt, who teaches history in Brent, north-west London, was among those who went along to the event. She described the day as “interesting and inspiring”, adding that the discussions had given her ideas for her lessons.
“I am of African descent, but didn’t really know much about Windrush. Attending this conference has really raised my awareness. I’d recommend it to other members,” she said. “I chose the breakout session on the school-to-prison pipeline and heard some interesting first-person accounts of the impact of racism in the classroom.
“It ended with a poetry performance by Benjamin Zephaniah’s wife Qian Zeng, then music by a steel band. It was an amazing day.”
Gary Younge Qian Zeng
Amanda Martin MP, outside the Houses of Parliament
PHOTO by Kois Miah
Strike threat wins private school pay rise to match state sector
NEU members have won a significant pay increase for staff at Ballard School in New Milton, Hampshire, after threatening strike action.
The union had balloted its members in a row over pay, with 84 per cent voting for strike action on a turnout of 81 per cent. Management at the independent school had imposed a four per cent pay increase.
Strikes were planned for five days in June and July, but were called off after the school offered between four and 12.6 per cent, with the greatest increases going to those on the lowest pay. James Blake, NEU rep at Ballard School, said: “We are delighted.”
More days of action at Highgate
Teachers and support staff at Highgate Wood School in north London have united in opposition to a pay cut due to be imposed on four members of staff in September. Staff took three days of
strike action in July and a further three days are planned for September. In a statement, NEU members said: “This is a small amount of money to the school but significant to individuals with families and financial commitments.”
REGIONAL support staff activist networks have been established in the South West, North West and London, with a view to bringing support members together and discussing practical steps to improve the union’s effectiveness. Groups can share success stories and tried-and-tested methods for workplace union building.
Philip Lindsey (pictured with Laura Butterworth from Oldham at this year’s NEU annual conference) from NEU London support staff network said: “The networks are a great way for us to help each other win support staff fights in our schools, and make sure that the issues that matter to us become part of the NEU’s national campaigns.”
Support staff pay ballot
NEU members voted overwhelmingly (92 per cent in England and 96 per cent in Wales) to reject the National Joint Council (NJC) pay offer for support staff in England and Wales for September 2024.
Rally to win EY funding and save our
nurseries
NEU members organised a rally outside parliament on Saturday 29 June to demand funding for early years (EY) education from the new government, and an end to cuts, closures and redundancies in maintained, council-run nursery provision.
Excellent speeches were given by education workers, including striking campaigners against closures from Balham Nursery in Wandsworth. A parent spoke from the campaign to save Little Owls Nurseries in Leeds, calling for immediate investment to prevent the closures of councilrun nurseries.
Sheila Caffrey, EY teacher, NEU executive member, and chair of the NEU EY reference group, said: “We must unite these fights to win the funding the education system needs and deserves.”
PHOTO by Rehan Jamil
NJC employers offered a flat rate of £1,290 increase, which equates to 2.5 per cent at the top and 5.7 per cent at the bottom of the scale. The NJC unions pay claim is for £3,000 or ten per cent (whichever is greater).
NJC-recognised unions Unison and Unite also rejected the offer, which is not fully funded, and are proceeding to a formal ballot. The NEU has approached Unison and Unite to discuss the potential for co-ordinated action.
More action at MAT over support staff owed back pay
SUPPORT staff and teachers at three secondary schools in Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School multi-academy trust (QEGSMAT) took three days of strike action in July over pay and conditions. The trust had refused to negotiate over issues raised by NEU members in the last 18 months. Three out of four issues have now been won – including support staff pay uplifts annually in line with Local Government Association agreements. The sticking point is two years of back pay owed to support staff, so five more days of united action in the autumn term are planned.
By Ian Walters, QEGSMAT NEU lead rep
Time for change
So now’s the time for many questions, perhaps time too for many suggestions. As they’ve said it’s the time for change, we’re left wondering what they might arrange.
Some of us go back again and again to the change that happened in 2010, when they heralded in a whole new plan mostly (it seemed) because of just one man.
Commands, orders, new laws and diktats, instructions, directives, parliamentary acts. But if you have the power to run a nation isn’t there a better way to run education?
How about a start by talking to teachers? After all, I’ve heard, they’re not alien creatures.
Words by Michael Rosen
Illustration by Dan Berry
Julia Waters has been calling for changes to Ofsted after the suicide of her sister, head teacher Ruth Perry. She reflects on her hopes for a fresh start under a new government. Interview by Sally Gillen.
Optimistic for change at last
“FOR the first time in 18 months, I feel hopeful that real change is coming,” says Julia Waters (pictured right, addressing delegates at NEU annual conference in April).
Speaking to Educate following the election of Labour and the appointment of Bridget Phillipson as the new Education Secretary, the weariness Julia felt pre-election has been replaced by optimism.
Her campaign for urgent reform of Ofsted since her sister Ruth Perry’s suicide in January 2023 has been tireless but also endlessly frustrating.
Former Education Secretary Gillian Keegan was, she explains, given to “hollow, jingoistic and ill-founded” pronouncements.
“Gillian Keegan was repeatedly warned – by my family, by the coroner and the education select committee – of the life-threatening risks the Ofsted inspection process poses to teachers and school leaders. But she stubbornly refused to take any action.”
Fantastic school, inhumane regime
It was a single word – Inadequate – that led Ruth, head of Caversham Primary in Berkshire, to take her own life. A coroner’s report concluded that Ofsted had contributed to her death.
Ruth had dedicated 32 years to teaching, says Julia. She loved the job and excelled at it.
“She was running this fantastic school, with brilliant parent engagement and feedback, so to get Inadequate felt so unjust and there was nothing she could do about it.”
Julia’s campaign against Ofsted’s “inhumane regime” has helped raise awareness among the public, forcing the inspectorate to commit to improvements, including mental health training for inspectors.
And yet the emails Julia had begun receiving from teachers and heads immediately following Ruth’s death, sharing their own harrowing Ofsted experiences, have continued to arrive.
“Despite promises of a more empathetic regime, many feel that inspectors are paying
PHOTO by Kois Miah
“I now have hope Ruth’s terrible, preventable death will be the last.”
lip-service to the so-called mental health training to identify head teacher distress. Inspectors have been very pointedly asking, ‘are you ok?’ and ‘do you need a pause?’ It feels very insincere, cynical,” she says.
“One head teacher contacted me about a really unpleasant experience. After asking ‘are you ok and would you like a pause?’, the inspector added: ‘I’m asking you that because I’m a decent human being and not because of what happened to that head teacher.’”
Julia is quiet for a moment. Messages
like these have provided extra motivation to keep fighting.
Change of tone, emphasis, priorities
Now that a new Education Secretary has been appointed, Julia hopes she may soon achieve her campaign aims. At a meeting with Phillipson – Julia hopes they will meet again soon – she was encouraged by the Education Secretary’s “striking change of tone, emphasis and priorities”.
She is also delighted that Labour has already committed to scrapping harmful, misleading and reductive single-word judgements, and that Phillipson genuinely seems to understand the “intolerable” pressures on school staff.
“Bridget Phillipson understands that children’s wellbeing is not separate from the wellbeing of teachers and leaders,” says Julia. But she wants to see words matched by action.
Such an urgent, systemic and cultural change is a massive undertaking, Julia admits, if the school inspection system is to become fit-for-purpose, trustworthy and safe. But Phillipson’s pledge to tackle the recruitment and retention crisis will not be achieved without addressing one of the main causes: Ofsted’s high-stakes, punitive and unaccountable inspection system.
At the moment, she says, heads feel they don’t have the power to contest even what they know are really unfair, unprofessional and inconsistent inspections.
Whatever a new inspection system looks like, Julia believes it must be co-created with the education sector. It needs to be properly accountable, with a credible complaints and appeals process, and a clear purpose. Importantly, it must be risk-assessed by suicide prevention professionals.
“With a new Education Secretary expressing respect, trust and gratitude towards an overworked and too-long underappreciated teaching profession, I now have hope that Ruth’s terrible, preventable death as the result of an Ofsted inspection will be the last,” she says.
‘It feels safe to be a girl’ at Lode Heath
EDUCATORS and students gathered at King’s College London’s Science Gallery for the first UK Feminista awards ceremony on 20 June.
The charity supports schools and colleges in challenging sexism and sexual harassment by conducting research, delivering teacher training and providing resources to schools.
Gold award Lode Heath School Solihull
AMAN Asfzal is a year 10 student at Lode Heath School in Solihull. The school was given a gold award for its work tackling sexism.
“I’m really proud to be here. It’s a great privilege. We’ve built things up slowly but have established that sexism isn’t tolerated and our school has taken a very strong stance against it,” said Aman. His classmate Maria Gavriliuc explained that it had made a huge difference to the school’s culture. “It feels safe to be a girl,” she said.
One of the initiatives that has been popular is a “girls-only astro day”, where only girls are allowed on the astroturf at lunch. PE teacher Amy Palser explained: “Anyone is allowed on the astroturf but, stereotypically,
Award-winning children’s author and activist Onjali Q Raúf hosted the ceremony. She said: “We are not going to be able to tackle domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual harassment and sexual abuse by adults if we do not start this work with our children. First we have to make schools safe places where we can actually begin the work. What UK Feminista is doing has been a long time coming.”
because they’re playing football, all the boys take over. So, on International Women’s Day, we had a girls-only lunchtime on the
Silver award The King’s School Macclesfield
STAFF at The King’s School in Macclesfield used the NEU’s It’s Not OK toolkit – created following joint research by the NEU and UK Feminista – to begin assessing and tackling sexism and sexual harassment at the school. “We adopted the action plan almost in its entirety,” said Richard Davies, assistant head for staff development.
Year 12 students Ella Bray, Sophie Clegg
and Sebastian Fitzgerald attended focus groups organised by the school to discuss how to tackle the sexism they’d experienced. Ella said: “Because we talk about sexism now it’s easier to do something about it. People are a lot more aware of what they are doing and saying.”
Sophie agreed, adding: “I hope that our school being recognised with this award will motivate other schools.”
n Apply for the UK Feminista 2025 award scheme at ukfeminista.org.uk n Access the It’s Not OK toolkit at neu.org.uk/its-just-everywhere
astroturf. More than 160 girls came and played football. We’re now talking about doing it every Friday.”
Bronze award JCB Academy Staffordshire
STAFF at JCB Academy in Staffordshire have implemented a whole-school policy on tackling sexism, which includes a QR code that students can scan to anonymously report sexual harassment so staff can investigate and provide sanctions where necessary.
Laura Buchanan (pictured above centre), head of year 11, said it had made a huge difference: “The feedback from students has been really positive. They feel their concerns are being taken seriously.”
(From left) Director of UK Feminista Farah Hussain, year 10 Lode Heath students Maria Gavriliuc and Aman Asfzal, PE teacher and head of year 8 Holly Rogers, and Onjali Q Raúf
(From left) Farah Hussain, year 12 students Sophie Clegg, Ella Bray and Sebastian Fitzgerald, with Onjali Q Raúf
Photos by Marc Schossman
A good starting point
Portrait by Jess Hurd
The NEU elects a new president every year. As he starts his term of office, Phil Clarke tells Sally Gillen about his priorities in the role.
“MANY teachers are unable to do a basic thing like buy their home or afford even a modest holiday,” says incoming NEU national president and Sussex computer science teacher Phil Clarke. “That’s not how things should be.”
He is quick to emphasise that for support staff the impact of falling pay over 14 years is even more dire. Teachers and support staff are taking second jobs at a rate never seen before. Many others have been forced out of the profession altogether by low salaries.
On the horizon is the first aboveinflation pay rise for teachers since 2010. It is an encouraging sign early on from the new government that it is listening to unions, although a single 5.5 per cent pay award won’t restore the damage done by 14 years of pay cuts.
STRB has fundamentally failed
It is a good starting point, but Phil believes the mechanism for deciding teacher pay in future needs a significant overhaul. A long-term fix to the whole pay question for teachers and support staff is essential, he argues.
“The School Teachers’ Review Body has fundamentally failed. Its one job is to ensure teacher supply and it hasn’t done that.”
An independent review of pay should be just one of several bold steps the government takes to address a number of deep-rooted problems in education resulting from years of underfunding, which has created a national teacher shortage.
Getting to grips with the other problem exacerbating the recruitment and retention crisis – workload – is a must. He argues that ministers need a proper strategy rather than piecemeal changes, which teachers have seen don’t work.
“There needs to be an understanding that you can only deal with workload adequately by funding schools adequately, so there are the
necessary staff in the building to deal with the needs of the kids,” argues Phil.
“We all know that the level of need among pupils has grown significantly. In my experience, it has never been greater.”
You cannot discount the continuing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic as a factor in that rise, he says, but it isn’t the only one.
“The pressure on families because of the cost-of-living crisis, people working longer hours, has created more stress. That spills over into schools. Behaviour is now more difficult to manage. There are fewer resources for kids, at a time when need has never been greater,” he adds.
Support services cut to ribbons
Phil, like many teachers, sees how his school is impacted by the loss of specialist local authority support services – “they have been cut to ribbons” – many of which supported attendance.
“We used to have a team of people that would come in and support students to get into school, but now that’s all gone. That’s
austerity. But then the government wonders why attendance is so poor.”
In his year as president, Phil says he wants to speak to as many workplace reps and branch officers – he is also a branch secretary of East Sussex NEU – as possible, to look at how the union can better support them.
One area he is especially interested in is equipping them with the knowledge and resources to help members understand and exercise their maternity rights – especially important in a union with a three-quarters female membership.
“Reps deliver incredibly well for our members, but we can do so much better if we really understand what they need and we look to build networks of reps supporting each other,” adds Phil. “Having more than one rep in a school doesn’t just double their effectiveness, it does more than that, because they grow in confidence, share the tasks.
“We are training record numbers of reps and must support them so their confidence and the networks can grow.”
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the miners’ strike, considered to be one of the most divisive and acrimonious industrial disputes in British history.
Around threequarters of Britain’s 187,000 coal miners downed tools – many for a full 12 months – in opposition to pit closures and what they saw as a threat to their communities and way of life.
Sarah Thompson talks to educators and trade unionists who were directly involved in solidarity work and reflects on the impact of the strikes on UK politics and trade unionism today.
Decades on, we draw strength
IN March 1984, the National Coal Board (NCB) announced the closure of 20 coal mines it said were unprofitable, with the loss of 20,000 jobs.
Arthur Scargill, then president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), argued that no pit could be deemed uneconomic while it still had coal reserves. He told members the government was planning to close another 70 mines.
Miners at Cortonwood pit in Barnsley, South Yorkshire – which was earmarked for closure – were the first to strike on 5 March and those at other mines quickly followed suit. On 12 March, Scargill called for national action.
However, delegates at the NUM’s national conference voted against holding a national ballot. This left the decision about
whether to strike in the hands of miners at individual branches and regions. In Nottingham a majority of the county’s 30,000 miners continued to work, supplying coal to British power stations.
In preparation for the strike, the government had stockpiled six months’ worth of coal and this, along with the coal supplied by Nottinghamshire mines, allowed power stations to continue to run. The strike effort was seriously undermined as a result.
On 3 March 1985, almost exactly a year after the first strike action had begun, the NUM held a special conference and, by a small majority, voted to end the action. Miners were back at work on 5 March.
Within 20 years, almost all the UK’s deep coal mines had closed. The warning of the Welsh miners’ slogan “close a pit, kill a community” can be seen decades later, as 5.7 million people living in coalfield areas
Maerdy Women’s Support Group at a march and rally in Ferndale, the Rhondda Valley, in South Wales on 27 August 1984
strength from their struggle
lost their main source of employment and are dealing with the long-term effects of unemployment, ill health and poverty.
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust, an independent charity that supports ex-mining communities, found that if the former coalfields across England, Wales and Scotland were combined, it would be the most deprived region in the UK.
Solidarity from educators
Throughout the year-long strike, many trade unionists, including educators, rallied to provide support to striking miners.
Kevin Courtney, former general secretary (GS) of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and then joint GS of the NEU, was just beginning his career as a teacher in north London when the strike began. Kevin grew up in South Wales and both his grandfathers had been miners, so the action struck a
personal note. But, more than that, he was concerned about what defeat would mean for politics in general.
“I thought it really mattered for the future direction of the country, which side won out. There was a huge social movement trying to support the miners – it felt very significant.”
Kevin organised a collection in school and many colleagues would put money in on a weekly basis. “Some of them out of political solidarity, and some of them more human solidarity – they knew miners’ children were going without.”
He remembers union meetings being some of the largest he’s experienced: “That was the strike bringing people in. There was a badge that someone made that had NUT along one axis and NUM along the other.”
The closure of mines without any attempt to create new jobs was “callous”,
Kevin says, and the consequences are still felt today. The South Wales valleys once had a real sense of working-class solidarity, but generations of unemployment has seen the area dominated by the effects of poverty. “That leads to people feeling alienated. It’s what the strike was about – the miners knew it was their community that was threatened.”
Terry King was head of English at Parliament Hill School for Girls in Camden, north London, in 1984. The school had a strong NUT membership and staff collected money, food parcels and clothes for miners’ families. For Terry, it was really important that people recognised the strike was not about pay.
“I used to play Welsh choir music during breaks so staff knew that what we were fighting for was not a wage increase for the miners, but simply the survival of a culture. It was being wiped out.”
The NUT group invited miners to the school to talk about their situation. “It came from the grassroots,” says Terry. “One of the people who visited was Dai Donovan, a miner in the Dulais Valley. I said to him, ‘Look, why don’t I bring some kids down?’
“Over a weekend, I drove 200 miles in a packed minibus carrying donations of food and kids’ clothes, ten sixth formers and three staff.” Terry laughs: “We were lucky in those days that there weren’t very strict rules about taking kids on trips.
“Coming from Hampstead and Camden, the students had no experience of industrial working-class life. They were amazed at the warmth and vitality of the Welsh community. In a society, just as divided then as it is now, this was a small, successful attempt to bridge the gap.”
Little support at national level
While individual members were busy with solidarity work, at leadership level it was a different story. The NUM failed to
continued on page 28
PHOTO by Martin Shakeshaft strike84.co.uk
Kevin Courtney’s miners’ support group card
continued from page 27
Roy Bowser: from miner to dream job as a teacher
Roy (left) was working at Woolley colliery, when the strike began.
Although it wasn’t one of the 20 mines earmarked for closure, Roy remembers lots of “heavy discussions” about what the future looked like for mining communities. “I was in my mid-20s, thinking: what’s my life going to be? Is my job certain?”
While work at the pit could be brutal – “I don’t look back on it with rose-tinted spectacles,” says Roy – it also created camaraderie, support and friendships. “We were all in it together. There was always room for a laugh. And there was pride in what you were doing. You got home at the end of the day, and you’d earned your dinner or your Friday night pint.”
Life became increasingly difficult for the community as the strike went on, says Roy. “Money became increasingly scarce. Paying your mortgage, getting into debt.”
In December, nine months into the strike, the NCB’s attempts to get miners back to work with offers of a pay cheque before Christmas and a bonus began to have some success. “Men were enticed by that; those who’d had nothing for months and months. I’m not critical of them, men had their breaking points.”
“We fought, but it wasn’t the miners in unity or the trade union
garner support from many trade unions, including the NUT and the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
Bernard Regan was a member of the NUT executive at the time of the strikes and remembers his frustration. “Nationally, the union didn’t really express any solidarity to the miners. Other trade unions had the same attitude. People were sympathetic but didn’t consider what was happening to be part of our political activities.
“The idea of being part of the wider trade union movement was something that had to be fought for by those on the left. We saw
movement in unity. Unfortunately, that undermined our position,” Roy says. “Morale was completely broken.”
Roy continued to work another seven years in the industry, moving from pit to pit as they closed. But in 1992, he was given the opportunity to fulfill a long-held dream. He registered with the Open University, first studying for a BA in economics and politics and then, two years later, completing its new PGCE course.
“I’d always had a secret desire to be a teacher, but never mentioned it to anybody,” Roy says, admitting that he was worried the reaction from people might be: who does he think he is?
In 1995, he began his teaching career at Athersley North Primary School. “I was literally going down the school drive singing. That’s how happy I was to be doing the job.”
He was determined to instill in his students a sense of aspiration and ambition. “Just because you come from an estate in Barnsley doesn’t mean you can’t go on to be teachers, doctors, accountants, professionals working around the globe.” His trade union principles stayed strong as he took on the role of NUT rep at the school and, later, the district secretary in Barnsley. Today, he is a local councillor.
With the defeat of the miners came huge consequences, says Roy. “The government broke the power of the working-class movement, and capitalism was allowed to run rampant. They’ve taken us back to a kind of neo-Victorian period – dog eat dog, the gig economy, four million children going to school hungry and millions of pensioners unable to put their heating on in winter. We’ve got to try and turn all of that around.”
(From left) Terry King; Bernard Regan; Daniel Kebede at the Durham Miners’ Gala (PHOTO by Mark Pinder)
Miners march back to work through Darton village to Woolley colliery, 3 March 1985
By John Wood jkwood.co.uk
this as not just an attack on the miners, but an attack on the whole trade union movement. We had an understanding that if the miners were defeated, it would make the struggles of all other trade unions harder.”
Those on the left of the NUT fought hard to influence union policy and change attitudes. “The NUT had only joined the TUC in 1971, and we had a union rule that precluded us from discussing anything explicitly political. Now, anything that’s part of the TUC agenda can be debated. But the evolution of the union and the changes that took place – they were major struggles.”
In July, NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede spoke at the Durham Miners’ Gala, an annual event that celebrates trade unionism and working-class identity and culture.
Society today continues to be affected by the miners’ strike, he says, and it is important to continue to recognise its significance. “What happened to the miners could happen to anyone in any profession, including those of us in education. It’s important that we learn about that past, but also that we draw strength from their struggle.
“It has made a really difficult terrain for trade unions to operate in, and as a result of
that dispute we have seen a torrent of antiunion legislation brought in to keep workers under control, whether they are teachers, doctors, train drivers or working at Tata Steel.”
But there are early signs of positive changes with the new Labour government, Daniel says, with its pledge to bring in a new deal for working people, outlawing practices such as fire and rehire. New legislation should overturn some of the more recent prohibitive laws on taking strike action. But it has to go further, he says.
“We want to see all anti-union legislation repealed. It is an affront to democratic values.”
Christine Powell: balancing life as a new teacher and an activist
Christine (left) was a physics teacher and NUT member at Olchfa School in Swansea in 1984. Her husband Stuart, a miner at Blaenant colliery, took strike action for 12 months.
When the strike began, the local community established a support group set up by Hywel Francis, who later became MP for Aberavon. It quickly expanded to become the Neath, Dulais and Swansea Valleys District Miners’ Support Group.
“It went from knocking on doors and asking for a spare tin of coffee, to raising a couple of thousand pounds every week and buying in bulk to
make up food parcels,” says Christine.
Onllwyn Miners’ Welfare Hall was the hub of the operation and, at its peak, over 1,000 food parcels were being sent out weekly. “It was almost like a supermarket,” says Christine. “I can still remember Cornflakes sticking out of the top of a Tesco carrier bag, corned beef, potatoes. Everybody had the basics. Occasionally we tried to put fresh veg and fruit in. Sometimes there was a treat, like a packet of biscuits.
“It was very orderly. One of the men said to me the other day, ‘we wouldn’t have had a clue. It had to be left to the women.’”
Christine was asked by Hywel if she would act as treasurer of the group. “I’d tutored both his children in O-level maths so he decided I’d be a
good candidate,” she says. “Anybody who’d rattled a bucket or who had donations from another trade union or a Labour party meeting would bring their money to the group.”
One week, activist Dai Donovan announced they had a new group of supporters called Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. “There was silence,” Christine says. “Then a bit of laughter.” But, she says, there was real gratitude too. The group was invited to visit, and the friendships forged became the subject of a number of films, including Pride.
The school where Christine taught was “as far removed from the coal mining community as you could imagine, in a very affluent area of Swansea”. She was balancing life as a new teacher – just four years into her career – and her role as an activist.
“I didn’t want anything to impact my job,” she says. Nevertheless, she would ask colleagues each week whether they could donate anything to the miners. “A few did, but it was usually surreptitiously passing me money or a tin of food on the stairs.”
Christine says, in hindsight, she doesn’t think the miners stood a chance against the “absolute vindictiveness” of Thatcher’s government. “She would’ve taken the country to the wall before she’d have let us win. People say the miners lost – but my feeling is that society lost.”
But it’s a time, she says, she’s glad to have gone through: “I met people and learned things about life that I couldn’t possibly have done any other way.”
A Mini Metro loaded with 260 loaves of bread, ready for distribution PHOTO by Christine Powell
2024 - 2025 UK TOUR
DIRECTED BY STEPHEN DALDRY J B PRIESTLEY’S CLASSIC THRILLER The National Theatre’s Landmark Production
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04 - 08 MAR 2025
WOLVERHAMPTON WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND
11 - 15 MAR 2025
TRURO HALL FOR CORNWALL
25 - 29 MAR 2025
ABERDEEN HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE
01 - 05 APR 2025
GLASGOW KING’S THEATRE
08 - 12 APR 2025
SUNDERLAND SUNDERLAND EMPIRE
15 - 19 APR 2025
SHEFFIELD LYCEUM THEATRE
29 APR - 03 MAY 2025
BRADFORD ALHAMBRA THEATRE
06 - 10 MAY 2025
BIRMINGHAM ALEXANDRA THEATRE
13 - 17 MAY 2025
LLANDUDNO VENUE CYMRU
20 - 24 MAY 2025
MILTON KEYNES MILTON KEYNES THEATRE
27 - 31 MAY 2025
WIMBLEDON NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE
Cartoon by Tim Sanders
How not to inspect a school in four easy steps
Warwick Mansell is a freelance education journalist and founder/writer of educationuncovered.
AS an insight into what can seem a rotten inspection system, it was instructive.
Longsands secondary school in Cambridgeshire, run by Sheffield-based Astrea, one of England’s more controversial academy trusts, has seen a flood of recent staff departures, with the NEU stating that 40 staff left during 2023/24.
Parents, pupils and staff were critical, in surveys carried out by Ofsted and fed into its recent inspection. In the staff survey, 48 per cent said the school had got worse since its last inspection, which saw it rated Requires improvement, with only 36 per cent believing it had improved. Sadly, 79 per cent of pupils and 86 per cent of parents said they would not recommend Longsands to others.
NEU members went on strike in July
over management practices and frustration with the trust’s centralised teaching and behaviour policies.
Yet Longsands emerged earlier this year with its Ofsted rating upgraded to Good.
There was scant mention in the report of teacher turnover. Warnings from nearly a third of pupils surveyed that they rarely felt safe did not feature. Inspectors said that most staff were positive about the school’s progress on tackling workload, even though 55 per cent of those surveyed had said their workload was not taken into account by managers.
Parents, staff and former staff were left wondering how the school could have secured this rating.
Then a freedom of information request to the trust revealed that 25 extra members of staff – people who would not normally have been in the school – were on site during the inspection. The Ofsted report states that inspectors met Astrea’s chief executive, her deputy, its director of secondary education, a regional director and the school’s principal during this one inspection.
The inspection team itself seemed skewed to the multi-academy trust sector,
with all five inspectors having held senior roles within chains.
Teacher and parent sources were aghast that this inspection did not provide what they saw as a more honest view of the school.
This case raises the following questions for Ofsted.
1 Is the balance right between the perspectives of those running academy trusts, and those on the receiving end of their decisions, during inspection evidence-gathering?
2 Given that multi-academy trusts are able to call on employees from other academies or head office during inspections in a way not available to other schools, are Ofsted’s systems fair, between institutions? Ofsted has stated that the extra adults on site was taken into account. But the inspectorate cannot know how the school would have functioned without these extra members of staff.
3 Is the way inspection teams are set up unbiased between multi-academy trusts and other schools?
4 Do inspection reports fully and fairly capture the underlying evidence, as seen by inspectors?
I think the answer to all four questions is “no”. Ofsted’s systems are crying out for reform.
A class act
‘I
want my pupils to have everything’
Shaniqua Edwards-Hayde (pictured) is a primary teacher and science lead at Stroud Green Primary in Haringey, north London. Emily Jenkins finds out what makes her a class act.
HAVING worked as a primary teacher for the last five years and, previously, as a teaching assistant, Shaniqua is passionate about giving her students the best opportunities and resources she can.
“I feel like my kids deserve a lot. I want them to have everything,” she says.
As educators know, there is often not enough money in the school budget to buy everything teachers need, and so Shaniqua always has an eye out for any opportunities that may help. A big fan of social media, she spends much of the little spare time she has scrolling for competitions she and her students can enter. When her school was running low on glue sticks, she entered an online competition to win more.
“I used to buy lots of stuff for my pupils but I can’t always afford to. It’s really sad I have to enter competitions to find resources.”
She didn’t win that competition. However, after talking about funding in a video for the NEU, a company got in touch with her and sent her school 200 glue sticks. “My head teacher was thrilled,” she says.
“I used to buy lots of stuff for my class, but can’t always afford to.”
Shaniqua also designs lessons in which her students write letters and draw pictures on subjects such as the environment to win Blue Peter badges, which provide free entry into over 200 attractions around the country such as theme parks, zoos and castles. For three years in a row, her entire class won a badge. “Their parents were so pleased, it was a huge deal,” she says.
Shaniqua is also busy outside the classroom. Alongside holding several union roles, including president of Haringey NEU, she also presents her own education podcast on Teachers Talk Radio – an online community radio station for educators.
“It’s a great way to network with educators. I feel like it’s extra CPD for me as well as I learn so much,” she says.
Able to choose what she discusses on each show, her podcast has covered topics including representation in teaching; gangs, county lines and our children; and building
an anti-racist classroom. She also occasionally hosts a weekly review of education news.
“I always end with a segment on who is your favourite fictional teacher – but no one is allowed to say Miss Honey from Matilda; she’s just too nice,” she jokes.
Giving back to her old school
The area of north London where Shaniqua works is also where she grew up. Her first job after teacher training was at her old school and, she says, it was incredibly meaningful to give back to the place where she was so inspired and encouraged as a child.
“When I was a kid, I promised myself I would come back to my school and be the best and most enthusiastic teacher I could be. And I did,” she says proudly.
Now at a different school within the same borough, Shaniqua is also a governor at another primary in Haringey and says it has been invaluable in her understanding of how schools are run.
“As educators we often think: ‘who are these people telling me what to do who aren’t in the classroom?’ It’s been so great to see and understand the other side of things. I really recommend it.”
Despite her busy life, what always brings Shaniqua most joy is her students. “I love to see my kids thriving and loving school. It’s the most important thing for me,” she says.
Do you know a class act? Email educate@ neu.org.uk
Watch Shaniqua’s video at tinyurl.com/ NEU-gluesticks
Ask the union
Attending all meetings pushes me over my pro-rata hours
I WORK part-time, but am expected to attend all meetings, pushing me well over my prorata 1,265 hours. What steps should I take?
Under the school teachers’ pay and conditions document (STPCD), your pro-rata pay is calculated as a proportion of the timetabled teaching week you work. The NEU would argue that your proportion of directed time – for example, planning, preparation and assessment (PPA), teaching, meetings, parents’ evenings etc – should be calculated in the same way. Also, the STPCD makes clear that teachers cannot be required to attend meetings on days they are not contracted to work.
Make a record of all the times you have been required to attend meetings so you can show your manager that you are working a disproportionate number of directed hours compared with your pro-rata contract. Ask if a compromise can be reached – for example, minutes could be shared with you rather than you attending every meeting.
Ask your workplace rep to set up a directed hours calendar, whereby part-time colleagues will not be expected to work disproportionately more directed hours than comparable full-timers, as this could be potentially discriminatory under the fixedterm employees regulations.
n Please email your questions to educate@neu.org.uk
n If your question is urgent, please call the AdviceLine on 0345 811 811
Broken hip due to work fall
I FELL over some steps in the playground, broke my hip and had to have surgery. What needs to happen before my return to work?
All accidents and injuries should be reported, no matter how trivial. As soon as appropriate medical attention has been received, the incident should be recorded in the school accident book. The employer should investigate the cause of the accident/injury, taking action to remedy the situation to prevent it recurring. Trade union health and safety reps also have a legal right to carry out an inspection in the event of an accident, so report the incident to them if you have one.
If your injuries resulted in your absence from work for more than seven days, your
Free CPD webinars for all NEU members
NEU members have exclusive access to our continuing professional development (CPD) webinars. Here are some of the courses coming up.
Support staff – build your own SEND toolkit
Practical ideas and strategies to support learners with SEND in the classroom, including establishing relationships, and building self-esteem and confidence.
24 September 3.45-5pm
Young people and feelings of anxiety
Explore what young people with anxiety
experience, and develop practical strategies to provide support.
25 September 3.45-5pm
Managing the tricky class
Strategies to improve engagement, reduce low-level disturbance and positively manage off-task behaviour.
1 October 10am-12pm
The power to change – racism in the classroom
This webinar will discuss the importance of increased representation in schools and the curriculum, while demonstrating
employer must report the accident/injury to the Health and Safety Executive under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.
Take photos of injuries and arrange for someone to make sketches/take photos and/ or measurements at the scene of the accident, to illustrate any deficiencies in the steps you fell over – for example, were they damaged or icy? All the above will be useful if you need to make a personal injury claim. If seeking compensation, strict time limits apply, so contact the NEU AdviceLine promptly.
If your accident/injury resulted in a disability, your employer has a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace or working arrangements.
n Visit neu.org.uk/disability-toolkit
free resources for the classroom.
8 October 3.45-4.45pm
Leadership masterclass - developing your vision (for middle leaders)
The importance of establishing your vision as a leader, and how to articulate your personal values.
22 October 4-5pm
n Webinars are added throughout the year.
n Sign up for webinars to access the recording.
n Visit neu.org.uk/national-cpd
PHOTO by freepik
Here’s your VIP invite to the UK’s biggest school Christmas party!
Sign up your school today! Thursday 12 December
NEU attends EI’s World Congress in Buenos Aires
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede was elected to the executive board of the global federation of education unions, Education International (EI), when the body met for its 10th World Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the start of the summer break.
Daniel will represent the European region of EI on the world board for a five-year term, strengthening the voice of the NEU in the global education union movement.
The NEU’s delegation of 15 members comprised Daniel, the union’s then national president Emma Rose and senior vicepresident, and new president, Phil Clarke, along with executive members, members of the international organising forum and staff. The week-long congress saw representatives of 383 EI member unions representing 32 million teachers and support staff in 178 countries coming together for debate, discussion, bilateral meetings and solidarity events.
Congress determines the policies, programme and budget of EI. The theme this year was Growing our unions, elevating our profession, defending democracy.
Importance of reps and activists
The NEU brought a focus on strengthening union collaboration and organising. Phil Clarke moved the union’s resolution on Building professional and union agency from the bottom up. The motion, which was passed unanimously, outlined the need for EI and education trade unions around the world to work together to exchange best practices in building strong union groups and recruiting and training activists and workplace reps.
Daniel spoke in support of a motion on strengthening union collaboration to shape the future of education. He paid tribute to the efforts and sustained pressure of NEU
members in securing a 12 per cent pay increase for teachers over the past two years.
Members of the delegation also spoke on a range of issues including artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of the profession, defending democracy against right-wing populism and educating for peace.
UK educators’ issues are global issues
It was clear from the debates that the challenges facing teachers and support staff in the UK are replicated across the world. From low pay and unmanageable workload, to the rise of the far right and attempts to use AI to undermine the status of educators, our international colleagues’ issues are our issues.
The NEU’s participation in forums like the EI congress enables us to learn, co-ordinate and strengthen our response to the global challenges facing the profession. Through NEU’s membership of EI, the union is supporting a range of international projects and solidarity activities with sister unions around the world. This includes
financial solidarity and supporting advocacy when sister unions experience humanitarian crises and other threats, including violence and persecution.
Supporting Palestinian educators
At a reception organised by unions from the EI Arab region, the NEU was thanked by the General Union of Palestinian Teachers for our ongoing solidarity and contribution to EI’s solidarity fund for Palestine. The fund has raised over €200,000 to support Palestinian teachers, who have not been paid for more than ten months, and to help those in the midst of the Gaza conflict. The chair of the NEU international committee, Louise Regan, spoke on an emergency motion on Gaza expressing the NEU’s continued solidarity with Palestinian educators and students.
The challenges education faces are global, so must be our response. The delegation will now bring the learning and relationships fostered in Buenos Aires into our expanding international solidarity work.
Register for the NEU international solidarity conference 2024
NEU international solidarity conference 2024: Resisting the global crackdown on human rights Saturday 12 October 9.30am-5pm Mary Ward House, 7 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SN n Open to all NEU members. Register at tinyurl.com/22d4yf6z
This conference will bring together experts, partners and trade unionists from around the world to discuss pressing international issues and mobilise solidarity actions. Following the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the event will focus on how we
respond to the global crackdown on fundamental rights and freedoms and build solidarity in our collective defence of human rights for all.
Panels will include Education under occupation in Gaza and the West Bank, Let Afghan girls learn, plus many more.
Members of the NEU delegation (front) at the EI World Congress, including chair of the NEU international committee Louise Regan (centre), at a rally in solidarity with trade unionists in Argentina
Reading Lessons
THIS is a wonderful synthesis of autobiography and literary analysis, telling the story of an English teacher’s life through 15 books she has read, taught and loved.
Carol Atherton’s warm yet purposeful style of writing offers a fresh perspective on texts ranging from Jane Eyre to I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Each chapter unravels the nuances of these classic literary works, and presents them through the lens of personal suffering and contemporary societal issues.
100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Wellbeing
THIS book offers a wealth of tried-and-tested ideas to enhance wellbeing for primary school staff and pupils.
Split into ten thematic sections, Part 1: Filling your cup first has ten suggestions for educators to initially improve their own wellbeing. Practical ideas to use with pupils (parts 2-9) include Sparking joy, where joyful moments are reflected upon, Positivity postcards, and Noticing nature. Each activity begins with a positive quotation from a professional reflecting and sharing insights on the task in question.
The final section, Collaborating for change, explores making changes as a school community to promote wellbeing. An uplifting book with downloadable resources available.
Cindy Shanks
100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Wellbeing by Jennifer Murray. Bloomsbury Education. £15.
The Life-Changing Magic of Chess
A salve for those days when nothing seems to be going right in the classroom, Atherton’s deeply personal ode to the power of literature resonates with humanity from start to finish.
Alex Molyneux
Reading Lessons by Carol Atherton. Penguin. £18.99.
How to Write Poems
A BRIGHT, colourful, engaging text aimed at children who love to write poetry, this book is also jam-packed with resources and strategies which teachers will find useful.
All poetry forms are covered, including newer styles such as photo poetry and blackout poetry, alongside the classics of sonnets and haikus.
There are sections on gathering inspiration, some topic ideas, and the techniques used in poetry including rhyme, alliteration, personification and onomatopoeia. An invaluable tool which will breathe new life into poetry teaching.
Sian Sparrow
How to write poems by Joseph Coelho. Bloomsbury. £9.99.
AN innovative children’s book in which Maurice Ashley, the first African American chess grandmaster, reveals how his life was changed by the game. Included in this fascinating read is an autobiography, ten inspirational tips, rules for playing and specialist techniques such as castling.
Photographs and Denis Angelov’s vibrant illustrations break up each page, making it an eyecatching read that is accessible to young people.
This captivating book is part of an exciting LifeChanging Magic series showcasing activities to inspire children to follow their dreams. Written by experts, the topics include baking, drumming and skateboarding.
Cindy Shanks
Building Culture: A Handbook to harnessing Human Nature to Create Strong School Teams
MUCH of this book reiterates what is offered in general management books. However, Sharma cleverly applies the principles to schools in a book that is well-written, concise and thoroughly referenced, for those who wish to dig deeper.
The first substantive chapter – A culture of psychological safety – was my favourite and, arguably, the most useful. It advocates a no-blame culture similar to the
near-miss reporting common in sectors like healthcare. It promotes the development of a culture where professionals are encouraged to flag up mistakes or opportunities for improvement without fear of facing hostility or sanction.
Mike Follows
Building Culture: A Handbook to Harnessing Human Nature to Create Strong School Teams by Lekha Sharma. John Catt Publishing. £16.
Read a book that other educators might find useful? Email 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.
The Life-Changing Magic of Chess by Maurice Ashley. Illustrated by Denis Angelov. Magic Cat. £12.99.
‘Dear Deer Class…’
AS you’re leaving Moorlands to move on to the next exciting stage of your life, there’s something important I need to share with you.
Do you realise that you’re all readers now, every single one of you? I don’t mean that you can read; you’ve been able to do that for a long time. I mean that you’re all genuine, passionate readers. How do I know? Because the evidence is everywhere.
Because you start getting ready for story time and moving the cushions to the floor before I’ve even noticed. Because several of you literally ran around cheering when the final Amulet book was published. Because you make wonderful book recommendations to each other. Because you remind me about Poem of the Day whenever I forget it (which is pretty often) and keep it going when I’m not there. Because you have the confidence to read books by a wide range of authors.
Because you loiter around the desk whenever a new parcel arrives, just in case it’s a new book (and, let’s be honest, it usually is). Because you come into class early to tell me about what you’ve read over the weekend. Because you give up your lunchtimes to help keep the school library running. Because you’re keen to have your turn organising the pupil recommendations shelf.
Because you understand that reading is far more than books, and that magazines, newspapers and jokes all count. Because I can hear you talking about books and making recommendations on the way to assembly, even though I pretend I can’t. Because you’re all so helpful when we’re visited by children from other classes who want a book recommendation. Because whenever I walk past the library on the way to the staff room, I can see you reading stories to younger pupils.
Jon
Biddle, English lead and NEU rep at Moorlands Primary in Norfolk, is passionate about fostering a love of reading.
noah you’re a reader because you always make me work really hard whenever you want a book recommendation. I love how you know what you like and are really confident in your own reading identity.
eva you’re a reader because you live and breathe books. You’ve been a wonderful reading champion this year and seem to have read every book in school. Just as importantly, you’ve recommended as many books to me as I have to you.
zeke you’re a reader because you’re our class manga expert. You know which series are worth getting into and your passion for manga has encouraged many of your friends to give it a try.
corbin you’re a reader because one day you suddenly discovered you loved graphic novels. You went from aimlessly flicking through a book to being absolutely focused in reading time.
eden you’re a reader because you love reading biographies of footballers. You must have read about half the players in the Premier League.
julian you’re a reader because you just didn’t give up. It took a while, but you found the type of books you love in the end. Keep with it.
olive you’re a reader because you know everything there is to know about our class collection of graphic novels.
breckin you’re a reader because you constantly have your bird book on your desk next to you, just in case a rare species flies into the playground.
isla you’re a reader because you always step in to lead Poem of the Day when needed. I’ve loved watching your confidence grow.
isabelle you’re a reader because you spend so much time choosing the picturebooks you read to children in the nursery. I love the thought you put into it and that you never forget.
phoebe you’re a reader because everyone in the school values your views on books, including the staff. You’ve read and shared so much, and your passion for books is a huge part of who you are. You always have a reading plan… this is what I’m reading next and this is what I’m reading after that.
I could continue but I won’t as we’ve all got lots of reading to be getting on with. Enjoy your time at secondary school.
Find the library, make friends with the librarian, keep reading and make the most of every single minute.
Best wishes, Mr Biddle
n Jon Biddle is hosting a series of reading for pleasure seminars over the summer. Visit tinyurl.com/JonBiddle
NEU campaigning for better maternity pay
I AM writing after reading your Better care after baby loss feature (Educate, May/June, page 29).
It’s wonderful to read how supportive the NEU is of expectant mothers or mothers experiencing loss. It is one of the many reasons I am happy to be a member of the union, and it provides reassurance, as I am pregnant and will be going on maternity leave soon.
On becoming pregnant, I was quite shocked at how poor the pay for maternity leave is as a teacher, with only four weeks at full pay, two weeks at 90 per cent and then 50 per cent until week 18 when it reverts to statutory.
Friends who work elsewhere in the public sector, such as the NHS, are entitled to much more. This allows them to take more time off to care for their children, and reduces their family’s financial burden.
Furthermore, teachers are not able to accrue holidays in the same way as other professionals.
Better care after baby loss
A teacher who takes maternity leave over the summer essentially loses that holiday, especially if it is over the period of reduced pay. This seems unfair considering the holidays have been earned over the course of the year while the teacher was working.
One way around this is to use shared parental leave (SPL). This allows teachers to ‘return to work’ for the holidays, receive full pay, and spread their maternity leave across term times.
This is a good option but not perfect. Once you start SPL, you automatically receive statutory pay rather than the maternity package, so this will not help parents who are in the first 18 weeks of their leave during holidays (a teacher going on
Teacher’s pet Buddy
Buddy is the lovely cat of Ryan Harris, an English teacher from Portsmouth.
Ryan says: “Buddy is always the best companion when I’m catching up with some marking. My desk is one of his absolute favourite spots for a snooze.
“I took this photo of him relaxing in a box of assessment books. The perfect excuse to stop working for the 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
maternity leave shortly before the summer holidays, for example).
Some teachers have reported being met with resistance from employers when requesting SPL. While teachers can’t be prevented from taking SPL, it is extra stress at an already potentially challenging time. Professionals in other parts of the public sector do not need to jump through hoops to get the holidays they are entitled to.
I would be interested to know if the NEU plans to campaign for a change to maternity policy and pay in the future. While I support the campaign for an aboveinflation pay rise for teachers, a better maternity deal would have a long-lasting benefit for many teachers, now and in the future. Amy Atkinson, Northumberland
The editor writes: Thank you for your letter highlighting issues that affect many thousands of NEU members. Our new set of Maternity Matters resources (neu.org.uk/maternity-leaveand-pay) is focused on maternity
leave and pay. We are calling on the government to: n increase the flat rate of statutory maternity pay (SMP), statutory paternity pay, statutory shared parental pay and other statutory parental payments to at least the equivalent of 35 hours at the national living wage n increase the length of paid maternity leave n extend the eight-week qualifying period for SMP to cover 12 weeks’ earnings, so women with variable hours or on casual contracts are not disadvantaged n update Healthy Start benefits in line with inflation, to support healthy diets for pregnant women, new mothers and children n update the Sure Start maternity grant in line with inflation, and expand eligibility to second and subsequent children n replace the SPL scheme with the 6+6+6 model of six months’ maternity leave, followed by six months of non-transferable parental leave for each parent n enact the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023.
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.
AAIs or pens should never be a choice
I AM sure many members will have been heartbroken reading about the death of Benedict Blythe from anaphylaxis (Educate, May/June, page 25).
If adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) are so cheap, it is a sorry state of the world if budgets force schools to decide “between AAIs and pens and paper”.
I hope the new Labour government will take on board the recommendations of the Benedict Blythe Foundation. Ian Hollingworth, Thailand
School sustainability
AS sustainability lead at my school, I read with interest your article, Climate-conscious choices, describing the process of your publication being printed on recycled paper (Educate, July/ August, page 31).
It made me consider free and easy wins I have found in my first year pushing sustainability at the independent school I work at in south east London. Having been in the state system for most of my 20-year career, I know how hard it is to find spare time, even for a vital topic like sustainability. The following ideas incur no cost and are tried and tested.
n Request a free battery recycling box (valpak.co.uk/recycling/ free-battery-box) and Valpak will empty and dispose of the batteries safely for free. Not only can this be used by staff, but it is a wonderful way to engage the school community too.
n Rather than disposing of old e-waste in bins, national retailer Currys will accept any tech waste and ensure it is recycled.
n Bring the idea of reduce, reuse, recycle to the fore by having a Trashion Show, in which children can design and produce fashion items using recycling. These can then be paraded to the class’ favourite song.
Daniel O’Loghlen, London
Star letter
Benefits of registering for free school meals
WHILE I support the NEU’s campaign for free school meals (FSM) for all primary children, I feel there is an important point being missed here.
As a governor of a primary school, we are constantly striving to get parents to apply for FSMs. Five- to seven-year-olds already get FSM, but if their parents apply for FSM on the grounds of having a low income, it opens up a raft of other benefits such as uniform grants and discounted broadband.
Even more important, both to the school and them, is that the school then gets the Pupil Premium right through until the child leaves the school.
Please can this scheme be promoted and the NEU campaign for the qualifying conditions to be widened?
Philip Humphries, Cumbria
The editor writes: Our campaign has a clear message to government: FSM for all. We
don’t want to dilute the clarity of this message, but are aware of many concurrent issues and the need for wider reform.
We contribute to several campaign groups working on this issue, as well as school food reform more generally. One of the coalitions we are involved in is the Fix Our Food project, which has created a toolkit for local authorities to boost FSM
registration in their area.
While this work is admirable, we are clear such responsibility should not fall on already stretched local authorities.
Pupil Premium eligibility should be decoupled from school food, and automatically determined by the government, through data sharing between its departments.
n Visit tinyurl.com/fixfoodtool
CLASSROOM confidential
I’m a reception teacher, and a few years back, it was suggested I teach a bit about symmetry while exploring patterns.
When introducing the subject and asking what the children already knew about symmetry, a little girl put up her hand. “It’s where you go when you die,” she told the rest of the class.
I was impressed a four-year-old knew what a cemetery was. Remembering this always makes me smile.
n Email your classroom confidential to educate@neu.org.uk
Send us your funny stories to win a £30 gift voucher
Our FSM campaign held a celebration picnic and rally at Parliament Square in London in July PHOTO by Rehan Jamil
A father’s devotion leads to incredible patented pillow –one day all pillows will be made this way
EXTRA COMFORT AND SUPPORT
from a lifethreatening accident, her father Alexander looked everywhere for a pillow that would keep her comfortable throughout the night.
A er purchasing dozens of di erent types and nding none that worked, Alex, a renowned furniture and domestic product designer, decided to engineer his own.
UNIQUE BREAKTHROUGH
He made a breakthrough when he realised that all pillows spread out and atten down as the weight of the head rests on them. is attening progresses through the night, leaving the head and neck poorly supported – and sleep interrupted. is is why many people nd themselves half awake and ‘pillow-punching’ in the middle of the night, desperately trying to get comfortable.
e innovative model that Alex designed has internal ties that hold the lling in place, and pull the pillow in and up to cradle the head and neck. is provides extra comfort and support that lasts through the night and ensures that you get the most bene t from an undisturbed sleep.
I can honestly say that your pillow has made the world of difference… and fully endorse your pillow as being quite unique in its ability to maintain support throughout the night.
Dr Deane
Halfpenny
Harley Street Consultant and Spinal Pain Specialist
MADE IN THE UK
Made in the UK, the Gx Pillow comes in a choice of two levels of support: Medium-so , which most people seem to prefer, or Medium- rm for those who like a little more resistance. Alex’s desperate desire to help his daughter Georgia has led to a pillow that has also transformed the lives of thousands of people. So if you have spent a lifetime looking for the perfect pillow, your search may well be over! INFORMATION: gxpillows/0800 316 2689
cannot believe that after 40 years I
Alexander Miles, inventor of the Gx Pillow pictured with his invention
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Sleeps 2-8. Central heating and wood burner. Near coast & pubs. Now with ne dining on site. Pets welcome in accommodation. 01237 441311
Restaurant reservations 01237 441444
www.pattard.co.uk • www.pattardrestaurant.co.uk
Experienced counsellor (BACP, person-centred) and ex-teacher/ school leader offers emotional and psychological support to school staff who might be experiencing stress, burn out or personal issues.
Counselling can be short-term or long-term depending on your needs. Sessions are £45 for 50 mins and are available online, by telephone or face-to-face at various locations in the Cambridgeshire area. Some concessions available.
Please contact Sarah Cooper on 07415 926391 or email sarahcooper.counsellingincambs@gmail.com for a free initial consultation.
Exploring the care experience
CHILDREN’S charity Coram has produced a play, and accompanying digital resource pack, designed to support students learning about the care system, past and present.
Echoes Through Time was created by writer Brian Mullin, in collaboration with young people who have experienced the care system. It tells the stories of real children who grew up at the Foundling Hospital in London in
the 18th and 19th centuries, and explores the similarities and differences between their experiences and those growing up in the modern care system.
The resource pack includes a production guide, care system fact sheet and information about the Foundling Hospital, as well as videos of past performances. Suitable for performers and audiences over 14 years.
n Visit coramstory.org.uk/echoes-throughtime-the-story-of-care
Charity seeks online volunteer tutors
EDUCATION charity The Access Project is looking for volunteer tutors to help young, disadvantaged people access university.
Tutors are paired with a 14to 16-year-old student to support them with a GCSE subject for one hour a week. Tutoring takes place online and will focus on the topics the student’s teacher advises would be most valuable. Training and resources are available.
n Visit theaccessproject.org.uk/ apply
Influencer culture toolkit
A FREE digital toolkit has been developed to support educators, parents, girls and young women to understand and explore influencer culture and its impact on young lives.
Influencer Culture in the Digital Age, produced by the University of Surrey, includes the thoughts and experiences of girls and young women, and youth-led recommendations on making active choices and exercising self-governance online. Ten interactive activities have been created to support young people to explore and define influencer culture.
n Visit influencercultures.wixsite.com/ influencerculture
Breaking the barriers to singing
BREAKING the Singing Barrier is a digital resource to support music teachers across all settings to challenge the barriers to singing for young people from all cultures and backgrounds.
It includes four webinars and a series of videos on topics including how to create a safe, inclusive space for singing; special educational needs and disabilities and cultural barriers to singing; progression and pathways; and creating a singing culture in school.
The webinars feature advice from music education experts and provide a forum for interactive discussion.
n Visit ism.org/advice/singing-barrier
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Photo
Send us your photo to win a £20 book token
THIS beautiful photo was captured by Yvette Mepham, a teacher based in London.
Yvette says: “Teachers should not forget to explore the world. During half-term earlier this year, I visited Florence in Italy, with its beautiful history,
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
amazing walks and delicious views. The view from Giotto’s Bell Tower is not one to miss. Over 400 steps, but worth the climb.” 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.
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.
Access myRewards today
myNEU is also a portal to accessing hundreds of exclusive discounts available to members through myRewards. From savings on your weekly shop to holidays and special treats, you could save up to £1,000 a year.
Visit neu.org.uk/neu-rewards
Quick crossword
Across
7 Herbert ___ : 31st US
President (6)
8 The youngest Simpson (6)
10 Islamic month of fasting (7)
11 Male bee (5)
12 Scottish island settled by St Columba (4)
13 Taylor ___ : American singer (5)
17 ___ Baron Cohen: English comedian (5)
18 Musical featuring the song Aquarius (4)
22 Berkshire town and racecourse (5)
23 English rock band (3,4)
24 Second-longest UK river (6)
25 Biblical region of Jordan; dystopia in The Handmaid’s Tale (6)
Down
1 ___ Chaplin: English comic actor (7)
2 Testosterone, say (7)
3 Girl’s name which first appeared in Peter Pan (5)
4 Capital of Wales (7)
5 Ice house (5)
6 ___ Mirren: English actress (5)
9 Fairy tale friend of the seven dwarfs (4,5)
14 First of the four New Testament Gospels (7)
15 Noble family in Romeo and Juliet (7)
16 American sitcom starring Jennifer Aniston (7)
19 Type of dance in triple time (5)
20 Andy ___ : author of Bravo Two Zero (5)
21 We Need To Talk About ___ : Lionel Shriver novel (5)
(6) 10 - Islamic month of fasting (7) 11 - Male bee (5)
12 - Scottish island settled by St Columba (4) 13 - Taylor ___ : American singer (5) 17 - ___ Baron Cohen: English comedian (5) 18 - Musical featuring the song Aquarius (4) 22 - Berkshire town and racecourse (5)
23 - English rock band (3,4)
24 - Second-longest UK river (6) 25 - Biblical region of Jordan; dystopia in The Handmaid's Tale (6)
1 - ___ Chaplin: English comic actor (7)
2 - Testosterone, say (7)
Sudoku solutions will feature on this page next issue.
3 - Girl's name which first appeared in Peter Pan
4 - Capital of Wales (7)
5 - Ice house (5)
6 - ___ Mirren: English actress (5)
9 - Fairy tale friend of the seven dwarfs (4,5)
14 - First of the four New Testament Gospels (7)
15 - Noble family in Romeo and Juliet (7)
16 - American sitcom starring Jennifer Aniston (7)
19 - Type of dance in triple time (5)
20 - Andy ___ : author of Bravo Two Zero (5)
21 - We Need To Talk About ___ : Lionel Shriver
Prize crossword
A £50 Marks & Spencer voucher
Across 1 Wrongly claimed it’s a system based on 10 (7)
5 Break between lessons could be necessary without any (6)
9 Newspaper article after EU break-up (7)
10 Section of book: ‘Teach Received Pronunciation Differently’ (7)
11 Which person starts to wish headship obsolete? (3)
12 Soprano is easily suppressing a loud sound (5)
13 Distinctive schoolwear: dreadful misfortune if set out (7)
14 What the leads in 2 and 26 did in quadrangle (3)
15 Privately taught new duet, or tango (7)
17 Draws toilets, oddly (4)
21 Part of cricket match is finished (4)
24 State of a small laboratory taking on a graduate (7)
27 Vase turns up in garden rubbish (3)
28 Ann fits awkwardly into first school (7)
29 Northern child I found in farm building (5)
30 Observe scene regularly (3)
31 Paper-folding leads to return of social security payment, and I am broke! (7)
32 Educational talk about rule, etc, that’s been broken (7)
33 Period of instruction left noses out of joint (6)
34 Actor Kevin brings RSC and Eton together (7)
Down
1 The article (8)
2 & 26 down Oscar-winning film music, if set for a choir, perhaps (8,2,4)
3 Met Office initially employ computer device (5)
4 Lad we’re repositioning downwind! (7)
5 Tell about the result of a close election? (7)
6 Nice day to mix poison! (7)
7 In TV schedules it competes with more serious output! (6)
8 Quick drink of whisky before a play (5)
The winner and solution of this prize crossword will feature on this page next issue. Last issue’s (July/August 2024) prize crossword solution Across 4 BAD 8 LANGUAGE 9 AUTHOR 10 MINORS 11 TRAINEES 13 LEGATO 14 MICHELIN 15 NEON 16 WRITES 18 BOTANY 21 STAR22 OLIGARCH 24 OCCURS 26 ATOM BOMB 29
16 First lady to get some A-levels? (3)
18 Unwell in Somerville (3)
19 Disastrous cut in art is not saying much! (8) 20 Win a rare new design of waterproof clothes (8) 22 They wantonly damage commercial vehicle, unruly lads (7)
23 America is back inside 14 from Moscow, perhaps (7) 24 Awfully nice gal, perfectly behaved! (7)
25 Wine grape and oxygen put in glass of beer (5)
26 See 2 down
29 Supports college grounds alongside the Cam (5)
Send your completed crossword, with your contact details, to: September/October crossword, Educate, NEU, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD, or email a photographed copy to crossword@neu.org.uk. Closing date: 30 September.
30 ANTLER 31 CONSOLES 32 ELK Down 1 MALICE 2 IGNORANT 3 PASSIONS 4 BEST 5 DATA 6 AT ONCE 7 COMEDIAN 12 RUIN 13 LAW 14 MONTH 17 RELATING 18 BROWNING 19 TUCK SHOP 20 YES 21 SCAM 23 GAMBLE 25 RUBBER 27 OGRE 28 BACK
Congratulations to last issue’s winner – Denise Pickup from Sheffield
This issue’s quick crossword solution (p48)
¡No pasarán! Remembering the International Brigades
THE Spanish Civil War, one of the major conflicts of the last century, has a special place in British trade union history.
Yet, despite being a prelude to World War II, the conflict that devastated Spain from 1936-39 is often overlooked in history lessons.
Fact file Jim Jump is chair of the International Brigade Memorial Trust (IBMT). Visit internationalbrigades.org.uk
The International Brigade Memorial Trust (IBMT) is making efforts to put things right. In collaboration with the history department of Leeds University and other educationalists, we have produced a range of teaching aids, including detailed lesson plans.
Mostly aimed at key stage 3 (KS3) pupils, the IBMT’s classroom resources also offer background briefings, strong visuals and oral testimonies suitable for a range of ages.
The KS3 modules aim to motivate pupils to find out why 2,500 men and women from the British Isles –among them teachers – took the extraordinary decision to join the legendary International Brigades in Spain. Their sacrifice was tragically large – 530 of them died in battle.
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.
International Brigade Memorial Trust drummers at the Durham Miners’ Gala in July
PHOTO by Paul Mattsson/reportdigital.co.uk
ECT peasy...
We’re here to help teachers in buying a home of their own. To do this we have many ways to help, like smaller deposits, a longer mortgage term of up to 40 years. In fact we also offer up to 5 times your joint salary if you’re buying with a partner (who doesn’t need to be a teacher).
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.
All of our mortgages are subject to lending criteria, and terms and conditions - please ask for details
A gentle reminder that your mortgage will be secured on your home so you must keep up your mortgage payments
Gwyliau’r ysgol Y bwriad i gwtogi gwyliau’r haf.
Gwobrau i athrawon Dau o aelodau NEU Cymru yn enillwyr.
Eisteddfod yr Urdd
Wythnos o ddathlu i bobl ifanc.
nghymru yng addysgu
Rhifyn 77
Tymor yr Hydref 2024
Pleidlais am gyflogau
BYDD pleidlais sydyn yn cael ei chynnal ymhlith yr aelodau rhwng 21 a 30 Medi i weld a ydyn nhw’n derbyn y cynnig cyflogau diweddaraf.
Bu oedi cyn i lywodraeth Cymru gyhoeddi adroddiad Corff Adolygu Cyflogau Annibynnol Cymru, sy’n cynnwys argymhelliad i godi cyflogau athrawon. Dim ond y mis hwn (mis Medi) y cyhoeddwyd yr adroddiad.
Roedd disgwyl i’r adroddiad gael ei gyhoeddi ym mis Gorffennaf, ond dywedodd
llywodraeth Cymru ei bod hi eisiau sicrhau’r cytundeb gorau posibl. Eglurodd nad oedd hi eisiau bod mewn sefyllfa lle roedd hi’n cynnal trafodaethau â’r undeb am gynnig y gallai fod modd ei wella maes o law.
‘Mae angen amser i gynllunio cyllidebau’ Ond dywedodd yr undeb fod yr oedi’n destun siom. Meddai Nicola Fitzpatrick, ysgrifennydd dros dro NEU Cymru: “Cafodd yr undeb sicrwydd y byddai’r cynnig cyflogau’n cael ei roi i’r aelodau cyn diwedd y flwyddyn academaidd.
“Mae angen amser ar benaethiaid i gynllunio a dyrannu eu cyllidebau ar gyfer y flwyddyn academaidd nesaf, ac mae’r oedi hwn wedi gwneud hynny’n anodd dros ben.” Bydd aelodau’n cael neges destun a/neu e-bost yn gofyn a ydyn nhw eisiau derbyn neu wrthod y cynnig. Os byddan nhw’n penderfynu derbyn y cynnig, bydd yr undeb yn rhoi gwybod i lywodraeth Cymru ac ni fydd rhagor o gamau’n cael eu cymryd. Os bydd yr aelodau’n gwrthod y cynnig, bydd yr undeb yn cynnal pleidlais ffurfiol yn nes ymlaen yn y flwyddyn academaidd.
Disgyblion o Landeilo yn ennill gwobr am ffilm
MAE ffilm ddwyieithog am hanes y Gymraeg, sydd wedi’i chreu gan fyfyrwyr yn Ysgol Bro Dinefwr yn Sir Gâr, wedi ennill gwobr am y ffilm orau yn y Deyrnas Unedig.
Enillodd The Language of Cymraeg, a gynhyrchwyd gan aelodau o glwb drama’r Ysgol yn Llandeilo (ar y chwith), wobr am y ffilm orau yn y grŵp oedran 12-15 yng ngwobrau Into Film yr haf hwn.
Mae’r ffilm yn edrych ar hanes y Gymraeg, gan olrhain yr ymdrechion i’w gwahardd dros y canrifoedd a’r frwydr i’w chadw’n fyw. yn parhau ar dudalen 3
Joseff a Taran (yn y canol) gyda’r gwneuthurwyr ffilmiau ifanc eraill a’r athrawes ddrama Lisa Rimmington-Price (ar y dde) yng ngwobrau Into Film a gynhaliwyd yn Leicester Square yn Llundain
Oedi cyn newid gwyliau’r ysgol
MAE NEU Cymru wedi croesawu’r penderfyniad i roi’r cynlluniau o’r neilltu am y tro i gwtogi gwyliau’r haf yng Nghymru, a hynny tan ar ôl etholiadau nesaf Senedd Cymru yn 2026.
Roedd NEU Cymru a’r undebau addysg eraill wedi gwrthwynebu’r cynnig yn chwyrn.
Cyfaddefodd Lynne Neagle, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg, fod “barn hynod o gymysg” am y materion hyn ac y byddai gohirio’r newid tan dymor nesaf y Senedd yn rhoi cyfle i ysgolion ganolbwyntio ar flaenoriaethau pwysicach fel cyflwyno’r cwricwlwm newydd.
Pe bai’r cynigion wedi cael eu cyflwyno,
Ysgolion yn
benthyg arian wrth i’r toriadau wasgu
MAE bron i fil o ysgolion drwy Gymru wedi wynebu toriadau i’w cyllidebau ers 2010. Mae’r ffigurau diweddaraf ar wefan Toriadau i Ysgolion Cymru yn dangos bod 922 o ysgolion wedi wynebu gostyngiad mewn termau real yn y cyllid sydd ganddyn nhw i’w wario ar bob disgybl. Roedd y gostyngiadau hynny’n gyfystyr â £343 (saith y cant) i ddisgyblion cynradd, £388 (saith y cant) i ddisgyblion uwchradd a £411 (dau y cant) i ddisgyblion ysgolion arbennig. Y tymor diwethaf, rhoddodd Cyngor Conwy fenthyciad o dros hanner miliwn o bunnoedd i ddwy ysgol uwchradd a oedd yn brin o arian yn y sir – £351,000 i Ysgol Eirias ym Mae Colwyn a £200,000 i Ysgol Aberconwy yn nhref Conwy. Mae cyfanswm o 51 o weithwyr o 18 ysgol yn y sir hefyd wedi colli’u swyddi, gan gynnwys staff addysgu, goruchwylwyr canol dydd a gweithwyr gweinyddol, a hynny er mwyn galluogi’r cyngor i “osod cyllideb gytbwys ar gyfer 2024/25”.
Yn ôl Nicola Fitzpatrick, ysgrifennydd dros dro NEU Cymru, mae tangyllido addysg dros yr 14 mlynedd ddiwethaf wedi arwain at oblygiadau amlwg i fyfyrwyr a staff: “Mae’r byd addysg yng Nghymru yn wynebu talcen caled dros ben.” Yr undebau addysg, gan gynnwys yr NEU, sy’n gyfrifol am wefan Toriadau i Ysgolion, gyda chymorth Parentkind a’r National Governance Association. n Ewch i toriadauiysgolion.cymru
byddai gwyliau hanner tymor mis Hydref 2025 wedi para pythefnos, gyda gwyliau’r haf yn 2025 yn para pump yn hytrach na chwech wythnos.
Roedd Gweinidogion wedi dadlau mai disgyblion difreintiedig a fyddai’n elwa fwyaf o wyliau haf byrrach, ac y byddai tymhorau mwy rheolaidd eu hyd yn llai blinedig i ddisgyblion a staff. Roedden nhw’n dweud bod teuluoedd yn ei chael hi’n anodd dod o hyd i ofal plant dros y gwyliau hir, ac y byddai’r newidiadau’n “cyd-fynd yn fwy effeithiol â sut mae teuluoedd yn byw ac yn gweithio”.
Cafwyd dros 16,000 o ymatebion i’r ymgynghoriad am y cynnig – ac roedd barn pobl yn glir. Dywedwyd nad oedd rheswm amlwg dros ddiwygio’r flwyddyn ysgol a
bod angen tystiolaeth cyn cyflwyno unrhyw newidiadau i ddangos sut byddai plant a phobl ifanc yn elwa wrth ddysgu, gan ofalu am les y gweithlu ar yr un pryd.
Dywedodd yr undeb hefyd fod y cynigion yn tynnu’r sylw oddi ar heriau eraill sy’n wynebu ysgolion, fel cyflwyno’r cwricwlwm newydd; diwygiadau sylweddol i anghenion dysgu ychwanegol; yr argyfwng cyllido; problemau dybryd gyda llwyth gwaith, ymddygiad disgyblion a phresenoldeb; a heriau iechyd meddwl sy’n wynebu staff a myfyrwyr.
Mae etholiadau nesaf Senedd Cymru ym mis Mai 2026, felly mae’n annhebygol y bydd unrhyw benderfyniad ar newidiadau i wyliau’r ysgol yn cael eu gwneud cyn blwyddyn academaidd 2028/29.
Dyddiadau dysgu i’ch dyddiadur
HYFFORDDIANT I GYNRYCHIOLWYR
Mae cyrsiau sylfaen ac uwch ar gael i gynrychiolwyr eu mynychu am dri diwrnod mewn un bloc. Mae’r cyrsiau wedi’u trefnu, yn ddibynnol ar niferoedd, ar y dyddiadau canlynol: Cyrsiau sylfaen
8-10 Hydref – cwrs tridiau –Casnewydd tinyurl.com/Oct-Newport
12-14 Tachwedd – cwrs tridiau –Llandudno tinyurl.com/Nov-Llandudno
Cwrs uwch
19-21 Tachwedd – cwrs tridiau –Abertawe tinyurl.com/Nov-Swansea
RHAGOR O GYRSIAU DRWY WULF
Cyfraith cyflogaeth
26 Tachwedd – Abertawe tinyurl.com/Nov-Swansea-2
Dileu swyddi ac ailstrwythuro
21 Ionawr 2025 – Caerdydd tinyurl.com/Jan-Cardiff
23 Ionawr 2025 – Llandudno tinyurl.com/Jan-Llandudno
Os oes gennych chi ddiddordeb mewn dod yn gynrychiolydd yn y gweithle a mynd ar un o’r cyrsiau, anfonwch e-bost i cymru.wales@neu. org.uk. Cofiwch fod gan gynrychiolwyr hawl gyfreithiol i gael yr hyfforddiant hwn. Bydd yr NEU yn cefnogi unrhyw gynrychiolydd sy’n wynebu anawsterau wrth geisio cael amser i ffwrdd o’r gwaith i fod yn bresennol.
Mae cyrsiau hefyd ar gael drwy brosiect Cronfa Ddysgu Undebau Cymru (WULF) ac mae rhestr wedi’i diweddaru o’r pynciau i’w gweld yn tinyurl.com/ wulf-courses
Os hoffech chi i’r undeb ystyried trefnu cwrs penodol, anfonwch e-bost at Lisa Williams, lisa.williams@neu.org.uk, neu at Beth Roberts, beth.roberts@neu.org.uk
Cadwch olwg ar eich e-bost i weld gwybodaeth am y cyfleoedd hyfforddiant diweddaraf. Hoffwch ni ar Facebook yn facebook.com/ neucymrutraining, dilynwch ni ar X drwy @neucymrutrain ac ewch i neu.org.uk/learning-and-events
Hyfforddiant, gweithdai ac adnoddau addysgol i drechu hiliaeth
Mae’r NEU yn dal i gefnogi Dangoswch y Cerdyn Coch i Hiliaeth ac ymrwymiad yr elusen i waith gwrth-hiliol mewn ysgolion. theredcard.org
Cwrdd â’n hyrwyddwyr
CAFODD dau o aelodau ymroddedig NEU Cymru eu anrhydeddu yng Ngwobrau Addysgu Proffesiynol Cymru eleni am eu gwaith yn hyrwyddo’r Gymraeg a gwrth-hiliaeth.
Amy Grimward
Ysgol Aberconwy Conwy
PAN ddywedodd myfyriwr blwyddyn 9 wrth ei hathrawes, Amy Grimward, ei bod yn siomedig nad oedd yr ysgol wedi cydnabod protestiadau Mae Bywydau Du o Bwys yn ystod y cyfnod clo, sylweddolodd Amy fod gwaith i’w wneud. Ers hynny mae hi wedi palu’r ffordd yn Ysgol Aberconwy i gyflwyno gwrth-hiliaeth drwy’r cwricwlwm, gan fynd ati i gynnwys myfyrwyr a’u teuluoedd yn y gwaith o godi ymwybyddiaeth a gwella dealltwriaeth. Arweiniodd hyn at ennill gwobr Betty Campbell MBE am hyrwyddo cyfraniadau a safbwyntiau cymunedau Du, Asiaidd ac ethnig leiafrifol.
Canmolodd y beirniaid sut mae Amy yn “dangos dealltwriaeth glir o bwysigrwydd gwaith gwrth-hiliol mewn cwricwlwm sy’n cael ei lywio gan ddiben”. Roedd disgyblion yn ymddiried ynddi wrth sôn am ddigwyddiadau, meddai’r beirniaid, gan ychwanegu: “Mae ganddi weledigaeth hirdymor ar gyfer gwrthhiliaeth yn Ysgol Aberconwy ac mae hi wedi gweithio gyda chydweithwyr i ddatblygu dull dad-drefedigaethol o gyflwyno’r cwricwlwm.”
Alex Davies Ysgol
Gynradd Black Lane Wrecsam
MAE athro a ddysgodd Gymraeg mewn blwyddyn wedi ennill gwobr am y ffordd ysbrydoledig y mae’n dysgu’r iaith i’w ddisgyblion.
Manteisiodd Alex Davies ar y flwyddyn sabothol a gynigir gan lywodraeth Cymru i annog athrawon i ddefnyddio’r Gymraeg. Golygodd natur drochi’r cwrs fod Alex yn rhugl erbyn iddo’i gwblhau.
“Rydw i’n frwd iawn dros geisio codi proffil y Gymraeg,” meddai Alex. “Y peth gwych yn fy ysgol i yw fod pawb wedi ymrwymo i hyn.”
Mae’r ysgol bellach yn defnyddio’r iaith mewn gwahanol ffyrdd drwy’r cwricwlwm ac ym mywydau bob dydd y plant.
Meddai beirniaid y wobr: “Mae Alex yn sicrhau bod sgiliau Cymraeg yn cael eu meithrin mewn ffordd hwyliog a difyr.
“Mae ei frwdfrydedd heintus a’i gyffro i’w teimlo y tu hwnt i’r ystafell ddosbarth.”
‘Perchnogaeth lwyr a rhyddid i hel syniadau’ yn parhau o dudalen 1
Ni allai Lisa Rimmington-Price (yn y llun ar y chwith), sy’n trefnu clwb drama’r ysgol, fod yn fwy balch o’u llwyddiant.
“Rydw i’n athrawes ddrama hapus dros ben,” meddai hi.
“Gobeithio y bydd eu llwyddiant nhw’n annog disgyblion eraill i wneud hyn.”
Er ei bod hi’n goruchwylio’r clwb, mae’r myfyrwyr yn cael rhwydd hynt gan Lisa i wneud beth maen nhw’n dymuno’i wneud. Cafodd cynnwys y ffilm ei ysbrydoli gan ymweliad Dafydd Iwan, y cantor a’r ymgyrchydd Cymraeg, â’r ysgol. Y myfyrwyr oedd yn gyfrifol am bopeth wedyn, meddai Lisa. “Roedd ganddyn nhw berchnogaeth lwyr dros y cyfan, a rhyddid i hel syniadau.”
Esboniodd Joseph a Taran, sydd ill dau’n 14 oed: “Fe wnaethon ni benderfynu y byddai’n syniad gwych adrodd stori’r Gymraeg drwy’i holl hanes.”
Gan ddiolch i Lisa am ei chefnogaeth, medden nhw hefyd: “Rydyn ni mor ddiolchgar i’n hathrawes ddrama am sôn am y gystadleuaeth. Mae hyn yn sicr wedi ein gwneud ni’n awyddus i edrych ar greu ffilmiau fel gyrfa.”
Cerdd ‘unigryw ac ysbrydoledig’ yn ennill cystadleuaeth
CERDD sy’n dangos effaith hiliaeth a phwysigrwydd gwrth-hiliaeth oedd prif enillydd cystadleuaeth greadigol
Dangos y Cerdyn Coch i Hiliaeth i ysgolion yng Nghymru yn 2024. A honno wedi’i hysgrifennu gan Anabia Khan, myfyriwr yn Ysgol Bassaleg yng Nghasnewydd, disgrifiwyd Layers of My Skin gan feirniaid y gystadleuaeth fel cerdd ‘unigryw ac ysbrydoledig’. Cyflwynwyd iPad i Anabia gan Emma Rose, llywydd yr NEU. Roedd yr undeb wedi cyfrannu’r wobr yn rhodd fel rhan o’i waith parhaus i gefnogi Dangos y Cerdyn Coch i Hiliaeth.
Cofrestrodd miloedd o bobl ifanc i gymryd rhan yn y gystadleuaeth greadigol, a hynny o 461 o ysgolion ledled Cymru. Dyma’r nifer uchaf ers dechrau’r gystadleuaeth.
Roedd y gystadleuaeth yn cynnwys heriau yn chwe maes dysgu a phrofiad y Cwricwlwm i Gymru, gyda gwobrau ym mhob categori i’r grwpiau oedran cynradd ac uwchradd. Cyflwynwyd gwobr newydd am gyflawniad eithriadol eleni hefyd. n Bydd cystadleuaeth y flwyddyn nesaf yn cael ei lansio fis Tachwedd a dylid anfon cynigion i events@ theredcardwales.org
(O’r chwith) Cyflwynydd y seremoni wobrwyo, Donna Ali; llywydd yr NEU, Emma Rose; y prif enillydd, Anabia Khan; cadeirydd pwyllgor ymgynghorol Cymru Dangos y Cerdyn Coch i Hiliaeth, Stuart Williams; a’r cydgyflwynydd ac enillydd 2022, Luchia Ellul-Alimikhena
Newyddion
Yma i helpu
FEL yr undeb addysg mwyaf, gall NEU
Cymru roi gwasanaeth heb ei ail i’w aelodau. Mae ein tîm proffesiynol yma i ddefnyddio’u harbenigedd er mwyn helpu ein rhwydwaith o gynrychiolwyr gweithle ac ysgrifenyddion rhanbarthau a changhennau.
Os oes gennych chi broblem yn y gwaith neu i gael rhagor o wybodaeth am ein gwasanaethau i aelodau, cysylltwch â’r canlynol: n cynrychiolydd eich gweithle n ysgrifennydd eich cangen
n AdviceLine
n Swyddfa NEU Cymru.
NEU Cymru
Ty Sinnott, 18 Neptune Court, Vanguard Way, Caerdydd CF24 5PJ
Ffôn: 029 2049 1818
E-bost: cymru.wales@neu.org.uk
Ysgrifennydd dros dro Cymru:
Nicola Fitzpatrick
Uwch swyddogion Cymru: Debbie Scott, Daniel Maney
Uwch swyddog polisi Cymru: Mary van den Heuvel
Trefnydd y gogledd: Cai Jones
Trefnydd y de: Robert Goddard
Cyfreithiwr Cymru: Angharad Booker
Aelodau gweithredol: Máiréad Canavan, Elizabeth McLean, Hannah O’Neill
Prif swyddfa
Yr Undeb Addysg Cenedlaethol, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, Llundain WC1H 9BD
Ffôn: 020 7388 6191
Gwefan: neu.org.uk
Llywydd: Phil Clarke
Ysgrifennydd cyffredinol: Daniel Kebede
Cyfieithiad gan
Rhys Iorwerth Cyf rhysiorwerth@ hotmail.com
(yn glocwedd o’r chwith uchaf) Lois Jones o Ysgol Pont y Gof, Botwnnog; Megan Mosford o Ysgol Pen Barras, Rhuthun; Theo Morris o Ysgol y Deri, Llangybi; Eben Phillips o Ysgol Brynhyfryd, Rhuthun
YMWELODD ffrindiau hen a newydd â stondin NEU Cymru yn Eisteddfod yr Urdd a gynhaliwyd ym Meifod, Sir Drefaldwyn, ddechrau’r haf.
Roedd gan yr undeb stondin yn y digwyddiad wythnos o hyd sy’n cael ei drefnu gan Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Dyma’r ŵyl ieuenctid fwyaf yn Ewrop.
Roedd yr arddangosfeydd ar y stondin yn amlygu ymgyrch Gwerthfawrogi Addysg, Gwerthfawrogi Addysgwyr yr NEU ynghyd â gwaith Cronfa Ddysgu Undebau Cymru (WULF), gan ddenu llawer o ddiddordeb. Roedd yr elusen gwrth-hiliaeth, Dangos y Cerdyn Coch i Hiliaeth, hefyd yno gyda’r undeb, a bu’r staff yn rhoi bandiau arddwrn, sticeri a
chylchgronau i bobl am ddim. Denodd cystadleuaeth lliwio/tynnu llun gwenyn dros 50 o gynigion bob dydd, gyda phawb a roddodd gynnig arni’n cael pecyn o hadau blodau gwyllt sy’n llesol i wenyn. Rhoddwyd dwy wobr i’r enillwyr bob dydd, sef gwesty pryfaid pren.
Dywedodd Stuart Williams, swyddog polisi NEU Cymru, ei fod wedi’i syfrdanu â’r nifer o bobl ifanc a ymwelodd â’r stondin ac a oedd eisiau cymryd rhan yn y gystadleuaeth. “Mae Eisteddfod yr Urdd yn gyfle gwych i ni ymwneud ag aelodau, rhieni a phobl ifanc er mwyn trafod ein hymgyrchoedd a’r cyfleoedd datblygu proffesiynol sydd gennyn ni i’w cynnig i addysgwyr.”
Croeso cynnes i ysgrifennydd dros dro Cymru
MAE uwch swyddog rhanbarthol o swyddfa’r NEU yn Swydd Efrog a Humber wedi camu i swydd ysgrifennydd dros dro Cymru yng Nghaerdydd.
Bu Nicola Fitzpatrick (ar y chwith) yn athrawes ysgol gynradd am 23 mlynedd, ac yn bennaeth cynorthwyol am 13 o’r rheini. Hi oedd ysgrifennydd rhanbarth Barnsley yn yr hen NUT, gan ddod yn ysgrifennydd rhanbarth a changen yr NEU cyn dod yn swyddog rhanbarthol.
Bydd ei swydd newydd yn golygu sicrhau bod NEU Cymru yn rym o bwys ac yn cael ei gydnabod fel undeb trefnu cynhwysol sy’n creu cryfder yn y gweithle, yn hyrwyddo bargeinio ar faterion penodol, yn cefnogi aelodau ar y cyd ac fel unigolion, ac yn cefnogi swyddogion etholedig.
Meddai Nicola: “Rydw i wrth fy modd o gael cyfle i weithio i NEU Cymru ac yn edrych ymlaen at weithio gyda phob un ohonoch chi fel y gallwn ni sicrhau’r canlyniadau gorau i’n holl aelodau ledled Cymru.”
Mae Nicola’n ymuno â NEU Cymru tra bo’r broses o benodi ysgrifennydd parhaol yng Nghymru’n mynd rhagddi yn dilyn ymddeoliad David Evans yn gynharach eleni.
School holidays
Latest on proposal to cut summer break.
Issue 77 Autumn term 2024
Teacher awards Winners include two NEU Cymru members.
Urdd Eisteddfod Week-long celebration for young people.
inwales
Vote on delayed pay offer
A SNAP poll of members will be conducted between 21-30 September to find out if they accept the latest pay offer.
The Welsh government (WG) delayed publication of the Independent Wales Pay Review Body’s (IWPRB) report – which includes its recommendation for an increase in teachers’ pay – until this month (September). The report had been due to be published in July, but the WG said it wanted to ensure
it got the best deal possible. It said it did not want to be in a position where it was in discussion with the union on an offer that it might later be able to improve.
‘Heads need to time to plan budgets’ But the union said it was disappointed by the delay. Nicola Fitzpatrick, acting Wales secretary for NEU Cymru, said: “The union was given an assurance that the pay offer would be made known to members before the end of the academic year.
“Head teachers need to be able to plan and allocate their budgets for the next academic year and this delay has made that very difficult for them.”
Members will be sent a text and/or email asking them if they want to accept or reject the offer.
If they decide to accept the offer, the union will inform the WG and no further action will be taken. If the offer is rejected, the union will conduct a formal ballot later in the academic year.
Llandeilo pupils win UK best film award
A BILINGUAL film about the history of the Welsh language made by students at Ysgol Bro Dinefwr in Carmarthenshire has won a UK best film award.
The Language of Cymraeg, produced by members of the Llandeilo school’s drama club (left), won best film in the 12-15 age group at the Into Film awards in the summer.
The film looks at the history of the Welsh language, charting attempts to ban it over the centuries and the fight to keep it alive.
continued on page 3
Joseph and Taran (centre) with the other young film makers and drama teacher Lisa Rimmington-Price (right) at the Into Film awards held in London’s Leicester Square
Summer holiday reform plans put on hold
NEU Cymru welcomed the decision to put on hold plans to cut the school summer holiday in Wales until after the next Welsh Parliament election in 2026.
The proposal had been strongly opposed by NEU Cymru and other teaching unions.
Cabinet Secretary for Education Lynne Neagle admitted “opinion was hugely divided” on the issues and said postponing the change until the next Senedd term would let schools focus on other more pressing priorities such as implementing the new curriculum.
If the proposals had gone ahead, the half-term break in October 2025 would
Cash-strapped schools turn to loans as cuts bite
ALMOST a thousand schools across Wales have faced cuts in their budgets since 2010.
Latest figures on the School Cuts Cymru website show that 922 schools in Wales have seen real-terms funding per pupil fall by £343 (seven per cent) for primary pupils, £388 (seven per cent) for secondary and £411 (two per cent) for special schools.
Last term, Conwy Council loaned more than a half a million pounds to two cashstrapped secondary schools in the county – £351,000 to Ysgol Eirias in Colwyn Bay and £200,000 to Ysgol Aberconwy in Conwy town. A total of 51 employees from 18 schools in the county have also been made redundant, including teaching staff, midday supervisors and administrative roles, to enable the council “to set a balanced budget for 2024/25”.
Nicola Fitzpatrick, acting NEU Wales secretary, said the underfunding of education over the past 14 years has had clear consequences for students and staff: “Education in Wales is really struggling.”
The School Cuts website is run by education unions including the NEU and is supported by Parentkind and the National Governance Association. n Visit schoolcuts.cymru
have been extended to a fortnight, with a five-week rather than a six-week summer holiday in 2026.
Members find ‘no obvious rationale’ Ministers had argued that disadvantaged pupils would benefit most from a shorter summer break and that more regular terms would be less tiring for pupils and staff.
They said many families struggled with childcare over the long holiday, and the changes would “align more effectively with how families live and work”.
Consultation on the proposals attracted more than 16,000 responses – and their views were clear. They said there was no obvious rationale for school year reform
and that any changes needed to be evidencebased to show how they would benefit children and young people in their learning while also ensuring the wellbeing of the workforce.
The union also said the proposals were a distraction from other challenges schools face, such as implementing the new curriculum; significant additional learning needs reform; the funding crisis; major workload, pupil behaviour and attendance issues; and mental health challenges for both staff and students.
The next Welsh Parliament election is in May 2026 so any decision on changes to the school holidays is unlikely before the 2028/29 academic year.
Learning dates for your diary
LEARNING is at the heart of NEU Cymru and we take pride in the training we provide for education professionals, local officers and workplace reps.
TRAINING FOR REPS
Foundation and advanced reps courses are available for reps to attend for three days in one block. The courses have been arranged, subject to numbers, on the following dates:
Foundation courses
8-10 October – three-day course –Newport tinyurl.com/Oct-Newport
12-14 November – three-day course –Llandudno tinyurl.com/Nov-Llandudno
Advanced course
19-21 November – three-day course –Swansea tinyurl.com/Nov-Swansea
MORE COURSES THROUGH WULF
Employment law
26 November – Swansea tinyurl.com/Nov-Swansea-2
Redundancy and restructuring
21 January 2025 – Cardiff tinyurl.com/Jan-Cardiff
23 January 2025 – Llandudno tinyurl.com/Jan-Llandudno
If you’re interested in becoming a workplace rep and attending one of the courses, email cymru. wales@neu.org.uk – and remember, reps are legally entitled to attend this training.
The NEU will support any rep who has difficulties getting time off work to attend.
Courses are also available through the Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) project and a regularly updated list of topics can be found at tinyurl.com/ wulf-courses
If you would like the union to consider organising a particular course, email Lisa Williams at lisa.williams@neu.org.uk or Beth Roberts at beth.roberts@neu.org.uk
Check your email inbox for information on the latest training opportunities. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/neucymrutraining, follow us on X at @neucymrutrain and visit neu.org.uk/learning-and-events
Educational training, workshops and resources to tackle racism
The NEU continues to support Show Racism the Red Card and the charity’s commitment to anti-racism work in schools. theredcard.org
Meet our champions
TWO dedicated NEU Cymru members were honoured in this year’s Professional Teaching Awards Cymru for their work in championing the Welsh language and anti-racism.
Amy Grimward Ysgol Aberconwy Conwy
WHEN a year 9 student told her teacher, Amy Grimward, during lockdown that she was disappointed there had been no acknowledgement in the school of the Black Lives Matter protests, Amy realised there was work to be done.
Since then she has led the way for Ysgol Aberconwy to embed anti-racism across the curriculum, involving students and their families in raising awareness and understanding. Her approach won her the Betty Campbell MBE award for promoting the contributions and perspectives of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.
Judges praised how Amy “demonstrates a clear understanding of how an anti-racist approach is key to a purpose-led curriculum”.
They said pupils trusted her when confiding incidents, adding: “She has a longterm vision for anti-racism at Ysgol Aberconwy and has worked with colleagues to develop a decolonised approach to the curriculum.”
Alex Davies Black Lane Primary School Wrexham
A TEACHER who learnt Welsh in a year has won an award for the inspirational way he teaches the language to his pupils.
Alex Davies took advantage of a sabbatical year offered by the Welsh government to encourage the use of Welsh. The immersive nature of the course meant that Alex was fluent by the time he completed it.
“It’s a massive passion, to try and raise the profile of Welsh,” Alex said. “The great thing in my school is that everybody’s on board.”
The school now uses the language in different ways across the curriculum and in the everyday lives of the children.
“We try to make sure we don’t miss an opportunity to use it,” he said.
The award judges said: “Alex ensures that Welsh language skills are developed in a fun and engaging way. [His] contagious enthusiasm and excitement extends beyond the classroom.”
‘Total
ownership and freedom to explore their ideas’
continued from page 1
Lisa RimmingtonPrice (pictured left), who runs the school’s drama club, could not be more proud of their success.
“I’m a very happy drama teacher,” she said. “Hopefully their success will spur other pupils on to do this.”
Although she supervises the club, Lisa tells the students it is up to them to decide what they want to do. Inspiration for the film’s subject came from a visit to their school by singer and Welsh language campaigner Dafydd Iwan –and then it was down to them, said Lisa. “They have total ownership and the freedom to explore their ideas.”
Joseph and Taran, both 14, explained: “We decided it would be a great idea to tell the story of the language of Cymraeg throughout history.”
Thanking Lisa for her support, they added: “We are so grateful our drama teacher introduced us to the competition. It certainly has made us want to get more involved in filmmaking as a career.”
‘Unique and inspirational’ poem wins SRtRC competition
A POEM demonstrating the impact of racism and the importance of anti-racism was the overall winner of the 2024 Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) creative competition for schools in Wales.
Written by Anabia Khan, a student at Ysgol Bassaleg in Newport, Layers of My Skin was described by the competition judges as “unique and inspirational”.
Anabia was presented with an iPad by Emma Rose, president of the NEU, which donated the prize as part of its continuing support for SRtRC.
Thousands of young people registered to take part in the creative competition from 461 schools across Wales, the highest number since it began.
The competition included challenges for the six areas of learning and experiences within the Curriculum for Wales, with awards in each category for primary and secondary age groups. A new, outstanding achievement award was also added this year.
n Next year’s competition will be launched in November and entries should be sent to events@theredcardwales.org
(From left) Awards ceremony host Donna Ali, NEU president Emma Rose, overall winner Anabia Khan, SRtRC Wales advisory committee chair Stuart Williams, and co-host and 2022 winner Luchia Ellul-Alimikhena
Here to help
AS part of the largest education union in Europe, NEU Cymru can offer members an unrivalled service.
Our professional team is here to provide expertise to our network of workplace representatives and district and branch secretaries.
If you have a problem at work or want to know more about member services, contact:
n your workplace representative n your branch secretary
n AdviceLine 0345 811 8111
n NEU Cymru office.
NEU Cymru
Ty Sinnott, 18 Neptune Court, Vanguard Way, Cardiff CF24 5PJ
Tel: 029 2049 1818
Email: cymru.wales@neu.org.uk
Acting Wales secretary: Nicola Fitzpatrick
Senior Wales officers: Debbie Scott, Daniel Maney
Senior Wales policy officer: Mary van den Heuvel
North Wales organiser: Cai Jones
South Wales organiser: Robert Goddard
Wales solicitor: Angharad Booker
Executive members:
Máiréad Canavan, Elizabeth McLean, Hannah O’Neill
Head office
National Education Union, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD
Tel: 020 7388 6191
Website: neu.org.uk
President: Emma Rose
General secretary: Daniel Kebede
Translation by Rhys Iorwerth Cyf
rhysiorwerth@ hotmail.com
FRIENDS old and new visited the NEU Cymru stall at the annual Urdd Eisteddfod held in Meifod, Montgomeryshire early in the summer.
The union had a stall at the weeklong event, which is organised by the Welsh language youth organisation, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, and is the largest youth festival in Europe.
Displays on the stall highlighted the NEU’s Value Education, Value Educators campaign and the work of the Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF), both attracting a lot of interest.
The union was also joined by the anti-racism charity, Show Racism the Red Card, whose staff gave away wristbands, stickers and magazines.
A bee colouring/drawing competition drew over 50 entries each day, with each entrant receiving a pack of bee-friendly wildflower seeds. Two daily prizes of a wooden insect hotel were given to the winners.
NEU Cymru policy officer Stuart Williams said he was overwhelmed by the number of young people who visited the stand and who wanted to take part in the competition.
“The Urdd Eisteddfod is a great opportunity for us to engage with members, parents and young people to discuss our campaigns and the professional development opportunities we have to offer educators,” he said.
Warm welcome to acting Wales secretary
A SENIOR regional officer from the NEU’s Yorkshire and Humber office has taken over the role of acting Wales secretary in Cardiff.
Nicola Fitzpatrick (left) was a primary school teacher for 23 years, 13 of which as assistant head teacher. She was division secretary for Barnsley in the former NUT, becoming NEU district and branch secretary before taking up her regional officer position. Her new role will be to ensure NEU Cymru is a formidable force, recognised as an inclusive organising union which builds strength in the workplace, promotes issue-based bargaining, supports members collectively and as individuals, and is supportive of elected officers.
Nicola said: “I am delighted to be working for NEU Cymru and am looking forward to working with all of you so we can achieve the best outcomes for all our members across Wales.”
Nicola joins NEU Cymru while the process of appointing a permanent Wales secretary continues following the retirement earlier this year of David Evans.
(Clockwise from top left) Lois Jones from Ysgol Pont y Gof, Botwnnog; Megan Mosford from Ysgol Pen Barras, Ruthin; Theo Morris from Ysgol y Deri, Llangybi; Eben Phillips from Ysgol Brynhyfryd, Ruthin
