The Teacher – May 2017 by Educate Magazine

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14693-2017

Contents Title bar

e m o c l e W ... In this issue

THE General Election on June 8 will be crucial for education. Will we have huge budget cuts in schools? Will we see a return to a system that rejects hundreds of thousands of children, condemning them to secondary modern education? Our schools are facing the worst funding cuts for a generation. There is a growing teacher shortage, increasing class sizes and loss of subject choices. Our workload is increasing, as we complete often pointless paperwork for tests of little educational value. Teachers are facing burnout and our children experiencing mental health issues. Even the Confederation of British Industry describes our schools as ‘exam factories’. Child poverty and inequality is increasing – children are coming to school hungry and some girls are missing class because they can’t afford sanitary protection. And we have a Government whose solution is to re-introduce grammar schools and throw money at often underachieving free schools and academies. I wrote to Justine Greening after the election was announced, asking her to publish a summary of the fair funding consultation for mainstream and special schools. Parents deserve to know what they are voting for, to make an informed choice on who best to represent them. In the election two years ago, the Conservatives promised to ‘protect the money following your child into school’. But half the schools in the country are being cut in cash terms and the other half in real terms. Our brilliant schoolcuts.org.uk website has had hundreds of thousands of hits, as parents discover the reductions in every town, city and local authority. Voters must ask every politician, in every constituency, if they oppose school cuts. And when we get our answer, we should publicise their response far and wide. The public deserve to know who will stand up for education. The election was announced on the last day of our annual conference, a brilliant event brimming full of activists passionate about delivering the best education for our children. It was our last before we amalgamate with the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) to become the National Education Union. I am really looking forward to working with ATL colleagues in the new union – we will be the fourth biggest trade union in Britain, a stronger force standing up for education. So, I urge you, on June 8 put funding at the centre of this election. Vote against education cuts and for investment in education. Kevin Courtney, General Secretary

4-5

Our manifesto for education

7-13

Campaign news Your news on workload, funding cuts and testing

14-15 Out & about 16-17 National Education Union The NUT votes to amalgamate with the ATL

Success stories

20-21 Asbestos 23

Michael Rosen

25-29 NUT annual conference Reports, news and views fom Cardiff

Juhel Miah Meet the teacher who fell foul of Trump’s travel ban

32-33 Len Goldman Meet the centenarian fighting against grammar schools

Ask the Union

36-37 Your Union 39

Blair Peach Awards

40-41 Letters 45

International news

Noticeboard

Book reviews

Backbeat: poverty & learning

President: Louise Regan General Secretary: Kevin Courtney Editor: Helen Watson Journalists: Emily Jenkins, Monica Roland, Laraine Clay Administration: Maryam Hulme Design & subbing: Amanda Ellis Cover: Express & Star newspaper Newsdesk t 020 7380 4708 e teacher@nut.org.uk To advertise contact Century One Publishing, t 01727 739193 e jonathan@centuryone publishing.ltd.uk

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

NUT membership enquiries t 0845 300 1666 NUT, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD teachers.org.uk Keep up to date with education and the NUT – follow us on Twitter twitter.com/NUTonline for the latest news and views. Also stay informed at teachers.org.uk You can also find the NUT on Facebook. Keep up with the latest campaigning and Union news via the official NUT Facebook page at facebook.com/nut.campaigns

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.

May / June 17 | The Teacher

F O T S E F I N A M A

Something has gone wrong with education n It is underfunded. n There are not enough teachers. n Testing takes precedence over learning.

try Must r And worse is threatened: harde n Prolonged cuts to schools. n Deeper poverty. n More selection and fewer opportunities. We work hard to get the best for our g pupils. But the Government is offerin us a future that resembles the past. o Our manifesto is for the millions wh s. do not want education to be like thi We want a campaign to defend and rescue education from the worst crisis in a generation. s We call on every candidate in thi election to pledge opposition to funding cuts and to explain to voters how they will respond to the crisis in education. During this election, and after it, the NUT will work with those s who share the ideas set out in thi manifesto, to defend education and to protect the future of our children. All of our children.

FUNDING What we say:

The Government has cut school funding by £2.2 billion since 2015. Between now and 2020, it wants to cut £3 billion more. l Ninety-nine per cent of schools wil suffer funding cuts. That’s virtually every primary and secondary school in the country.

INCREASING SELECTION What we say:

The Government wants to expand grammar schools and selective education. Research – by an organisation the Government supports – says the highest-performing systems in the world are non-selective. Selection for the few is rejection for the many.

What you can do:

n Ask your candidate to oppose increasing selection and opening new grammar schools or streams. n If they are in favour, ask them for evidence to support their policy.

Invest in our children. 4

May / June 17 | The Teacher

Education manifesto

N O I T A C U D E R O F O This will mean:

n Cuts in after-school activities n Less subject choice rsery schools closing n Fewer teaching assistants n Nu needs and disabilities will be ng, the poor and those with special

n Fewer teachers n Larger classes The very you worst affected.

What you can do:

uk munity will lose at schoolcuts.org. com r you in s ool sch ch mu how out n Find cuts. election to pledge to oppose school n Ask every candidate standing for gn. support to the school cuts campai n Ask them to send a message of

LEARNING

POVERTY

e e som mayb words er-y teach here? to go

What we say:

in We are the sixth largest economy erty pov d chil of the world yet our levels are shocking. w up in More than four million children gro With n. dre chil all poverty – 30 per cent of g. risin is ber cuts and austerity, this num as betterPoor children do not learn as well tration. cen con off children. Hunger affects the find ily Parents in poverty do not eas ntials. esse money for trips, books and other

What you can do:

ted the n Find out if your candidate suppor ny families benefit cuts which affected so ma and, if they did, ask them why. rs and n Ask if they have talked to teache stop to do can y the heads about what families falling into poverty.

s want Most students like school, and teacher kes -sta high and y to teach. But unnecessar cation. edu of way the testing and exams get in arts, The curriculum has narrowed – the find on cati edu technical and vocational it harder to keep their place. teaching Primary and secondary schools are issues lth hea l nta to the test. Stress and me rs. che tea and are increasing – for students erful There are better alternatives and pow ch. roa app voices are calling for a new

What you can do:

More n Ask your candidates to support the than a Score coalition. n Ask them to support a change in s are secondary schools so creative subject valued equally to others.

n. #VoteForEducation May / June 17 | The Teacher

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DfE issues advice on tackling teacher workload THE NUT’s campaign on teacher workload is beginning to secure some success in persuading the Government to act to lift pressures on teachers and schools. With the support of teacher unions and Ofsted, the Department for Education (DfE) has issued advice on reducing workload (in poster and pamphlet form – pictured right), which takes forward recommendations from three independent workload review groups on marking, planning and data management. The DfE advice tells school leaders to review marking practices in line with the working group recommendations, review demands for planning in terms of minimum requirements to be effective and data management procedures so as only to collect data that is purposeful, valid and reliable. The three working group reports go into more detail and give a wealth of useful discussion and ideas.

Reducing Teacher Workload “Marking practice that does not have the desired impact on pupil outcomes is a time-wasting burden for teachers that has to stop”

“Teachers should not be spending their time on bureaucracy that does not add value. Teachers’ time should be protected and used to make a difference.”

Foreword from Chair, Dawn Copping - Marking report

Foreword from Chair, Kathryn Greenhalgh - Planning and teaching resources report

“Protect what we hold dear about our profession, improving the life chances of our children because we are trusted to do what is best, not to collect meaningless data to prove it.” Foreword from Chair, Lauren Costello - Data management report

Here’s a quick look at what three independent teacher-led workload review groups said in short reports on marking, planning and resources and data management.

Don’t

Remember Ofsted says

√

Remember all marking should be meaningful, manageable and motivating and should serve a single purpose – to advance pupil progress and outcomes

U Spend time on marking that doesn’t have a commensurate impact on pupil progress. Simple message: stop it!

Ofsted does not expect to see any specific frequency, type or volume of marking and feedback; these are for the school to decide through its assessment policy.

√

Remember quantity of feedback should not be confused with the quality.

U Give marking a disproportionate value in relation to other types of feedback. There is no theoretical underpinning to support ‘deep marking’

Ofsted does not expect to see any written record of oral feedback provided to pupils but will consider how written and oral feedback is used to promote learning.

√

Give lesson plans the proportionate status they merit, and no more, to lessen teacher workload.

U Do more work than pupils. This can become a disincentive for pupils to accept challenges and take responsibility for improving their work.

If it is necessary for inspectors to identify marking as an area for improvement for a school, inspectors will pay careful attention to the way recommendations are written to ensure that these do not drive unnecessary workload for teachers.

√

Look to identify blocks of time to allow for proper collaborative planning.

U Create detailed plans that become a ‘box-ticking’ exercise creating unnecessary workload for teachers and taking time away from the real business of planning.

Ofsted does not specify how planning should be set out, the length of time it should take or the amount of detail it should contain.

√

Remember planning together needs to be accompanied by regular and professional discussion which focuses on the outcomes for pupils.

U Make excessively detailed daily or weekly plans a routine expectation at the expense of collaboratively produced schemes of work.

Ofsted does not require schools to provide individual or previous lesson plans to inspectors.

√

Have high quality resources and schemes of work already in place and easily accessible.

U Plan to please external organisations.

Ofsted does not expect performance and pupil-tracking information to be presented in a particular format.

√

Be clear on the purpose. Why is this data being collected, and how will it help improve the quality of provision?

U Collect data just because you can or the system allows it – have an appropriate sense of its validity and purpose.

√

Be aware of workload issues: consider not just how long it will take, but whether that time could be better spent on other tasks.

U Duplicate data for different audiences – ‘collect once, use many times’.

Ofsted will usually expect to see routine evidence of the monitoring of teaching and learning and its link to teachers’ performance management and the teachers’ standards, but this should be the information that the school uses routinely and not additional evidence generated for inspection.

For more recommendations and to read the reports in full, search ‘reducing teachers’ workload’ on GOV.UK For clarification of what Ofsted expects, search the Ofsted Inspection framework on GOV.UK To read about practical ways to reduce your workload from other schools, visit the Department for Education’s teaching blog: teaching.blog.gov.uk The reports are endorsed by the following:

Practical steps It’s important that teachers take steps to bring about improvements at school level, particularly by acting collectively. ■ Make sure your colleagues know about the DfE guidance – ask your NUT rep to circulate the link to all

members, or do so yourself. ■ Ask your head teacher what the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) plans to do to implement the advice and when it will hold a meeting with the NUT rep and teachers to discuss proposals. ■ Meet with colleagues to discuss workload issues before you meet your SLT, so that you are all aware of colleagues’ issues, priorities and ideas. By Andrew Morris

Find out more You can find the DfE poster and pamphlet, together with NUT advice on other practical steps on cutting workload and examples of how it has been tackled in other schools, at teachers.org.uk/pay-pensionsconditions/ workload General Secretary Kevin Courtney has made a one-minute video (right) on reducing workload on YouTube that has been viewed nearly 3,000 times. Visit youtu.be/ cAlynsUs_KI

Funding cuts risk nursery closures ONE in ten nursery schools are in danger of closing, according to a Government survey. The all-party Parliamentary group on nursery schools found that 67 per cent of the 400 maintained nurseries say their position will be unsustainable once £56m of Government transitional funding ends in three years. The new early years funding formula that came into effect in April will further reduce nursery school income and 45 nurseries said they would be forced to close. Ninety seven per cent of nursery schools are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted.

Campaign news: workload

Under pressure

News in brief

Nursing courses see numbers fall APPLICATIONS by students to nursing and midwifery courses at UK universities have fallen by 23 per cent since the Government abolished NHS bursaries. Student nurses now face annual tuition fees of more than £9,000.

TAs act as supply THREE-quarters of classroom assistants have had to step in to deliver lessons because of teacher shortages. A survey of 1,000 support staff by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) found that 78 per cent have had to act as supply teachers during the last year.

Cuts hit music and mental health SCHOOLS are scrapping music lessons, turning off heating and planning to charge for mental health sessions to cope with budget cuts. Headteachers asked by The Times cited scrapping orchestras, billing parents for lunch-time or after-school tuition, cutting teaching hours, raising class sizes and scrapping school trips as ways of saving money.

May / June 17 | The Teacher

News in brief

Shropshire

Heads’ cry for help HEAD teachers in Sutton have made a “cry for help” to parents, urging them to help protect local education budgets. In a statement sent to all parents of secondary age children, the heads warn that schools are having to make cuts to staffing and resources, as real-term budgets have been reduced by between eight and ten per cent in recent years. “The future looks bleak. Next year sees more expenses for schools. Inflation is increasing too. We are close to crisis,” they write. They are asking parents to write to their MP and the leader of the London borough, adding: “They are not listening to us and we hope they might instead listen to you.” The heads’ statement can be found at greenshaw.co.uk

Poor hit hardest SCHOOLS with the highest number of children on free school meals will be hardest hit by Government school funding cuts. Research by the NUT and the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) found that the 1,000 schools with the most children on free school meals are facing higher cuts per pupil than schools generally. The study, based on Department for Education (DfE) data, found that primary schools with over 40 per cent on free school meals will lose an average of £473 per pupil in real terms – £140 more than the general primary average. In secondary schools with over 40 per cent of pupils on free school meals, the average loss will be £803 – a staggering £326 more than the secondary average. Nine children in every UK class of 30 are living below the poverty line and two thirds of them have at least one working parent. “If children who are growing up in poverty do not receive an education that is well resourced and funded, then the Government will be seriously threatening their life chances,” said NUT General Secretary Kevin Courtney. The full data can be found at schoolcuts.org.uk

May / June 17 | The Teacher

HUNDREDS of parents, children, teachers, head teachers and governors marched through the streets of Shrewsbury to protest against cuts to local schools. Shropshire stands to lose the equivalent of 360 teacher salaries by 2019. The march was organised by Shropshire NUT and National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and supported by the local Trades Union Council. Parents’ groups worked together to produce banners, while children read out letters at the end of the march. They spoke of how important music education is, the value of teaching assistants in supporting them and how these had already been cut. Speakers included past Union president Philipa Harvey, Jo Yurky from Fair Funding for All Schools and Rob Kelsall from the NAHT.

Lambeth, London

Lambeth stands united MORE than 300 people attended a meeting in Lambeth on 15 March against education cuts. The event was the culmination of months of campaigning by parents and teachers, who held stalls and meetings, giving out leaflets and sharing stories on social media. A network of parent activists grew. By the night of the meeting (pictured above) at a local primary school, every seat and bench was full, with people standing and sitting

on the floor to hear speakers on how cuts would affect education in the area. The meeting included a number of head teachers, around 30 teachers, representatives from support staff unions, as well as 300 parents. A new and important coalition has been born, a force to be reckoned with, putting the future of our children at the heart of campaigning. By Sara Tomlinson, Lambeth NUT

THE Union’s message that 99 per cent of schools will face funding cuts over the course of this Parliament has gained increasing currency. There have been a number of stories in the national press and on TV, and more than 400 in local papers.

School cuts website The school cuts website – schoolcuts. org.uk – which was initially developed by the NUT and ATL, now has the support of the NAHT, Unison, the GMB and UNITE. This has helped increase its profile, as well as contribute to the coming together of education unions. Since the website was launched in November, it has had 400,000 visitors. More than 38,000 have signed the petition, 21,000 have asked to be kept in touch with the campaign, and 10,000 have used the site to email their MP.

Letters to parents

MPs’ consultation

An increasing number of schools have sent letters home, warning parents about the scale of cuts they face. In some areas, such as Cornwall, Essex and East Sussex, every school in the local authority has written a joint letter. There have been an increasing number of campaign meetings over the course of the term. The most impressive was in Lambeth in mid-March, attended by more than 300 parents.

The Government consultation on its proposed National Funding Formula closed on 22 March. Its outcome is not expected until after the May elections. The NUT, ATL and NAHT held a well-attended briefing for MPs on 1 March. MPs from all sides of the House have been using the NUT estimates for school cuts. There has been disquiet from Conservative MPs that, even with a redistribution of funding, schools in their constituencies would end up losing money. The schoolcuts.org.uk website is asking every candidate in the General Election to pledge not to cut funding to schools.

Campaign demos Campaigners have organised three demonstrations in Sandbach and Chester, as well as in Shrewsbury. They have all been very well attended and shown the depth of concern and anger among parents at education cuts.

Campaign news: funding

Country-wide concern at school funding cuts

Warrington

FUNDIN L: SCHOOL

NEWS SPECIA THURSDAY,

THURSDAY,

FUNDIN L: SCHOOL

NEWS SPECIA

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to that we have I think it’s sad our children’s for do petitions should all be the it education, the board same across Nikki Jayne

n once again Why Why is Warringto of the queue? at the back children receive should our children than other £2,000 less No child in other areas? disadvantaged be deserves to Trish Fraser

funding formula

see positive

Roger Blackburn

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is getting less My son’s school school it is a good funding and at the moment. fight this, it’s We need to of ridiculous. 141st on list Warrington

Jacqueline

of affairs, Ridiculous stateschools are the best funded How is that sitting pretty. fairer?

Wendy Duncan

2017

everybody else’

– paren

she added. two years the PTA ends meet. In the past £6,000 for the more than . money to make has chaired has raised a quarter resources Laura, who years, said they lose almost each year. special needs “We are ents schools PTA for four pounds nd uniform s, Laura said: school is and grandpar of a million are quite because the have a secondha MUMS, dads penalised you get more to help change collection She said: “Parents – shop, loose it. I think the funding are being forced successful livid about thinks it doesn’t for essential pupils aren’t employer match schools pay craft money if your at times collect Government Warrington including grades. can be drives and and resources getting good to say something of our clothes that library books with need to fund the people unwanted . materials, “I hope I getdebate and that t for pupils properly. But taxes just like sold to a company we have even equipmenaccording to the useful at the us, for the sake of town pay their to “It’s a big burden, So we try else. special needs,a PTA. they listen need to get as to fund everybody of over 200 pupils. asked We just being for Appleton chairman town. the in the from the whole “We are speaking up to involve but we don’t want other schools Laura Mount, School PTA, is of many peopleas possible.” things that never dream n community like they are Thorn Primary t today to Warringto country would people to feel asked for help,” g for.” going to Parliamen about the get fundraisin being to ministers had always question the national Parents have search for their methods behind formula, creative in funding n education see Warringto which will

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FEBRUARY 23,

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’ are ‘not failed in education he said. in our schools that children may simply not happen. “The children future – let’s if very says it is vitalfor job losses) has much will increase now are our “Class sizes them.”

staff.” not fail (shorthand Cllr Rebecca place and three there are fewer teaching Meanwhile – Chapelford already taken have announced to raise He added that TEACHER already Knowles (LABsays Warrington teamed up more schools the past week unions have the budget crisis in schools are job cuts due to the middle and Old Hall) of such plans closer to the gave awareness said. at the considering Government’s ought to be alone,” he table and costs represent faced by schools website. effect of the n South of the funding .org.uk “When staff per cent of funding formula.of Warringto schoolcuts ting an already 80 education support to secretary more than need to Mowat. “Distribu the Shaun Everett, MP David e pot of funding of those to speak to Union of budgets, parents the inadequat d that some the National n branch, He is planning understan support staff who leaves children payingent’s to ask for Teachers Warringto Government on the ‘bizarre’ Governm face losing teachers and and price for the l said children for, nurture children will clarification trips, as care ongoing idealogica their teachers, school funding plan. ent to reducing encourage in future. and some subjects commitm services,” resources public not be there and trips the cuts. n spending on a result of “Those activities love so in Warringtoseen. “The effects that their children already being schools are ring’ Some ‘restructu many S’ unions say

be answer plan would horrified’ t funding left ‘We thoughers but we are just to our pray says schools does n Head teacher if Government could close policy for future not change it h By Chloe Laversuc uch@nqnw.co.uk chloe.lavers

set out by funding cuts could IF SCHOOL ent go ahead it by unthe Governm being taught s that lead to children in classroom and furniqualified teachers basic repairs head go without g to a primary ture, accordin fundteacher. is already the 10th worst and

Craig Burgess y run out of mone of just a few hours Schools could teachers for helping

Head teacher

the day. are already time as funding PARENTS n’s schools, have At the same to fund Warringto Community is being slashed, schools the same costs explains Woolston teacher Craig been hit with private Primary head by many ent’s faced – the Burgess. the Governm businesses levy, a national need But he said apprenticeship and the schools may hike plans mean to afford insurance wage. to fundraise love national living such as books, absolutely essentials He said: “I getting repairs. I do feel it’s furniture and some basic my job but we are going to run “I have done harder and . at school, not basic plumbing s but out of money says the dangerou ent anything “The Governm funded being DIY jobs. a head teacher schools are ever. I don’t expect “If you asked d areas of better than swimming in be in well-funde that they would schools to have been a head do I London to ” he said. money but six years and be horrified, support, teacher for Mental health and teaching funding has been getting a worse. speech therapists worse and not going to get the have all become assistants are schools. “They are want if they luxury in many believes the results they to invest.” And Mr Burgess to many schools not prepared cuts will lead afford qualified to being able

for education the The town the country plans, ed area in Government’s new for even worse under the would become situation pounds a million most schools. quarter of teacher’s budgets Almost a off head force in April will be wiped come into when the changes at head teacher 2018. Burgess, School, And Craig ty Primary Communi crisis could Woolston the funding said ultimately closures. going to lead to school is that things are “What’s scarysaid. he get worse,”

my just because ‘Why is it thatin Warrington, they children live to get the same are not goingopportunities?’ Burgess educational Craig

like commuentry schools, “Single form schools, won’t survive.still will nity and villagebut financially it get around which will “We are full e funded areas, pupil. be a struggle.” new formula, like-for-lik head factors will y £6,775 for each extra money for leaving many Under the highest funded areas n until 2018, English the Woolston Communit Warringto Schools get be delayed Isla Dale and ted. n, pupils with schools in more than average which the Primary pupils children with with the Primary. less than teachers disappoin such as deprivatio receive £565,401 people even the new formula, receiving as Woolston language and were bitThomas Shankland DG_2250001 But under is currently inviting as a second spite already are being penalised schools such said head teachers on, t. ent 18 school council up to an Government on in a public consultati Mr Burgess ted after the Governm funding, they low prior attainmen worst ls. can also get British formula. Government’s to comment will remain the 10th of 150 terly disappoin more. The budget from geographic funding, great about dren as individua forby say on the n a fairer funding out ng that is differdrop and exWarringto promised “We thought the national n Have your into school funding “Everythi go.” per cent boost the cost of labour in in the country camto see grades few years if on will start to to our prayers. He added: started a funded area more by visiting answer consultati next education But he expects which reflects be the horrified the council and find out carers to rise in the get in the borough meet. mula would been shocked and councils. Last week March 22 choolcuts. the are due to parents and funding clusion rates cannot make ends in Warof 83 schools ent areas. on a per n.gov.uk/s n schools area And 63 out even more money under But we have plans. bewarringto paign to encourage ent over the their funding for each head teachers But Warringto per cent from the added: “Children Governm by the latest understand the reasoning a are set to lose ns. Schools receive teachers deal. extra 0.03 lobby the the amount given The dad-of-two in an raw the head already the a exist. town are just can’t and some the getting children authority “We t and new calculatio assistants have increased pupil basis for problems whichand carer across protest rington are that just because my going to upon the local cost adjustmen n is unfair. bigger bills hind it. Teaching Schools’ outgoings not them to goes schools. paint Every parent pupil depends “Why is it as they face e levy lowest n, they are under. money to letter asking feel the calculatio Funding Formula ties?” luxury at some past few years , the apprentic school falls n schools are the 10th April opportuni was sent a not enough looking tatty.” live in Warringto insurance If the National into force from plans. Borough educational schools which are “There is n the they same curnational Warringto . the come against are s when get wage. for are the only Carter, Warringto the country ent announced it n head teachclassroom n primary schools ahead it will deand the living funded in Cllr Jean new formula puboard member He suggested to Governm plans, Warringto of £4,306 per in the country of Warringto under the executive 2018. Under the the new proposIn 2015, the a ‘fairer’ funding formula of the best thousands Council’s an average could thrive the best services, saidharder. rently someamong the worst funded. nafound in schools with ers will receive in comparison to would createpostcode lottery. children’s n very large the types of schools this year’s year Justine ent has spite being Warringto to how 20th best in child each address the education secretary would als will hit “What the Governm pils, akin which rate six govThey ranked lottery with the policy year In July 2016 league tables system this She said: Asia. n one postcode announced tional SATs performing in their educational children?” he Greening done is replace rather than Warringto “Is that the for these children are well, deof And wants doing for teacher another. ernment head rewarded exams. want. the former School, admitschools being asked. Mr Burgess, chilit’s what parents the Thorn Primary “I don’t think going to know those could mean Appleton successful n schools “You are not ted that beingthinks Warringto Government on meagre funds. can manage

THE Union in Warrington has been leading a campaign against school cuts in the area. Parents, teachers, school heads and residents raised the issue of cuts in a double-page spread in the Warrington Guardian (left). NUT division secretary Shaun Everett said: “I wanted to share what can be created locally with a little help from the NUT. We placed a school cuts advert in November and it was key in creating publicity and debate in Warrington.” (Above) Children from Woolston Community Primary School in Warrington. Photo: Dave Gillespie, Warrington Guardian

May / June 17 | The Teacher

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May / June 17 | The Teacher

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AS the new Progress 8 accountability measure reaches its first year in use across all secondary schools in England, new research has highlighted some of the flaws of the system. Designed to measure the progress a pupil makes from the end of primary school to age 16, it was introduced in October 2016. The ‘value added’ measure gives additional points in a school’s performance tables for every increase in grade a pupil achieves over the five years.

Helping poorer pupils It has been welcomed by some teachers as a positive way of measuring the progress of weaker pupils, as it gives equal value to the development of all children. Those in favour also saw the potential for the system to direct more resources to students from low income backgrounds

in poorer schools. But others say Progress 8 is adding to teachers’ workload and question the reliability of Key Stage 2 SATS results as a starting point for Progress 8. There is also concern that it will be used to measure teachers’ performance and, consequently, affect their wages. The report A Curriculum for All, commissioned by the Union last year from King’s College London, found that the impact of Progress 8 was compounded by other recent secondary school attainment measures, the English Baccalaureate and new GCSEs.

Mental health impact Researchers surveyed 1,800 NUT secondary school members and carried out case studies in three London schools. “Teachers’ responses suggest that the combined effects of the reforms have been to exacerbate the pressures already

present in a high-stakes accountability context fuelled by data-driven policies,” the researchers reported. Those surveyed said that exam pressures and a preoccupation with performance data have had a negative impact on the mental health of both teachers and students. Research highlighted by the Education Datalab blog – educationdatalab.org. uk – indicates that other factors appear to affect Progress 8 scores, including a pupil’s first language, Pupil Premium eligibility and prior attainment at Key Stage 2. By Laraine Clay

Campaign news: testing

Charting Progress 8

n For more information on Progress 8 and Attainment 8, visit: teachers.org. uk/edufacts/progress-8 A Curriculum for All? can be read or downloaded at teachers.org.uk/sites/ default/files2014/curriculum-for-all64pp-10845.pdf

More than a Score

97% think SATs prep has ‘a negative impact’ THE Government goes into the election committed to a discredited system of primary assessment. An NUT survey of more than 6,000 members found that 97 per cent thought that preparation for SATs had a negative impact on children’s access to a broad and balanced curriculum. Ninety-one per cent agreed that the ‘expected standard’ stipulated by the Department for Education (DfE) was beyond the reach of the majority,

and 90 per cent thought that the new system was having a negative impact on children’s school experience. In March, the DfE released its longawaited consultation on the future of primary testing. It recognised some of the problems of high-stakes assessment and the effects on teacher workload. It proposes ending statutory assessment at KS1, however assessment at KS2 will, in core respects, remain the same and

The More than a Score coalition of parents, teachers, researchers and educationalists launched its alternative system of primary assessment at Central Hall, Westminster

baseline assessment will make a comeback in reception.

Alternative system More than a Score – the Unionsupported coalition that represents 17 organisations of parents, teachers, researchers and educationalists – launched its alternative to England’s discredited system of primary assessment at 29 March, at Central Hall, Westminster. It outlines proposals for an alternative assessment system that can support learning and underpin a high-quality system of primary education, without the negative effects of present testing. “Parents need to know that England stands out for its punitive testing regime. Nor do the most successful education systems link scores with judging schools. More than a Score’s assessment alternatives break the link between scores and accountability,” said Madeleine Holt from Rescue Our Schools, one of the organisations behind More than A Score. To find out more, go to morethan ascore.co.uk To find out more about the NUT’s views, go to teachers.org.uk/ campaigns/primary-assessment

May / June 17 | The Teacher

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No return to a two-tier system DELEGATES to the NUT’s conference in Cardiff passed a priority motion, calling on Education Secretary Justine Greening to present her case for grammar schools and selection, so it could be examined by the education world. There is a large body of evidence demonstrating that the overwhelming majority of children lose out within selective education, particularly those on free school meals, children with SEND and girls. And the Union argues that there is none to support a return to a two-tier secondary education system.

Grammar ban reversal Before calling the General Election, Theresa May announced that a new Schools White Paper would contain plans to reverse the ban on grammar schools that had been in place since 1998. Proposals published in a green paper consultation document last year set out the Government’s intention to allow existing grammar schools to expand, new free schools to open, existing comprehensive schools to become selective, and academy trusts to open selective schools within the trust. The consultation closed in December and the Government had failed to publish responses or its own response to the consultation at the time it called the election. Nevertheless, in its March budget, the Government announced it had ring-fenced £50 million a year for expanding grammar schools and a further £320 million for new free schools, many of which are likely to be selective.

Legal action The motion at conference also committed the Union to build a campaign for good, local comprehensive schools for every child and to resist selective education in all its forms. This included legal action to challenge selective arrangements which breach the law and/or the School Admissions Code. It also pledged to work with a coalition of partners, including politicians, educationalists, parents and other unions, to oppose the plans. Conference also agreed to back Comprehensive Future, a campaigning

News in brief

Education allies COMPREHENSIVE Future is an alliance of individuals and organisations who want a comprehensive secondary school system with fair admissions and no tests for ability or aptitude. It opposes Government plans to introduce selection and grammar schools in England. For details, visit comprehensivefuture.org.uk

Campaign news: selection

Show us your evidence! That was the Union’s message to Justine Greening on her plans to re-introduce selective education.

Governors’ guide

Alex Kenny from the Union’s executive moving the motion against grammar schools

group which has built an alliance of those opposing selective education. “Teachers, parents and head teachers are rightly incensed that the Government has such wrong priorities on education,” said General Secretary Kevin Courtney. “At a time when head teachers across England and Wales are crying out for sufficient funds to run their schools, provide pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum and retain teachers and support staff, the Government is proposing to lavish scarce education funding on a policy which all the evidence confirms will undermine the high standards of education that comprehensive schools have been able to achieve in the decades since selective education was ended in most parts of the country. “For every grammar school that is opened there will, in effect, be an increase in the number of secondary modern schools, leading to a two-tier secondary education system. This will bring about social division, where those pupils who do not get selected at 11 suffer the consequences for the rest of their lives. “The NUT will be investigating possible legal routes to challenge the expansion of selective education and will continue to campaign for a good local comprehensive school for every child.”

Useful links For more information on grammar schools, visit NUT Edufacts at teachers.org.uk/ edufacts/grammar-schools

SCHOOL governors will be required to have a higher level of competency in financial matters following investigations into several large trusts. Find the DfE’s updated governance handbook and new competency framework at gov. uk/government/publications/ governance-handbook

Recruitment drop THERE has been a seven per cent drop in acceptances on to teacher training courses this year, according to figures by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Schools in England need to recruit around 30,000 new teachers every year. The figures show that only 26,000 were accepted on to teacher training courses in 201617, which means that Government targets for teacher recruitment in England have been missed for five consecutive years.

Need cash to pass GRAMMAR schools are selling mock 11-plus tests to parents, making thousands of pounds for their coffers. Schools Week found that the Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) at one school in Kent was charging £60 for its mock exam. Another PTA in Surrey was charging £28 per pupil for material to help them prepare for entrance exams. The NUT said the findings increased concerns that it will only be better off parents who can afford coaching to help their children pass entrance exams.

May / June 17 | The Teacher

City centre cuts protest

o #OurNHS dem

NUT members Malcolm Richards from Devon and Imran Arif from Bradford supporting the #OurNHS demonstration in London on March 4. “We were on our way to the NUT’s first ever national organising forum for black teachers,” Malcolm told the Teacher. “While there was a clash in dates, we wanted to actively demonstrate our solidarity with our union family within the NHS.”

report Runnymede BME MANY Black teachers feel isolated in school and lack support from management, according to a revealing report commissioned by the Union. The report, produced in conjunction with the Runnymede Trust, found that while many were positive about senior leadership at their school, others felt unsupported in their career progression and in racist incidences. A total of 1,027 Black, Asian and ethnic minority teachers were surveyed for the report, entitled Visible and invisible barriers: the impact of racism on BME teachers. It found that Black teachers: n are given stereotypical tasks like Black History Month rather than wider teaching and learning responsibilities; n are viewed as troublemakers and aggressive if they challenge decisions; n face invisible glass ceilings and encounter attitudes among senior teaching staff that they “have a

May / June 17 | The Teacher

certain level” and are incapable of going beyond that; n felt that not all racism and discrimination experienced in schools was deliberate. A change to day-to-day practices of senior leadership teams could result in many BME staff being unwittingly excluded from their teams and decision making; n were passionate about their role as teachers but felt “overburdened” and demoralised by recent reforms to pay and current capability procedures. The survey also found that only half of BME respondents in primary schools agreed with the statement: “my manager values my contribution and recognises my strengths”. In secondary, that dropped to 44 per cent. The majority of BME teachers did not feel positive about the appraisal system: only 30 per cent working in primary schools and 23 per cent in secondary agreed the appraisal system is “supportive rather than punitive”. Less than half agreed with the

TEACHERS took the campaign against education cuts to Market Square in Nottingham over the Easter break. Members of Nottingham City NUT ran a stall collecting signatures against cuts to school funds. Photo: Ivan Wels

statement: “my line manager supports me in my career development and progression”. And only a third agreed that their school was “proactive in identifying and responding to racism affecting pupils in their school”. General Secretary Kevin Courtney said: “It is urgent we open up conversations about racism in staff rooms, in classrooms and in the curriculum.” Dr Zubaida Haque, research associate at the Runnymede Trust, said: “Government and school leaders should be concerned that over 60 per cent of BME teachers are thinking of leaving the profession. “BME teachers are not only overwhelmed with the mountain of paperwork, but they are also beaten down by everyday ‘micro-aggressions’ in the staff room and the low expectations and support by senior staff. “This has led to BME teachers feeling undervalued, isolated and disillusioned.” To read the full report, visit teachers. org.uk/equality/equality-matters

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Out and about

t u o b a d n a Out

Angela Rayner MP and NUT General Secretary Kevin Courtney joined marchers on a wet evening in Manchester

Uniting for Manchester MANCHESTER City Council, trade unions and community groups came together in February to protest against the drastic cuts to education, health and social care in the city. Under the auspices of the Fair Deal 4 Manchester campaign, they also launched the Manchester Petition, which calls for the Government to provide adequate levels of funding for essential services in the city.

“half truths” and ended his speech in rousing fashion: “If they tell you that education is expensive, tell them that ignorance is even more expensive... invest in our country, invest in our children, fight back!” The Manchester petition can be found at manchesterpetition.com And, If you want to listen to Kevin’s speech, there’s a video on the Manchester NUT Facebook page.

Braving the weather

By John Morgan, Manchester Teachers’ Association NUT

More than 500 people braved the wet and cold Manchester weather and paraded through town in a torch-lit procession, led by a samba band. The marchers included a number of MPs, MEPs and local councillors, as well as NUT members and other trade unionists and members of the public. Once the marchers had arrived in Albert Square, speeches were heard from locals affected most severely by the cuts, MPs Angela Rayner and Lucy Powell, and NUT General Secretary Kevin Courtney. Kevin railed against Government

Keep us in the picture Calling all members and NUT reps! Do you have news, views and pictures for the Teacher? We’d love to hear about your campaigns, successes and opinions for publication in the magazine. And we’d welcome your pictures too. If your association has Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, why not send us your posts and photos and let the rest of the Union know what you are up to. Email teacher@nut.org.uk

May / June 17 | The Teacher

The National Education Union will be the biggest education union in Europe and a force to be reckoned with.

Stronger together The NUT’s Kevin Courtney and Mary Bousted of the ATL will be joint General Secretaries of the NEU

MEMBERS of the NUT and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the amalgamation of the two unions. The new union will be called the National Education Union (NEU). The NEU will come into existence on 1 September and, with more than 450,000 members, will be the fourth largest trade union in Britain. It will represent the majority of teachers and education professionals and be the biggest education union in Europe. The NEU membership will include teachers, support staff, lecturers and leaders working in state-funded and independent schools and colleges. NUT General Secretary Kevin Courtney said: “It is a fantastic result for members of both unions and for education. For too long, education ministers have played divide and rule amongst teacher unions. Today marks the beginning of the end of that. “The NUT and ATL both have proud histories but, speaking with one voice, we will be a stronger force, standing up for education, teachers and other school staff and the children we teach.” Mary Bousted, General Secretary of the ATL, said: “We will speak with a stronger 16

May / June 17 | The Teacher

“This is the beginning of the end of education ministers playing divide and rule.” Kevin Courtney

“We will bring everyone together and empower them to improve their working lives.” Mary Bousted

Photo: Jess Hurd

voice on behalf of education professionals and the children, young people and adults they support. We will bring together everyone in their workplaces – teachers, lecturers, support staff, heads and managers – and empower them to improve their working lives.” The ATL and NUT ballots ran from 27 February to 21 March. From September, the ATL and NUT will operate parallel sections under a joint executive committee until 2019, and with joint General Secretaries until 2023. New rules will come in to force on 1 January 2019, when a new executive will be elected and the ATL and NUT sections will be integrated. Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney will remain as joint General Secretaries until July 2023, when there will be an election for one General Secretary of the NEU. “Professional unity is a long-held aspiration of our Union. I believe that the NEU will be a game-changer in the education landscape and I am delighted to be jointly leading it forward over the coming months and years,” Kevin said. To see the ballot result in full, visit teachers.org.uk/news-events By Helen Watson

Will the cost of my membership change? No. Your subscription will not be affected for 2017 and we will write to you in the normal way about your 2018 subscription. You will receive your 2018 NEU membership card in December. If you pay your subscription by Direct Debit, you will notice that the payment description may change from NUT to National Education Union or NEU – and may also include NUT Section. Should any different arrangements be needed, we will write to you. How will I access advice and support? From 1 September through the transition period, contact your NUT workplace rep or NUT Association Secretary – details are on your membership card or online at teachers.org.uk/ contactus Members in England seeking advice and guidance should contact the NUT Advice Line on 020 3006 6266. Members in Wales should call the NUT Wales office on 029 2049 1818.

Do I need to do anything to convert my NUT membership to the NEU? No. All NUT members will automatically transfer to the new union.

Can I find out more about the ballot? The scrutineer’s report on the ballot of NUT members, which closed on 21 March, is available at teachers.org.uk/membersreps/your-union/ professional-unity A copy of this report will be supplied free of charge to any member of the Union on request – email r.baxter@ nut.org.uk

Professional Titleunity bar

U E N w e n e h to t e d i u g r u o Y

What about Wales and the nations? The NEU will welcome members from Scotland and Northern Ireland to complement our work in England and Wales. This will make our Union stronger in all nations and regions. With pay and conditions being devolved to the Welsh Government, we hope the whole NEU can learn from the ATL and other education unions’ experience in Scotland and Northern Ireland. What about our political fund? The majority of members pay into the NUT political fund. This will stop on 1 September. However, the NEU is committed to a nonparty political fund and all members from both sections will be balloted on setting up a fund in the autumn term. What can I do now to help my new union? Ask a non-member to join the NUT and keep your membership details up to date. New members will automatically become members of the new union. Ask your colleagues to join online at teachers.org.uk/ join or call 020 7380 6369. Visit teachers.org.uk/update, email membership@nut.org. uk or call 020 7360 6366 to tell us if your email address, mobile number or addresses change to make sure you stay informed.

Now is the time to get involved and help shape the new union, its campaigns, policies and the support it gives its members. May / June 17 | The Teacher

At school I don’t feel I have to be something I’m not. I used to find it scary sometimes. Now I can relax enough to be myself and that’s a great feeling. Christopher, student on the autism spectrum

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TEACHING assistants (TAs) in Derby and Durham have been involved in prolonged disputes over cuts in pay imposed by their respective Labourcontrolled local authorities. Nottinghamshire NUT made links with the Derby TAs through their union, Unison. We offered solidarity to them as their dispute developed. Local councillors dug their heels in, not only cutting TAs’ pay by 25 per cent – equivalent to £6,000 a year – but making disparaging comments, implying that they were little more than child minders, revealing their ignorance of the vital educational support and guidance TAs provide to children in our schools. Three TAs addressed the Union’s AGM on 23 March. Krishna Patel, Tina Phillpa and Alison Burton (pictured right) gave emotional accounts of the hardship they and their families had experienced, especially over Christmas. Nevertheless, through the sadness shone

a steely determination to see the dispute through to a just conclusion, which now looks likely. NUT members gave them a prolonged standing ovation. I have seen the inventiveness and courage they have shown in fighting these attacks on their living standards and professionalism. On a cold January evening, I joined them on a 500-strong demonstration through Derby to the council building, where they held a candlelit protest. In all, these valiant trade unionists – the vast majority taking action for the first time – have struck for over 60 days. At an International Women’s Day event in Nottingham, Notts NUT Joint Secretary Jane Crich presented the TAs with £500 for their hardship fund and, at our AGM, we promised another £500. At a demo in Durham on 25 March (see below), it was heartening to see our General Secretary, Kevin Courtney, give a rousing speech in support of the TAs.

Success

Derby TAs are a shining light in dark times

The Derby dispute now appears settled on terms largely favourable to the TAs, reversing the pay cuts and providing compensatory payments for lost wages since cuts were imposed in 2015. In the months and years ahead, schools face further cuts which will impact on teaching assistants and other staff in our schools. Our newly formed National Education Union will do well to learn from these exemplary, principled trade unionists. By Liam Conway, Notts Area NUT

Strike over ‘recovery plan’

1,000 people make a lot of noise! ON Saturday, 25 March, Durham city centre rang to chants of “Durham TAs deserve fair pay”, as colleagues from around the country marched in a show of solidarity and professional unity. In 2015, Durham County Council decided to terminate the employment of its teaching assistants, then allow them to re-apply for their jobs with a 23 per cent pay cut. It seems unlikely the council expected any resistance – or that the TAs might win. The council has accepted that it didn’t really understand the roles TAs play in education and has agreed to review their job descriptions with input from head teachers. Although the talks are a long way from finished, the Durham TAs are confident they’ll get a much better deal. Seeing the flags of the NUT and ATL side by side, there can be little doubt at the power standing together can bring. By Nik Jones

NUT members at Forest Hill School took strike action in March and April, in a dispute over a proposed ‘recovery plan’ that aimed to slash the staffing budget by £1.3m. This includes proposals for 15 teacher job losses, a teaching and learning responsibility payments restructure, and an increase in the classroom teacher timetable. The action is being backed by the Forest Hill Parents’ Action Group, which has supported striking teachers at the school gates and joined staff lobbying Lewisham Council to ask for more financial help for the school. More action is planned. See future editions of the Teacher for details. By Martin PowellDavies, London region May / June 17 | The Teacher

Exposing the hidden killer in our schools The UK has the highest death rate from asbestos exposure in the world. Teachers and pupils are most at risk, with an estimated 86 per cent of classrooms containing asbestos. Emily Jenkins reports.

UE Stephens was a primary school teacher for over 30 years in Buckinghamshire. Seven years ago, she retired and moved to Dorset with her husband to enjoy a wellearned retirement. They kept bees, spent hours gardening and got a dog to take walking on Exmoor. But this peaceful idyll was interrupted when Sue was diagnosed with mesothelioma – a fatal cancer caused only by asbestos exposure – and given just a year to live. “Initially, we had no idea how she could have got such a terrible disease,” said Lucie Stephens, Sue’s daughter. “But mum started to talk to old colleagues and it quickly became apparent that several of the classrooms that she had taught in had asbestos in them. “Mum was furious. At no point in her 30 years teaching was it explained that asbestos was there or what she should be doing to keep herself safe. More than that, she took very seriously her role to protect the children she was teaching. She became tormented with how many of them might have been unwittingly exposed.”

Millions at risk Its dangers have been known for at least 40 years and yet it is estimated that 86 per cent of classrooms still contain asbestos, putting over seven million children, and hundreds of thousands of teachers, at risk. Despite this, an NUT survey in 2015 found that 44 per cent of teachers had not been told if their school contains asbestos. The disease itself takes between 15 and 60 years to develop, so it’s almost impossible to know if you have been affected until years later. Two million 20

May / June 17 | The Teacher

Lucie Stephens with a picture of her beloved mum, former teacher Sue

asbestos fibres can fit on the head of a needle, yet mesothelioma can develop from ingesting only one or two. There is almost no recorded data on how many former pupils have died from exposure at school, despite the fact that children are most at risk – an exposed fiveyear-old is five times more likely to contract mesothelioma than someone coming into contact with asbestos in their 30s. But it has been estimated that up to 300 former pupils die as adults every year because of asbestos exposure when they were at school. What we know for certain is that more than 300 teachers have died from mesothelioma since 1980 but, as Lucie

Photo: Kois Miah

points out, this is likely to be only the tip of the iceberg.

Awareness campaign Sue Stephens died on 26 June, 2016 at home with her family, just over a year after diagnosis. Her wish was that her family start a campaign to raise awareness on the dangers of asbestos in schools. “We talked a lot about it,” said Lucie. “It was extremely difficult because we were inevitably talking about her death, but it was important to her. About a month before she died, we launched a petition.”

Passing the buck “It is expensive to get it removed, but I would say that, against the health and human cost, the money needs to be found,” Lucie said. “But the main problem is that the Government is passing the buck. The Department for Education (DfE) says that it can issue guidance, but responsibility lies with the local authorities or academy trusts. Some authorities have in-house support, but many have devolved all responsibility to individual heads. Either way, there is no earmarked money at all.” In fact, Lucie asked the DfE how much asbestos removal it had funded over the last five years and it was unable to provide the information because it would be “too difficult to collect”. To make matters worse, when she then asked how much had been set aside for future work, the DfE confirmed that not a single penny of its budget is being earmarked for asbestos removal. Lucie is understandably furious. “There seems to be no urgency and it’s easy to look the other way,” she said. “I think if 300 children were dying in

nce Asbestos confere Lucie spoke at a fringe meeting at the NUT’s Annual Conference and she will also be at the JUAC’s Asbestos in Schools conference, taking place on Tuesday, 4 July in Birmingham. Other speakers include Rachel Reeves, the NUT, DfE and HSE. Tickets are £40 and NUT members and reps are invited to attend. Visit juac.org.uk

results are alarming, with many admitting they do not have the information. During her investigations, Lucie discovered her daughter’s school contained asbestos in the doors that children walk through every day. Although she is concerned that her daughter might have been exposed, she is also “pleased that the school are being honest with me,” allowing her to discuss how the problem might be managed.

Asbestosis

The petition includes an open letter to Secretary of State for Education Justine Greening, asking the minister to “protect our children and teachers from asbestos exposure at school”. “We want every school in the UK to produce an annual report about the type and condition of any asbestos on the premises and share this with all parents and staff. Every child’s potential exposure must be recorded and shared,” Lucie told the Teacher. “Ultimately, we want the Government to introduce and implement a policy for the phased removal of all asbestos from schools, to be completed by 2028, starting with the most dangerous.” This very thing was recommended by MPs as part of an all-party parliamentary group investigation in 2015. The group concluded that the Government could feasibly remove all asbestos from schools and other public buildings by 2028. But no action has been taken.

Ask and ask again “Mum (above) was furious. She took very seriously her role to protect the children she was teaching. She became tormented with how many of them might have been unwittingly exposed.” classrooms every year, people would start asking questions. But because the illness takes so long to develop, no one does anything about it.” What is also frightening is that the information provided around asbestos is not always correct. “People say it’s safe if it’s undisturbed, but, as it gets older, asbestos degrades and releases fibres. It’s getting more dangerous the longer we wait,” said Lucie.

Heart-breaking stories This is clear from the number of people who have already been affected. Some of the comments left by those who’ve signed Lucie’s petition are heart-breaking. “My husband died due to asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma diagnosed aged 62, died aged 63,” wrote one. “I lost my darling daughter to this awful disease. She died in 2013 aged 45 from mesothelioma after we believe she was exposed to asbestos following a fire in her school. She left two young sons and so badly wanted to live,” said another. Many others signing the petition express similar losses, fear for loved ones and surprise at the danger. “I had no idea that this is not taken seriously! Not only is my mother a teacher but both my aunts and both my sisters. A budget MUST be allocated by the DfE to ensure safe removal of asbestos. Having this brought to my attention has me concerned, for not only my mother, but my sisters and aunts,” one commented. The DfE does not even know for certain which schools contain asbestos. So Lucie has submitted Freedom of Information requests to every local authority in England and Wales asking which schools contain asbestos. The

As so many schools are outside local authority control, the NUT is working with Rachel Reeves MP, chair of the Asbestos in Schools group, to request the same information for academies, free schools and sixth form colleges. Lucie is also involved with the Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC), of which the NUT is a leading member. Lucie’s message to teachers is clear: “Keep yourselves safe. Ask questions, then ask and ask again.” She also aims to present her petition to the DfE over the coming months. “Given how much support there is and how many stories people have shared, I want to do it as a group to remember everyone who has been lost to this horrific disease. If anyone has been affected and wants to be part of handing in the petition, or has lost a family member or colleague and wants them to be remembered, I’d love to hear from them.” n At conference this year, the Union pledged to call for Government to undertake a national audit of the extent, type and condition of asbestos in our schools and to begin a long-term phased removal, with the worst schools prioritised.

What you can do Sign Lucie’s petition at you.38 degrees.org.uk/petitions/protectour-children-and-teachers-fromasbestos-exposure-in-schools See her Freedom of Information requests regarding asbestos in schools at whatdotheyknow.com/ user/lucie_stephens/requests To contact Lucie directly, email her at luciestephens@icloud.com

More useful links For NUT asbestos EDU facts, visit teachers.org.uk/ edufacts/asbestos For guidance and information on asbestos in your school, visit teacher.org.uk or the Joint Union Asbestos Committee at juac.org.uk May / June 17 | The Teacher

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Michael Title Rosen bar Remember how Cameron stood before us and roared: “A quarter of all children are not reading properly!” And the media trumpeted these statistics too; and the whole country wept at such a sad story... But help was at hand, the Tories knew best: phonics first, fast and only would solve the problem and a Government expert was hired to advise. She advised that the Government pay 50 per cent of the cost of the phonics schemes which she wrote and all would be well in the world of reading. To prove that progress was happening – and fast – the Government devised a Phonics Screening Check which would show that the children could ‘decode’ it would show they’d learned the ‘alphabetic code’. And they did: the phonics teaching taught the phonics the children learned how to say the words out loud and everyone said: “It’s working, yes it’s working.”

But we know that the Government dearly loves testing and at Key Stage 2, they like to test ‘Reading’. This is that thing where we don’t say words out loud, we understand the words we see on the page. And we waited in hope and expectation for the results and heavens alive, how excited we were to see... ...a quarter of all children were not reading properly! Only three quarters reading at the expected level! And some of us are waiting for the media trumpets to tell the country to weep at this story... After all, it’s our money that’s been pumped in to schools to buy the schemes that would improve the reading. Surely this’d be a national scandal and disaster, a conspiracy of teachers wickedly depriving the disadvantaged of the right to be fluent readers. But no... not a thing, all quiet on that front, All’s well, nothing to talk about here, so carry on.

May / June 17 | The Teacher

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OutConference and about

Inspiring speakers, passionate debates

Dawn Taylor from Stockport Association at annual conference

Words: Helen Watson & Emily Jenkins Photos: Kois Miah THE 145th annual conference of the NUT took place over the Easter weekend in Cardiff. St David’s Hall, a modernist gem in the heart of the city, played host to 1,103 delegates from Union associations and divisions across England and Wales. Members debated issues that will form Union policy on subjects ranging from workload to teachers’ wellbeing, and funding cuts to racism and migration.

The conference began with an address by outgoing president Anne Swift, followed by contributions from Union guests.

Speakers of all ages First up was Jack Petchey Speak Out award-winner Leanne Mohammed, a 16-year-old British Palestinian from London. Her Birds not Bombs speech, educating fellow pupils about the situation in Palestine, went viral, attracting praise and abuse by online trolls.

“It was overwhelming to have such passionate and committed people together in one place, giving up their weekend to debate what we give every bit of our lives to – teaching! I’ve gained some good friends and look forward to seeing them next conference!” Hayley Brett, Surrey NUT

“Palestine was never mentioned in geography, history and RE,” Leanne told conference. “Mine were a forgotten people. I wanted to educate and put Palestine in to the hearts of many around the world.” Global Teacher prize-winner Hanan al Hroub, who grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp, spoke of her specialised work with children in the country, using drama and play to break the reality of daily fear and violence. Ex-president Fred Jarvis, 92, spoke at his 62nd conference. He has long championed professional unity and praised Union members for their “courage and wisdom” in voting for amalgamation with the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL). ATL General Secretary Mary Bousted brought greetings from her union. She slammed Government plans for grammar schools and cuts to school budgets. She spoke of school leaders having to sack TAs to balance their budgets and how selective education is failing children of poorer parents, even those who are academically gifted. Continued on page 26 May / June 17 | The Teacher

Fringe flavours

Anti-racism CHARITY Show Racism the Red Card told of its work in schools. The Union’s Blair Peach awardwinner Daniel Kebede spoke of his work combatting racism in the north east. Sabby Dhalu from Unite Against Racism told of the growing movement against Trump, while Weyman Bennett of Stand up to Racism spoke of the need to build unity in local communities.

Asbestos in Schools THIS fringe discussed the findings of an NUT survey in which nearly 50 per cent of respondents had not been told whether their school contains asbestos. Speakers included Lucie Stevens, who lost her mother to asbestosis, and Stephanie King, from City of Derby NUT, who lost her dad. “How many more people and their relatives have to die before people realise this is a killer?” Stephanie (pictured above) said.

New Union, New Opportunities MARY Bousted, General Secretary of the ATL, said the National Education Union (NEU) would develop alternatives to the Government’s failed education policies on issues like testing and curriculum. NUT General Secretary Kevin Courtney said the NEU would be the authentic voice of the education professional, and be able to reach out to parents on issues such as funding and SATs.

May / June 17 | The Teacher

‘Together we can do so much more’ Continued from page 25 “Our children are too precious and too valuable to be treated like this,” Mary said. She urged the Government to respect the view of the profession on testing and education policy: “We are teachers because we want to do the best for our young people and children. Stop meddling!” Mary looked forward to becoming joint leader of the new National Education Union (NEU) in September. “The NEU will be a game changer in schools and colleges, we will overwhelmingly be the biggest force in education,” she told conference. “Divided we can do something, but together we can do so much more.” Former General Secretary Christine Blower received a standing ovation when she collected her Life Membership award. Christine, who was General Secretary from 2009-16, said she “couldn’t be more proud” of the Union and the honour. Incoming President Louise Regan spoke of her work as a head teacher in Nottinghamshire and priorities for her term of office (see page 29). Neath teacher Juhel Miah received a standing ovation when he told how he fell foul of US President Donald Trump’s travel ban while on a school trip (see page 31). Jo Yurky, co-founder of the Fair Funding For All Schools campaign, spoke of the parents fighting against education cuts. “We can see the effects on our schools and our children but the Government is making a wilful choice not to invest in our schools, in our future, and our country’s future,” Jo told conference. “Teachers and head teachers are trusted by parents. We leave our children in your care every day. When teachers speak, parents listen. And we don’t believe you need advice from the DfE. We believe you should be respected and they should listen to you.” Rep of the Year Roz Morton, from Sefton, had doubled Union membership in her area, while Officer of the Year Sam Ud-din, from Lancaster and Morecambe, won praise for his energy and dedication.

(Above) Roz Morton. (Below) Sam Ud-din

Throughout the weekend, conference debated motions on a plethora of issues – from workload and testing, to bullying and equalities (see round-up on page 28). There was a packed programme of fringe meetings, giving delegates a chance to listen and debate issues in greater depth (see Fringe flavours, left and page 27). Conference was closed by Kevin Courtney, making his first and last speech to conference as General Secretary . Kevin took office last year and, in September, will become the joint leader of the National Education Union, alongside Mary Bousted. He spoke of how the coming General Election was crucial for education and urged teachers and parents to make school cuts a big issue in the campaign (see page 29).

“It was my first conference and wonderful to meet like-minded colleagues from all over the country – some of whom I only knew as ‘ Tweechers’! I loved the fringe meetings and looking around the exhibitions. I urge any member to get involved in shaping the NEU – looking forward to conference in Brighton next year!” Claire Halstead, Somerset NUT

International THE plight of refugees was highlighted as Amal Assudin told her story of seeking asylum as a child and her fight to highlight poor treatment refugees. Other speakers included Hanan Al Hroub, winner of the Global Teacher Prize 2016, and NUT activists Hilary Connor and Kirsten Marie Hald, who spoke of recent trips to refugee camps and what the NUT is doing to help.

OutConference and about

Fringe flavours

Workers Rights After Brexit Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP at conference

‘Free, life-long education’ SHADOW Chancellor John McDonnell MP brought greetings from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. He expressed support for Union campaigns over workload, teacher recruitment and testing in schools. He thanked the NUT and its Union partners for developing the school cuts website, exposing Government cuts to education funding. “When the money is tight, what do they do?” Mr McDonnell asked. “They throw away hundreds of millions on free schools, throwing red meat to Tory right-wingers.” The Shadow Chancellor attacked segregation and selection in education for failing children from poorer families. He outlined Labour’s policy for a National Education Service, which would provide fully funded, free, life-long education – from childcare and early years provision, through primary and secondary, to university and adult learning, including scrapping tuition fees.

Past Presidents IT was a family affair at this year’s annual conference when Union past Presidents John and Hilary Bills were joined by their daughter, Sarah Goodwin, in Cardiff. John, who served from 1995-96, and Hilary, whose office was from 2005-6, were delegates from Sandwell and Sarah from Folkestone and District.

He said Labour would put teachers at the centre of education planning, making the profession respected and listened to once again, and that there would be no more teaching to test. The policy would restore the role of Local Education Authorities and provide free school meals for primary school children. Labour, Mr McDonnell said, would pay for its policy by collecting unpaid taxes from large corporations, a tax gap which currently runs at £34 billion. “Education is for life, a gift, not a commodity to be bought or sold,” he told conference. “We’re the sixth richest country in the world. We should be able to afford to educate and train our people. At the moment, the Government can’t house its people, feed or educate them.” The Shadow Chancellor ended by promising a “radically fairer, more equal and more democratic” system.

THIS meeting featured John Hendy, from the Institute of Employment Rights. He said the Government would use Brexit to attack employment rights and the only real protection workers would have would be to join a union.

Cuba Solidarity ATTENDEES heard from NUT delegates who had visited Cuba to meet teachers and pupils and learn about education under the blockade. Several described the trip as “inspiring” and the schools full of “children who wanted to learn”. One of the speakers was Maria Victoria Martinez Zaldivar, a member of the National Workers Union in Cuba. Kevin Courtney and Louise Reagan expressed solidarity with Cuba and its continuing opposition to the US blockade and called for members to show solidarity by affiliating their branch to the Cuba solidarity campaign.

May / June 17 | The Teacher

ef Conference in bri

Decisions, decisions Nipa takes a stand THE Steve Sinnott International Solidarity Award, which gives recognition to members who have made exemplary contributions to their school, association or division’s work on international solidarity, was presented to Nipa Nessa (above) from Rochdale. “My parents taught me to speak up and help others, the way people did for them when they came to this country. We must always give a voice to the oppressed and stand up for them,” she said.

ISSUES affecting teachers are discussed in motions to conference. Resolutions are sent in by divisions and associations to be debated by delegates. The outcome of those discussions decides Union policy on crucial classroom matters. Delegates vote to pass or reject these motions on the conference floor. Here are some of the motions debated this year.

Education funding Jessica Edwards from the Union’s Executive said: “The Government has thrown down the gauntlet. We have to beat them back for the sake of our children.” Conference voted to support parent-led campaigns and join with other education unions to oppose the funding cuts.

‘Exam factories’ Rosette Wilkinson from Westminster said: “Teachers are being pressurised into compromising their integrity for results. We need to nurture and take care of our students’ mental health.” Conference called for a national review of appraisal and examination systems.

International Policy Teachers spoke about the Union’s work supporting education and trade unionism across the globe. Delegates gave moving accounts of visits to Cuba and Palestine.

Mighty Megan TEACHING assistant Megan Charlton (above) told conference that Durham Labour Council had issued new contracts to the city’s TAs, which would see workers losing £2,000 to £4,000 a year. The TAs began a campaign to defend their jobs, involving strike action, demonstrations and support from parents, which has resulted in the council suspending the new contracts and agreeing to a review. She thanked NUT members for their solidarity and donations. “It’s easy to think you’re alone and you can’t do anything. We have shown what you can do by fighting and standing together with one strong voice,” she said. “No-one can do everything but everyone can do something.”

May / June 17 | The Teacher

Sixth form colleges “We experienced 14 per cent cuts under the Coalition Government and 8 per cent under this one. We are already cut to the bone,” said Jean Evanson from Shropshire. Delegates voted to encourage united campaigning to defend colleges from cuts.

A curriculum for all Delegates heard teachers describe the drastically narrowed curriculum. Laura Chisolm shared the reactions of her own students during her speech: How do we find our true path in life if school has blocked off most of the routes? wrote one. Conference voted to continue the campaign for a broad, balanced curriculum.

Primary assessment Speakers expressed concern about the impact of SATs at KS1 and KS2 on children’s education, mental health and well-being. “A toxic accountability system is

strangling our children,” said Siobhan Collingwood from Lancaster Morecambe. The Union will continue to work with parents, to argue for an alternative, and to look for ways of supporting teachers’ action against the present system.

Workload Mark Smith, from City of Leicester, told of colleagues working 60 hours a week or more and the thousands leaving the profession each year. Jane Nellist, from the Executive, spoke of workload charters, piloted in Coventry and Nottingham. Conference voted to share examples of good practice and campaign for a reduction in extra hours worked across the board.

LGBT+ inclusive Chay Brown, from Dover, told how LGBT+ pupils are not seeing their experiences reflected in Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) lessons. “Nearly half of young people do not identify as heterosexual,” he said. Conference voted to campaign for equal access on SRE for all children.

Racism and migration The new requirement for schools to record the nationality and country of birth of pupils “creates and reinforces a climate of fear”, conference heard. Teachers spoke about the growth in racism post-Brexit. Delegates discussed the Union’s recent report about the experiences of black teachers, which found inherent racism that affects teachers and pupils. Other motions discussed included devolved education in Wales, campaigning and strategy, supply teachers, a national contract for teachers, putting the support back into support plans, bullying, asbestos, special educational needs and disability, early years funding, black teachers, a future for disabled teachers, supporting transgender members and students, pay and Prevent. n For a full list, visit teachers.org.uk/ news-events/events/annual-conference

OutConference and about

‘Selection of some is the rejection of many’

nt New NUT Preside

‘If ever there was time to fight, then the time is now’

“If politicians tell you that education is expensive, tell them to try ignorance.” Kevin Courtney

KEVIN Courtney addressed his first conference as General Secretary. His speech was dominated by the General Election, announced just an hour before he took the stage. “This will be a crucial election for education,” Kevin told conference. “Will we have huge budget cuts in schools? Will we return to a system that rejects hundreds of thousands of children, condemning them to secondary modern education?” Kevin told of his pride at addressing conference in his homeland, with his mother in the audience. He expressed his optimism for the future and the new union resulting from amalgamation with the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) “We will take into that Union all that is best in the NUT,” he told delegates. “Our educational idealism, our passion for social justice, our internationalism and our commitment to equalities.” Turning to education, Kevin had a message for politicians seeking election. “The children we teach are being let down,” Kevin said. “There is a growing teacher shortage, increasing class sizes, loss of subject choices. Teachers facing burnout, our children themselves often face mental health issues. And our schools are described as ‘exam factories’. “We have real justification in saying to politicians: please just consider that YOU

may be getting something wrong.” He spoke of teachers’ long hours, the increasing workload, and meaningless planning that results in some having to produce photographic evidence to prove what they’ve taught. He told of parents’ dissatisfaction with primary testing, and schools being judged on their league table position – effectively “politicians blaming teachers for the relative poverty of the children they teach”. Kevin rounded on Government policy that was creating inequality, the abuses in the academy system and new plans for grammar schools. “Selective systems widen gaps without boosting overall achievement,” he said. “The act of selection of some is the act of rejection for many.” He ended by challenging the Government’s “half-truths on funding”. “Whatever they tell you, there are huge cuts happening across the country. “Whichever party parents voted for, whichever side they backed in the EU Referendum, I don’t believe a parent anywhere voted for their child’s class size to go up or not to have art, dance, music, drama or sports in their school. “If a politician tells you they can’t afford it, tell them they have to invest in our country and invest in our young people. “And finally, if they tell you education is expensive, tell them to try ignorance as the alternative.”

INCOMING president Louise Regan addressed conference at the start of her year in office. She told of her childhood growing up in Cheltenham, her early life as a nurse in the NHS and her pride at being a teacher. Louise spoke of the challenges facing teachers, the excessive workload, school cuts, inspections and pointless testing. “Ofsted is not only unhelpful, it is actually harmful to our children and colleagues,” she said. “As a profession we understand we are accountable, but criticism and blame do not help schools to improve.” Academisation, she said, eroded “the very foundations of locally delivered and democratically accountable state education”. Louise praised the Union’s work challenging the testing regime and her support for the More than a Score campaign. She told of her pride at the growth of women’s representation in the Union, its equalities campaigns and the work of Black, LGBT+ and Disabled members’ networks. She ended with an appeal to members to continue to stand up for education. “We have an education system that is broken. It wasn’t broken by teachers or students, but by politicians who constantly interfere and change things. We need a government who trusts teachers to do their job,” she said. “If ever there was time to fight then the time is now. This broken system needs to be rebuilt brick by brick, school by school, until we have the education system our children deserve.”

May / June 17 | The Teacher

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Maths teacher Juhel Miah was on a trip to Iceland and New York with Llangatwg Community School in Neath when he fell foul of US President Donald Trump’s travel ban. He told Helen Watson his story.

was on a trip with 39 children and four members of staff. Iceland was beautiful, but the problems began on the second leg, to New York,” Juhel Miah said. “In Iceland, we went through check-in and the departure lounge and had one more check before going to board. “An American official was checking passports. When I handed her mine, she read out my name and said I’d been randomly selected for a security check. “They took me to a room and instructed me to take off my jacket. Then they made me stand on a stool while conducting a thorough check, followed by a swab rubbed over my clothes and hands. Finally, I got the all-clear. “About 30 minutes later, we were queuing to board. We were given boarding passes and the two people in front of me presented theirs. The official welcomed them to the American side, told them their seat numbers and wished them a safe journey. “When she got to me, she took my pass, went to speak to someone else, but waved me on.

Escorted off plane “On board, my first job was to make sure my group of boys were comfortable. Then I collected their passports and boarding passes for safekeeping. “An official came towards me and said: ‘Are you Mohammed Miah? You need to come with me.’ I gave all the documents to a colleague and followed her to the front of the plane. “Once there, she said: ‘You’ve been denied entry into America. You have to get off.’ I replied: ‘On what grounds?’ I was stunned and confused and couldn’t believe what was happening. “Then, an Icelandic air hostess took over, who told me: ‘We haven’t been given a reason’. She was close to tears. I went back along the plane to get my hand luggage and told one of the teachers: ‘They want me to get off’. “It felt as if everyone was looking at me. The pupils all looked shocked and quite upset. I nodded to them to say, everything’s going to be OK. I didn’t want them to worry.

“To this day, I am no closer to an explanation or an apology.” Juhel Miah “Two of my colleagues rushed in front of me, trying to get an answer, but nothing worked. “I was in shock, to be treated like I’d done something wrong and to get escorted off a plane! I was made to feel like a criminal. “On my way back through checkin, my suitcase was waiting – so this decision had been made well before I got on the plane. “I was told I needed to go to the American Embassy the following day. “I couldn’t sleep all night worrying. In the morning, when I got to the American Embassy, a security guard asked for my passport. After ten minutes, he returned with a card with some phone numbers on it which he told me to call. Once I got back into the taxi, I tried to call but none of the numbers worked. “I was stuck

Interview Title bar

No reason, no apology in a country with nowhere to go and no Kronas – we had put all our money in a kitty, which was with my colleagues in America. “I went to the British Embassy where I was told that it would take some time to resolve. Throughout the whole thing, the school had been in contact and it was at this point that we agreed it would be best for me to go home. My head teacher, Alan, picked me up from Luton airport at 1am and drove me home.

So much support “To this day, I am no closer to an explanation or an apology. I am appalled with everything. “Those pupils were my responsibility – it was my job to make sure they had a good time and keep them safe. I wasn’t allowed to do my job and that’s really hard to take. “My colleagues were incredible and I have had so much support from Swansea and all around the world – I even had someone put £20 in a card, saying sorry for what happened. “I am doing everything I can to get an explanation. I am also trying to get my passport cleared as it may cause me problems in future. “All I want is for someone to admit they made a mistake and just apologise to me and, more importantly, to the school and pupils. It’s the very least they can do.” Photo by Kois Miah

May / June 17 | The Teacher

Len Goldman was born in the middle of the First World War. Despite failing the 11-plus and leaving school at 14, he went on to become a teacher and spent his career in secondary education. A lifelong opponent of selection in education, he was recently made a life member of the Union. He spoke to Celia Dignan.

Campaigner Len Goldman, who says he “treasures” the letter he got from General Secretary Kevin Courtney with his lifetime NUT membership

Hundred-year-old hero

EN Goldman was born on 7 August, 1916, into a family of Jewish refugees, his parents having fled persecution from Czarist Russia. He began his education in Brighton but left at 14 after failing an exam similar to the 11-plus. “At that time, they’d introduced secondary schools to which you either paid a fee or took a scholarship. My mother could not pay and I failed the scholarship. So, I left school to earn my living,” Len said. He began work as an apprentice at a drapery store, selling furniture and clothing. “I earned half a crown a week – 2s 6p – 12.5p in today’s money,” he said. After spells at an Irish linen store in London’s Regent Street, with Mars Confection and as a door-to-door salesman, he was conscripted into the Army, serving six years in India, Burma and Malaya. Things took a different turn when, coming out of service, he was offered the opportunity to train as a teacher. “You didn’t need the qualifications you do now. I was given an interview and, as you might tell, I’m quite good at those,” Len told me. 32

May / June 17 | The Teacher

It was the time of the post-war Labour government, the setting up of the National Health Service and the 1944 Education Act. Teachers were needed and Len jumped at the chance to go in to the profession.

Factory at age 5 “The 1944 Education Act was part of the historical development of state education. It started with the 1870 Act, when business needed literate workers. So, from ages five to ten, instead of going into the factories and down the coal mines, children were sent to ‘board’ school,” Len said. “But, by 1902, business needed a few people with better qualifications, so state secondary schools were set up. Then the 1944 Education Act established secondary education for all.” Despite this great development, the system was still based on selection. “The majority of children went to secondary moderns and 20 per cent went to grammar schools, which you had to sit an exam to get into,” explained Len. “At 11, your whole life was set, where those who most successfully filled in the

noughts and crosses were the elite who went to grammar schools. “The rest were told: ‘Well, sorry Sonny, you can’t do that.’ Imagine being a teacher faced with a class of kids who’ve been told that. How are you going to motivate them to believe they can succeed?”

Fate sealed at 11 Len’s first job was doing just that. He became a teacher in a ‘central school’ for children who had failed the 11-plus. “This is where my dislike of the selective system really burgeoned. The arrogance of saying that you know what a person’s whole intellectual development is going to be at age 11!” he said. “A professor did a study of 500 children aged 11, all under different London education authorities with different numbers of grammar school places. They discovered that people who’d got the same ‘intelligence quotient’ in one borough went to grammar school and, in another, they went to secondary modern. And it was all because there weren’t enough grammar school places.

Battling in Brighton Len returned to Brighton from a spell lecturing in Germany and discovered the selective system was alive and well. “A group of us set up a comprehensive schools’ campaign and ran it for eight years,” he said. “Eventually, I spoke to a Conservative education spokesman, canvassing for my vote in an election. I told him what I thought about schools and he said: ‘You’re going to be surprised, but I agree with every word you’ve said.’ So it was the Conservatives who introduced comprehensive education in Brighton.” In the early 1970s, comprehensives became the norm and Len found education transformed. “But we knew that the educational elitists would come back and try to reintroduce it – and that’s exactly what you’ve got now,” he railed. “They started by doing it through the back door, through academies and socalled free schools. “Now they’re trying – directly, openly and honestly – to introduce selection again and I have said: ‘Over my dead body!’ We’ve got to fight and I’m very glad the Union is taking part in that fight. “I’ve been a member ever since I was a student, and I’m very glad they’re taking that approach, because it is disastrous, a crime against young people.” Interviewing Len was an extraordinary privilege. It reminded me of the tremendous struggles for state education and trade union rights waged by those that have gone before – we are standing on the shoulders of giants. And we owe it to them to continue the fight. n To read the full interview with Len Goldman, visit teachers.org.uk/ education-policies/grammar-schools

ool h c S e l b a k r A Rema

Interview

“They traced the career of those 500 until their 25th birthday. Those with the same intelligence quotient who’d gone to grammar school did far better in life than those who’d gone to a secondary modern. “How could that possibly be justified?”

Some fifty years ago, when I first came To Stringer, it had already made its name. Though a Secondary Mod, it defied those who thought That Eleven Plus “failures” could never be successfully taught. That pernicious selection, we soon demonstrated, Was a device to show that some people were fated To restrict their ambitions to a lowly domain And accept an elite who were destined to reign. That’s not true. And we were determined to prove it, To expose it for nonsense, to utterly remove it. But we had to convince these future citizens of our nation That they could, if they would, with the right motivation. Then some of us confronted those who make the rules With an energetic Campaign for Comprehensive Schools. Of course, the elitists opposed us, the Grammar School claque. But we gave them no quarter, we stoutly fought back. The result of our efforts is now exposed to your view. You can see for yourselves what a Comprehensive can do, How it gives to your children expanding provisions, Enables them to make their own, personal decisions. Our purpose is not just to stuff them with facts, So, that each student as an automaton re-acts, But to develop their personality and make their own choices And experience a life in which the spirit rejoices. Yes, of course, the three Rs are not to be derided But outside the classroom there’s much more provided. All that can help them to grow and expand, With the tools of fulfilment in each student’s hand. Academic excellence has been rightly rewarded And names in the school’s golden book duly recorded. But added to that there’s much more to enjoy, Opportunity galore for every girl, every boy. Do they want to play music or to sing in the choir, Or act on the stage, set the audience on fire, Learn to dance, either “strictly” or classical ballet, Or design lovely bracelets to add to their tally? I’m sure you all realise how their spirits expand And it begins to dawn on them that life can be grand. The basis of health and how to care for the needy Teaches that human nature is not always greedy. From the designing of products to the playing of chess, All these things amount to true living – oh yes. So – I stand here before you feeling happy and cool. In this great institution. My God – what a school!

by Len Goldman

Comprehensive schools a ‘roaring success’ Len was recently the proud recipient of lifetime membership of the NUT, in recognition of his very long service to the Union and the teaching profession. “Long before I became a teacher, I believed in solidarity and people standing together. Trade unions are essential,” he said. And Len has a message for young teachers and NUT members starting out: “Don’t accept all this propaganda

about ‘poor results’. Even on their very narrow assessment of achievement – the passing of exams – comprehensive schools have done far better than a divided system. “In my day, you had 20 per cent attending grammar schools and they didn’t all pass the 16-plus. Now if a comprehensive school only has 30 per cent passes, it’s a terrible failure. It’s nonsense. They are a roaring success.” May / June 17 | The Teacher

es, and should h c a o r p p a r e ys? as summ Keeping cool fines for term-time holida parents face

Ask the union Title bar

n o i n U e h t k As Q

I saw a story on the news recently about a parent who had taken his school to court after being fined for taking his children out of school for a family holiday. What is the Union’s attitude to parents who take their children for term-time breaks?

Classroom temperatures in my school can be so high in the summer that learning and teaching is affected. With hot weather approaching, what can we do, and what must our employer do to make sure that teachers and pupils do not have to endure unreasonably hot classrooms?

High temperatures can have a serious impact on both pupils and teachers, affecting concentration and causing tiredness and even physical illness. Although there is no legal maximum temperature for schools, the law still protects teachers and pupils by requiring a safe working environment. NUT policy is that 26°C is the absolute maximum temperature at which teachers should be expected to work. It is important that schools plan how to deal with high temperatures and pay attention to weather forecasts so they

are adequately prepared for outbreaks of hot weather. Measures which can be taken to reduce the effects of hot temperatures include: n installing reflective film or blinds to windows; n installing fans or providing portable air-cooling cabinets; n relaxation of staff and pupil dress codes; n re-allocating classes to cooler rooms and making sure cool water is always available. If temperatures become too high, consideration may need to be given to closing certain classrooms or even sending pupils home, as long as parents are given enough notice. Where high summer temperatures are a problem, speak to your school rep or contact the NUT Adviceline on 020 3006 6266 or in Wales, NUT Cymru on 029 2049 1818. Full NUT guidance on high classroom temperatures is available at teachers. org.uk/help-and-advice/health-andsafety/h/high-classroom-temperatures

As teachers, we want to make sure children get the best education possible. And helping children who have missed school to catch up can be distracting and time-consuming for teachers. But taking a family holiday is not the same as truancy. The Union does not support fining parents because it creates unnecessary tensions between schools and families. Some parents can’t take time off during school holidays – a lot of workplaces can be busy, with staff shortages as other parents take their holidays too. Travel companies also put up the costs during school holidays and some families just can’t afford to have a break. And low incomes shouldn’t mean families can’t afford to take time out together. The Union believes that head teachers should have the flexibility to deal with such situations when and if they arise.

Got something to ask? Send your questions to us at teacher@nut.org.uk with Ask the Union in the subject line. Contact the NUT AdviceLine on 020 3006 6266 or email nutadviceline@nut.org.uk Members in Wales should contact NUT Cymru on 029 2049 1818 or email cymru. wales@nut.org.uk May / June 17 | The Teacher

n o i n U Your tters a m y t i l a u q E LGBT+ in Brighton THE Brighton LGBT+ NUT Teaching Network held its launch event on 24 February. Tim Lucas spoke about the Union’s history fighting for LGBT+ rights in education, and colleagues discussed issues affecting LGBT+ teachers today. Details of future events are on the network’s Facebook page.

Trans digital network A DIGITAL network for trans teachers was launched in February to provide a selforganised space for support and activism. To take part in future online events, email D.Braniff-Herbert@nut.org.uk

Disabled teachers THE first meeting of the Disabled Teachers’ National Organising Forum took place on 11 March. The 2017 Disabled Teachers’ Conference, on 14 October, will be one of the first events of the new National Education Union. If you would like issues raised at the next organising forum or to fill any of the vacancies on it, email equalityorganisers@nut.org.uk

Updating Union records THE word ‘disability’ has associations that often don’t reflect reality. Of the millions of disabled people in Britain, only a small percentage can be identified by visible evidence of impairment, such as a wheelchair, and the same is true of disabled teachers. Teachers have many reasons for not identifying as disabled. However, as disabled networks are growing in the Union, the more colleagues who can update their membership records to identify as disabled, the better able the NUT is to involve them. Membership information is handled with the greatest sensitivity.

May / June 17 | The Teacher

In praise of bold women THE theme of this year’s International Women’s Day was ‘Be Bold for Change’. And if ever there was a year we needed to be bold, it is now. Notts NUT Women’s Network and Notts UNISON organised a joint celebration of local campaigning women in Nottingham. Speakers came from a wide range of organisations. Rose talked about the free training she organises and the inspirational women we have locally. Caroline spoke about her campaign, Bras not Bombs, collecting underwear and sanitary products for women refugees. We also heard from Kiri Tunks, vice president of the NUT, about the sexism survey the Union is carrying out and the daily experiences of children and women in schools. Finally, 88-year-old Jean Stansfield, a life-long trade unionist, spoke about her struggle for women’s rights. An award was created in her name and

Life-long activist Jean Stansfield (right)

presented to the Derby teaching assistants (TAs), along with a donation to their campaign. As a result of restructuring, the TAs are losing 25 per cent of their salary. We then heard from these courageous women about their ongoing struggle. It was an amazing evening, a true celebration of women locally, nationally and internationally. By Louise Regan, NUT President

Young teachers THE London Young Teachers’ conference took place on 18 & 19 March at Sofitel Gatwick. It aimed to answer the question: how can we get more NUT young teachers active? A range of sessions were developed by young teachers. Delegates were asked to go to their division meetings, become a rep in their school and join a team of young teachers starting to build campaign groups. Workload emerged as the predominant issue, with a desire for a ‘workload charter’.

An organising committee has been set for the summer term to discuss campaign ideas. The Union’s national Young Teachers’ Conference takes place from 9-11 June at Stoke Rochford Hall, Grantham. It is open to in-service members aged 35 or under. For more details, visit teachers.org.uk/ news-events/events/young-teachersconference

Global education

THE magazine of 122 years ago provides a valuable insight into challenges faced in the late 19th century. Children as young as ten could be found working long hours in factories and mines. The issue featured stories of children being maimed and killed in workshop accidents, with the Union urging Government to take action against the dangerous conditions. The NUT also recommended that the age of compulsory education be raised to 12 and made the case that childhood should be spent in school. A headmaster in 1895 could expect to earn an annual salary of between £120-£161, while a headmistress made considerably less, at £74-£113. Union figures also revealed that 55 headmasters received less than £50 a year and 136 headmistresses received less than £40. An NUT delegation had also been invited to Amsterdam by the Union of Dutch Teachers, to coincide with the World Exhibition taking place in the city. Interested members simply had to send a postcard, stating their intended arrival date!

The word from Wales MUCH of education policy in Wales is decided by the Welsh Assembly. This means that Union advice and campaigns are often different from England. Here is some of the news from Wales.

Class sizes The first step in the Welsh Government’s plans to cut class sizes has been published. Cabinet Secretary for Education Kirsty Williams AM announced that £36m has been put aside to fund projects in schools. Local authorities can bid for it by making a business case detailing how they plan to improve performance, attendance and teacher/pupil ratios.

Pay and conditions This year’s NUT conference passed a priority motion on the devolution of pay and conditions to Wales. The motion instructs the Union’s Executive to promote discussion and debate among teachers in Wales in support of a collective bargaining model and the best way of involving members in decisions about the process. It also agreed that a bilingual NEU Cymru Conference should be held in Wales, chaired by the National President. NUT General Secretary Kevin Courtney said: “It is right that, as an organisation focused on the best way to support our members, we are always reflecting on the

way that we operate. As these changes take place – including the potential devolution of pay and conditions – it makes sense to further empower Welsh voices.”

Bevan report A new report from independent think tank The Bevan Foundation has given strong support to views expressed by NUT Cymru for the future of Welsh education. It recommends that education policymakers stop obsessing over performance indicators and instead look at a much broader range of evidence, including the well-being of children and young people. The report can be found at bevanfoundation.org/publications/ pisa-way-forward-education-wales/

Trade Union Bill Teachers could be protected from the Westminster Government’s Trade Union Act, if the National Assembly backs a bill put forward by the Welsh Government. The bill pledges to ditch restrictions on industrial action in the NHS, the fire service, schools and other devolved services. It would also overturn changes to the time allowed for union officials to spend on union work. The Local Government and Equalities Committee at the Welsh Assembly will now be taking evidence on the Bill before it progresses to become law.

A FORUM entitled Global Teachers, Global Learners gave members of Wirral NUT some useful tips to take back to the classroom. Organised by newly appointed International Solidarity Officer Neil Sledge, the event was aimed at campaigning for quality education for all, and supporting the professional development and global awareness of members. Two teachers from Liscard Primary, Wallasey, talked about the school’s work on global learning, which has seen it recognised as an expert centre on the subject. Jen Simpson of the Global Learning Programme spoke about its aims and the resources available. Visit glp.globaldimension.org.uk

Your union

ef News in bri

On this day The Teacher, June 1895

Holiday hunger THE House of Commons All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Hunger has launched an inquiry into hunger among children and young people during the school holidays. The Union conducted a survey to find out what initiatives are being taken locally. Comments will feed into the Union’s formal response to the APPG inquiry. See future issues of the Teacher for the full story.

Academies Toolkit DOES your NUT group need tools to protect teachers’ terms and conditions in an existing or proposed academy? The Academies Toolkit explains the stages of a transfer and shows how you and your colleagues can influence the process. You can use the tools to protect your rights before, during and after a transfer. Go to teachers.org.uk/ campaigns/academies/ academies-toolkit

Retired teachers NUT Retired Teachers’ Convention will take place on 10 October at NUT headquarters, Hamilton House, London. Look out for the details on the retired members’ section of the website.

May / June 17 | The Teacher

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Blair Peach Award

The Blair Peach Award was established to honour NUT members promoting equality and celebrating diversity. Monica Roland reports.

HE Blair Peach Award was created in 2010 and is named after the past president of East London NUT, who was murdered during an anti-racist demonstration in London on 23 April 1979. On the day of his death, Blair was marching against the presence of the far-right National Front. Today, extremist political parties continue to promote racist and fascist views, and the fight for a tolerant, open society is far from over. Here we meet the NUT members who were nominated this year for their tireless efforts to combat discrimination.

ey Nominee David R David was nominated for involving his whole Ilford school community in buying, refurbishing and transporting caravans to the Jungle in Calais for unaccompanied child refugees, as well as working in the camp. David has also been in charge of a hub collecting humanitarian aid and money for refugees in south Essex.

mlinson Nominees Sara To & Sally Kincaid

Sara and Sally are joint Division Secretaries from London who gave up their holidays to make trips to Calais to deliver supplies and teach refugee children. Both are prominent members of Stand Up to Racism and were vocal in calling for the Dubs Amendment to be enacted to provide safe passage to the UK for unaccompanied refugee children.

osenberg Nominee David R David has been a campaigner against racism for many years and, as part of this work, organised a poster competition

Winner Daniel Kebede This year’s winner is Daniel Kebede (above, with NUT General Secretary Kevin Courtney), a teacher from Tyne and Wear, who is an ardent advocate for tolerance in his school and community. Daniel organised the first ever Unity festival in Newcastle in 2014, an anti-racist music event. The festival gained Northern Region TUC support and there are plans to stage it every year. Working alongside Show Racism the Red Card, he has delivered workshops on anti-racism and teaches children about the refugee crisis. He is working with the Islamic Diversity Centre in Newcastle to organise a football tournament for Challenge Islamophobia Day. “I’m immensely proud to receive this award,” Daniel told the Teacher. “I was born a stone’s throw from where Blair Peach was tragically murdered and, like him, have spent much of my adult life fighting racism. “This award is not just a credit to me, but also to the campaigners and activists who I work with in building the movement against racism.”

for schools on the theme of diversity and solidarity in London’s East End. He ran schools workshops about the history of the Battle of Cable Street and was co-leader of a trip to Auschwitz for trade unionists and young activists.

Rose Nominee Richard Richard was nominated for organising various Love Music Hate Racism events for young people across Cambridge. He also held public meetings on anti-traveller prejudice and multiculturalism, and distributed postcards saying: ‘This is your home’ in response to anti-Polish racism.

Richard has organised convoys of aid to Calais and linked with football clubs and Kick It Out to promote anti-racism in schools.

Hind Nominee Melissa Melissa is the lead lay member of the London NUT LGBT+ Teachers Network and helped organise successful events for members. At these, Melissa and her team have been able to make contact with members who have never attended any union event, as well as recruiting new reps. She also played a key role in setting up a group to encourage debate on topics that affect LGBT+ young people in schools. May / June 17 | The Teacher

s r e t t Le A supply record? I STUDIED for my PGCE as a 40-year-old mature student in 1997/98 and went straight into supply teaching. I am now in my 19th academic year. I am based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, and have travelled to a total of 11 different local authorities, teaching in 386 different schools. Is there anybody else who has taught in as many? Richard Eastall, West Yorkshire

Are our workplaces really inclusive? I AM a gay man and work in a primary school. But being gay is still being kept under wraps and seen as inappropriate. On several occasions, I have been overlooked as a person with whom pupils could consult about puberty or sex education because of who I am. Once, I was challenged by a father because I taught a year 6 boys-only lesson on wet dreams and body development (using NHS-approved resources). The father confronted me and asked why I was left in a room by myself to speak to boys about sex. The girls were with another staff member talking about periods and sanitary pads. Prior to this incident, parents had been given the opportunity to come and scrutinise the curriculum. The father made a complaint and I had no choice but to involve the Union. It was a very difficult time for me and I was very stressed. The father invested a lot of time spreading the story among other parents and I felt powerless – but why? Because I am gay? Yes. Because I am a man? No. If I was straight with a wife and children of my own, I feel this would not have happened. I got a job at a new school and was talking to two female members of staff. They said that they had mentioned to the head teacher that I was gay. When I asked about his reaction, they told me that he said: “That’s fine, as long as he doesn’t go swanning about.” Attitudes towards gay male, primary school teachers have improved over the years, but the subject is still taboo. We may live in a progressive society, but there 40

May / June 17 | The Teacher

Star letter Period poverty damages girls’ education MY name is Amika George and I am a 17-year-old A-level student. I have a favour to ask each of you. I’ve started a petition to lobby the Government to provide free sanitary products to girls from low income families. When money is scarce and basic sanitary provision is far down the list of priorities, young schoolgirls are resorting to unthinkable solutions such as socks or newspaper, while others avoid school altogether. Staggeringly, this is happening in schools and colleges across the UK today. That’s just wrong. Sanitary products are not a luxury and no girl should have to choose between her education and her period.

are still stigmas, attitudes and stereotypes that plague us. Straight, married men with children remain the ideal norm for male primary school teachers. To deviate from this template is seen as challenging and we, as gay men in the primary school, feel the increasing pressure to ‘play it straight’ to win the approval of pupils, parents and staff. Name and address supplied

We must make sure the Government realises that period poverty is damaging the health and development of girls as young as 11. I’m working really hard to change this by writing to MPs and councillors to raise the profile of this campaign. Please help me by signing and sharing this petition to the Prime Minister, so we can ensure all girls receive an equal platform in which to learn: change.org/p/theresamay-mp-free-sanitary-productsfor-girls-on-free-school-mealsfreeperiods Amika George, London amikafightforfree@gmail.com #freeperiods

Kids need a guard on the train MUCH publicity has been given to the position of adult commuters in the dispute between Southern Rail and the RMT and ASLEF unions. Less has been mentioned about the pupils and young students who use this service to get to and from school or college.

The Union in West Sussex and Surrey share their serious concerns about pupil safety

The need for these young people to have a safety critical guard on the train is very apparent to those of us in the teaching profession. Overcrowded, busy stations and train carriages can be very hazardous for the less-experienced traveller, some of whom are as young as 11 years old. Indeed, in the case of an incident, accident or other emergency, younger people would be particularly vulnerable. The Union in West Sussex and Surrey sympathises fully with the rail unions in their action in defence of keeping this superior level of guard, who have undergone training for a full 12 weeks and are regularly updated on safety issues. We are also concerned to see that the lack of a hands-on approach from the Government in resolving this dispute is leading to a very protracted period where pupils and students are arriving late to school, having experienced very long and stressful journeys en route. Although talks at long last seem to be underway, we are concerned that the poor service provided by Southern Rail before industrial action took place would still be on the cards for our pupils after a resolution of this industrial dispute. A comment in the Observer in January served to underline the serious concerns of parents. It described how the daughter of one commuter ended up in the wrong town more than once, when her train changed its stopping pattern route. Add to this the uncertainty for parents about when their children will get home after school and you have an unsafe, precarious situation. Jackie Baker, NUT National Executive member for West Sussex and Surrey

Teacher well-being I FELT a great sense of sadness when reading that the impact of pressure within teaching has had such a devastating effect on the number of teachers leaving the profession.

THE announcement by Justine Greening that the teaching of sex and relationships education will soon be statutory in all schools is truly welcome. This is something we have been campaigning for over decades. Yet I can’t help but survey the depressing landscape we now occupy after decades of piecemeal provision on this subject. Surveys by groups as diverse as End Violence Against Women and Girl Guiding have produced the following findings: n Endemic levels of sexual violence and harassment in schools, with 5,500 sexual offences reported to police over a three-year period, including 600 alleged rapes; n 29 per cent of 16- to 18-year-old girls experience ‘groping’ or other unwanted sexual touching at school; n 71 per cent of 16- to 18-year-olds hearing sexual name-calling such as “slut” or “slag” towards girls at school daily or a few times per week; n 59 per cent of girls experiencing some form of sexual harassment in school or college; n 40 per cent of 16- to 18-year-olds not receiving lessons or information on sexual consent, or not knowing if they did; n A 2016 survey carried out by LGBT+ charity Schools Out found high levels of homophobic abuse in schools; n Most shockingly, a 2016 Office for National Statistics report showed that nearly a third of all female rape victims recorded by the police are girls aged under 16. Hopefully, Greening’s proposed change in the law will enable schools

A 2015 Department for Education report revealing that more than 50,000 qualified teachers across England left the state sector was just a glimpse into a spiralling recruitment crisis. This certainly isn’t an occupation for the faint hearted, nor is it for those who like long holidays and early finishes at 3pm! Our profession gives us the opportunity to make a difference to young people’s lives. Therefore, it is essential that teachers are supported, have a better work-life balance and greater sense of well-being. I look forward to taking part in some of the CPD programmes that were discussed in the January/February article by Peter Hrekow. Can we enjoy being teachers once again? I hope so. D Crane, Manchester

to start grappling with these problems. But, once again, we are looking to schools to solve problems created, and perpetuated, in wider society and that requires a serious investment of money, curriculum time and training. There’s no mention of the need to include the experiences of our LGBT+ young people; how the work will be funded or resourced; what training will be available and who will be involved in producing the resources. And the ‘opt-out’ clause for faith schools and for parents is a mistake. Any curriculum should be developed sensitively and openly, but the rights of our young people to be fully informed of the facts and their legal rights should prevail over the wishes of adult individuals or groups. Note, too, the commitment to sex education is missing for the primary phase – when increasing numbers of girls start the onset of puberty. We have collectively presided over a complete failure to empower and protect our young people or to provide them with the necessary skills and knowledge to build healthy relationships. So, well done, Justine Greening, but we have a mountain to climb. In the meantime, schools would do well to read the legal briefing produced by End Violence Against Women, outlining the legal obligations schools already have to protect girls from sexual abuse and violence. Kiri Tunks, NUT Vice President

Letters Title bar

Bloggers’ corner

Read Kiri’s blog for the TUC on sex education in schools at touchstoneblog.org.uk

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

May / June 17 | The Teacher

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49 43

DO WE NEED TO SPELL IT OUT? Saving a life can be as easy as ABC.

You can make sure your pupils know what to do in a crisis. Sign up now to keep first aid on the national curriculum at redcross.org.uk/pupilcitizenlifesaver

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enica r b e r S g n i r Remembe

GROUPS are invited to hold a football match or tournament on 12 July in memory of those killed in Srebrenica. The event is supported by the Football Association and anti-racist campaigners Kick it Out. Register at goo.gl/forms/ oZF1iMiSgfVUnqd83 or email tournament@srebrenica.org.uk

THE EU has designated 11 July to remember the Srebrenica genocide. In July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were massacred by Bosnian-Serb forces and thousands of women were abused and forcibly transferred from the city. The NUT has joined up with charity Remembering Srebrenica to host three events at Union headquarters in London. A photographic exhibition, Silenced Voices – Stories from Srebrenica and Sarajevo, runs from 11-15 July. The pictures tell a painful tale of modern-day genocide and its wounding aftermath. Fog of Srebrenica, a film by Samir Mehonovic, will be screened on 11 July, followed by a Q&A with the director. The heart-breaking stories of genocide survivors are contrasted with beautiful landscapes of the country. On 15 July, a one-day conference – Struggling in the Shadows: Lessons from

ears on y 0 0 1 r u o lf Ba

International

l a n o i t a n r e Int

THIS year marks 100 years since the Balfour Declaration, which committed the UK “to the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”. The declaration said “nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine”. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign has produced a resource pack on the Balfour Declaration. Visit palestinecampaign.org/ resource-pack-balfour-nakba/as

Srebrenica, will feature workshops and speakers including charity chair Dr Waqar Azmi, NUT General Secretary Kevin Courtney and Baroness Warsi. To book any of the events, visit eventbrite.co.uk/e/struggling-in-theshadows-events-to-mark-srebrenicamemorial-day-tickets-32255834068

263m still not in school

THE case for investing in education is obvious. Yet many education systems around the world are struggling with persistent funding shortfalls and millions of children are being denied access to a basic human right. UNESCO figures put the number of children and youth out of school at 263 million. World leaders have pledged to ensure inclusive, quality and equitable education for all by 2030, but this goal will not be reached unless there is real change in education financing, both in the amount of available resources and how funding is apportioned. The UK is a leading donor to the education sector overseas, but money alone will not ensure children worldwide receive a quality education. The Global Campaign for Education UK, an international coalition of nongovernmental organisations and education unions, which includes the NUT, has made recommendations to ensure that the British Government builds on its global leadership role and amplifies

its reach in ‘global south’ countries. Nations of Africa, Central and Latin America and most of Asia are collectively known as the ‘global south’. These are countries facing great challenges and many have limited resources. As well as encouraging other donors to increase their overseas aid, the UK should push for countries in the global south to prioritise domestic spending on education and invest in teacher training. According to UNESCO, at least 74 countries have acute shortages of qualified teachers and 28.5 million teachers need to be recruited to provide all children with primary education by 2030.

Closing tax loopholes Greater tax justice in many countries is another area that should be reinforced. Progressive taxation systems, closing tax loopholes and ending tax evasions are all means to generate increased government revenue which can be re-invested in education.

The UK has an important role to play on the international stage and should continue to encourage countries around the world to prioritise spending on education, training and retaining a qualified workforce, and mobilising internal resources through taxation. Investing in education is an investment in future generations and every child deserves equal opportunities in life.

e Cuba and Palestin UNION delegations will be visiting Palestine and Cuba during the October half-term break. The delegations, which leave on 21 October and return on 27, will comprise of regional delegates and executive members. Nominations have been made by associations and divisions. Visit teachers.org. uk/news-events for details.

May / June 17 | The Teacher

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ROAD safety charity Brake is running a poster competition to inspire children aged four to 11 about the need for drivers to slow down so kids can walk and cycle to school safely. Schools will be able to register for a free e-resource pack to help children to talk about the dangers of adults speeding in their community. Winners will be picked before July 2017. Visit www.brake.org.uk

nline Study a degree o LANCASTER University is now inviting applications for online programmes designed for working professionals with a strong interest in education and social justice. Entrants can study part-time for an MA or PhD, and gain indepth knowledge of topics that are of particular relevance to their personal interests and careers. For more details, visit lancaster. ac.uk/educationalresearch

... At your fingertips KEEPING up-to-date with the amount of education data available online can be quite a challenge. The Research and Information on State Education (RISE) is a charity that aims to disseminate information on state education. Its information centre provides links to many sources, including parliamentary answers and statistical first releases, together with commentaries on topics such as special needs and funding. Visit riseinformationcentre. org.uk for details.

JOIN thousands of teachers and children across the country celebrating Walk to School Week from 15-19 May. The event is organised by charity Living Streets, and takes place during National Walking Month each May. Last year around 400,000 children took part. Walk to School Week 2017 challenge packs are available online and contain everything you need to run a five-day walking challenge for a class of up to 30, including a classroom wall chart, teacher and pupil stickers, pupil activity diaries and teacher instructions. Find out more at livingstreets.org. uk/walktoschool

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ARE you a trainee teacher, retired or someone who wants to spend their sabbatical doing something fulfilling and worthwhile? Are you keen to use your skills and experience in a hugely valuable and rewarding placement? If so, charity Manisha UK would love to hear from you. Manisha UK aims to improve the education and lives of communities in rural Nepal. To find out more, visit manisha-uk.org

isplaced d le p o e p m 140 A WOMAN wading through flood waters is replacing the polar bear as the defining image of climate change. She is one of 140 million people displaced through climate-related disasters in the past six years. Delegates to the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Campaign Against Climate Change/Friends of the Earth conference on Climate Refugees, held at Hamilton House on 11 February, learned that the risks will double in coming decades. Find out more at campaigncc. org/climatejobs The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is developing a Just Transition programme to engage unions, governments and communities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; visit http://bit.ly/2lgITcK

May / June 17 | The Teacher

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Reviews

s w e i Rev For pupils

Puppy Academy: Scout and the Sausage Thief

The Strange Tale of the Snake Ring

Marmaduke, the Very Popular Dragon

THE first book in a promising new series featuring different breeds training to be working dogs. The heroine is Scout, a German shepherd who dreams of catching notorious sausage thief Frank Furter. But Scout’s day at the academy goes horribly wrong and she doubts whether she’ll ever be a police dog. Hilarious, with interesting character names such as Major Bones, young children will enjoy this novel – and more books are in the pipeline.

AN engaging folk tale, full of magic and danger. Young Thomas ventures out to seek his fortune so he can return to wed true love Gerda. His parting gift to prove his love for her is a snake ring of pure gold. He arrives at the Shining Kingdom to work for the King and the snake ring has its own adventure too… A charming tale aimed at readers aged nine to 13 and a perfect bedtime read, particularly for parents who enjoy reading with their children.

HOW would you feel if everyone wanted to be friends with your best friend and there was no time left for you? That’s what happens to Meg when Marmaduke becomes popular with all the other dragons, knights, princes and princesses. Marmaduke is thrilled and spends all his time with his new friends, not noticing how left out Meg feels. Sometimes friendships aren’t easy and this story explores that perfectly.

By Cindy Shanks

By Aliss Langridge

Puppy Academy: Scout and the Sausage Thief by Gill Lewis. Oxford University Press. Paperback. £4.99.

The Strange Tale of the Snake Ring by John Holroyd. Matador. Paperback. £7.99.

By Sian Collinson Marmaduke, the Very Popular Dragon by Rachel Valentine and Ed Eaves. Bloomsbury. Paperback. £6.99.

s For teacher

Lesson Planning for Primary School Teachers PACKED with useful tips and ideas, this book will help readers create plans that are meaningful and efficient. Split into four manageable parts, it looks at the curriculum base that needs to be studied, the styles of teaching that can be used, how to develop character in lessons, and how to implement meaningful activities based on your plans. The diagrams, anecdotes and practical suggestions make this book a really useful resource. By Cindy Shanks Lesson Planning for Primary School Teachers by Stephen Lockyer. Bloomsbury Education. Paperback. £14.99.

What Are You Staring At? It Just Doesn’t Add Up: A comic about restorative Explaining dyscalculia justice in schools MATHS disabilities are A MISUNDERSTANDING leads to a punch being thrown and restorative justice is needed to help the two boys involved. This beautifully drawn graphic novel uses helpful imagery to tell both sides of the story. A simple introduction to a complex topic, it gets the key points across. While the story is for eight- to 13year-olds, a guide to restorative justice and reading list at the back are suitable for staff. A useful resource for developing restorative justice in school or supporting the process with pupils, this is a good addition to a toolkit for Key Stages 3 and 4.

demystified in this informative, constructive and humorous publication. Coping mechanisms, advice to parents and ‘symptoms’ are presented. Sections on testing for dyscalculia and teaching dyscalculics are of particular use. Similar and related disabilities are explored and explained. Written by an academic with the condition, it provides an insight into those who do not fully understand the ‘numbers game’. By Dr Len Parkyn It Just Doesn’t Add Up: Explaining dyscalculia and overcoming number problems for children and adults by Paul Moorcraft. Filament Publishing Ltd. Paperback. £9.64.

By Elli Rhodes What Are You Staring At? A comic about restorative justice in schools by Peter Wallis & Joseph Wilkins. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Hardcover. £12.99.

May / June 17 | The Teacher

Backbeat

Happiness in hard times A new report by The Children’s Society uncovers some shocking truths about the four million children in the UK living in poverty. Children’s Society senior researcher Larissa Pople tells the Teacher about its findings. IT is well established that poverty casts a long shadow over children’s educational outcomes. In 2014 almost half as many children eligible for free school meals received five A*-C grades at GCSE level as their peers who do not (33.5 per cent compared to 60.5 respectively). Poverty is also important for children’s well-being, but here the evidence is a little less straightforward.

Children’s own priorities When children’s direct experiences of poverty are measured using a child-centred index of deprivation – which includes items that children identify as important for a ‘normal kind of life’, including ‘the right kind of clothes to fit in with other children your age’ and experiences such as ‘day trips with family’ – there is a much stronger association with well-being. Direct experiences of deprivation are more important than factors that are more removed; and things that affect adults’ wellbeing may be less significant for children. An exploration of children’s well-being tells us much about the myriad ways in which children’s everyday lives at school are affected by poverty, and points to the need to move away from a narrow focus on attainment to take stock of the whole school environment. Equally important to children as how they are getting on with their schoolwork is what their relationships are like with their teachers and other children, and how safe they feel within the school gates. Children who are contending with diminished resources at home – and may go to great lengths to ensure that their hardship is not visible to others – may experience these relational aspects of school particularly keenly. Some examples uncovered by researchers back this up: 50

May / June 17 | The Teacher

“Well, there is this thing that I used to want to do at my old school… trumpet lessons. And it cost money and I couldn’t do it in the end because my mum said: ‘Do you really need trumpet lessons?’ And I go: ‘No, not really.’” “For Spanish, they said to go on this dictionary website and it didn’t work on the old computer that I had so I got detention.” When looking at the school environment broadly, international research suggests that children in England are not faring as well as children in other countries. In the most recent Children’s Worlds study, involving 15 countries across four continents, children in England ranked in the bottom third for their relationships with other children at school, the school experience in general, and liking going to school. They were 14th out of the 15 countries for happiness with relationships with teachers and feeling that teachers treat them fairly. There was also a clear age decline between year 6 and year 8. Almost twice as many children in year 6 (34 per cent) totally agreed that they liked going to school as children in Year 8 (18 per cent).

Education’s hidden costs This international evidence does not differentiate children’s experiences according to their material circumstances. However, our in-depth qualitative research reveals that life at school can be challenging for children living in low-income households. Even though school is generally thought of as free, there are numerous hidden financial and social costs for children living in poverty. For example, not having the right uniform – because it is expensive, rigidly enforced or worn out – marks

children out from their peers visibly; but it may also result in sanctions against children that are equivalent to those incurred for behaving badly. This was backed up in our study: “You can only get [school uniform] from one shop and it’s really expensive.” “Sometimes school shoes break and you’ve got to get more. You get detentions if you haven’t got the right uniform.” Focusing on children’s well-being need not be at the expense of ‘harder’ outcomes such as educational attainment. There is plenty of evidence that well-being and educational outcomes go hand in hand. The good news is that, in recent years, children’s happiness with schoolwork and school has increased marginally. But, surely, we can do better than that. n Download Understanding Childhood: Growing Up in Hard Times from childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/ files/understanding-childhoodsreport-2017.pdf

Larissa Pople (right) joined The Children’s Society in 2006. She works on the charity’s wellbeing research programme and has helped set up a long-term study of poverty in partnership with the University of Bath. She has two children, aged 2 and 5, is governor of a nursery school in Hackney, and volunteers as a family support worker and youth mentor for a local charity.

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