the Teacher – March 2015 by Educate Magazine

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Contents Title bar

e m o c l e W The NUT’s Vote Education campaign is in full swing. A new copy of our education manifesto is enclosed with The Teacher, along with a petition, which we hope members will use to win parents’ support.

Tim Sanders

Welcome to the March/April edition of The Teacher. With the election just eight weeks away, we have put the main political parties on the spot, asking five key questions on education for our cover feature.

We want to put education issues at the top of the agenda for candidates of all parties. There are 1,000 teachers in every constituency – our votes can make a difference.

Features

Whoever wins the election, the NUT will be pressing the new government immediately for action on workload, after Education Secretary Nicky Morgan failed to deliver.

04 Nicky Morgan wastes workload chance The Education Secretary’s response to the Workload Challenge consultation was deeply underwhelming

Elsewhere in the magazine, we look at the “disqualification by association” law that has left hundreds of teachers suspended and disqualified. We also have Ruth Merttens’ opinion piece on ministers’ highly prescriptive approach to teaching, and a new culture page. I do hope you enjoy reading it. Christine Blower General Secretary

06 Manifesto millions The latest statements of support for our campaign 09 High spirits in Herts A report from one of the many NUT Education Question Time events 15 How we’re winning on pay progression NUT groups are challenging performance related pay decisions 18 Suspended, disqualified... but innocent Hundreds of teachers have been disqualified “by association” because family members, or even flatmates, have been cautioned or convicted 21 A touch of class Meet new NUT President Philipa Harvey 22 Breaking point The accountability regime is hurting children as well as teachers

Regulars 10 Out and about 16 International 34 Your Union 36 Ask the Union

38 Reviews 41 Noticeboard 44 Staffroom confidential 46 Letters

President Max Hyde General Secretary Christine Blower Deputy General Secretary Kevin Courtney Editor Tash Shifrin Journalists Emily Jenkins, Monica Roland Administration Maryam Hulme Cover Tim Sanders Newsdesk 020 7380 4708 teacher@nut.org.uk

NUT Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD www.teachers.org.uk To advertise contact Century One Publishing, 01727 739193 jonathan@centuryone publishing.ltd.uk NUT membership enquiries 0845 300 1666

25 On prescription only Ministers want children to be taught maths from standardised Chinese textbooks. Ruth Merttens is not impressed 26 COVER FEATURE What the parties say We put the parties on the spot with five questions on education – and their answers make revealing reading 28 Pause for thought The menopause is taboo, but affects thousands of teachers at work 30 Lend me your ears Professional development with creative learning in mind 33 NEW Time off: arts, culture, leisure Schools on screen, plus Christine Blower on her cultural life 43 Michael Rosen’s poem An ode to Ofsted from our poet in residence 50 Backbeat Aminul Hoque on background and identity

Except where the NUT has formally negotiated agreements with companies as part of its services, inclusion of an advertisement in The Teacher does not imply recommendation. While every effort is made to ensure the reliability

of advertisers, the NUT cannot accept any liability for the quality of goods or services offered. The Teacher is printed by TU Ink, London. Inside pages are printed on paper made from 100% recycled, post-consumer waste.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

be sacked if their pupils failed to learn their times tables by age 11 – so, no surprise announcements... apart from that one. Launching the response document, Morgan said: “We know there is no quick fix but we hope the commitments we have outlined today will support and empower the profession and free up teachers to focus on what matters most in their jobs.” It was hard to see where any kind of fix would come from. Teachers looking for concrete measures to cut workload would have been hard pressed to find any – there were none.

Jess Hurd / Report Digital

Instead of taking action, Nicky Morgan sat on her hands. Of the eight steps outlined by the NUT to tackle workload, Morgan managed just half a step – with a pledge to carry out a workload survey every two years, rather than the annual check proposed by the Union. “It’s a betrayal of teachers,” says NUT Deputy General Secretary Kevin Courtney. “Teachers feel insulted by this announcement. Nicky Morgan had an opportunity to make a real difference on this crucial issue and refused it. She has comprehensively failed.”

Morgan wastes workload chance When it came to the test, Nicky Morgan failed. The Education Secretary had promised to act on teacher workload, which has risen from 50 hours to 60 hours a week under the Coalition Government. But despite a less provocative approach than her predecessor Michael Gove, Morgan has not made a difference where it counts. Her response to the Workload Challenge consultation – and the 44,000 teachers who took the time to complete the survey – was deeply underwhelming. Morgan was joined by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg for the February announcement, bringing together both wings of the Coalition Government. Schools would have more notice of

March / April 15 | The Teacher

curriculum changes, with no changes to qualifications mid-year, Morgan announced. Ofsted would not change its handbook mid-year either, “except when absolutely necessary”. And there would be a central repository of research on marking, data management and planning. The idea of avoiding dramatic mid-year changes seemed sensible enough. But it was somewhat undermined by the Government’s announcement just five days earlier that primary head teachers would

The response document published by the Government does include a list of ways to reduce workload in schools, gleaned from the responses to the Workload Challenge survey. Kevin says: “The Education Secretary has not come up with anything to ensure such measures are implemented – there are no directions to schools. “We are going to look at ways to implement this collectively at school level,” he says, citing the way that many NUT school groups have used Ofsted’s clarification of its requirements to approach heads and get unnecessary items removed from the workload. “We will be able to make use of this by organising around it. The Department for Education won’t implement it, but we will.”

‘We will be pressing immediately for the new government to take the actions that this Coalition Government refused to take. We’re not going away’

But that is not the end of the campaign to cut workload, Kevin emphasises. “We have had a strategy of ‘Engage, Pressure, Strike’ and that remains the case. Our campaign – including the two days of national strike action last year – has pushed this issue to the top of the political agenda. “We’ve seen the departure of Michael Gove, forced the publication of the Government’s workload survey that revealed the 60-hour week teachers face, and secured the Ofsted clarification which members have used to make a real difference at school level. “Our campaign will continue.” There is an issue of timing, he points out. With the election so close, there is little chance of this government making any significant decisions now. The current administration is “in the departure lounge”, Kevin says. Parliament will be dissolved on 30 March then, after the school holidays, the pre-election “purdah” period – in which governments cannot launch new initiatives – will kick in. “This means we will use the period until the election to step up our political campaigning to make education policy – including teacher workload – an election issue,” Kevin says.

NUT members across the country have stepped up campaigning over workload and wider education issues.

Workload

Campaign round-up O Since the new year, NUT associations and divisions have set up Education Question Time events and election hustings in a swathe of towns and cities, including in: Swindon, Islington, Bradford, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Warrington, Gloucester, Taunton, Calderdale, West Sussex, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Leicester, Brighton & Hove, Sheffield, Tower Hamlets, Ipswich, Birmingham, Wakefield, Nottinghamshire, Hendon and Portsmouth. See report, page 9.

3,000 members have emailed their MPs demanding action over workload – now the Union is asking members to email election candidates too.

Since the new year, NUT members and school groups have lobbied 42 MPs, building on the mass lobby of parliament last summer.

The NUT has now printed 2 million copies of our education manifesto – the latest batch has been distributed with this issue of The Teacher. See page 6 for the latest endorsements.

The manifesto has been a runaway success.The Warrington Guardian ordered 22,000 copies to distribute with the paper.

A petition based on our manifesto has also been distributed with The Teacher – ask teachers, parents and members of the public to sign.

Ed Miliband in Nottingham ON THE STREETS: The NUT London Women’s Network handed out manifestos at the West End theatre production of Made in Dagenham. Nottingham NUT members persuaded Labour Leader Ed Miliband to pose with a copy. NUT members in Manchester won support from passing superheroes.

After 3,000 NUT members emailed their MPs over workload, the Union is now urging an email campaign aimed at parliamentary candidates of all parties. A reprint of the NUT’s education manifesto and a new petition are included with this issue of The Teacher so members can use them to win support from parents for the campaign. There are 1,000 teachers, and many thousands of parents, in every constituency – these voters can make a difference.

London’s West End

Whatever the shape or complexion of the next government, the crushing weight of teachers’ workloads will have to be addressed. Kevin says: “Nicky Morgan failed to tackle the workload problem, but the next education secretary must do so. “We will be pressing immediately for the new government to take the actions that this Coalition Government refused to take. We’re not going away.”

Superhero support in Manchester

March / April 15 | The Teacher

Stand Up for Education

Manifesto millions The NUT has now printed 2m copies of the Stand Up for Education manifesto, with 1.5m already handed out to parents and the public in the run-up to the election Read more endorsements at teachers.org.uk/manifesto

Mark Rylance

Saffron Burrows

Actor, playwright and director

Actor and former school governor

“Everything I hear from teachers, parents and students is that teachers are not trusted and allowed to teach by this government and are leaving the profession in worrying numbers. Being a child of two teachers, I’m more than aware of the incredible amount of work and creative energy required to be a good teacher. My parents were driven out of teaching by the short-sighted insistence on constant testing and administration. I sincerely hope the teachers’ union and next government can form a relationship that does everything possible to free teachers to educate our young people.”

“The NUT’s manifesto for education is a vital document that everyone interested in our future should read. It suggests a way forward to mend, restore and revive our schools and could alter the future of education in Britain in a powerful, positive way, affecting generations of children and enhancing their crucial learning years.”

Benjamin Zephaniah Poet, writer and musician

Steve Pyke

“This manifesto can save lives. I have seen the education system of this country become obsessed with reaching targets, saving money, and trying to keep up with the personal fantasies of politicians. We need to focus the whole system around the education of our children; if we don’t, they simply will not reach their potential, which really could mean wasted lives. I stand up for education because education is not a business; it’s a matter of life and rights.”

Owen Jones Guardian columnist and author “Here is an inspiring alternative: not an education system based on fragmentation and marketisation, but one that puts the needs of children at its very heart. If politicians had any sense, they would read it and act.”

March / April 15 | The Teacher

Julia Donaldson Author of The Gruffalo “I have always felt teachers should be in charge of education, rather than some whimsical and often inexperienced minister for education, so it is great to see the NUT taking this initiative. I am in agreement with the values and ideas behind this welcome manifesto, particularly when it comes to reducing testing and allowing more time for music, arts and drama.”

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High spirits in Herts There were cheers and jeers as members of the community put local MPs and prospective parliamentary candidates through their paces at a rousing debate on education organised by Hertfordshire NUT. Despite the cold outside, the atmosphere at the Education Question Time in St Albans was heated as more than 100 NUT members, parents and students engaged in lively discussion on the salient issues. The event, held on a wintry February evening at Townsend Church of England School, saw the panel debate issues ranging from education funding and teacher workload to performance related pay and the school places crisis.

Monica Roland

The audience filling the school hall was not shy of expressing approval when a panellist echoed its sentiments, such as when NUT General Secretary Christine Blower called for all schools to be

losing high quality teachers and teaching assistants. Head teachers were spending “more time balancing budgets than focusing on teaching standards, which is obviously problematic”, she said.

staffed by qualified teachers and for the eradication of child poverty. They were equally vocal on points of disagreement, heckling from the floor when Anne Main, the Conservative MP for St Albans, declared performance related pay was the best way to retain good staff and reward teachers for their skills.

When a member of the audience angrily challenged Anne Main about government funding, the Conservative MP hit back saying she was “not personally responsible for the cuts”.

Despite emotions running high on such topics as government cuts to funding for special educational needs, the school places crises and forced academisation, order was maintained by TES news editor David Marley in the chair.

Discussion turned to excessive teacher workload, and Labour hopeful Kerry Pollard agreed that teachers were being forced to cope with long hours and unnecessary paperwork.

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Sandy Walkington, former MP and Labour parliamentary candidate Kerry Pollard and Claire Robins, the head teacher of Sir John Lawes School were also on the panel. Applause rang out in the hall when Christine Blower called for the abolition of Ofsted and for power to be restored to local authorities to create more school places. There were also vigorous nods of agreement when the Lib Dems’ Sandy Walkington said more money needed to be invested in addressing children’s mental health issues. Head teacher Claire Robins lamented that due to financial constraints, schools were

Stand Up for Education

Education Question Time debates

“It’s wrong that teachers should be taking work home,” he asserted, giving his backing to increased teacher numbers and introducing a work-life balance policy, both aspects of the NUT’s eight step programme for reducing workload. When the floor was opened for questions, a school student expressed his fear that young people were not being properly equipped for the real world, with schools only “training students to take exams”. The energy in the room was tangible – the meeting ran over time as audience members wanted to continued the evening’s engaging debate.

Educating Yorkshire Academies were the hot topic at the Bradford Education Question Time. Philip Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley, told the audience academies gave teachers more say as they were not controlled by local politicians.

Roger O’Doherty

NUT Deputy General Secretary Kevin Courtney replied: “When we say that we want to remove political interference it doesn’t mean we want to go back to the 19th century where all schools were run by churches, charities and philanthropists.” Liberal Democrat MP for Bradford East David Ward, Labour councillor Ralph Berry and local head teacher Bibi Laher were also on the panel chaired by Fatima Patel, Editor of Asian Sunday newspaper.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

t u o b a d n Out a

teache r newsdesk u o il a m E ? Got a story

k. r@nut.org.u

Calling all black, disabled or LGBT NUT members The NUT Executive seats for black, LGBT and disabled teachers are up for election next year – and potential candidates should make sure they have identified themselves as part of the relevant constituency by 17 May 2015. The three seats are elected by NUT members who self-identify as belonging to each group to ensure representation of black and minority ethnic teachers, disabled teachers and LGBT teachers at the highest level of the Union.

Rally photos: Guy Smallman

It is important to identify yourself on the NUT equality monitoring register in order to take part. All those registered by 11 January 2016 will be able to vote in the two-yearly election. But there is a tighter deadline for candidates, who must be on the relevant register by the 17 May 2015 deadline.

Education rally raises cheers A packed rally at NUT HQ in February launched the Union’s Vote for Education campaign, based around our education manifesto.

Education expert Sir Tim Brighouse noted: “The Secretary of State has 2,000 powers now, and they ought to be reduced back to about half a dozen.”

Author and poet Michael Rosen opened the rally, warning: “Education is a battleground, on several fronts at the same time.” Attacks on funding, a “test-crazy regime” and the “Woolworths result” of schools competing with each other until some were shut down all had to be tackled he said.

Guardian columnist Owen Jones declared: “What I’m sick of is our comprehensive system being scapegoated for all the ills of our profoundly unjust and unequal society.”

He was followed by Imran Hussain of the Child Poverty Action Group who argued that action was needed “both inside and outside the school gates” to tackle the poverty that “clearly damages the life chances and childhoods” of our pupils.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

NUT General Secretary Christine Blower closed the rally, emphasising that government policies were the problem, not life in the classroom. “When you’re in your classroom, engaging with the kids... teaching is the very best job in the world,” she said. The demands of the manifesto were winnable, “but there is a big job to do” to attain them.

To register yourself as a member of the black teachers’, LGBT teachers’ or disabled teachers’ groups, go to www.teachers. org.uk/update or call us on 020 7380 6366. To update your record online go to the equality monitoring section and tick the relevant box/boxes. This will place you on the relevant monitoring register/s. For more details of the nomination process for all three seats, please contact your local division or association.

Keep up to date www.teachers.org.uk

Union forces DfE guidance change after hundreds of disqualifications Pressure from the NUT has forced the Government to revise guidance that led to hundreds of teachers being suspended from work and disqualified from teaching. The NUT had threatened to seek a judicial review and, as The Teacher went to press, the Union was expecting a further shift from the Department for Education. A supplement to the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance released in October last year meant teachers working with under-eights could be considered disqualified if they lived with someone else who had – at any point in their life – been convicted or cautioned for a violent or sexual offence. Teachers who themselves had not committed any offence were disqualified “by association” with family members or even flatmates. Hundreds of teachers were caught up in the net and suspended, often unnecessarily even under the new rules, as schools erred on the side of caution. A huge backlog has built up of suspended teachers waiting for individual decisions from Ofsted on whether their disqualification can be waived.

The Department for Education has said it will finally reveal the findings of its survey on asbestos in schools, after campaigning by the NUT. The DfE completed its review of asbestos in schools last year, but remained tight-lipped about the findings. Asbestos is hazardous to health and is known to

cause mesothelioma, a type of cancer. At least 75% of schools contain asbestos in some form. Children are more vulnerable to asbestos exposure than adults, as they have a longer time for asbestos-related disease to develop. The Joint Union Asbestos Committee has called for a “strategic national plan for the phased removal of asbestos”.

But so far Health and Safety Executive advice is only that schools should “identify, protect and manage asbestoscontaining materials”.

Out and about

Step forward for asbestos campaign

The NUT is now awaiting publication of the DfE report. “We must not let the Government off the hook on this,” said General Secretary Christine Blower. “The risks to staff and children are too great.”

Four Lewisham schools strike against academisation threat Picket lines were set up at four schools in Lewisham, south east London, as NUT members took a day’s strike action in February against moves to turn them into academies. Members at Sedgehill School and the three schools in the Leathersellers’ Federation (also known as the “Prendergast schools”) were due to strike for a second day on 5 March as The Teacher went to press.

A planned strike at the neighbouring Bonus Pastor School was called off after the governors dropped academy plans. London Regional Secretary Bob Stapley said members at the four schools were “rightly concerned at the implications for them and for students” of academy status. “They are to be congratulated on the stand they have taken.” He welcomed the decison against moving to academy status at Bonus Pastor.

Sixth form strikers say no to cover up NUT members at BSix sixth form college in Hackney, east London, staged a strike in February over the threat of changes to working conditions.

The college wants teachers to provide full cover for colleagues who are off sick. At present, the amount of cover teachers have to proivide is limited,

and members do not want to extend it. Instead they are demanding parity with school teachers, who do not have to cover for absent workmates.

NUT Assistant General Secretary Amanda Brown said: “We have pressed hard on this issue, and the threat of judicial review has moved the DfE. We have continued to push for more, and are now hopeful of further measures to stop this huge wave of suspensions. “We are pleased that our firm stance has already produced results and we will keep members informed of developments as they happen.” See our feature, “Suspended, disqualified... but innocent”, page 18, for more on the legislation.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

Guy Smallman

Join 21 March anti-racism demo Thousands of people will gather together and march through central London to reject racism and fascism on 21 March. The NUT is supporting the demonstration, which takes place on the UN’s Anti-Racism Day. The date marks the anniversary of the 1960 Sharpeville massacre in South Africa, when 69 black people were killed by the Apartheid-era police force. Last year 10,000 people turned out for the demonstration, with many teachers among them. NUT General Secretary Christine Blower said: “In some parts of Britain and of course elsewhere, we have seen a rise

in Islamophobic and anti-Semitic incidents. Given the scapegoating of migrants by both politicians and the press, the pre-election period affords the ideal opportunity to take to the streets to stand up to racism in all its forms.” Christine cited UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s call for people to “strongly condemn messages and ideas based on racism, racial superiority, xenophobia and related intolerance”. She added: “I encourage all NUT members to come to London and join the march against racism.” Sabby Dhalu, of the Stand Up to Racism

campaign, which is organising the demo, said: “As we approach a general election we must send a strong message to politicians that migrants are welcome here and should not be scapegoated for poor wages and housing. “ The demo assembles at 12 noon, 21 March in central London. See www. standuptoracism.org.uk. Q The NUT is producing a mythbusting guide to help teachers tackle racism against migrants. Equalities Policy Officer Hiten Shah explained: “We want to aid the process of challenging anti-migrant racism with accurate and evidence based research.”

Updated Holocaust teaching materials The NUT and the Holocaust Educational Trust have worked together to produce an update of the free teaching resources pack, Mosaic: Victims of Nazi Persecution. The materials focus on the different minority groups targeted by the Nazis

March / April 15 | The Teacher

during the Holocaust and are designed for use with pupils aged 13 and above. Students will learn that along with six million Jews, the Nazis’ victims also included groups such as Gypsies, trade unionists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, gay men, disabled people, Polish people and Soviet prisoners of war.

The resources include posters, case studies and leaflets, plus notes for teachers. Printed materials can be ordered by emailing equality@ nut.org.uk. You can also download the resources from www.teachers.org. uk/teachingresources/ holocaust.

Out and about

t r o p e R Reps

Dan dares School rep Dan Tunnicliffe supported members though strikes against increasing workload “I enjoy helping people. I think that’s why anyone becomes a rep,” says Dan Tunnicliffe, NUT school rep at St Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Hebburn, Tyneside. Dan has been a chemistry and geology teacher for eight years and an NUT school rep for four. In that time, membership at the school has increased, amid an academy conversion – and five days of strike action. Asked what has changed during his time in the job, Dan responds immediately: “Accountability. Definitely. The accountability has increased. Teachers are expected to be accountable for everything now. There’s less trust.” He continues: “I don’t blame the schools. They’re just doing what they’re told by the Government.” But Dan has had to deal with major changes at a local level too. Two years ago, when it was announced that the school was to become an academy, Dan started a campaign against the change. “At the time, the staff in the school

weren’t really sure what becoming an academy would mean. It’s all about information, you’re acting as a conduit for information to make sure people know what’s going on between the school and our members.” Unfortunately the attempt to stop academisation was unsuccessful and, within a year, the school had changed status. Dan says, “Without the financial backing of the local education authority it’s led to several problems within the school.” Last year, St Joseph’s funding was cut and the school announced compulsory redundancies. The school also wanted to cut pay for Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) and, adding insult to injury, to hire more senior managers while making classroom teachers redundant. Teachers were also told that to make up for loss of staff, they would have a heavier teaching load. NUT members at the school voted to strike – and eventually took five days of strike action last year. The strikes forced management to

reconsider the increase in teaching load and to drop its plan to cut TLR payments. Instead of compulsory redundancies, staff numbers were reduced by other means. The extra lessons were reduced to one per fortnight, with a working group set up to look at how workload could be reduced in other areas to compensate. Northern Regional Officer Amy Hunt says: “Dan did a terrifically good job in extremely challenging circumstances. He made sure the views of all the NUT members were listened to and acknowledged, making sure everyone felt part of the process and part of the collective spirit that kept the campaign going.”

Kevin Courtney re-elected to DGS post

Roger O’Doherty

Kevin Courtney has been re-elected as the NUT’s Deputy General Secretary with 61% of the vote The post is the second most senior at the NUT. Kevin beat rival candidates Ian Grayson, who took 23% of the vote, and Patrick Murphy, on 15%, in the election held in January. Kevin, who was first elected to the DGS post five years ago, said it was

“an honour and a privilege” to be re-elected. “Working with General Secretary Christine Blower and the Union’s thousands of school reps and other activists I will be striving to take forward the Union’s campaigns in the interests of teachers and children.” The full results were: Kevin Courtney: 18,676 (61%) ELECTED Ian Grayson: 7,178 (23%) Patrick Murphy: 4,708 (15%)

March / April 15 | The Teacher

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Collective action

Members at Merrill Academy, in Derby, took six days’ strike action after most were reused pay progression

How we’re winning on pay progression NUT school groups have been taking a collective approach to challenging the implementation of performance related pay – and winning. A determined push by members at one school in Redbridge, London, secured an improved pay policy for the whole borough. This is the first year that pay progression has been linked to appraisal for all teachers, and a survey carried out by the NUT earlier this year revealed that 28% of teachers who were eligible for progression and had received a decision had been denied. Now NUT members are showing that these decisions – and the underlying pay policies – can be challenged collectively. At Denton Community College, in Tameside, eight teachers were informed they would not be awarded pay progression this year. North West Regional Secretary Avis Gilmore says: “The NUT group discussed how they could deal with this collectively, then the school rep approached the head. All eight teachers have now had their pay award.” Four NUT members were denied pay progression at Longmoor Primary School, Liverpool. But following intervention by the local NUT division, and with the threat that members’ campaign of action short

of strike action would be escalated, all members have now been progressed.

implemented in practice, something the NUT will be keeping a watching eye on.”

In other areas, NUT members have had to take determined action to secure a result. NUT members at Merrill Academy, in Derby, took a total of six days’ strike action together with NASUWT colleagues, after the overwhelming majority of teachers were denied pay progression.

In Redbridge, NUT members at Wanstead High School decided to take a collective approach after five teachers were denied pay progression. Members voted to strike in an indicative ballot.

The pay policy was heavily based on data, with a requirement that 100% of a teacher’s students should go up four levels for that teacher to progress up the pay spine – an unrealistic target that failed to take account of other factors that would affect students’ achievement. The strikes were well supported, with lively picket lines outside the school in January. And the members’ stand paid off when the academy agreed to talks at arbitration service Acas, which produced a deal. NUT Regional Officer Russ Ballinger says: “Due to our members’ determined action we have secured new wording in the appraisal policy that scraps a “one size fits all” approach to target setting. We have also secured a lowering of last year’s target and a reopening of the appeals process. The critical element will be how this is

At school level, the five teachers were given progression after a new head took over at the school, which had been told it “requires improvement” by Ofsted. But the Wanstead teachers were determined to change the pay policy too, in order to secure pay portability and a “no surprises” clause – and that policy came from the London Borough of Redbridge. Regional Officer Anne Mallach says: “The Wanstead members took up the issue of the local authority pay policy and they were willing to take action. We had a good meeting with the authority, which was very willing to negotiate a policy that is compliant with the union model. “It’s a great success story. Our members got the issue resolved in school – then they took it one step further so there is now a better policy across the borough.” Q To get involved, see http://is.gd/NUTpay

March / April 15 | The Teacher

International

l a n o i t a n r e Int Pakistan’s teachers will not give up Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, where pupils and teachers were massacred last year, opened its gates again in January. But teachers still face a daily struggle in a country where getting an education can mean living in fear.

Teachers also face poverty themselves, with government authorities in some areas failing to pay wages for months. Two years ago, mass protests by teachers forced the authorities to promise they would pay up – promises that have yet to be fulfilled.

On 16 December 2014, 132 school children and nine teachers were brutally killed in one of the deadliest terror attacks ever to occur in Pakistan. The attack, carried out by an offshoot of the Taliban, was condemned outright around the world.

As one teacher explained: “I have to travel two hours every day just to reach the school where I teach. We keep losing students due to the insurgency which has scared many of them into not coming. I have not been paid in six months. But I still love teaching. I love spreading knowledge to my students.”

‘We keep losing students due to the insurgency which has scared many of them into not coming’

For teachers living in Pakistan, providing this fundamental right is neither easy nor free from hazard. Nearly a third of primary school-aged children in Pakistan do not go to school. Poverty is a central concern with 19 million children unable to afford to go to school and 10.5 million of these are forced to work to support their families at the same time. Teachers are fighting a battle against a cycle of poverty from parent to child that is difficult to escape. 16

March / April 15 | The Teacher

Just days before the Peshawar attack, teachers working in the Federal Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), which has Peshawar as its administrative centre and economic hub, had been planning another strike to secure payment of the outstanding wages.

Khan Faraz, President of the Pakistani Teachers Organisations Council appealed to teachers’ unions internationally to stand with them in support of Pakistan’s teachers. The NUT has offered its solidarity through the Education International trade union federation. Khan’s message is a defiant one: “These terrorists are in fact not hitting a specific group of people or any specific race, but are against humanity and do not want to see the new generation educated. They just want to discourage parents from taking their children to school, but we will not let them win.”

FATA is a dangerous area in which to work. It is on the border with Afghanistan and has faced attacks from the Pakistani Taliban and US drone strikes. After the massacre, parents are more worried about sending their children to school. As one parent said

Get involved Are you committed to international solidarity? Why not become an NUT International Solidarity Officer in your area. Find out more in our guide at www.teachers.org.uk/node/20602.

Jim Holmes / Report Digital

“This coldblooded attack is appalling,” said NUT General Secretary Christine Blower, speaking just after the event took place. “Education is a fundamental right. Children and young people should be able to attend school in the knowledge that they will be safe. It is shocking that they should have been targeted in this utterly reprehensible way.”

in the wake of the killings: “I would rather my child was illiterate than killed in the classroom.” Yet teachers continue to teach the pupils brave enough to attend.

Join schools across the country for Save the Children’s Den Day. Pick a day, get sponsored and turn an ordinary school day into a magical den building adventure. It’ll be as much fun for you as it will be for them, and together you’ll be making life better for children who have no safe place to sleep tonight.

Suspended, disqualified but

innocent .

It’s not who you know – it’s whether they’ve been convicted. That’s according to new safeguarding guidance from the Department for Education. Hundreds of teachers have been suspended from their jobs and disqualified from teaching – not for anything they’ve done, but because someone they live with has a conviction or caution. The supplementary advice to the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance, released in October 2014, means that teachers working with children under the age of eight can be disqualified from teaching if they are found to be living with an individual who has, at any time in their life, received a caution or conviction for a violent or sexual offence. The consequence is that hundreds of teachers – and support staff – have suddenly found themselves suspended from school, awaiting individual decisions from Ofsted on whether their disqualifications can be waived. “Of course we take child protection very seriously – we don’t want anyone in school who could pose a risk to children,” says NUT Employment and Equal Rights Officer Edith Badgie, “But now, suddenly, we have hundreds of teachers being suspended and disqualified purely by association with someone else in their household. It’s ridiculous.”

of Sarah Gilsenan (not her real name), an NUT member and single mother who, in the past, was a victim of domestic violence and whose children were put on a Child Protection Plan in order to protect them from her violent partner.

safeguarding guidance for schools – without any consultation. But why add it at all? The DfE claims that regulations derived from the act “guard against an individual working with young children who may be under the influence of a person who lives with them and where that person may pose a risk to children i.e. ‘by association’”.

Sarah left her partner a few years ago, but now she faces disqualification because of the new guidance. Having children taken into care is listed as one of the reasons for disqualification under the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations. “When I read the new guidance I felt I was being punished again,” Sarah says. “For some people suffering from domestic violence, the workplace is their only sanctuary.”

The consequence of this is that teachers in shared houses, living with people they are not closely connected to, have been disqualified, along with many with family members or spouses who have received convictions or cautions.

And the regulations could deter victims of domestic violence from seeking the help they need, she warns. “I can imagine people who are going through that, they are afraid to report it because of the risk

“We’ve had a lot of these suspensions reported to regional offices,” says Edith. The reasons given for suspension are surprising to say the least. One NUT member’s husband was convicted of affray under the Public Order Act back in 1986. He received a 12-month conditional discharge, which was spent almost 30 years ago. This does not even fall within the scope of the regulations, but the school has cited it as a reason to suspend his wife from her teaching job. The member was given the all-clear by Ofsted and is now back at school.

Sarah left her violent partner, but now she faces disqualification because of the new regulations

However, last year it seems it suddenly occurred to the DfE that the act might apply to schools as well. So the requirements were added to the

March / April 15 | The Teacher

“They are old, and struggling to cope,” says Edith. “The member phoned for advice as she’s at her wits’ end. If her son returns home she’ll be disqualified.” One of the most distressing stories is that

Dan Berry

But why this sudden change to the guidance? These requirements are not entirely new. They were laid out in the Childcare Act 2006, a document that had been generally understood to apply to childcare providers, such as childminders.

Another teacher’s son, in his early teens, was cautioned by the police as a minor for visiting inappropriate websites. In order to keep her job, the teacher has had to move her son out of her own home and send him to live with his grandparents.

Employment

Hundreds of teachers are suspended and fear being barred from the profession, swept up by new DfE guidance that makes them guilty by association of losing their job. The guidance could prevent them from getting help.” So what can a teacher do if they are disqualified and suspended? “They can apply to Ofsted for a waiver,” says Edith. Many teachers have done just that. But, Edith points out, Ofsted was not prepared for the new guidance and is struggling to cope with the number of waiver applications. In January Ofsted had received more than 200 applications for waivers since October 2014 – that number was understood to be up to four times higher by the end of February. Almost half of the applications received by January turned out to be unnecessary suspensions – lack of clarity in the guidance means some schools have been erring on the side of caution, and some have been requesting disclosure of matters

that are well outside the the scope of the requirements. Of the remaining applications, only 11 waivers have been granted so far. “We must investigate each application thoroughly before making a decision to grant a waiver. This can often take time,” says an Ofsted spokesperson. And it certainly is taking time, with many teachers still waiting for a decision four or five months into their suspensions. The situation is costing schools too. Head teachers have to pay suspended teachers’ salaries and also pay for cover. Already shrinking budgets are being siphoned off towards costs that should not be necessary. The NUT is doing its utmost to get the law changed. The effects have been so appalling that the Union initially threatened to seek a judicial review. The DfE responded by belatedly holding

meetings with unions and local authorities. The general consensus on the guidance at these meetings was summed up by one participant who described it as “bonkers”. As The Teacher went to press, the DfE had just revised its guidance under pressure from the NUT. Assistant General Secretary Amanda Brown was hopeful of a further shift to deal with the huge volume of suspensions. There is general agreement among stakeholders that the law should be ditched. But Education Secretary Nicky Morgan is the only one who can remove the regulations completely. The NUT is now calling on all members to write to their MPs to express their concerns at the law and its effects. However, until Nicky Morgan actually scraps the provisions relating to schools, teachers will continue to be unfairly penalised for other people’s criminal records. What’s next from the DfE? Will teachers have to serve other people’s prison sentences too?

Caught in the net? If you are concerned that you might be disqualified, call the NUT AdviceLine on 020 3006 6226 for assistance. The NUT believes the regulations do not require you to find out if people you live with have any cautions or convictions, nor are they under any obligation to tell you. If, however, you are already aware of someone in your household with a relevant criminal record, you must disclose it. NUT guidance http://is.gd/NUTdisqual The DfE’s Keeping Children Safe guidance and clarifications http://is.gd/dfedisqual

March / April 15 | The Teacher

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Interview Title bar

Philipa Harvey is all smiles. She is set to take over as NUT President at this year’s annual conference – and it’s a great role for someone who is so obviously passionate about teaching and trade unionism. A committed NUT activist of 30 years’ standing, Philipa was a student member and signed up as a full member on her first day at work when she was approached by the school rep. She joined Croydon Teachers’ Association, in south London. But Philipa already knew about the NUT. “When I was at secondary school in Shropshire there was industrial action going on,” she says. “I followed the example of the teachers who taught me, the teachers I had most respect for.” In the mid-1980s, when Philipa joined, there was “heightened industrial action over pay”, she remembers. “I got completely thrown in. I joined the committee in Croydon, went to conference in 1987 – and every year since.”

Philipa is a primary school teacher who genuinely loves her work. She has spent her entire career in Croydon – as a class teacher, a “Section 11” teacher supporting pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds under a now abolished funding programme, and as an education consultant for six years, before a return to the classroom. “I missed being in school, I chose to go back,” she says. As the NUT’s senior vice president, Philipa was part of the Union’s delegation to Palestine last year and has returned to the West Bank to help make a film about the children’s struggle for education, in a joint project between the NUT and charity Edukid. Philipa has also met members of the Chicago Teachers Union, whose campaign for “the schools Chicago students deserve” is a concept that appeals to her. The Chicago teachers have won community support this way. “The teachers aren’t just doing it for themselves but for their students.” This is why she is a great enthusiast for the NUT’s Stand Up for Education campaign, and has enjoyed handing out copies of the Union’s education manifesto in the high

Andrew Wiard

Joining a union, for Philipa, is about being part of a collective. “You don’t just do it for your own benefit. It’s about benefiting everyone.” She adds: “It’s also an integral part of my teaching role, developing education. Without the unions, schools wouldn’t be the places they are now.”

A touch of class Philipa Harvey is the cheerful primary teacher who couldn’t keep away from the classroom – and she’s the NUT’s next president street. “You go home feeling really positive. Parents and school students come and talk to us – yeah, we’re getting this right,” she smiles. “You feel as a teacher and a trade unionist that you’re part of the community – they are supporting you in both roles.” Philipa has also spoken to huge crowds, like the NUT members she addressed last year at a huge London strike rally. “You feel an adrenalin rush speaking in Trafalgar Square to teachers on strike when you look at the turnout.” But the big crowds in Trafalgar Square and the parents with their children in the high street are two elements of the same campaign, Philipa believes.

There will be plenty more campaigning ahead for Philipa, who is also keen to use her presidential year to boost the role of women in the Union, through the NUT’s Women’s Networks. It’s a great initiative and could be developed further to reach more women union members, she says. “Let’s look at the age profile. Can we bring younger women in?” For the former Shropshire schoolgirl who took note of her teachers’ union membership and went on to bring three decades of commitment to the NUT, it’s never too early – or too late – to get involved.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

The accountability regime cranks up the pressure on teachers, but the effects on children can be devastating too, NUT members reveal

Breaking point The accountability regime of league tables, test scores and Ofsted rankings is putting the squeeze on children, with some breaking down in class because of the stress. Now the NUT is putting together evidence to expose just how serious the impact of the accountability system is on children. While there have been studies on the effects of stress and workload pressures on teachers, there is a distinct lack of investigative research on the impact that accountability measures have on children and young people.

It will also encourage respondents to suggest positive changes and improvements to the assessment system. More than 8,000 NUT members from early years settings, primary, secondary and special schools and sixth form colleges have responded to the survey. The research team will also carry out interviews to provide more in-depth case studies, while a YouGov poll of parents will make up the third phase of the project. An interim report of the findings will be presented at NUT conference in April.

the accompanying anxiety about results. As one teacher reported: “Pupils are now considerably more stressed and even breaking down about it in lessons.” Another teacher added: “Pupils are suffering due to stressed teachers.” Heavy workloads, large class sizes and lack of classroom support make it harder for teachers to get to know their pupils or to pick up quickly on the subtle behaviour changes that can be warnings of much more serious problems.

That’s why the Union has commissioned an in-depth study of the accountability regime and its effects on students, led by Professor Merryn Hutchings of London Metropolitan University.

Celia Dignan from the NUT’s education policy team, who has commissioned the research project, explains: “It is clear that teachers are worried and upset by the impact of the accountability regime on the wellbeing of the children they teach.”

Children’s charities, parents and experts have highlighted how big a problem school-related stress can be. In its recent annual report, the NSPCC noted that exam stress featured in 58% of counselling sessions relating to school and education problems, up from 26% in 2012-13.

The study aims to capture the voices of teachers, parents and the children themselves through surveys and individual case studies.

The problem is that as schools face ever more demanding targets, these are effectively passed on to the children – with

YoungMinds, a mental health charity for young people, says it gets calls all the time from parents asking for advice on how to

March / April 15 | The Teacher

Accountability

MBI / Alamy

‘Pupils are now considerably more stressed and even breaking down about it in lessons’

help their children cope with exam stress. The adverse effects of increasing pressure and stress can lead to a range of mental health problems including self-harm, eating disorders and depression. “For a child who has problems in other areas of their life, such as family breakdown or friendship issues, exams can be the last straw,” says the charity’s Lucie Russell. This is not surprising. Between baseline tests, phonics checks, Key Stage SATs, and GCSE exams, children from the age of four upwards are inundated with judgements on their achievements and shadowed by valuations of their academic performance. Tanith Carey, the award-winning author of parenting books, believes children respond differently to highly pressured environments depending on their circumstances – their individual temperaments, resilience and family relationships at home can all be factors. But she has warned: “Anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, homework resistance and learning blocks are just some of the issues children can develop

in today’s hot-house educational atmosphere.”

to rise, with 85% of children expected to meet targets in 2016, up from 65% now.

The NUT’s teacher survey also highlights concerns about the narrowing of children’s learning opportunities. One teacher described how the emphasis on assessment “severely restricts the more creative aspects of the curriculum”.

This is not only causing anxiety to teachers, our survey found. Children feel it too, as one teacher pointed out. “Students feel that they are cogs in a wheel. It is a business and they are expected to act as if they are objects. They are not people, they are numbers and the successful realisation of the target is all that matters.”

The disproportionate focus on the core subjects of maths, science and English also means subjects like art, music, dance and drama are getting squeezed out. Some teachers noted how a narrowing curriculum and the heavy focus on exam results was leaving children feeling disengaged and bored. “Pupils are not getting the full benefits of a rounded education that focuses on their emotional, spiritual, and physical wellbeing, not just their academic output,” Celia says. The Government has been pressing on with ever more stringent accountability measures, claiming last year that “current expectations for schools are set too low”. Floor standards – the proportion of children expected to hit targets set by the Department for Education – are set

But this should not be all that matters. When the study is completed, the NUT will use the results as part of the campaign to reform the accountability system. Celia says: “Early findings of the research suggest that children aren’t getting a broad and balanced curriculum in all stages of their school career, and they are suffering from more stress and less enjoyment at school as there are fewer opportunities for rest, reflection, play, reading and consolidating knowledge.” With the general election coming up, there couldn’t be a better time to persuade politicians to take notice of the damage the regime is having on children and young people.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

Recruit a friend to the NUT PRIZE DRAW Do you know a colleague who is not already in a union? Ask them to join the NUT. Recruit a colleague and you’ll both be entered into the Union’s prize draw, sponsored by Aviva. You could win a £250 Apple Store gift card. Your colleague can join online at www.teachers.org.uk/join or ring the joining hotline on 020 7380 6369 Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm. Make sure they tell us you recommended them.

The closing date for the prize draw is 30 November 2015.

Opinion

Schools Minister Nick Gibb says maths should be taught from Chinese and Singaporean textbooks. Ruth Merttens is not impressed

On prescription only I once heard a film director talking about how several of the main characters in his film had delivered such superb performances. “Let’s face it,” he said, “These are all fine actors. When you are dealing with such splendid professionals, you just let them do their stuff and try to capture it the best you can on film. It is only when you have weak actors that you have to tell them what to do.” Clearly Nick Gibb, the Minister for Schools, does not believe he is dealing with “splendid professionals” teaching in English primary schools, for he is determined to prescribe what they do, down to the finest detail. He will probably be telling us where the children have to sit next.

Chinese and Singaporean textbooks that Gibb’s advisor, Tim Oates, saw on a visit. All we need to do to raise standards in maths is to make sure every child has an English version of these textbooks. It is true that Shanghai and Singapore do well in international tables. However, what evidence do we have that textbooks are the key factor? Could it not be the far longer training and higher status accorded to Chinese teachers? As Oates himself notes: “There are high-performing jurisdictions which do not use centrally approved textbooks... and low-ranked jurisdictions that do.” Although I agree that high-quality textbooks can be a central plank in the delivery of the maths curriculum, I would also support the conclusion reached by Ofsted in 2012: “Schools whose mathematics work was outstanding had a consistently higher standard of teaching, better assessment and a well organised, mathematically rich curriculum.”

One might think that telling teachers how to lay out the sums was enough. But no...

Let us take maths as an example. Last year, the minister provided the most prescriptive national curriculum we have ever had. It prescribes not only the content but also the precise calculations, methods and strategies. In the sample SATs, it goes as far as to state that children will not get a mark for intelligent mathematical thinking unless they write out their calculations using Mr Gibb’s preferred layout.

One might think that telling teachers how to lay out the sums was enough. But no. I was at a meeting at the Department for Education earlier this year, where we were told that the minister wants to advance his policy of telling schools not just what to teach but exactly how to teach it. The answer, we were informed, is through stand-alone textbooks, based on the

At the DfE meeting, maths professionals were repeatedly told that Chinese-style textbooks would both teach mathematics to the children and help tackle “deficits” in teachers’ subject knowledge. We were shown pages from these textbooks, but when we asked how exactly a teacher was supposed to know how to teach a particular concept, we were told the answer lay in the teachers’ handbook. Any guidance had to be in hard copy and not online, which might allow for more

flexibility. Clearly the notion that teachers might actually change what is prescribed by the state to fit the children in their own class is not part of the vision. Tim Oates said that in one of the Shanghai schools he had asked teachers what they did about children who didn’t understand the maths. “They simply did not understand my question,” he told us triumphantly, “They have no children who don’t understand the maths.” Well, I work in some excellent schools in the UK and I see teachers make strenuous efforts to ensure that children come to understand their mathematics. But this doesn’t happen automatically – it takes creative teaching, monitoring and tailored support. It makes one wonder whether Chinese children are all cleverer than English ones, or whether Tim Oates was being told what he wanted to hear. Many people have pointed out that the difference between the Chinese and Singaporean context and our own is mainly cultural – not least the political culture of living and teaching in an open democracy. We were told that it’s easy to change school culture. Someone sitting near me muttered that Jamie Oliver didn’t find it that easy. And why would we want to? I personally value difference over uniformity and creativity over compliance, and I believe many teachers do too. I also value teachers’ expertise and professionalism. It is not necessary to prescribe what teachers do down to the smallest detail. We are already dealing with “a bunch of splendid professionals”. Which is where we came in. Professor Ruth Merttens is the Educational Director of Hamilton Trust.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

l a i c e p s n o i t Elec The Teacher put the parties on the spot with five key education questions

Labour and the Conservatives are slugging it out in a bid to win an outright majority. The smaller parties will not come anywhere near the big guns, but will hope to hold or gain seats and wield some influence, especially if the outcome is another coalition. This means NUT members can apply pressure on candidates from all parties to support the demands set out in our own education manifesto – with voting patterns very uncertain at constituency level, there is everything to play for. Ahead of the official pre-election period and the glitzy manifesto launches, The Teacher put five questions to the education spokespeople of the main parties. Labour’s Tristram Hunt, the Conservatives’ Nicky Morgan, the Liberal Democrats’ Simon Wright and the Greens’ Samantha Pancheri all replied. Their answers highlight some hotly contested issues. UKIP did not respond to our questions.

Our five questions O What concrete steps would you take to reduce teacher workload? O Would you scrap Ofsted? O Will you pledge to maintain or increase education funding in real terms from 2015 to 2020? O How will you meet the target to end child poverty by 2020? O Will you show respect for the teaching profession by ensuring all teachers in publicly funded schools are qualified or on a training route towards qualification?

March / April 15 | The Teacher

Education funding Public spending is always an election battleground, and education funding especially so. We asked the parties if they would pledge to maintain or increase education funding in real terms over the next five years – the real terms element would make the promise inflation-proof. Their answers might make a good maths lesson. It’s a straight “yes” from Labour’s Tristram Hunt. “Funding will be protected so it rises in real terms every year from 2015 to 2020.” This would cover schools and the rest of the Department for Education budget too. The Conservatives’ Nicky Morgan takes a different approach, with a commitment to “protecting the money that schools receive for every individual child”, arguing that as pupil numbers rise, this will push up the amount schools get. This is the “flat cash” deal announced by Prime Minister David Cameron. Morgan counterposes this to “simple real terms protection”. For the smaller parties, the Greens say they “seek to restore education funding to 2010 levels in real terms”, while the Lib Dems are “committed to protecting the education budget” for two to 19 year olds but steer clear of the phrase “real terms”.

Child poverty The Conservatives “remain committed” to the goal of ending child poverty by 2020. They point to their already published Child Poverty Strategy 2014-17 as an indication of future action, adding that “Universal Credit will lift around 300,000 children out of poverty due to increased entitlements”. Labour, however, warns that “just to get close to the target represents an enormous challenge”. The party says a child poverty strategy must “involve redistribution”. It also lists a range of measures from expanding free childcare for working parents and protecting Sure Start, to freezing energy costs, raising the minimum wage and “big economic reforms” to make the system fairer.

The Lib Dems say they would introduce three targets – to reduce relative poverty, reduce gaps in life chances and reduce entrenched poverty – to create “a more sophisticated measure to drive the right policies in future”. The Greens promise to end benefit sanctions and introduce rent caps, and are committed to “making the minimum wage a living wage”, raising it to £10 an hour by 2020.

Qualified teachers You might not have pinpointed qualified teacher status as an electoral issue, but it is one where there is a sharp divide between the parties. Will they ensure all teachers in publicly funded schools have or are training for qualified teacher status? Labour says this is “an easy one” and its answer is straightforward. “In a word: yes.” “Yes,” say the Greens who add that they will also “restore the value of teachers’ roles” by ending performance related pay.

Illustrations: Tim Sanders

The pundits and the pollsters are running scared – no one wants to call the result of the general election on 7 May. It’s the least predictable UK election for years, and with around 1,000 teachers in every constituency – not to mention many thousands of parents – it’s one where education policy could be a key factor.

What the

Election 2015

parties say The Lib Dems say “yes” to qualified teachers in every classroom too, as part of a “parental guarantee” that will also include a core curriculum. But the Conservatives buck the trend. They “firmly believe that giving head teachers the power to hire people who’ve had careers in sectors such as engineering and the arts, alongside teachers with QTS, can benefit students”. The party “will not take these freedoms away” from head teachers, it says.

Scrapping Ofsted Ofsted was introduced by John Major’s Conservative government so it is no surprise that the party has no plans to axe it. Instead, the Conservatives “are supportive” of Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw’s plans to bring inspectors inhouse. Morgan promises that her party will work “to ensure the burden inspections place on schools is minimised”. The Lib Dems’ Simon Wright gives a straight “no” to scrapping Ofsted too. But he says Ofsted should be able to work “without political interference” in future and wants it to mend its “often fractious relationship” with educational professionals. The Lib Dems would require Ofsted to inspect multi-academy trusts. The Greens’ Samantha Pancheri pledges to “scrap Ofsted and replace it with a National Council of Educational Excellence” that would work collaboratively with local authorities to support schools. She adds that schools should be “evaluated by parents, teachers and the local community”. Labour’s Tristram Hunt says “scrap” is “unnecessarily confrontational language”, but adds: “We will certainly reform it,” with a “lighter touch system for good schools and less data-driven box-ticking”. Labour wants to see more consistency of judgements, less prescription of teaching, and a “far more constructive dialogue with the profession” from Ofsted.

Workload crisis Workload has been the issue at the top of teachers’ agenda, with many thousands of teachers now facing a working week of 60 hours or more. Both the Conservative Party and the Lib Dems responded to our question on workload by restating the main points of the Coalition Government’s announcement in response to the Workload Challenge – although each party claims the key points as its own. They will ensure Ofsted does not change its handbook mid-year and that qualifications are not altered during the school year either, with more notice of changes to the curriculum. The Conservatives dub the package “a concrete plan to reduce teacher workload” and also say the party would “make it easier” for teachers to find examples of good data management and lesson plans “to save them time”. Labour says tackling workload is “an urgent priority” and adds that detailed specifics “will need to be worked out through consultation and negotiation with the profession and its representatives”.

Labour says curriculum stability, “intelligent inspection”, sensible management, “great professional development” and politicians taking account of the “classroom implications of their announcements” are all factors it will look at. The Green Party offers to reduce workload by abolishing external SATs and the Year 1 phonics test, scrapping league tables “in their current form” and developing a broad model of assessment to look holistically at pupil progress.

Vote education That’s what the parties had to say ahead of the election campaign – and the war of words will heat up as polling day draws nearer. NUT General Secretary Christine Blower says: “We hope teachers and parents will take education into account when they vote. The NUT will press the next government – whoever forms it – to deliver action and not just words to mend our education system.” March / April 15 | The Teacher

ImageZoo / Alamy

It remains a taboo, but affects thousands of teachers every year. What can be done to make working through the menopause easier?

Pause for thought With an estimated 3.5 million women over the age of 50 in work, the menopause is a hot topic. A total of 76% of the NUT’s members are women – and the experiences of older women teachers, both positive and negative, deserve to be acknowledged. In our modern society there is open discussion on myriad topics in both the classroom and the staffroom – apparently no theme is off-limits. Subjects that were previously taboo, such as mental health issues, are starting to emerge in common parlance as people feel more comfortable speaking about their personal experiences.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

But despite this new freedom of expression, there is one issue that is rarely discussed openly: the menopause. In an NUT survey of female teachers between the ages of 45 and 60, an overwhelming majority (78 %) of respondents said they did not disclose their menopausal status to their line managers. The number one reason was that the women did not want the line manager to think their performance had been or might be affected by the menopause. The second most common reason for non-disclosure was that “the discussion would have been embarrassing”.

For women of a certain age in the teaching profession, it is clear that not only is the menopause a highly personal and sensitive issue, it is one that some women fear will be used against them in judgements about their performance. The number of women in the teaching profession means the effects of the menopause cannot be readily ignored. The menopause is an occupational health issue and employers have a responsibility to ensure that workplace conditions do not exacerbate menopausal symptoms. The most common of these are hot

At work flushes, night sweats, headaches, bladder problems, susceptibility to anxiety, fatigue and stress. Many of the discomforts of the menopause can be assuaged by simple measures, such as opening a window, carrying a bottle of water or having easy access to toilet facilities. There are other ways employers can support menopausal teachers over 50, such as through flexible working hours, reduced workload, changing year groups, or time off for menopause-related GP appointments and hormone replacement therapy. These adaptations – big and small – can be hugely beneficial for women experiencing menopause. It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that the workplace is a comfortable environment for all employees – but school leaders and managers need to be made aware of their employees’ needs. Sarah Lyons, from the NUT’s pay, conditions and bargaining department, says: “Teachers should feel confident that there is someone at their school with whom they can discuss their concerns about any menopause-related difficulties they may be having.” Unfortunately, the reality for older women teachers is that they are often on the receiving end of age discrimination and unfair scrutiny. One teacher reported that she was “targeted shamelessly” by her head teacher during her menopause. “She shouted at me publicly on several occasions, humiliating me in front of staff and children,” she said. The teacher had to take sick leave with a stress-related condition. Another teacher revealed: “I was penalised during an observation for needing drinking water at regular intervals.” Teachers have also seen colleagues treated badly during the menopause – not an encouraging sign.: “My colleague was put on a cycle of weekly observations because she had had three “requires improvement” observations in very close succession due to her hot flushes and stress levels. She was virtually bullied for a whole year. She is now not the same person and lacks confidence.”

Teachers experiencing life-changing situations such as pregnancy or serious illness are generally offered sympathy and support. But this is not necessarily the case for teachers going through “the change”. Older women teachers may feel invisible and this is reflected in the NUT survey which found that half the respondents felt undervalued in their school and were viewed as “old fashioned” and “inflexible”.

As schools try to drive down costs older teachers are also facing pressure as the most “expensive” staff, with many saying they feel forced out of the classroom. One teacher explained: “There is a lot of prejudice against older women, often from younger women, and schools are interested in reducing their staffing costs.” Another teacher reported that at her school, “all female teachers over 50 have been pressured into leaving last year”. She added: “I think that speaks for itself.”

‘I was penalised during an observation for needing drinking water at regular intervals’

The question of whether to discuss menopausal issues with line managers is one that is subject to debate. Some teachers feel that revealing the source of their physical and mental difficulties and disclosing the fact they are going through the menopause will facilitate greater support and understanding among senior management staff and colleagues. A teacher with more than 25 years of classroom experience suggested: “Speak to your line manager if it feels appropriate and you feel comfortable. You may be able to request an adjustment in working hours and many teachers over 60 in my school have gone part-time.” But for women who already feel discriminated against in the workplace, speaking out about menopause-related issues may not seem like an option.

Being an older woman in the teaching profession is not an easy task and the struggle is very real for many of those experiencing the menopause. Teachers who are already battling to keep their posts in the face of age discrimination are finding that the physical and psychological effects of menopause are compounding their hardships. This is a matter that needs to be urgently addressed to ensure support for those going through the menopause is readily available in schools. Sarah says: “Collectivising the issue, so it is not just about one individual, making it an item on the agenda of health and safety committee meetings, and turning the menopause into a mainstream topic for discussion are all ways to make life more bearable for menopausal teachers.”

As one teacher in the survey revealed: “I was physically unwell and my health was deteriorating but I did not feel able to disclose [my menopausal status]. This was due to a school culture which saw eight women in their 50s leave during the first year after the arrival of a new head.”

Without support, the situation for some teachers is devastating. One teacher, who had a particularly distressing experience that left her feeling bullied and on antidepressants, said: “It has taken a long time for me to regain my credibility, and looking back I feel that with more awareness on all sides this could have been so different.”

Sarah Lyons suggests: “If you feel uncomfortable voicing your concerns individually to your line manager, you can speak with your NUT rep or talk to your colleagues and pursue a group approach to raise the issue collectively.”

The NUT is releasing new guidance, Supporting Women Teachers Working through the Menopause on International Women’s Day on 8 March. It will be available online at teachers.org.uk/ briefings/menopause.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

Simon Kane

Learning

Colin Hurley from Globe Education helps teachers get to grips with Shakespeare

Lend me your ears Filmmakers, musicians, a best-selling children’s author and experts from Shakespeare’s Globe theatre are all supporting a range of NUT courses aimed at boosting creativity in the classroom. Creativity is now “as important in education as literacy”, says writer and educationalist Sir Ken Robinson, who argues that it should be treated “with the same status”. But there is a danger that creativity could be marginalised in schools. Jon Hegerty, who heads the NUT’s learning department, says: “The Coalition Government has prioritised some subjects over others, squeezing creativity out of the curriculum – to the detriment of children and their learning. We believe all children are entitled to a broad and balanced curriculum.” This is why the NUT has teamed up with arts practitioners for a series of continuing professional development courses to support teachers in developing creativity in the curriculum. The courses cover a range of exciting creative activities and aim to give teachers the know-how and confidence to make

March / April 15 | The Teacher

a success of these in the classroom. Jon explains: “All children should be able to enjoy Shakespeare but it can be daunting or intimidating to teach the Bard – especially for non-specialists.“ The Shakespeare course is made up of workshops delivered around the country by experts from Shakespeare’s Globe theatre, showing how to engage and challenge students with the playwright’s drama and storytelling. It is aimed at those who are new to teaching Shakespeare in key stages 2 and 3. Georghia Ellinas, Head of Learning at Globe Education, says the training was “incredibly well received” last year. The theatre group is “proud to be working with the NUT again in 2015”, she says, adding: “It is essential that teachers feel confident and comfortable when imparting a love of our nation’s greatest playwright to today’s students.” Renowned children’s author Alan Gibbons will lead the NUT’s annual Reading for Pleasure conference at Stoke Rochford Hall on 23 to 24 April. The conference will give teachers strategies to encourage reading for pleasure through practical activities

and discussion. Alan says: “Reading is a habit created by enjoyment and sustained by a balanced diet of books. I would recommend the two-day Reading for Pleasure course to anyone wanting to give children this most precious of gifts.” But the creativity courses are not solely based on the written word. The NUT is working with educational charity Into Film on two courses: Film Literacy, on how to use film to support reading and communication, and Filmmaking, which examines how to enhance the curriculum by making movies. Meanwhile, the music charity Music for Youth, funded by the NUT, has created a comprehensive and free cross-curriculum resource pack and a set of online tutorials to help primary teachers with creative music making for six to 12 year olds. Music for Youth’s project director, Richard Frostick, is running a training day at NUT HQ with practical hands-on advice for teachers taking on this exciting music and cross-curricular project. For more information on the NUT’s CPD courses go to teachers.org.uk/courses.

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Culture

f f o e Tim

re, Arts, cultu leisure...

Screen test You might be desperate to get out of the classroom when the bell goes, but someone with a movie camera is desperate to get in. Teachers have long fascinated filmmakers, with cinema portrayals ranging from golden oldies like Goodbye Mr Chips or To Sir With Love to modern efforts such as 2007’s Freedom Writers starring Hilary Swank. Sadly, though, An Inspector Calls, which really ought to be about schools, is nothing of the sort. There is a noticeable lack of good parts for women in classroom cinema. It’s alarming that the best known woman teacher on film is probably the lead character in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, a fan of fascist leaders who has serious safeguarding issues. You could try Harry Potter’s Hogwarts for more realism. But there are films that offer a genuine examination of the teacher’s role, including that classic of the “inspirational teacher” genre, Dead Poets’ Society. The late Robin Williams plays the man who opens

the minds and changes the lives of boys at a prestigious US boarding school. From shy Todd to frustrated but creative rich boy Neil, the students try to follow his urging to “seize the day”. We dare you not to cry. If the Dead Poets are too saccharine, try The Class, originally released in France as Entre Les Murs (Between the Walls). This documentary-style Palme D’Or winner, is based on an autobiographical novel by former teacher François Bégaudeau. He also stars as teacher François Marin. In his Paris secondary school, Marin’s mix of idealism and frustration collides with a multiracial class of students unafraid to challenge and question him. The kids are played brilliantly by non-professional actors, in this nuanced film with no easy answers. Jaime Escolante, played by Edward James Olmos, is a tougher character than Marin, with even moodier students, in the biopic Stand and Deliver. This is a movie about maths lessons – and there’s more to balding, middle aged Escolante than meets the eye. His is a distinctive drawl,

My cultural life 1 Christine Blower I love opera. I’m especially keen on the English National Opera and I also love ballet, both classical and modern. I got involved in the anti-racist campaign when they had a British National Party member

quietly challenging: “I’m a tough guy. Tough guys don’t do math. Tough guys deep-fry chicken for a living.” Mr Holland’s Opus is the tale of a musician who gets work as a music teacher, while what he really wants to do is spend more time composing his master work. Mr Holland – played by Oscar nominated Richard Dreyfuss – gets increasingly drawn into teaching. Is he really a musician, or a teacher? It’s an absorbing film. Q Agree?

Disagree? Drop us a line with your views. We would also like suggestions of music that teachers will enjoy for our next issue. Email teacher@nut.org.uk by 24 April to tell us what and why.

NUT General Secretary

as a prima ballerina at the English National Ballet. I’m very keen on the Rambert dance company, especially the piece they choreographed to Bob Dylan’s song Hurricane. I love Swan Lake. It makes me cry every time. Apart from opera I’m quite eclectic in my musical tastes. Due to my age I’m a big fan of Motown. And despite the racist remarks he made many

years ago I’m also a fan of the voice of Eric Clapton. I love a singalong to Dolly Parton and I enjoy Alyson Moyet and Adele. I’ve got a soft spot for the Travelling Wilburies, the supergroup formed by Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty. I’ll give most things a go in theatre. I like to see a decent

Shakespeare production but I’m also quite keen on musical theatre. I love going out to see live stand-up comedy, especially Stuart Lee. As for books, I’ve got a longstanding and deep-seated fascination with Madame Bovary – and the same is true of Jude the Obscure. I now mostly read crime fiction written by women, and recommend Val McDermid.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

n o i n U Your No NUT rep in your workplace? Hold a meeting of NUT members in your school to elect a rep. Please notify your division or association secretary, whose details you can find on your membership credential and at www.teachers.org.uk/contactus.

Find out what reps do at www.teachers.org.uk/getinvolved

You may be eligible for reduced NUT subscriptions... ...if there is a change in your circumstances Please tell us if your circumstances change. UÊReduced subscriptions may apply if you work part-time, fixed term, or supply, or if you are about to retire or to take maternity leave. UÊHave you moved? Please tell us your new home or school address. Visit www.teachers.org.uk/update, email membership@nut.org.uk, call 020 7380 6366 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm), or write to: Membership & Subscriptions, NUT, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD. Let the NUT know your email address and mobile number to make sure you stay informed about important campaigns, professional development courses and events.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

Nick Grant

You can elect one

Huge turnout at Ealing annual general meeting An impressive 130 members turned out for the annual general meeting of Ealing NUT, in west London.

They heard speeches from General Secretary Christine Blower and Nicola Field of Lesbians and Gays Support

the Miners (the subject of the film Pride), and tucked into a fine curry as they went through the agenda.

Union to set up new benevolent fund The NUT is to establish a new benevolent fund to provide financial assistance to members and their dependents who have fallen on hard times, subject to approval by the Union’s annual conference in April.

staff) and Worklife Support (for school support staff) – the NUT faced the situation of having a significantly reduced say on how the charity was run and how its income was distributed.

The new fund will be called NUTBF and will help NUT members and their families who, through no fault of their own, have run into difficulty and do not have sufficient funds to meet unexpected bills.

Although the Union continues to support TSN, it needs to take steps to ensure that money collected from NUT members goes to other members in need, particularly now that access to other means of support is being reduced. That is why, if conference approves the plan, the new benevolent fund will be set up solely for NUT members and their dependents.

The NUT originally set up the Teachers’ Benevolent Fund in 1877 when the facilities to support teachers with financial problems were extremely limited. Over the years the charity has changed significantly, expanding its role to provide support services as well as financial grants. It was renamed the Teacher Support Network in 2001 and runs counselling, coaching and grant aid support for teachers in England, Wales and Scotland. Following TSN’s decision to establish a new governance structure and to create new brands encompassing TSN – Recourse (for further and higher education teachers and

Members who currently support TSN by making contributions via the Union have been asked to transfer their donations to NUTBF. This will mean that the spirit of charity and generosity that saw the founding of the original TBF will continue through members supporting the NUTBF in 2015 and beyond. Further details on how to subscribe to NUTBF and how to apply for a grant will be set out on the NUT website at www. teachers.org.uk.

Do you remember 1965 trip to Turkey? NUT member Nick Glazeley is organising a reunion of teachers and pupils from St Mary’s Church of England Secondary School, Hendon, who took part in a school trip to Turkey in 1965.

NUT President Max Hyde had a trip to Hartlepool as a guest of the local association in a tradition that goes back to before World War II.

Marina. At a local primary school Max met longstanding school rep Diane Watson – and a number of strangely dressed characters.

Max, whose term of office ends at the Union’s annual conference in April, was greeted by association President Colin Hayes and Secretary Pat Smedley, who whisked her off on a whirlwind tour.

Max said: “Teachers greeted me dressed as Superman, Flash and the Batman. They said they were dressing up for Children in Need. But that didn’t fool me – those were their real identities. Teachers are superheroes every single day.”

Although he has tracked down many of those who took part, Nick is still searching for PE teacher Elisabeth Staton, originally from Leicester, and science teacher Kathleen Scott, from the North East, although they may have married and changed their names, he believes.

Hartlepool’s NUT members presented Max with a goblet etched with the Hartlepool crest as a memento.

If you can help Nick in his quest please get in touch with him by emailing n.glazeley@sky.com.

This included a visit to the new Centre of Excellence for Teaching and Learning, at the former Brierton School, before a dinner in her honour at Hartlepool

Your Union

President goes to Hartlepool in decades-long tradition

Martin, Claire and Sarah win North West region awards Three NUT stalwarts were recognised in the Officer and Rep of the Year awards in the North West region (see photo, right). Claire and Martin Walsh were joint winners of the Officer of the Year award. Claire is Wyre NUT Association Secretary and Martin is Lancashire Division’s Union Learning Rep. During serious illness, dedicated rep Martin even organised his chemotherapy around his union activity. Sarah Vaughan from Malbank School & Sixth Form Centre, Cheshire, won the Rep of the Year award.

100 years ago: Ofsted’s ancestors The Schoolmaster 13 March 1915 Now that school inspection has been widely extended through our secondary school system, questions arise respecting the steps which teachers may take when they find themselves at variance with the views of the Inspectors of the Board of Education. Teachers feel very strongly that wherever the Inspector proposes to comment adversely upon any of the work of the school, he should at the time of his visit indicate his dissatisfaction and give the teacher full opportunity of submitting any available evidence likely to modify the Inspector’s opinion. Therefore, wherever a report contains condemnatory criticism and it is found that neither the head teacher of the school nor the class teacher concerned had any intimation from the Inspector at the time of his visit of his dissatisfaction, such teachers, being members of the NUT, might well be advised in reporting the facts to the NUT Executive.

Equality calendar March 8 International Women’s Day 21 UN Anti-Racism Day April 3-7 NUT Annual Conference June 20-21 NUT LGBT Teachers’ Conference

March / April 15 | The Teacher

n o i n U e h t Ask Pension changes, dealing with stress at school, and extra work for SENCOs...

I’ve heard that teachers’ pensions are changing in April. What’s happening and will it affect me?

There will be two major changes from April this year. First, there will be changes to the bands that determine employee contributions to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS). Teachers will still pay an average 9.6% of their salary, but the TPS will have a six-tier contribution structure rather than the current eight tiers. The new bands are shown in the table.

Salary

Contribution rate

up to £25,999

7.4%

£26,000 - £34,999

8.6%

£35,000 - £41,499

9.6%

£41,500 - £54,999

10.2%

£55,000 - £74,999

11.3%

£75,000+

11.7%

From April contributions will be based on the actual salary of each TPS member, instead of being calculated on the full-time equivalent salary. This is a gain for parttime employees, the majority of whom are women, and is something the NUT argued for in discussions with the Department for Education. Some members will pay less compared with their contributions under the old eighttier structure, while others will pay more.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

But all teachers have been paying more for their pensions since April 2012, when contributions rose from 6.4%. The other change is the introduction of a “career average” pension scheme from April 2015. Roughly 70% of teachers will be switched into this new scheme immediately. In theory, career average can be better for the few teachers who don’t get promotion during their careers, but here the Government is using the change to cut pensions for most teachers. Older teachers – those within 10 years of their TPS pension age at 1 April 2012 – will remain in their final salary scheme. Teachers up to 3.5 years away from their TPS pension age will have some transitional protection. For more on the new career average scheme see http://is.gd/tpspensions.

I’m concerned at the number of colleagues at my school who are suffering from stress linked to their work as teachers – some are on long term sick leave. What can be done about this? Teaching is widely recognised as one of the most stressful professions. A collective response is generally the best way to bring about the changes in working practices to help prevent staff developing mental health problems linked with work. This is something that school or college NUT groups can raise with school leaders.

School leaders are themselves under acute pressure, and are as likely as other staff to be made ill by their work. They do, however, have a role to play in safeguarding the mental wellbeing of their staff and supporting those who do become ill. The NUT has developed guidance aimed at helping them to support their staff. It focuses on the need to address the stigma of mental health conditions, explains schools’ duties under the 2010 Equality Act and highlights organisations that can offer support. Most importantly it advises on how to undertake a stress risk assessment, with the full involvement of staff in identifying the “stressors” and the strategies needed to improve the working environment. Staff engagement in the process is key to bringing about positive change. The guidance is available at http://is.gd/ mentalhealthguide.

Got a question? Send your questions to us on teacher@nut.org.uk, with Ask the Union in the subject line. Please note that any questions relating to personal problems or specific workplace situations should be directed to your NUT rep or the NUT’s AdviceLine on 020 3006 6266 or by email to nutadviceline@nut.org.uk.

Ask Title the Union bar Janine Wiedel Photolibrary / Alamy

Support for children with special needs is vital – but SENCOs need sufficient time to deal with the workload

My work as a special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) is changing. Can I get more time out of the classroom to deal with the workload?

A new Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice was rushed into schools in September 2014. The revised code extended SENCO responsibilities to include advising on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and leading on the school’s responsibilities under the 2010 Equality Act.

This could potentially increase workload if not managed appropriately. The NUT argued for SENCOs to be given

sufficient time out of the classroom to fulfil the role effectively. If you do not feel that you have the time to do your job properly you should use the recommendations in the code itself (see page 108 of the code) to discuss with your head teacher the significant increase in the duties and administration now enshrined in the SENCO role. You can ask your NUT school rep or division for support. Comparing the management time you need in the role with members of the senior leadership team who have teaching as well as leadership responsibilities may give you a precedent that you can cite when negotiating SENCO non-contact time in your school.

In some schools with larger numbers of SEN and disabled pupils, an assistant SENCO has been recruited to share the duties. It is also worth looking at the cyclical pressures of the role. The SENCO administrative workload, for example, might be particularly high at specific points in the school year. Additional support for SENCOs from office-based staff could be negotiated with the head teacher for these periods in the school year to help with the extra workload. For further advice, go to http://is.gd/ sendcode.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

TitleBooks bar

s w e i Rev For pupils

Gunpowder and treason Piggy in the middle

Hissstorical hissstrionics

This is part of a series from the National Archives and publisher Bloomsbury, and it’s a riveting read. It turns the Gunpowder Plot into an adventure story. Lucy and Eliza are witnesses to treason after they follow a strange man through the London streets – but they find it hard to persuade their parents that anything is wrong. The characters bring the well known tale to life.

This sequel to Stamp’s The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of Pig continues the hilarious adventures of the first story. The format is different, with a square shape and board covers, but the visual appeal is huge. This is Pig’s diary, complete with ink blots, drawings, and Pig’s own handwriting. His grammar is similar to that of the BFG and will be fine for confident readers from age 7 upwards. It should appeal regardless of gender, though the cabbage-related gas jokes may delight some more than others.

A racy adventure set mainly in the Arctic with elements drawn from Jules Verne, Inuit folklore and historical events – all combined with flying machines, shark attacks and nonstop action. Thirty-two chapters take the reader on a rollercoaster-paced action thriller that makes page turning necessary to engage with the next twist and turn of this dynamic and compelling story. One for thrill seekers of any age.

Lee Ryder

Elli Rhodes

Len Parkyn

The Gunpowder Plot – A Time For Treason by Ann Turnbull. A&C Black Publishers. Paperback, £4.99.

The Super Amazing Adventures of Me, Pig by Emer Stamp. Scholastic. Hardback, £8.99.

The Curse of the Ice Serpent by Jon Mayhew. Bloomsbury. Paperback. £6:99.

Making connections

A book with substance

Hearts of coal

A tour de force of the world of education is presented in this comprehensive and powerful exploration of pedagogy and philosophy, combined with politics and case studies. With contributions from a selection of internationally respected and acclaimed authors, researchers and thinkers this incisive, probing and critical work is of majestic proportions and quality. Detailed analysis and critiques of different education systems, developments and innovations are presented for consideration. Outstanding.

An excellent resource in accessible, easy to navigate textbook format. There is a wealth of information, from the origins of the word “drug”, to how to talk to young people who are dealing drugs. There is a substance by substance guide and the final section points readers to further resources. The author is at pains to avoid jargon and confusing terminology where possible and includes street slang terms as well. The book will help parents and professionals start from an informed position in their efforts to support young people.

The miners’ strike of 1984-5 must rank as one of the most controversial events in recent British history. This book vividly brings together images and the facts of the dispute, one of the longest in British history, and one that divided the country. The photographs show how ordinary people fought for the future in quiet and dignified ways, with humour amid the hardship, as they withstood mounting pressure from the police and the Establishment. This book brings the story alive and, whatever your politics, it is a thought-provoking and stimulating read.

.. s For teacher

Len Parkyn Learning {Re}imagined: How the connected society is transforming learning by Graham Brown-Martin. Bloomsbury. Hardback, £24.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

Elli Rhodes All About Drugs and Young People by Julian Cohen. Jessica Kingsley. Paperback. £16.99.

Lee Ryder Images of the Past: The Miners’ Strike by Mark Metcalf, Martin Jenkinson & Mark Harvey. Pen & Sword Books. Paperback. £14.99.

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Resources Where does our food come from? A new resource on global trade has been produced for Key Stages 2 and 3 by the Fairtrade Foundation. It includes short films featuring 13 year old UK student

Events Tayna (pictured, below) as she visits cocoa growers at Conacado, a Fairtrade cooperative in the Dominican Republic. Download at schools.fairtrade.org.uk/ resources.

Tayna visits a fair trade cocoa growers cooperative and finds out more about where our food comes from

s Opportunitie Battlefield tours As part of the First World War Centenary Battlefield Tours Programme, all state funded secondary schools in England are entitled to send a teacher and two students free of charge on a four-day tour of the Western Front. Register at www.centenarybattlefieldtours.org. LGBT curriculum A one-day free INSET course, “Educate and Celebrate”, in London and Birmingham, offers tried and tested lesson plans, an introductory assembly along with advice on effective use of language. Leave with outstanding resources and the confidence to implement an LGBT curriculum in your school. For more details see ellybarnes.com.

Noticeboard

d r a o b e c i t o N Education at what price? The NUT is organising a conference on politics, power and privatisation on Saturday 16 May. Education is not a private commodity, it is a public good, but the Global Education Reform Movement (Germ) is promoting marketisation around the world. This imposes a business model on education and poses a threat to the teaching profession. The conference will provide an opportunity for delegates to build on their understanding of the global and local impact of privatisation in education. The free all-day event takes place at the NUT’s central London headquarters. Booking is essential – go to noprivatisation.eventbrite.co.uk.

Snack Attack Students can win £100 in the Snack Attack Challenge to design, create and market their own innovative fair trade snack for the UK market. The deadline for the competition is 27 March 2015. See www.traidcraftschools.co.uk for details.

Theatre for young children Inclusive theatre company Chickenshed is staging Tales from the Shed, an interactive show aimed at young children aged up to six. The company also offers theatre workshops for children aged five to 12. Tales from the Shed is informal, lively and engaging as the performers and audience share the same space. Every show is fun with plenty of colourful puppets and great songs. Children are always encouraged to make lots of noise and create a lively and exciting show. The workshops are aimed at helping children develop their performance skills using the company’s unique performing style. Children of all abilities are welcome and encouraged to take part. Shows run until 21 March at the Chickenshed Theatre, London. Go to www.chickenshed.org.uk for more information.

Art for autism A competition “Create! Art for Autism” is open to young people aged 11-25 who are formally diagnosed with an autistic spectrum condition from 13 April. It aims to dispel the myth that people with autism cannot be creative. Choose from five categories: 2D art, 3D art, digital photography, digital animation and poetry. For more information please go to createartforautism.com.

Magna Carta through time In partnership with the Historical Association, the British Library is hosting an exciting evening CPD event for primary and secondary history teachers. It includes an after-hours viewing of the new exhibition marking the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. Date: Thursday 26 March 2015, 16.30-20.30. For more information and to book a place visit is.gd/magnacarta.

s Competition

March / April 15 | The Teacher

The Teacher’s poet in residence Michael Rosen offers an ode to Ofsted...

Poem

n e s o R l e a h Mic A new rule The sharpest minds from across the nation have directed their attention to the situation of giving education a new direction in the troubled sphere of school inspection. I hasten to point out that this was not a study commissioned to abolish the lot. Why waste experience by creating an adviser when everyone knows it’s so much wiser to harvest that knowledge to create instead an esteemed inspector for Team Ofsted? I’m afraid to say that results are persistent in showing that Ofsted is inconsistent in how it achieves its task of branding England’s schools as dud or outstanding. Some might say that such crude grades given on the basis of commando raids is no way to make an evaluation of something as complex as education. Forget that! Never mind the pain. Inspection no good? Then do it again!

Peter Arkell

Astute thinkers, great minds hand-picked have reached the conclusion they should inflict a rule that was learned from throwing dice, “If it fails once, then do it twice!”

March / April 15 | The Teacher

Opinion Title bar

m o o r f l a i t n e d Staf fi n co s p i t ’ s r e h Teac

Reader’s rant Don’t let the system get you down

Last issue we asked for your tips on classroom seating arrangements Difficult pupils nearest to you Make sure the pupils who challenge you the most are near the front and near you – your mere presence is often enough to coax them back on track.

All change Have different seating plans for different lessons. That way you can differentiate but also bring out the best in all your children. Don’t be afraid to move things around. A simple swap can produce a massive improvement in concentration and work.

Table leaders I ensure each table has a “leader”, a pupil who is

approaching or has already attained their target grade. This helps in behaviour management as the leader gets on with the work and can then help the others.

Seating game To avoid fuss about where the children sit, I use a simple game. I tell them no class has ever completed this task in less than 53 seconds. “A powerpoint slide with a plan of the classroom will be revealed behind me. Your task is simple. Find your name and move. I won’t stop the timer until everyone is seated. The class loses if anyone is in the wrong seat.” The competitive allure of this motivates even the most argumentative kids.

Win a £15 token Email your contributions for Teachers’ Tips and Readers’ Rant to teacher@nut.org.uk or send to The Teacher, NUT Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD.

All published contributions will receive a £15 gift token or voucher from Countdown. We are looking for teachers’ tips on how to remember pupils’ names for our next issue. Send your advice by 31 March 2015.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

While I support the issues discussed in The Teacher, I have long felt the need for some more positive messages. Surely the teaching world is not so devoid of joy? I would like to deliver a positive message to our colleagues. Although many people dismiss new year resolutions, I really rate them. The new year brings the opportunity to set exciting challenges, to renew our self-belief as we identify aspects for improvement, enlightenment or adventure. Every year I make the decision to get healthy and to lose weight. If resolutions were worth making, you may argue that repeating them is proof to the contrary. Not so. I like to think of this repetitive resolution-making as testament to my dogged determination. But this year I have an additional challenge. I feel that the teaching world has become so depressing – overworked, underpaid, overstretched emotionally, physically and financially, uninspired, directionless, punished by relentless rounds of scrutiny, all in the name of “good reflective practice”. I have looked on sadly as colleagues flee the profession, broken. I too have worked in the shark-infested fishbowl that is the special measures school, surviving the toxic mix of “rigorous improvement” and sub-zero staff morale. But this year I have made a determined resolution not to let the system get me down and, instead, to spread positivity about the teaching profession. Let’s not forget that we have all worked extremely hard to be a part of it. I am good at my job because I care, and at the heart of everything I do – as with what you do, if you’re still standing – is the wellbeing and inspiration of the children. I believe there is a symbiosis in education. If children only ever experience interaction with stressed, exhausted and jaded teachers then despite our best, superhuman efforts, education will not open as many doors, fuel as many fires, inspire excellence. In short it will never quite hit the mark. I’m going to teach with as much energy and enthusiasm as I can muster. And I’m going to scan the captured, rapturous expressions of my student audience and revel in their enjoyment, and in the joy of the best job in the world. Happy teaching everyone. Name withheld

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s r e t t e L Star letter Another way to test young pupils I read the article “Testing times for young children” by Colin Richards (Nov/ Dec). I was an infants’ teacher for 20 years, and back then a test was always applied in the first days of school. It was called “the drawn man test” – each child was given a piece of paper and asked to draw a picture of a man. The results showed how mature or immature the child was, as marks were given for the inclusion of facial features including hair, fingers on hands, drawing in the feet and using “double lines” to give width to arms and legs. The children were encouraged to draw pictures at every opportunity in class and I would discuss their drawings with them. Sometimes if the pictures were still missing vital features I would gently point out that Dad could not play football without feet and Grandma could not bake cakes without any fingers. The child would laugh at the omission and rush off to correct it. At the end of year the same test would be applied and the two drawings were compared. One hoped to see a distinct improvement. In their last year at infants’ school, screening tests were given to all seven year olds. This series of tests showed the IQ of each child plus their reading age. They were given in a stress-free situation and the results showed if a pupil needed further assessment. The parents were never made aware of these tests nor did the children know the marks.

Right to strike Conservative politicians have been attacking the right to strike since 1927, so the latest assault – Prime Minister David Cameron’s proposal to ban strikes by public sector workers unless they have the support of 40% of the workforce – comes as no surprise. However, this is perhaps the most dangerous threat to this fundamental democratic right so far. It would be the thin end of the wedge. The threshold for strike action would be steadily raised and all workers eventually brought within its remit. As an NUT rep for several years, I found teachers were under pressure to vote against striking. Given that pressure, the remarkable thing was that striking was regularly supported by a majority of those voting. I almost always found the grievance giving rise to a strike ballot was shared by almost all, including those who did not vote or voted against strikes. Those with anti-strike views have every chance to be counted. All this sounds like democracy to me – without doubt a far more democratic process than the closed, chummy world of the executive boardroom. Quentin Deakin, Gwynnedd

When SATS were first introduced, teachers were appalled that parents and children were made aware of the results and some were even published in the local newspapers. To know that you were publicly a failure at the age of seven must have had a disastrous effect on some children. Sheila Brown, Surrey

Your view The Teacher welcomes letters but reserves the right to edit them. Write to: Letters, The Teacher, NUT, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD or email teacher@nut.org.uk. Letters for the May / June issue should reach us no later than 31 March 2015. Please note we cannot print letters sent in without your name and either your postal address or NUT membership number. We can withhold your details from publication if you wish.

Debt and the Ebola crisis I’m glad the NUT is supporting Ebola victims with financial assistance for the Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union. But we need to remember that colleagues there may face years of struggle: the death of health professionals will hamper children for years to come, children who are already desperately poor and too often malnourished. UK schools and teachers are raising funds, but “Red Nose Day-ism” is no substitute for justice. We should also protest at demands that Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone should pay the IMF and World Bank – institutions that are pushing new loans, increasing the debt burden rather than cancelling crippling debt demands. For information and to take action visit jubileedebt.org.uk. Stephen Pennells, Manchester

March / April 15 | The Teacher

Letters Title bar

Benefit of experience: older teachers have a lot to offer

Janine Wiedel / Photofusion

too – like the ones on the New Era estate in Hackney, east London, where tenants have had to fight against huge rent hikes. New Era tenants have now won their battle against the fat cat property investors who wanted to evict those unable to pay tripled rent. Tenants’ leader Lindsey Garrett publicly thanked Hackney and Islington NUT members for their support. The New Era tenants showed it is possible to fight for affordable homes – and win.

Stereotypes about age have trickled down It was sickening to read how older teachers are being treated with such disrespect by young ambitious heads, in the letter “Older teachers viewed as ‘stick in the mud’ types” (Jan/Feb). Being downgraded in lesson observations because of age is unjust. People choose teaching for a variety of reasons and it is unfair to ostracise older teachers who have a passion for delivering lessons and who wish to remain in the classroom. Schools teach children to be tolerant but it is hypocritical if staff aren’t respected. Sadly, it seems the outrageous stereotyping of age in the media has trickled down into the teaching profession. Name withheld

I would never go back I have been a member of the NUT since 1974 and was Divisional Secretary of North Tyneside for 21 years. When I retired after 25 years on the job, I was a well respected experienced and capable teacher. When I read the star letter “A culture of fear” (Nov/Dec) I despaired. I well remember a wonderful primary school teacher with over 30 years’ experience being hounded out by the new, young progressive head teacher and her equally young, progressive deputy. There is room for progress, of course, but it seems the “expensive“ teacher syndrome is still

with us. I don’t know how much more teachers can take. I wouldn’t go back into teaching, even if you paid me – and you wouldn’t pay me: I am too expensive.

Colleagues who want to campaign for affordable homes - and for London teachers’ pay to match the cost of living can get in touch with me via The Teacher. Please email teacher@nut.org.uk with “Housing” in the subject line.

Sheila Best Ken Muller, Joint Secretary, Islington NUT

Housing crisis hits hard Buying or renting a home in London is becoming impossible for all but the very wealthy. And teachers – especially young ones just starting out – are not exempt from the crisis. As a banner carried by teachers on the recent March for Homes protested: “London needs teachers – but we can’t afford London.” The day after the demo the Guardian reported NUT member Jan Nielson telling marchers: “There are newly qualified teachers in every school in London who have to travel an hour and a half to teach or are sharing bedrooms in flats with two or three teachers. This is a disgrace.” Of course, it is not just teachers who are victims of the housing crisis. Many of the children we teach are suffering

What happened to a funny thing...? Did I dream this or was there formerly a section in The Teacher entitled “A funny thing happened…” with amusing anecdotes from the profession? It was always my favourite part of the magazine, reminding us that even in dark times there is still a lighter side to teaching. I think it’s needed even more these days. Dave Walker, Kent Editor’s note: Thanks for your letter – we appreciate feedback from our readers. The “A funny thing...” feature was dropped for a couple of issues. If any other readers would like to see it return, please email teacher@nut.org.uk.

Need advice? Members in England seeking advice and guidance should contact the NUT AdviceLine at 020 3006 6266, or email nutadviceline@nut.org.uk. Members in Wales should phone 02920 491818 or email cymru.wales@nut.org.uk. Or get in touch online at www.teachers.org.uk/contactus.

March / April 15 | The Teacher

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NUT is the largest teaching union in England and Wales March / April 15 | The Teacher

Backbeat

Students don’t leave their identity and culture behind when they enter the classroom – and nor should they, argues Aminul Hoque

Background factors What is identity and why is it important? As educators, do we really know who our pupils are and the issues they experience in the social world outside school? Having an insight into this can enhance the educational experience at school. I researched the complexity of identity for a group of British-born Bangladeshi teenagers from east London. Who were they? British, Bangladeshi, Muslim, Londoners, a fusion of all these, or none? Their stories were powerful and unsettling. Their rhetoric centred on social justice, recognition and a yearning for belonging. But their reality was one of pain, dislocation, marginalisation and exclusion. It is in this tension between the internal and external components of their sociocultural worlds that their identities are being managed and constructed. Many important issues emerge from their identity riddle: notions of community and home, the exclusiveness of Britishness, feeling like a “tourist” in both their country of birth and the country of their ancestors, the increasing social and spiritual role of religion in their lives, exclusion alongside a racial discourse of difference, the trauma and dislocation of migration, the linguistic and cultural gap between young people and their parents or grandparents, and much more. These are issues experienced by many young people across the UK regardless of ethnic or racial background. They bring forth live and evolving debates that are a rich resource, inviting constructive classroom discussions between teachers and students. They can also be easily

March / April 15 | The Teacher

integrated into the curriculum across many subject disciplines – geography, English, history and religious education for example. It is vital that educators value and incorporate the cultural, linguistic, ethnic and religious identities of their pupils in the curriculum and teaching. This exposes children to a variety of languages and cultures, enhances their cognitive development and prepares them for today’s multicultural, multiracial society. It enables children to express their own cultural identities, enhances their self-esteem and prepares them to compete economically in a global society.

flexibility to develop a local curriculum relevant to the lives and aspirations of their student populations. Schools and teachers need to play a more active role in local communities. Teachers should get an insight and understanding of the cultural worlds that their students are living in. Schools must allocate their staff time, support and resources for this to take place. A commitment to a two-way education should be at the core of the schooling ethos. Listen to the stories and concerns of your pupils and adopt a reflexive approach to education – make education fun, engaging and relevant to the lives of your pupils.

These are issues experienced by many young people regardless of ethnic or racial background

As a result children are better integrated and happier. They will perform better academically if value is attributed to issues they feel are important. This idea of an inclusive curriculum, underpinned by a pedagogy of collaboration, democracy, dialogue and humanity, has been historically championed by many educationalists. At its heart lies the realisation that young people do not leave their sociocultural worlds behind once they enter the school gates. And neither should they be expected to. So how do we as educators become mediators between language, community, culture, identity and the school? Here are some steps towards achieving this. Within the boundaries of the national curriculum, schools should be given the

Many teachers already propagate, practise and preach this community and childcentred educational model. But it is not always easy. Teachers are overworked and overburdened with the weight of bureacracy and data management. School leaderships will need to be brave and visionary in order for such an inclusive education to take shape. Grappling with the knotty idea of identity within the school system is not a solution to the identity conundrum that many young people are living through – but surely it is a start. Aminul Hoque is a lecturer in educational studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is the author of British-Islamic Identity: Third generation Bangladeshis from east London.

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A message from your General Secretary Over the years, thousands of NUT members and their # *&)&"0 % 3" "+',6"! 1%" "+"Ɯ 10 ,# 0 3&+$ 4&1% 1%&0 well-respected organisation. Christine Blower, General Secretary, NUT

Reasons to invest in our Classic NISA: Invest from £50 per month or from £2,000 as a lump sum %"/"ȉ0 +, -"/0,+ ) 1 5 1, - 6 ,+ +6 -/,Ɯ 10 6,2/ Classic NISA makes %&0 ,ƛ "/0 1%" -,1"+1& ) #,/ 2+ --"! $/,41% on your money Give your money the opportunity to beat poor interest rates " ,ƛ "/ %,& " ,# #,2/ #2+!0 #,/ 1%" 21&,20 investor to the adventurous There are no fees for switching your investment between funds Grow your savings to pay for home improvements, dream holidays or special events in the future

This is a stock market linked investment. Its value can go down as well as up during the plan term. You may not get back what you paid in. Tax /2)"0 * 6 % +$" +! !"-"+! ,+ &+!&3&!2 ) &/ 2*01 + "0ǽ +Ɲ 1&,+ 4&)) /"!2 " 4% 1 6,2 + 26 4&1% 6,2/ *,+"6 &+ 1%" #212/"ǽ % /$"0 --)6ǽ

Call

0800 056 0563 and quote IT010 or visit teachersassurance.co.uk/IT010

We’re here 8:30am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 4pm Saturday The National Union of Teachers is an introducer appointed representative of Teachers Assurance. Teachers Assurance is a trading name of Teachers Provident Society Limited (TPS), an incorporated friendly society No. 372F. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Sovereign Unit Trust Managers Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of TPS, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority entered on the Financial Services /"$&01"/ +,ǽ ǖǗǖǞǞǝǽ "$&01"/"! &+ +$) +! +! )"0ǽ "$&01"/"! ƛ & "ǿ /&+$% * ,20"Ǿ " +0)"&$% , !Ǿ ,2/+"*,21%Ǿ ǜ ǜ ǽ

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