Lead summer 2021

Directed time Leaders tackling workload together. See page 19.

Positive learning behaviours Relationships = recovery.

See page 12.

The magazine for NEU Leadership members

Peer-on-peer abuse Stamping out sexual harassment. See page 20.

Summer 2021

Into the year of recovery Incoming NEU president Daniel Kebede on ending child poverty and reclaiming our professionalism

Welcome

Lead.

SUMMER 2021

Incoming NEU president Daniel Kebede Photo: Matt Wilkinson NEU president: Robin Bevan NEU joint general secretaries: Mary Bousted & Kevin Courtney Editor: Sally Gillen Editorial assistant: Sarah Thompson

AFTER more than a year of wrong turns, we’ve come to have low expectations of what the Government will provide and decide for education. And yet the announcement of a measly £1.4 billion for education recovery – prompting the same-day resignation of Education Recovery Commissioner Sir Kevan Collins – is still impossible to swallow (page 4). So, too, is the Prime Minister’s promise of more money down the track. We need £15 billion now.

And we need it to be largely in the control of school leaders, along with their staff.

The pandemic has been costly in every way, and as the Delta variant spreads, it continues to take a toll on us all. The mental health impact on pupils is leading to an explosion in challenging behaviour. You may recognise the picture painted by behaviour specialist Steve Russell (page 12), who talks about heads reaching out to underfunded specialist services, only to be told they don’t have the capacity to help. Steve has written for the NEU’s Recovery Education Hub, our online resource packed with expert advice.

In this issue, NEU’s incoming president Daniel Kebede pays tribute to the work of leaders throughout the pandemic and talks about what we need to focus on from September (page 10). There’s lots more, including NEU Leadership member Rebecca Clark’s work to tackle peer-on-peer abuse at independent school Stowe (page 20). A reminder that even during the most difficult year many of us have ever known, leaders’ commitment to students is as great as it has ever been.

Thank you for everything. I hope you enjoy a welldeserved break over the summer.

Kevin Courtney Joint general secretary National Education Union

neu.org.uk

Contents

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Feature

Josie Whiteley on a whole-school approach to mental health

16 How I…

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Except where the NEU has formally negotiated agreements with companies as part of its services to members, inclusion of an advertisement in Lead does not imply any form of recommendation. While every effort is made to ensure the reliability of advertisers, the NEU cannot accept any liability for the quality of goods or services offered. Lead is printed by Walstead.

Regulars

Features

9

Heads audit the ethical practice in their schools

19 Campaigns

Calculating directed time

20 Masterclass 16

4

Update

Union slams “paltry” sum for education recovery, teachers demand cash for exam work and more

15 Opinion

NEU president Robin Bevan on the importance of vision

22 Final word

Tackling sexual harrassment in schools

Leaders need to be liberated, says Mary Bousted

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

3

Update

Cash for education recovery “inadequate and incomplete” THE £1.4 billion announced by the Government to fund its education recovery plan has been slammed by the NEU as a “paltry offer” and is billions of pounds short of what is needed, the NEU has warned.

Joint general secretary Mary Bousted said: “Rarely has so much been promised and so little delivered. The ‘new’ money offered amounts to £1.4bn – way below the £15bn sum that Sir Kevan Collins, the Education Recovery Commissioner, judged is needed to repair the damage done to the nation’s pupils because of Covid.”

Sir Kevan resigned in protest at the lack of funding for the education recovery plan on the day of the Government announcement in June.

“Kevan Collins’ valiant efforts to deliver a serious recovery package fell on the deafest ears. This is a comprehensive failure of Government at a critical hour,” said Mary. She then added: “He understood

Teachers swamped by grading work demand extra money THOUSANDS of teachers have written to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson demanding a one-off payment of £500 to recognise the hours of extra work generated by his failure to plan assessment for this year’s exams.

A letter drawn up by the NEU, and signed by more than 10,000 educators, voices “utter dismay” at the Department for Education’s handling of the process for awarding qualifications this summer.

It says Mr Williamson should have anticipated the extra burden placed on educators and provided head teachers with extra funding to pay for more staff.

Workload has soared by an average of 12 hours a week, according to an NEU survey, which also shows 94 per cent of teachers have seen no reduction in their workload to mitigate this.

“After the chaos of last year’s results – and with most exams cancelled 4

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

for a second year running – secondary, sixth form and further education teachers, lecturers, head teachers and principals dearly hoped the Government had learned a lesson,” says the letter.

“However, once again, ministers have failed to adequately plan and prepare a system to give fairness to our students, and educators have been left to pick up the pieces.” Instead “you have sat on your hands,” it adds.

“It is unacceptable that school and college staff have been forced, by your inaction, to bear the brunt of huge additional workloads in order to make the system work; worse still that this situation was foreseeable, and you were repeatedly warned of the urgent need for a Plan B over many months.”

In Scotland, the Government has offered staff £400 in recognition of their extra work.

the enormity of the task ahead to support children and young people to recover from the disruption of the pandemic. He also saw that there are no quick or cheap fixes if we are to build an education system that supports high standards and strong mental health for everyone. The Government, which brought him in to provide solutions, has totally disregarded his vision.

“The Treasury has shown, in this paltry offer, that it does not understand, nor does it appreciate, the essential foundation laid by education for the nation’s economic recovery. Its failure, on this scale, to fund what is needed for education recovery, is a scar that will take generations of children and young people to heal. They, their parents and our nation deserve much better than this.”

FINDINGS FROM THE NEU’S SURVEY

98

% of respondents

have had to mark extra student work to provide evidence for grades.

95% 94%

say their workload has increased as a result.

have seen no reduction in their teaching load to mitigate this.

85%

say other tasks have not been reduced.

More than 75% believe a Plan B at the start of the academic year and earlier provision of information from the Government would have made the situation in their school or college more manageable.

Update

Face coverings must be reintroduced to limit spread of virus, unions warn THE NEU and other unions have written jointly to head teachers and principals calling for continued attention to Covid safety following the Government’s decision to postpone the lifting of national lockdown measures.

Several restrictions will remain in place until 19 July, amid concerns about the rising cases of the Delta variant of Covid-19. Rates have been rising in schools and the unions’ letter to heads suggests further measures should be adopted.

According to Public Health England, the Delta variant is not only more transmissible but potentially more serious, including for children. Increasing case rates in schools have prompted mounting absences due to self-isolation or illness, disrupting students’ education further.

The NEU has urged schools to reintroduce face coverings for secondary students, including in the classroom as permitted by Department for Education

(DfE) advice. Given the increased transmissibility of the variant, the union has advised schools to take ventilation extremely seriously, including by acquiring air-quality monitors.

Leaders are requested to ensure contractors and agencies give full pay to any staff required to self-isolate. They should also support staff suffering from long Covid by avoiding the use of absence management or other procedures, and not counting absence against sick pay limits.

Meanwhile, with new DfE advice discouraging indoor summer events, the NEU is urging care around outdoor events, with distancing best achieved through separate events. Induction and open events will be most safely managed online.

• Joint union safety checklist: bit.ly/2TEJE5e • Advice for staff at higher risk: bit.ly/3gSvJkn • Advice on long Covid: bit.ly/2RZ5JuX

UNIONS CALL FOR RANGE OF SAFETY MEASURES In a joint statement, the NEU, UNISON, GMB and Unite have called for: • ​face coverings in all areas of secondary schools and colleges​ • resources t​o purchase carbon dioxide monitors and air filters • outdoor lessons where possible • a review of the guidance on bubbles and the isolation of contacts • data on the number of cases of the Delta variant in education setting​s, not just figures concerning outbreaks

Strike action forces breakthrough on workload and observation concerns TEACHERS at City and Islington College who took six days of strike action over spiralling workload and graded lesson observations during the pandemic have had a breakthrough in their dispute.

NEU rep and A-level biology teacher Pippa Dowswell told Lead the management team at the college had agreed to remove “requires improvement” grade 3s from staff profiles for lesson observations done during the pandemic.

Interview afternoons for prospective students have also been reduced from 15 to three, as a result of the action.

“We’ve been incredibly well-supported and a large number of members turned up on the picket line outside the college on every morning of a strike,” said Pippa.

Members had also been considering balloting for action over issues including the failure to give staff the nationally agreed pay rise and compelling staff to return to college on 11 August for enrolment. The college has now agreed staff will get their pay rise backdated in their July pay packet, and staff attendance on enrolment day is voluntary.

A protocol on consultation has also been

Teachers at City and Islington College took strike action.

agreed, which means no new working practices will be introduced without timely negotiation with the union. And plans for a new observations policy

that would have allowed any member of the college’s management team to walk into a teacher’s classroom without giving notice have been dropped.

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

5

Update

MPs pledge support for union campaign to cut child poverty A CAMPAIGN by the NEU to eradicate the poverty faced by 4.3 million children in the UK has won the support of 88 MPs. The union has launched a website for No Child Left Behind, which allows users to find out how many children are trapped in poverty in their local area, and then email their MP. It is predicted another 730,000 children will be in poverty by 2024.

Figures published by the End Child Poverty coalition in May show

31 per cent of children are now in poor families – nine children in every class. Wales has the highest number (31 per cent), followed by England (30 per cent), then Scotland and Northern Ireland (24 per cent). The data is from 2019-20, before the pandemic hit. The highest rates are in London and Birmingham.

The figures also show that three quarters of children living in poverty are in homes with at least one working adult.

THE PLEDGE READS: As a member of Parliament, I pledge to do everything in my power so that no child is left behind: • I call for the development of a cross-Government strategy to eradicate the poverty faced by the 4.3 million children currently growing up trapped in poverty.

• I will use my vote and voice in Parliament to try to stop

an expected 730,000 more children being plunged into poverty by 2024.

We must value and invest in all our children, so they are supported to learn, succeed, and go on to have bright futures.

To find out more go to neu.org.uk/campaigns/ child-poverty

OVER 1.2M RAISED FOR POOREST SCHOOLS THE union’s Help a Child to Learn appeal raised £1,270,981 for disadvantaged schools to spend on basics such as pens and paper for children learning at home during lockdown. Donations from the public, Daily Mirror readers and the union’s districts boosted the £1m the NEU used to kickstart the

England and Wales benefited from

appeal back in January.

the appeal, which was run jointly

The money paid for vouchers worth £500, £1,000 or £1,500, which

with the Daily Mirror.

Fiona Robinson, head of

were given to schools to help them

Bensham Manor School, in Croydon,

pay for learning resources. A total

said: “A huge thank you for the £500.

of 1,239 of the poorest schools in

It is incredible and I’m so grateful.”

6

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

POVERTY AFFECTS LEARNING SAY 94 PER CENT OF MEMBERS A SURVEY of more than 10,000 school and college members has found that almost all believe being poor affects learning, with 51 per cent saying it does so to a “large extent”. Findings also reveal the impact of the rise of poverty during the pandemic, with 68 per cent of members saying the Government must act urgently.

Members gave examples of the ways they tried to alleviate the effects of poverty. One teacher made computers for pupils using parts from eBay. Another said: “I bought a bed for a student who had never had one. Do Government ministers even realise this goes on?”

There were also reports of children without coats, in shoes with holes, or in uniform that was unwashed or too small. Schools have introduced uniform exchange programmes and cupboards to provide clothes and shoes.

Joint general secretary Mary Bousted said: “The Government spent much of 2020 voicing concern for the disadvantaged, including when mounting arguments for the wider opening of schools and colleges. Yet, it has failed to deliver for the young people in poverty whose families need real support and action.”

She added the Government could follow the example of the US Government, which in its recovery package introduced measures to reduce levels of child poverty. “Instead, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak is currently choosing to remove the £20 uplift in universal credit and not providing any support to families with children.”

“I bought a bed for a student who had never had one.

Do Government ministers realise this goes on?”

Update

Experts reviewing assessment system want to hear from leaders A PANEL of experts appointed to examine whether the assessment system for 14-19 year olds in England is fit for purpose is hearing from educators at focus groups running over the summer.

NEU members Laura McAllister (pictured below, left) and Nik Jones have already been sharing their views in a film explaining the commission’s work.

Both are English teachers at UTC South Durham, a technical college for 14-19 year olds with an interest in science, technology, engineering and maths. Nik said: “The commission is coming at a perfect time. There’s a growing feeling that things need to change and there is growing support for change. There is a broad spectrum of voices saying the system is not doing what it’s supposed to do and not working for kids, for staff, for parents or employers.”

He added: “I’m hoping the commission puts forward suggestions that loosen the shackles exam boards place on schools. ” Laura said: “One of the saddest things for me is that the current system is set up so a third of students fail, and we have to remember who the forgotten third are, and how actually we are disqualifying people we need to do better for.”

She added: “People come into the profession expecting to teach young people to be passionate about the subject, to

Student Krish, NEU member Laura McAllister and commission chair Louise Hayward explain why the system needs to be reviewed. To watch their film, go to neweraassesment.org.uk.

have a love of learning, but it doesn’t take long in the profession to realise there are limited opportunities to do so.”

Experts representing leaders and teachers, academics, parents and students on the commission are taking evidence, before publishing recommendations later this year. The NEU set up the commission, following the special conference in 2020,

where many angry and dismayed members detailed the impact of last summer’s exams fiasco on students.

Independent chair Louise Hayward (pictured below, right), professor of educational assessment and innovation at the University of Glasgow, selected ten experts to join the commission. Prof Hayward said: “The current system fails too many pupils, teachers and schools. The time for change is now. It places undue demands on young people – risking their mental health – and is creating a new generation who leave school scarred by their experience of the exam system.”

NEU president and secondary head teacher Robin Bevan, who is leading the focus group for educators, said: “As a trade union, we are delighted to take part in this commission with a wide array of organisations, calling for change to the secondary assessment system. Too many of our students are disadvantaged by a system that bakes in and exacerbates disadvantage for those already up against it in life.”

HELP SHAPE THE COMMISSION’S WORK – HAVE YOUR SAY To find out more about the commission and to submit your views on assessment, go to neweraassessment.org.uk

SCHOOLS MUST ADDRESS ‘NORMALISED’ SEXUAL HARASSMENT A REPORT by Ofsted has reached the same conclusions as research published by the NEU and UK Feminista four years ago – sexual harassment is rife in schools and colleges. The inspectorate’s report, published in June, concluded that sexual harassment has become ‘normalised’ for young people.

NEU joint general secretary Mary Bousted said: “We urgently

need to boost the focus on preventing and responding to sexual harassment. Students must feel empowered to discuss and learn about sexism, report incidents and take action for equality.”

She added that there needs to be a greater focus on sexual harassment using the whole curriculum, and the Department

for Education can show better leadership in terms of the curriculum response.

“One-off lessons are not going to be the answer – we need training and guidance to build capacity to understand, identify and tackle sexism on an ongoing basis. There is very little on this in teacher training.”

See Masterclass page 20.

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

7

Update

Highlights of the NEU National Leadership Council IN its first two years, the NEU National Leadership Council has endeavoured to support organisation of NEU leaders within the localities and ensure your voice has been heard by the executive and senior staff at the NEU’s London headquarters.

During a period of great challenge for school and college leaders, and as the new union came out of the transition period in 2019, we haven’t got all communications with leaders right. We were all operating in a new landscape. However, there are still plenty of highlights (see box opposite).

If you would like to contact the council members or become a delegate to the council yourself, please let your regional office know or contact steve.cooper@neu.org.uk

The Guild app is exclusively for NEU Leadership members.

• Two leadership conferences were held – one in Hamilton House in London, the other virtually – on the theme of ethical leadership. Representatives of the political parties (except the

rebranded and published initially in digital formats.

• The council has met six times formally and discussed many topics of interest to leaders.

• The Guild platform, an app for NEU

Conservatives) laid out their

Leadership members, has been

education policies.

launched. To join, contact

• The Code of Ethical Practice in Leadership was published to support leaders in auditing their practice (see more on page 16).

• A motion to keep and support our leaders in the NEU was debated at annual conference and passed overwhelmingly.

• The executive has agreed that former AMiE documents will be

guildenquiries@neu.org.uk • Council members shared advice on the NEU website, on issues such as Covid and workload.

• Council members were panelists on Zoom calls for leaders.

• Each region has staff tasked with supporting leadership members.

• Council members have contributed to Lead magazine.

NEW SUITE OF MIDDLE LEADER QUALIFICATIONS REPLACE NPQML FROM September, three new

be available to complete the

to be considered a high-quality and

national professional qualifications

qualification and what support

well-respected qualification.

– leading teaching, leading

the school can offer. You should

In addition, NPQs for senior

behaviour and culture, and

negotiate with your manager at

leadership, headship and executive

leading teacher development –

the start to avoid unreasonable

leadership have been updated.

will replace the National Professional

workload. Your school should

Qualification for Middle Leaders

fund the qualification with the

(NPQML). The new qualifications will

professional development budget.

take 12-18 months to complete.

The union’s advice is that

8

If you have already started an NPQML, you can still complete

before applying for the NPQ

it, and holders of the qualification

you should clarify what time will

are assured that it will continue

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

For FAQs, visit neu.org.uk/npqml For more information on national professional qualifications frameworks from September 2021 visit www.gov.uk

Feature

Getting the measure of better mental health Vice-chair of the NEU’s National Leadership Council Josie Whiteley talks about being a coach for the School Mental Health Award.

IN the past 16 months, leaders have demonstrated incredible resilience and adaptability. But, as we recover from the Covid crisis, is your school or college now in a better or worse place from a wellbeing perspective? The School Mental Health Award (SMHA) may help you find out.

It is based on a framework of eight competencies allowing schools to evaluate their mental health practices, identify gaps, and introduce or strengthen existing policies and initiatives.

I’ve been an SMHA coach since April 2020 and work with more than 70 schools.

I’ve heard from leaders about the different ways of working to support mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic. This includes regular check-in phone calls, food delivery programmes, virtual meetings and information sessions for parents.

In many cases these changes have led to better relationships with pupils, parents and colleagues. Working towards the SMHA, with help from a coach,

supports leaders in thinking through how positive changes can become embedded – and they are very keen to do this. An increasing number of schools are, for example, creating an area of their website dedicated to supporting parents’ mental health. Many others are updating mental health and wellbeing and behaviour policies in response to the pandemic.

So, what’s my role? Starting with a one-hour, virtual coaching conversation, usually with the head or deputy and the mental health lead, I pose a series of questions. A key one is: how does the SLT know what staff need? If I’m met with a perplexed look, this then leads to a discussion of the value of asking people what they need rather than imposing ‘a relaxing, destressing yoga session’, which could be someone’s worst nightmare.

After the coaching conversation, I’m available via email, or schools can book another meeting. Most choose not to, though, because the probing questions

ABOUT THE SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH AWARD Since it was launched in 2017, more than 1,000 schools have gained or are working towards the SMHA. It is based on competencies including leadership and strategy, structure, support and culture for staff and pupils, CPD and working with families. A bronze, silver or gold award is given upon successful completion. For bronze, schools need to show how changes have

made an impact in the school.

For gold, there needs to be evidence that a school is sharing good practice nationally.

To find out more: leedsbeckett.ac.uk/research/ carnegie-centre-of-excellence-formental-health-in-schools/ To sign up, email: schoolmh@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

in the first meeting will usually inspire clarity of thought, and often a few lightbulb moments too.

As a coach, I’ve been discussing some common themes with schools. The extra workload generated by the pandemic has been a strain for staff. For those in secondaries, the responsibility this summer for grading – handed to them at short notice, with little Government guidance and no additional help – has piled on pressure. Leaders understand this and have cut back in areas including non-vital meetings, duplication of data and email overload. Some schools have introduced a ‘buddy’ scheme to encourage colleagues to support one another, others are offering free counselling services.

Another recurring theme is the need to develop governors’ understanding of mental health issues among staff and students. In many cases, schools don’t realise this is needed until they start the award. Training for governors is especially important now, when poor mental health has increased because of the pandemic.

Once the school begins working towards the award, ongoing support is available via a private Facebook group for mental health leads, where they ask questions and share good practice and resources. A year later, we have a final meeting. We discuss and celebrate the school’s journey. I love seeing how proud staff are to present their evidence for the award, and to hear them talk with real enthusiasm about the impact of changes.

To find out more, please contact josie.whiteley@neu.org.uk lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

9

Interview

‘Poverty is never the fault of the child, it isn’t even the fault of the individual’ Incoming NEU president Daniel Kebede talks about the awe-inspiring work of leaders throughout the pandemic and his priorities for the year of education recovery.

Words: Sally Gillen Photos: Matt Wilkinson

HE had only been in his job as a maths teacher at Moorbridge, a pupil referral unit in Newcastle, for a couple of weeks when schools were locked down in March 2020. But straightaway Daniel Kebede became a rep – there wasn’t one before – forming an active union group that has met frequently throughout the pandemic.

“We were grateful that the head teacher worked with us and followed the union checklists to mitigate against the Government’s incompetence,” says Daniel, who in two months will become the next NEU president. “Moorbridge went from having no union presence to very much having a presence in a short space of time.”

That energy and commitment sums Daniel up. A long-time political campaigner against racism and austerity, he joined the NUT as a student, attracted by its campaigning drive, and then became a rep as soon as he landed his first teaching job in 2012.

“I knew I’d be politically active in the union because I’m active outside it,” he says.

“We have to fight in our workplaces – it’s 10

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

where our power lies – but we also have to fight in our communities.” The two are intertwined, he believes.

Daniel’s partner Laura Pidcock is a former Shadow Secretary of State for Employment Rights, and was MP for North West Durham, before losing her seat in the 2019 General Election. Hers has been a powerful voice against “the indignity of poverty,” a voice shared by Daniel, whose election campaign for NEU president was propelled by his passion to tackle child poverty.

It has deep roots. Growing up, Daniel spent a lot of time with his childminder’s foster children, many of them from very poor backgrounds. “They had real challenges in their lives. Everybody has challenges in their childhood, crosses to bear, but some people’s are a lot bigger and their obstacles are harder to overcome.

If you live in a drug-dependent family or extreme poverty, those things have a big impact on who you end up becoming,” he says. “I’d talk to them and feel very lucky to have a mum who was a constant influence in my life.”

Daniel’s parents were separated, and his father worked as a cab driver and then London bus driver, while his mum was a payroll clerk. She went back to university to get a degree when Daniel was ten and ended up as a human resources manager. “Mum was hard-working, dedicated,” he says. “She was a single parent, we didn’t have a lot of money, so she said ‘right, I’m going back to university, and we’ll make things a bit more comfortable,’ and she did.”

His own time at university turned out to be less useful. Midway through his law course, Daniel knew he didn’t want to be a lawyer, and a few “soulless” 9-5 office jobs after graduating led to a search for something more fulfilling. Daniel started volunteering at a local school, supporting a boy with cerebral palsy. This led him on to a PGCE. After qualifying, he decided to take a job at Silverdale, a school for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, who faced many of the same challenges as the fostered friends from his childhood.

Aside from a year-long maternity cover at a nursery, he has always worked with children “who haven’t been dealt the best hand”.

Interview

Incoming NEU president Daniel Kebede: “As a trade union we have excelled at setting a direction.”

His tenth year in the profession will coincide with his year as NEU president.

He lights up at what’s to come. Reeling off the union’s achievements over the past year, he says it’s been a privilege as seniorvice president to be a part of the NEU’s huge success, to play a part in helping shape its direction.

“As a trade union we have excelled at setting a direction, enabling reps to have the tools to take control of health and safety in their workplaces. We’ve had record-breaking Zooms. On 4 January, we saw tens of thousands of educators take control of their health and safety, when the Government was really trying to push us back into unsafe workplaces,” he says. “The

“We forced a lockdown and a change in Government policy. It shows what you can do when you collectivise.”

way our members organised around that was superb. We forced a lockdown and a change in Government policy. It shows what you can do when you collectivise.”

He continues: “I look at my dad, who was a bus driver and a union member. He caught Covid, most likely at work, and it retired him. I think we have done our best as a trade union to keep members safe.”

Leaders, he believes, have always acted with the best of intentions to keep everyone safe. “I’ve come out of this pandemic in awe of many school leaders because it’s been an incredibly difficult time. They have been the heartbeat of communities. But throughout it all they haven’t been listened to, not by the Education Secretary, not

by Boris Johnson, not by the leader of the opposition,” he argues.

That disregard for the knowledge, expertise and day-to-day experiences of leaders working hard throughout the Covid crisis is something Daniel has witnessed close-up, having worked alongside secondary head and outgoing NEU president Robin Bevan for the past year.

“It’s been great watching Robin,” he says. “He’s a superb president and it’s been great to shadow him. It’s obviously been an incredibly strange time for all of us, as officers of the union, too, because we’ve been in a completely alien battle.”

Now, though, there’s the aftermath, the recovery, explains Daniel. “The fight

against child poverty – that for me is the is the key battle for the union now,” he says. “We must sound the alarm, force the Government to change. We are going to have five million children in poverty next year. That’s grotesque. Poverty is never the fault of the child, it isn’t even the fault of the individual, but there’s this pernicious, awful narrative that people don’t work hard enough. Poverty is a systemic problem. The majority of people who are in poverty are in work and I don’t think we talk about that enough. I hope we can do some things to shift that narrative and help change the Government direction.”

He worries about a rush to return to normal, when the old normal was, in fact, hugely problematic: exam factories, high-stakes testing in primary schools, a regime driving educators out of the profession, league tables and Ofsted – an inspectorate that doesn’t support positive change in schools and which isn’t fit for purpose. Ofsted plays a huge part in deprofessionalising leaders and teachers, he argues: “School leaders, as much as anyone, suffer from a lack of autonomy. It starts with Ofsted and then trickles down.

It’s important that school leaders and staff collectivise on these issues.”

He adds: “We are hearing that a lot of leaders are going to leave the profession, which is a real concern, and I really hope that doesn’t happen because we’ll lose a lot of experienced people. But they are constantly chipped away at by underfunding, Ofsted, league tables, the ruthless accountability regime.”

That must change. In the next year, the main battle Daniel foresees for the union is in “beating back” the Government’s ideology in terms of its vision of education, which is entirely different from the NEU’s.

“I want to get out and about everywhere in the next year,” he says. “We have a lot of fight on.” lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

11

Feature

Behind behaviour Thousands of students have had an adverse childhood experience caused by the pandemic, and many more are struggling to cope generally. How should leaders approach behaviour?

Words: Sally Gillen

WHAT impact has the pandemic had on behaviour? The answer is complex. Some leaders are reporting an unusually high level of compliance to the rules among pupils, which may hint at difficulties beneath the surface, others say they are struggling to cope with increasing numbers of young people “losing it”.

Behaviour specialist Steve Russell, whose consultancy Beyond Behaviour works with school leaders on behaviour, wellbeing and leadership, is hearing from many heads who are in need of help and advice since schools reopened again in March.

“Heads are talking a lot about increased instances of children and young people becoming dysregulated. In essence, they are struggling to manage their own emotional states and losing

it more than they did before. They are coming into the classroom with it all bottled up and then it spills out.”

For leaders, these challenges are then further compounded by not being able to access overstretched specialist services, says Steve.

He has written a series of blogs on behaviour for the NEU’s Recovery Education Hub (see box, opposite page), an online resource that includes guidance, union advice and videos to help members shape the recovery of education following the pandemic.

The union has also published new guidance for leaders on reviewing the behaviour policy after Covid, which covers how schools should respond to higher levels of social and emotional needs in the student population, classroom

NEU GUIDE TO REVIEWING YOUR BEHAVIOUR POLICY AFTER COVID A NEW guide to help support positive learning behaviours has been published by the NEU online.

Included in the ten-page document is advice on simple low-cost or no-cost approaches

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to creating reassuring routines, which includes greeting students at the door and giving specific behaviour-related praise throughout the lesson. It also sets out approaches to building strong relationships with students such as having a regular twominute conversation with those who need extra support.

Go to neu.org.uk/ reviewingyour-behaviour-policyaftercovid

Behaviour specialist Steve Russell

strategies for teaching learning behaviours, and the importance of building strong relationships with students (see box, left).

Relationships are a strong element of Steve’s approach, and are what he thinks leaders should focus on at any time, but especially now. “If we invest appropriately in the relationships in school, so much else will follow,” he says. “If we focus on the systems, without that social capital being

“It’s about connection.

However we do it, connection with the pupils is key.”

Feature

built and regularly topped up, the systems are not going to sort this. And that can be a difficult place for colleagues to go to, because we tend to invest a lot of hope in ‘the systems’ when it comes to behaviour.”

The discussion on Twitter around behaviour in schools in the wake of Covid reveals that, as pupils have returned, some schools are falling into the trap of over-emphasising systems and policies, taking an unusually strict approach to uniform policy, for example.

“It feels too much – authoritarian rather than authoritative,” says Steve.

“For leaders, it’s important to watch that pinch point. When we are under stress and pressure and we are seeking to establish that sense of safety, which comes through a degree of control in any school, it’s important not to become too dominating, too harsh. As a litmus test for addressing behaviour, considering whether the behaviour is impinging on the core rights to teach and learn and be safe can help leaders anchor their decision-making.”

He says heads might find themselves under pressure from staff, many of whom are “on their knees at the moment”, to adopt more authoritarian approaches.

“A head teacher who says ‘we need to be flexible’ may experience some resistance from teachers who, hard pressed and stressed themselves, feel that some pupils’ behaviour warrants exclusion,” he says.

“It’s a fine line – and this isn’t the time to be debating the rights and wrongs of exclusion – but my point is the challenge leaders face in managing multiple stresses and pressures. It’s tough for them – you sometimes need the wisdom of Solomon as you juggle these.”

Staff need to hear from leaders about what’s going well and well enough, now more than ever, he says. Switching from the relentless focus on improvement to a celebration of what is going well – given the resources and challenges – can do a lot to boost staff wellbeing. He adds that some leaders have started to incorporate this as part of the routine of the staff meeting, starting off with going round the room to ask each person what’s going well and well enough.

“As a litmus test for addressing behaviour, considering whether the behaviour is impinging on the core rights to teach and learn and be safe can help leaders anchor their decision-making.”

“Initially there’s a bit of uncomfortableness because we don’t like bragging, but once staff know leaders are genuine about that, it builds quite a momentum,” says Steve. “All too often when we are talking about behaviour in schools, I don’t think we necessarily spend sufficient time looking at staff wellbeing. The more confident, relaxed and supported teachers feel, the greater their ability to carry their authority in the classroom in a far more grounded way.”

Again, the debate on Twitter around behaviour is especially polarised at the moment, says Steve. “It’s disheartening at times because managing behaviour is very nuanced, and lies along a continuum, rather than being about definite, immovable positions. Yes, it’s about high standards, safety etc, but it needs to be blended with appropriate nurturing – and at the moment, plenty of it for some pupils. I read the phrase ‘warm discipline’ recently and I felt we are risking conflating things too simplistically.

Find the hub at: neu.org.uk/Rehub

“There are the core principles and values around safety, respect, valuing one another and the right to teach and learn, but there also needs to be a degree of flex around the expectations, which recognises some young people may well struggle with some of them.”

Encouragingly, Steve is now picking up on more leaders talking about the connection between mental health and behaviour. “If there are any positives to come from the pandemic, one is that more leaders are broadening their thinking around behaviour. It was happening before, but the pandemic is now building a momentum of increased awareness and acceptance among leaders and teachers that we need to talk about emotional wellbeing and behaviour and how they link.”

Supporting students in the classroom is often about the smallest things, he says.

“Just meeting and greeting at the door, and if you can’t do it at the door then thinking about those first five minutes or so at the beginning of the lesson, is one of those things that adds so much to helping settle pupils in, ready for learning,” says Steve.

“Then getting round to touch base with as many pupils as possible during the lesson, especially those two or three who without that reassurance of ‘I’ve spotted you, I’ve noticed you’, might start to bubble in terms of their emotional state, which then turns into behaviour that needs to be managed.

“However we do it, connection with the pupils is key. And, going back to staff wellbeing, connection with staff. And for this, leaders themselves need to be connecting with the support they need during these challenging times,” he adds. lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

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Opinion

‘Navigating through a year of turmoil, vision has never mattered more’ Robin Bevan reflects on the importance of having clearly defined vision and realistic thinking to take pupils and staff into the future more positively.

NEU president Robin Bevan is head teacher at Southend High School for Boys

AS a young teacher, some decades ago, I found that workplace discussions of school ‘vision’ were not really very engaging. But now, as an experienced school leader, navigating through a year of turmoil, vision has never mattered more.

When you are planning, teaching, marking and contributing to the school’s extra-curricular programme, you don’t have a lot of time for much else. Too often, those statements of vision were trite or self-evident: for ‘all to achieve’ or ‘learning and caring’. In these instances, a good test of any mission statement is through negation. Ask whether any institution would support the opposite of the claim being made. Are there any schools and colleges opposed to ‘all achieving’ or that disapprove of learning or caring? Clearly not.

Vision is there to serve a purpose: it should provide an envelope for our activity. Vision should provide a clear guide as to which activities we should be prioritising, how we should be fulfilling our professional roles, and – importantly – what we could appropriately not be doing.

In this final sense, poorly framed aspirational visions, which serve simply to multiply even further the unending demands on the school and college workforce, are really not very welcome at all. But, throughout the pandemic, vision has mattered more than ever in our work as leaders.

This has been especially true for school and college leaders motivated by social justice, dedicated to the wellbeing and personal development of their pupils, and committed to the welfare of the staff team.

During each phase of lockdown and reopening, vision helped steer those schools and colleges that responded effectively and empathetically, minimising risks and maximising support. Hopefully, the country will make further strides in emerging from the very necessary public

health restrictions. It is a time when our thoughts turn to ‘recovery’, working in our communities to shape the provision that will best meet the needs of the young people we serve.

Your vision may not be the same as mine, but I suspect you would share and want to emphasise many of the following priorities.

• The education we provide is to help pupils shape and contribute to the society of the future. When I ask young people whether we live in the best possible world, they are clear there is more to do to make the world fairer, greener, kinder, happier…

• Schools and colleges need to be places where equality issues are discussed, promoted and addressed; where environmental challenges are converted into local actions; where international and social justice issues receive attention.

• It is clear the ‘old normal’ of extensive external tests and exams had a stifling impact on school provision. It is also clear that any alternative – for the valid purpose of summative assessment/ accreditation – needs more careful design than the approach to teacher-assessed grades this year. Exams are not the fairest and most reliable approach and they certainly are not equitable.

A vision for assessment, informed by research and experience, will need to be championed.

• A positive vision for education recognises the wellbeing of the education workforce. Making decisions that constrain workload and limit working hours is visionary. This is reinforced by showing authentic appreciation, valuing every employee, providing relevant high-quality professional development, supportive appraisal processes and access to fair pay progression.

Looking to the future, if our provision is shaped by our vision, then the road to ‘recovery’ will be a journey of hope. lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

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How I…

Cracking the code Head teachers Ken Johnson and John Hayes, members of the union’s National Leadership Council, discuss the union’s Code of Ethical Practice in Leadership.

Words: Sally Gillen Photos: Sarah Turton

FROM the slim paperback to the hefty tome, there is no shortage of books on education leadership. You may even have read one or two, or at least set them aside for a less busy day – should it ever arrive.

Improving your leadership and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your organisation certainly takes time and thought, but it doesn’t necessarily require hours spent poring over hundreds of pages of theory. With a practical rather than theoretical focus, the union’s Code of Ethical Practice in Leadership (see box below) provides a good starting point for gauging how you are performing as a leader, and how well your school or college is meeting the needs of staff and students.

At nine pages, the code is a tenminute read. Ideal for time-poor leaders, it is an accessible audit tool rather than just “another tedious, long-winded document that people will ignore,” says head John Hayes, who has already started to use it (see page 17). “The beauty of this document is that it’s not necessarily giving you the answers; it’s helping you understand what the questions should be,” he adds.

Included in the code, alongside the ethical behaviours the union expects to see from leaders, is an audit tool using a trafficlight system, which allows you to rate yourself and your organisation’s practices against a range of statements. For example, “Leaders know they are not the leader in

every situation and trust others to lead at times.” Are you green, amber or red?

Drawn up by the union for NEU Leadership members, the code is for aspiring, new and experienced leaders. It is a benchmark for all.

Ken Johnson is head teacher

at Deptford Park Primary School in south London.

I HAVE used the code as an audit tool and I found there are layers of the school operating securely ‘green’. We are a learning community, where everyone’s a learner. The staff team reflects the diversity of our local population at every level within

Red, amber or green – how ethical is your organisation?

THE National Education Union has drawn up the Code of Ethical Practice in Leadership framework to help you, as a leader, ensure your staff and students benefit from effective leadership that is driven by positive values.

The framework illustrates the kind of behaviours expected from leaders in education, and provides a useful basis for conversations between leaders, staff and trade union representatives. Encourage staff to review your school/college practice against each of the

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dimensions that make up the LEADERSHIP approach: Learning Ethical Aspiration Diversity Evidence Responsibility Support Holistic Integrity Purpose Ask them to rate each one

as red, amber or green. Do the same yourself, and then compare notes. The goal is for all to reach agreement that leadership is typified as green and good practice. Repeating the exercise regularly can help ensure that effective, ethical leadership stays embedded in the organisation.

To grade yourself against all the questions, download the code from neu.org.uk/ethicalpractice-leadership

How I…

Ken Johnson: “If you’re an ethical leader, you’re committed to the principles of diversity. You have to live them.”

the school. But there are a few things we need to fix. One area that is ‘amber’ at the moment is around finding ways to get more views from a wider range of stakeholders, including parents. We’ve found the least effective way for us to get parental voice is to send out a survey. It’s fairly pointless. So now I’m looking at how to get their views on a range of issues, such as the behaviour policy, whether their child feels safe in the school and what they believe should be included in the new curriculum we are working on to address bias. The code is bread-and-butter stuff, which is why it’s an easy tool to use. It talks about things I already do or would value. It’s helpful to have good practice set out.

One of the difficulties with thinking about your decisions as a leader, and how they meet the principles set out in the code, is that we are often forced, for a range of reasons, including underfunding, to choose between two unpleasant scenarios. You’re trying to work out which would be the better. It is a good exercise to really look at how the school marries up with the different areas in the code. One example is diversity, which is also our school improvement focus. As a staff, we are looking at the curriculum and starting to throw things out that perpetuate stereotypes or have bias within them.

I was personally slapped in the face by this issue. A parent complained about an Aesop’s fable set as homework. The Raven and the Swan tells the story of how a raven’s desire to have the same white feathers as the swan meant ‘he spent so much time trying to make himself beautiful that he did not eat and soon died’.

I said ‘how can we, serving such a diverse community, have sent this piece of work out?’ Most of our pupils are from the immediate area and 56 per cent are from global majority groups.

It really made me stop and think,

which led to curriculum changes. If you’re an ethical leader, you’re committed to the principles of diversity. You have to live them. If you don’t, the words are just words.

I’ve started to work with the code, and in the autumn term, I’ll ask staff to use it to grade the school. I haven’t wanted to do it this term because there’s been a new system introduced every week for about five weeks running. I’ll be interested in what different groups of staff think of the leadership, to see how much we align with the code. I’ll have to be brave when I ask staff to rate us.

“The beauty of this document is that it’s not necessarily giving you the answers; it’s helping you understand what the questions should be.”

John Hayes is head teacher at Gospel Oak Primary School in Camden, north London.

I WENT through the code in about ten minutes and was pleased to classify myself as green overall, but with a few things to consider. For me, the document is a good reference point to think about and evaluate my own approach. It would be great to see other NEU leaders using it.

In a healthy school environment, debate about how things are working should be open, honest and iterative. It’s not just saying we’ve been through the code. Done. Tick. Move on. It should be lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

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How I…

John Hayes: “Debate about how things are working should be open, honest and iterative.”

that we keep coming back to it to remind ourselves. When things are good, it’s useful to be able to check regularly that they are staying good.

Also, having this as an agreed statement of what good leadership looks like is a really useful way of working. It could lend itself to being turned into a staff questionnaire, and it’s also useful, when you’re looking at introducing new policies, to be able to check that they meet the principles of the code.

Realistically, there are some challenges for leaders in trying to fulfil everything set out in the document, however much you try to, and of course we should try. One of the big issues at the moment for us as a school is diversity among the staff. The code states: ‘Staff reflect the diversity of the local population at every level of the organisation.’ I agree with that, of course, but funding cuts mean I’m having to make redundancies and actually the staff who are most in danger – including a number of teaching assistants – are often the most representative of our community. Those who are most likely to be made redundant are often staff who are from the immediate area around the school, and others (such as the teaching staff and SLT), may well be the least 18

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representative, but least likely to be made redundant. That potentially reduces the diversity of the school staff rather than increases it. It is this kind of issue that is a problem for leaders, not just at my school, but across the country.

I have shared the code with the union rep, and I’ll be using it with the SLT at the start of the new academic year, once I have my restructured team.

Like Ken, I’m interested to have feedback from staff on how they rate the school.

Campaigns

Keeping count

Working together, middle leaders and heads are making sure staff don’t exceed 1,265 hours of directed time.

IN response to soaring workload, the union launched a directed time campaign last year, encouraging heads to ensure teachers have a fair and manageable workload, as set out in pages 46-47 of the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD).

An important tool for this is the directed time calendar, which sets out working patterns at the start of the academic year.

Since launching the campaign, the union has heard many positive stories of heads working with staff and reps to make sure directed time is accurately calculated.

At academies, which are not covered by the STPCD and therefore may not commit to the 1,265 hours, middle leaders are working with heads on an accurate log of time spent on a range of duties so that working hours are reasonable.

Karen Kemble is a teacher of 25 years and head of modern languages at a secondary academy in west London. She says when a new head joined he presented a calculation that didn’t include tasks such as open evenings and other staff meetings, performance management meetings – they were only given two hours (too little for middle leaders responsible for a team as well as their own performance management), supervision time either side of the school day and break duties.

“I did find errors in the calculation, and when it was corrected, we were approximately 30 hours over 1,265, which

equated to 4.5 days,” says Karen. “Using this calculation, with a detailed breakdown, I negotiated an extra four days’ holiday and a reduction in the number of meetings.”

At Sheffield Park Academy, head of history and NEU An example of a directed time calendar for a secondary school teacher, health and safety rep with a limit of 1,265 hours of planned work.

Edward Squire has had similar success. their classroom to attend a same-day meeting The school is part of United Learning with the head of behaviour. It was leading multi-academy trust, one of the largest in to queues of teachers waiting for meetings at the country. It sets a limit of 30 hours per the end of the day. This often went beyond week on directed time. In what Edward calls directed time. It was raised with the head, “one of the big wins of the year”, he used the who said staff were supportive of the policy.

30-hour maximum to change a behaviour Edward surveyed staff and found that policy that was pushing teachers over that 60 per cent believed they should not be limit. The new behaviour policy required required to attend a meeting after 4pm, teachers who had a student removed from when directed time ends. This figure rose to 100 per cent for meetings after 5pm.

The survey results and comments from staff were fed back to the head. “It promoted a really positive conversation with the head, and concluded with those meetings being optional. Without that collective action, I don’t think we would have got that result,” says Edward. “I would encourage anyone in a similar position to do the same, particularly if you’re in an academy trust that doesn’t have a commitment to 1,265.”

Secondary head teacher Robin Bevan says: “These examples show what can be achieved with collective action and in a spirit of co-operation.”

“I did find errors in the calculation, and when it was corrected, we were approximately 30 hours over 1,265, which equated to 4.5 days.”

neu.org.uk/directedtime lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

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Masterclass

Tackling sexual harassment Rebecca Clark, the equality lead at independent school Stowe, sets out the steps she’s taking to stamp out peer-on-peer abuse.

Words: Sally Gillen

SOON after the Everyone’s Invited website went viral in March, students at Buckinghamshire independent school Stowe began to talk. Their school was among more than 80 named on the site, where girls have posted over 1,000 anonymous accounts of the sexual harassment, abuse and violence they have experienced.

The headmaster acted swiftly, informing all staff that they would be expected to complete training in harmful sexual behaviours. He also asked head of drama Rebecca Clark, who was appointed as head of equality and inclusion in 2020, to begin some work with the students to

tackle peer-on-peer abuse. She organised a discussion forum – attendance was voluntary – for year 13 students, and was stunned by the turnout.

“We opened up the school chapel and almost the entire year group – boys and girls – arrived,” says Rebecca. “We presented seven questions to start a discussion, before moving into breakout groups. Students were asked what the school is already doing well to combat abuse, what it could be doing more of, if they felt there was an adult they could talk to in school, and how the issues could be covered in lessons. “The students said it was really valuable to have a safe space to talk about their feelings,” says Rebecca.

Two days later, a similar forum was held for year 12 students, followed by smaller sessions for year 10 boarders.

Rebecca says girls in year 10 were especially frank talking about sexual harassment, while among the boys there was less conversation.

“They were shocked and really surprised, unaware that some of the things they had been saying would be upsetting, or that things they had done were wrong, because they had seen older boys do them and go unchallenged,” says Rebecca.

At a smaller girls-only session, held as a follow-up, there was a discussion about what the motivation was for the boys

STEPS TO TACKLING PEER-ON-PEER ABUSE AT STOWE Education • PSHE lead to look at the programme to identify issues that need to be taught earlier.

• Guest speakers to work with year 12 students in two three-hour sessions – personal safety and self defence for girls and a session for boys covering sexism, sexual harassment and consent.

• Reformative education for pupils identified as perpetrators of abuse.

Support and disclosures • The safeguarding lead has

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updated the school’s safeguarding procedures on dealing with sexual violence and sexual harassment making them clear to understand.

• Appoint female member of staff for pupils to approach about incidents of harassment – although all staff should be seen as approachable.

Training • Houseparents will receive training to help them address issues with pupils including: healthy and respectful relationships; what respectful behaviour looks like;

consent; body confidence and selfesteem; gender roles, stereotyping and equality.

• Inset training to tackle staff preconceptions and misconceptions about peer-on-peer abuse and promote the belief that tackling it is a shared responsibility.

• Some staff have had training with Beyond Equality, formerly the Good Lad Initiative, on working with men and boys towards tackling gender inequality and toxic masculinity.

• Work with Stowe Parents’ Association to increase education for parents.

Masterclass

Rebecca Clark is head of equality and inclusion at Stowe.

“It has become clear that teachers often feel uncomfortable in knowing how to tackle, approach or talk about some subjects.” attending the larger discussion groups.

“Some of the girls worried it had been to shut down the conversation, or that the boys felt under attack, so they wanted to make sure things weren’t going on that they felt were unfair. On the whole, though, the girls felt there was an element of that initially, but that it quickly dissipated because the conversations themselves were so purposeful,” says Rebecca.

“Girls spoke about there being a ‘trophy-seeking culture’ and one said: ‘Assault is painted as a compliment, like you have to be attractive enough to be assaulted, which is messed up.’ And they also spoke about there being a bystander culture.”

What emerged was that teachers would sometimes brush incidents of sexual harassment they had witnessed under the carpet. “Pupils felt teachers were failing to tackle it with any immediacy. It has become clear that teachers often feel uncomfortable in knowing how to tackle, approach or talk about some subjects.”

Of the 124 teachers, 44 are women.

“There may be perpetuation of tradition,

certain ways of being and behaviours and that legacy of being in a boys’ school,” suggests Rebecca.

Stowe was founded in 1923, and girls began to be admitted in the sixth form in 1974, before the school became fully coeducational in 2003. Today it has a 60/40 boys-to-girls ratio. “Very interestingly, some of the girls said that although girls had been admitted to the school, they are not given space to occupy. It is owned by the boys, and as girls they are just allowed to be there,” says Rebecca.

“There are lots of wonderful things about tradition, but it’s also really important that in the school we have a more contemporary perspective on the world, which means talking about things that are happening in the real world to do with gender discrimination. It’s not just about the school environment.”

A decision to invite girls and boys to the discussion was part of the openness Rebecca believes is vital in educating students about what constitutes sexual harassment, acceptable behaviour and healthy relationships. Striking the right balance in what is such a sensitive area is important, she says, nobody – neither staff nor pupils – should feel persecuted. “As soon as a word like sexism is on the table, it’s quite emotive. It can make people feel under attack,” she says.

“What we are striving for is a place of equality, and a place of openness and communication, and the students told us they really valued having a space where this discussion can be carved out in our daily lives at school. Living in a boarding school environment, the pupils are away from their parents and other influences.”

They also thanked her for using terms during the discussions such as ‘misogyny’,

‘micro-aggression’ and ‘intersectionality’ because they hadn’t known what those words meant, says Rebecca.

As a result of the work she has started, pupils have asked for sexual harassment and healthy relationships to be covered in the PSHE curriculum in year 9 rather than year 11, when it’s often too little, too late because girls have already been subjected to harassment. The school also plans to open a wellbeing centre for pupils.

In just a few months, Rebecca says she has made good headway in addressing some difficult issues. Senior leaders recently undertook a course Beyond Equality, which focused on toxic masculinity and asked them to reflect on their own schooling and relationships with male and female teachers. The training will be made available to the rest of the staff.

As faculty chair, Rebecca makes sure equality and inclusion are standing items at each meeting. “It can’t just be one or two voices in the school promoting equality and inclusion,” she says. “It has to be embedded right the way across. There needs to be a broader awareness, so there aren’t any staff who think this issue doesn’t affect them. They need to know it will come into their classroom.”

NEU RESOURCES AND TRAINING NEW guidance to help leaders tackle sexual harassment in schools, which will include an NEU model policy, will be published soon at neu.org.uk/advice/ sexual-harassment A report on sexual harassment in schools ‘It’s just everywhere’, published by the NEU and UK Feminista, can be found at: neu.org.uk/media/1676/view A school resource hub is available at ukfeminsta.org.uk CPD on tackling sexual harassment is planned for later in the year.

Go to neu.org.uk/national-cpd

lead. The magazine for NEU Leadership members

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Final word

Leaders need to be liberated so that they can lead their schools to greatness

Mary Bousted Joint general secretary, National Education Union neu.org.uk facebook.com/ national education union NEUnion

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MORE than anything else, teachers are school leaders’ greatest resource. But, as leaders will already know, there are too few teachers, as many leave the profession early in their careers. The main reason for leaving is excessive workload. But it is not just the amount of work, it is also the quality of the work teachers are required to do.

Teachers don’t mind working hard, but they do mind spending hours on work that is not important for their teaching.

The OECD’s 2018 international survey on teaching and learning (TALIS) strongly advocates the need for leaders to create a collaborative culture in their schools, so that teachers feel treated as professionals. Providing opportunities for teachers to work with one another on small team teaching arrangements or collaborative professional development is recommended as a way to develop a professionally respectful culture in schools.

The 2018 TALIS survey also found that teachers who are confident about their professional practice are more likely to engage in ambitious teaching and learning strategies in their classrooms. Here, their pupils can learn in effective ways that go into what the OECD calls “cognitive activation strategies” where knowledge is used for pupils’ own ends and is transformed by them working in interdisciplinary ways.

But too little of this is happening in English schools. England comes third in the international league table for rote learning – behind Uruguay and Ireland. When I asked Andreas Shleicher, head of education at the OECD, why this was the case, he replied that pupils in England face more tests than almost anywhere else in the world. So, he added, it is a reasonable strategy for teachers to spend time in test preparation, particularly as their careers and career progression could be so strongly related to their pupils’ test scores.

But, Schleicher noted, rote learning is not effective for the demands of the 21st century,

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where the ability to transform knowledge in different contexts using interpersonal skills of collaboration, co-operation, investigation and evaluation, are key.

Teachers in England are less likely than their OECD counterparts to say that they work collaboratively. Our leaders are also less likely than their OECD counterparts to say that they work with other schools. There are, I think, two main reasons for this isolation.

• Academisation brings fragmentation and isolation, unless there is a very strong local connection between schools. In some places that has been kept, in others it has been lost and schools become islands.

• Fear of Ofsted reinforces compliance rather than collaboration. The effect of a negative inspection grade is so present that avoiding this outcome becomes the most important thing.

This means practices that leaders know are time wasting and ineffective take hold because that is what the inspector wants, or what the leader thinks the inspector wants.

The NEU wants leaders to be liberated so that they can lead their schools to greatness. We know that they are hugely hindered by a punitive and toxic accountability regime. And they are hindered by rocketing rates of child poverty.

Right now in the UK, in an average class of 30 pupils, nine will be poor. They will lead lives that are narrowed and stressful because of their poverty. And their educational attainment will suffer because 40 per cent of the attainment gap between poor pupils and their peers is set in stone before they even start school. Government ministers continue to promote one policy as a panacea – schools should, they argue, convert to academy status as the answer to the systemic problems in our education system.

The NEU has members in academy schools, and local authority schools – and knows there are challenges in both systems. Ministers would do much better to tackle teacher shortages and child poverty if they are serious about improving standards of education for all.

“The effect of a negative inspection grade is so present that avoiding this becomes the most important thing.”