Letters 1,265 + give + take = goodwill all round News
Why 1,265 is the magic number THE NEU’s campaign to reduce excessive workloads in schools and colleges is reaping rewards for members. Many have been using the union’s directed time campaign resources in negotiations with their leadership teams to secure recognised working hours. The campaign is aiming for every workplace to have a negotiated directed time calendar and, since they were launched this term, there have been more than 8,300 requests for directed time resources. Directed time is the time teachers are directed to be at work and available for work – it should be a maximum of 1,265 hours per academic year spread over 195 days. But many teachers are working much longer hours. Teacher and NEU rep Jessica Edmonds from Leicester said when she first joined her school five years ago, staff knew nothing about the maximum and were working much longer hours running after-school clubs and pupil progress meetings in their PPA time. There was no rep so she called a meeting and was quickly elected: “After discussing 1,265 with members, I spoke with the head teacher, who then produced a breakdown. The additional things we had been asked to do were removed, as of course there wasn’t enough time. This was a great workload win for members.” In Hounslow, west London, Karen
“Running afterschool clubs and pupil progress meetings in their PPA time.”
“I managed to negotiate an extra four days of holiday – never trust their maths!”
Jessica Edmonds (above)
Karen Kemble (above)
Kemble found a careful inspection of her academy head teacher’s figures revealed staff were working 4.5 days over the 1,265 hours. Using her calculation she was able to negotiate an extra four days of holiday. “My mantra, based on 25 years of different head teachers, is never trust
that their maths is better than yours. And I’m a languages teacher not a mathematician,” she said. n Visit neu.org. uk/workload/ directed-time
Mary: ‘Pupils, parents, the nation deserve better’
I READ your article about directed time, Why 1,265 is the magic number (Educate, July/ August, page 6), with interest. Although I haven’t used your calculator as yet, I’m sure that I and many of our teaching staff go beyond those hours. However, the school I work in is very supportive and respectful of family life. Staff are able to take time to attend their own children’s assemblies, Christmas productions and sports days, and time to support relatives when necessary. In addition, if staff need THE £1.4 billion announced by the Government to fund its education recovery plan has been slammed by the NEU as a “paltry offer” and billions of pounds short of what is needed.
£15bn needed, not £1.4bn Joint general secretary Mary Bousted said: “Rarely has so much been promised and so little delivered. The ‘new’ money offered amounts to £1.4bn – way below the £15bn sum which Sir Kevan Collins, the Education Recovery Commissioner, judged is needed to repair the damage done to the nation’s pupils because of Covid.” 6
Sir Kevan resigned in protest at the lack of funding for education recovery on the day of the Government announcement in June. Mary said: “Kevan Collins’ valiant efforts to deliver a serious recovery package fell on the deafest ears. This is a comprehensive failure of Government at a critical hour.”
‘No quick or cheap fixes’ She added: “He understood the enormity of the task ahead to support children and young people to recover from the disruption of the pandemic. He also saw that there are no quick or cheap fixes if we are to build an education system that supports high standards and
strong mental health for everyone. “The Government, which brought him in to provide solutions, has totally disregarded his vision. The Treasury has shown, in this paltry offer, that it does not understand, nor does it appreciate, the essential foundation laid by education for the nation’s economic recovery. Its failure, on this scale, to fund what is needed for education recovery, is a scar which will take generations of children and young people to heal. “They, their parents and our nation deserve much better than this.”
additional time out of the classroom to complete curriculum leader tasks or even catch up with marking or assessments, that too is arranged. I understand the value of the calculator and the importance of the 1,265 ‘magic number’ but there also needs to be give and take and goodwill on both sides. In our school it is of course expected that staff work hard,
The NZ approach to education and culture
IN 2015, we spent two months travelling around New Zealand. We stayed in Mangonui on the North Island for a couple
of nights and came across the local primary school. I explained I was a retired teacher from the UK and asked if I could have a look around. There were no locks and no signing in. Literacy and numeracy were taught, but with seemingly no pressures. Importantly, the children were learning to value their place in the world by becoming aware of the ecosystem
Educators’ dream team: Nicky, Michael and Daniel
n Read the NEU’s education recovery plan at neu.org.uk/recovery-plan
Michael Rosen
educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
More for less Words by Michael Rosen Illustration by Dan Berry
ONCE again, Michael Rosen has it just right in his poem More for less (Educate, July/August, page 25). How heartening then to turn to f wrong value of getting stuf A class act (page 35) and read about Appreciating the Daniel Grant’s brilliant invention to support his pupil Lewis. The feature on Nicky Gallagher’s Covid story map (page 26) was also an excellent read. She should find a publisher and have it produced as a book. Ann Busfield, Skipton A class act
Man said, ‘The exams are cancelled!’ the Great instead. though no one knew what we’d have Man’s features: Commentators scanned the Great the teachers? did he really mean they would trust
Feature
really can tell Would they accept that teachers doing well? which students struggle, which are the logical route For one brief moment, this seemed the boot. but with the hand of trust, then came
continued from
talks to Daniel Grant Sarah Thompson and technology (pictured), a design in Bradfield School (D&T) teacher at a 3D printed arm Sheffield, who created
page 27
for a student.
was reliable Schools had to prove their testing and although their rigour was undeniable, evidence: the pressure was on to provide more ‘assessments’. exams were replaced by series of marking of these, While teachers did the setting and boards their fees. schools went on paying the exam up their pay, Teachers who mark exams to top their way. discovered it wouldn’t be coming guess Figuring what’s going on is anyone’s for less. but the result is the usual: work more
Nicky’s timeline is now more than 10 metres
and covers 17 sheets of A2 paper. “There’ll be thing The firstlong ten sheets have been donated to s the Museum of London’s project, Collecting in the museum’s Covid (museumofl ondon.org.uk). The collection include objects and first-hand archives made of accounts towillillustrate how the pandemic affected the lives of Londoners. The museum gold, from ancie has collections relating to other London nt epidemics, including smallpox and the 18891893 and 1918 flu times, next to pandemics. It will be held at the museum for my little Sharpie perpetuity. “Isn’t that quite funny?” Nicky says. “There’ll be things in the museum’s archives drawings of stick made of gold, from ancient times that are super valuable, and then sitting next to them people in masks.” are my little Sharpie drawings of stick people in masks, Covid monsters with
Nicky Gallagher
educate Your magazine from the National
Education Union (NEU)
25
(left)
flexed muscles, and my parents coming over for tea and Battenburg cake. I’ll be really interested to see – when the exhibition opens – what other art the museum has chosen.”
Teacher’s pet Memphis Memphis is the 20-month-old Bernese Mountain Dog of Sharon Empson, an art and photography teacher at Springwood High School in Norfolk. Sharon says: “Memphis might be a very big dog, at 53kg, but he is exceptionally gentle and very soft. He loves to meet other dogs and is always looking for a fuss from everyone he meets. “Typical of the breed, he has no concept of fetching a ball and is rubbish at catching – this includes treats, which he often misses or they hit him on the nose. “He is a loyal companion, who can be found most evenings sleeping on his back next to me on the sofa.” 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 40
but in return they are very well supported and so are comfortable to ask for time away from the classroom if needed. Joanne Haury, St Helens
educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
out that Lewis WHEN Daniel found a left student born without McCaslin, a year 7 to use the prosthetic forearm, was struggling by the NHS, he offered limb he’d been given one. to make him a new and create This potential to design lives is one of the reasons products to improve “To subject. his about Daniel is so passionate tangible use for be able to have a real-world, he says. those skills is so rewarding,” in engineering, Daniel, who specialises his NHS prosthetic says that Lewis found limb difficult to use. heavy this and lad small “He’s quite a for him,” he explains. arm was too much without simply chose to go Sometimes, Lewis risk. putting himself at it, even if that meant bike, Daniel says, “but He loves riding his it requires him to lean without a prosthetic, so he can grip with right over the handlebars to a nasty crash.” has led his partial arm. This
Daniel with pupil
just £30 to print Free templates and ts of Lewis’ arm Daniel took measuremen Unlimbited, a charity and sent them to Team arm design of 3D printed specialising in the him with templates. devices, which provided 3D then made using the Lewis’ new arm was at a D&T department printer in the school’s
cost of just £30. separately,” Daniel “You print each part the finger span, the explains. “The palm, end up with this pile connector pins – and of pieces.” to print, and It took about 30 hours the arm over the Christmas Daniel assembled week it to Lewis the first holidays, presenting
back at school. for the arm to be Iron “Lewis had asked printed it in red, added Man-themed, so we that and I designed a light gold armour plate, Daniel says. mounts onto the palm,” , which was “He could use it straightaway by how easily he was brilliant. I was surprised such as bottles.” objects, up able to pick being refined. The new arm is still printer required it school the of The size and this resulted to be printed vertically with layers breaking in some weaknesses,
Lewis McCaslin
“Allowing kids to fail and them to see that’s not a bad thing. ”
towards guaranteeing our projects were geared We get a great outcome. the children would get them But we’re trying to still push for that. of getting stuff wrong to appreciate the value as failure.” and not seeing that determined to keep For now, Daniel is arm. “The goal we’re working on Lewis’ point getting Lewis to a working towards is says. he his bike again,” where he can ride
Team Unlimbited is a registered charity, Daniel contacted Team Team Unlimbited apart. Undaunted, design and build of a solution. specialising in the Unlimbited to find important for 3D printed arm devices. Daniel believes it is right innovative is free and that if a design isn’t Its breakthrough invention students to recognise Learning from mistakes, available for use by 3D printing enthusiasts, first time, that is OK. s, providing courage is vital. schools and organisation and even failures, he believes a design and to have limb-different children “To have an idea and and confidence to it’s absolutely fine that adults worldwide. it fail and acknowledge that Team Unlimbited says. “Problem-solving “It’s really amazing is a good thing,” he children, life-changing, is for that important design a so came up with and resilience are free,” and gave it away for moment with everything incredibly valuable, particularly at the Daniel says. they have gone through. trying to get better ited.org “It’s something we’re n Visit teamunlimb – allowing kids to department D&T at in the It’s class act? that’s not a bad thing. Do you know a fail and them to see rarely just work out. eu.org.uk Email educate@n closer to real life. Things of ago we realised a lot “A couple of years educate
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