Educate magazine May / June 2022

Pensions disputes Battling to stay in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. See page 26.

Neurodivergent staff The best ways to seek support. See page 28.

Challenging sexism It’s still everywhere, research finds. See page 32.

May/ June 2022

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May/June 2022 NEU conference 2022 says refugees are welcome here.

PHOTO by Kois Miah koismiah.co.uk

Welcome

neu.org.uk

IT’S been six long years since the last White Paper on schools. In that time we’ve seen Covid-19, an increase in child poverty and an escalating teacher retention crisis driven by unmanageable workloads.

So when none of these issues is addressed by the Department for Education’s (DfE) latest vision for education, you have to ask: what planet is the Government on?

One thing is clear: the DfE’s agenda is privatisation under the guise of academisation. It says it wants all schools to be, or have plans to be, in a “strong” multi-academy trust (MAT) by 2030. This will be driven by regional directors – central Government emissaries – rather than local authorities.

This poor vision for education combines deregulation (for example, of teacher and support staff pay) with a simultaneous centralisation of powers to central Government, enforced by regional directors. And it prioritises these over curriculum, assessment and pedagogy.

This is the worst of both worlds. We need the reverse: more freedom on pedagogy, a national, fair system for pay and responsive local decision-making.

We’ve complained to the Office for Statistics Regulation about the flawed data analysis on which the DfE’s defective argument for making all schools join MATs is based (see pages 6-7).

The NEU had our first in-person annual conference since 2019 and Educate magazine was there to bring you all up to speed. See pages 12-17 for a full report.

The debate on pay and the cost-of-living crisis is pivotal. Teachers are reporting they can’t afford to eat properly yet continue to buy supplies for under-resourced classrooms and feed impoverished children. At the same time, working hours continue to be unsustainable.

This will only get worse unless we send a strong signal to the Government that we demand an inflation-busting pay rise for all – including support and supply staff. Have your say in an indicative ballot this autumn (see page 17) and check out our resources on tackling excessive workload in your school.

We have all the regulars – from cartoons and book reviews to puzzles and a teacher’s pet. I hope you enjoy this issue.

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Kevin Courtney National Education Union Joint general secretary

Pensions disputes Battling to stay in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. See page 26.

Neurodivergent staff The best ways to seek support. See page 28.

Challenging sexism It’s still everywhere, research finds. See page 32.

May/ June 2022

Your magazine from the National Education Union

NEU conference says refugees are welcome here pages 12-17

TUC best membership communication print journal 2019

NEU president: Daniel Kebede

NEU joint general secretaries: Mary Bousted & Kevin Courtney

Editor: Max Watson Journalists:

Sally Gillen, Emily Jenkins & Sarah Thompson

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The rest is history

Contents

14 May 1796

Dr Edward Jenner inoculated eight-year-old James Phipps with cowpox, who then became immune to smallpox – a disease with a 30 per cent death rate. The first ever vaccine procedure that followed was a complete success and by 8 May 1980 the World Health Organisation declared the world free of smallpox.

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Regulars 19 Bigger picture 21 Michael Rosen 22 Meet our award winners 25 Tim Sanders & Warwick Mansell 35 A class act 40 Jon Biddle & reviews 42 Teacher’s pet & letters 47 Recipe & photo opportunity 48 Puzzle pages 50 Final word

Features 26 TPS battles commence

From GDST to Ipswich, we look at the battle to save teachers’ pensions (below).

“We can build from strength.”

News 6

p12-17

Government White Paper

More MATs, but poverty and cuts ignored in ‘vision’ for education.

8 Gordano strike threat

Workload dispute resolved.

28 Vive la différence

12 Conference 2022

Neurodivergent educators explore the best avenues of support (below).

NEU’s first in-person conference in three years (above left).

18 News in brief

32 Sexism still everywhere

Annie Morgan takes on sexism in her school (below right).

Shadow Schools Minister visits NEU AdviceLine.

20 John Fisher School Gay author’s visit cancelled.

47%

26

28

experienced unwanted attention of a sexual nature

61%

wanted more opportunities to discuss sexism in school

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5

News

White Paper ignores poverty, funding cuts and wellbeing ALL schools to become academies by 2030, higher English and maths targets, and a 32.5-hour school week are all part of the Government’s plans for schools in England.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi’s new schools’ White Paper, Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child, sets out his vision for education.

Central to it is a push for all schools in England to join a multi-academy trust

Latest Covid advice IN advance of the Government’s further relaxation of Covid safety measures on 1 April, the NEU published updated joint union advice.

It covers the practical steps staff and education leaders can take to reduce the risk of Covid disruption in schools, plus guidance on how to support medically higher risk staff.

Although most school and college staff have now had their double vaccination and booster, there continues to be extreme pressure in schools due to staff and pupil absences.

(MAT) by 2030. Local authorities will also be allowed to establish their own MATs. Also by 2030, ministers want the average GCSE grade to rise from 4.5 to 5.

All mainstream schools will be expected to run a minimum 32.5-hour week by September 2023. And every school will be inspected by Ofsted by 2025.

“The expectation of a 32.5-hour week for pupils is a classic example of the

Government trying to hit a target but missing the point,” said NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney.

Trade unions, educators and education experts say the White Paper fails to acknowledge the increase in child poverty, to address the attainment gap, the mental health and wellbeing of young people, the retention crisis, or real-terms funding cuts.

n See page 7

TUC solidarity with Ukraine A MEETING of the TUC general council in March issued an emergency statement on Ukraine.

It said: “The TUC condemns the illegal invasion of a sovereign nation and calls for Russia to respect Ukrainian territorial integrity.

We join the global union movement in calling for peace, and urge all governments to reach a negotiated solution through diplomacy.

“We send our solidarity to our Ukrainian trade union sisters and brothers and all the people of Ukraine.

“We know that working people in Europe, Ukraine and Russia want peace and

we encourage solidarity between workers across borders.”

The NEU executive had met earlier in the month and agreed to express “full solidarity with the people of Ukraine” and with anti-war protesters in Russia and globally. The executive agreed to make a substantial donation to Education International, a global federation of teachers’ trade unions, which has issued an urgent appeal from Ukrainian education unions.

NEU members who wish to contribute financial assistance to help Ukrainian teachers, both those who remain in the country and those who have been forced to flee, can do so using the details below.

Schools were advised by the Government that not only would they not be able to access free test kits, but that they should not hand out existing stock to staff or pupils.

Mary Bousted, NEU joint general secretary, said: “Measures are being relaxed at a time when Covid cases are surging in schools and colleges.

We have repeatedly urged the Government to continue with free testing across society, including in all education settings, but these calls have been ignored.”

The NEU has published two guidance documents: Practical steps to reduce the risk of Covid-19 disruption in schools and other education settings, and Covid-19 joint-union guidance for medically higher risk staff. Both bring together public health advice and health and safety law. n Visit neu.org.uk/advice/ coronavirus-members

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Kevin Courtney with TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady at the TUC

PHOTO by Jess Hurd

Donations to support Ukrainian educators n Account name & address ING Bank, 24 Avenue Marnix, 1000 Brussels, Belgium n Account number 310-1006170-75 n Swift code BBRUBEBB

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UN Anti-Racism Day (19 March) saw international protests taking place in cities around the world under the slogan World Against Racism and Fascism. In the UK, thousands of people joined rallies in London, Glasgow and Cardiff to protest against, among other things, the Government’s Nationality and Borders Bill, Policing Bill, and Higher Education Bill which, they say, attack refugees and migrants, Gypsy Roma and Traveller communities, and the #BlackLivesMatter and wider anti-racist movement.

PHOTO by Guy Smallman

DfE backs down over ‘unlawful’ MAT ruling EDUCATION Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has agreed to withdraw academy orders sent to schools in the Catholic Diocese of Hallam.

The NEU, alongside sister unions NAHT, ASCL and Unison, wrote to Mr Zahawi in February, warning him that letters sent to voluntary aided schools informing them they would be forced to join a multi-academy trust (MAT) were “unlawful”. They said that unless the academy orders were withdrawn, unions would have no choice but to take legal action.

The academisation of 47 schools across Yorkshire and the north Midlands was being imposed by the Diocese of Hallam, which aimed to convert or transfer all schools in the area, including existing standalone academies and existing trusts, into two newly formed Catholic MATs. This was despite 19 of the schools’ governing bodies saying they never agreed to the process.

Kevin Courtney, NEU joint general secretary, said: “This is an important line in the sand. Schools should not be forced or

“Strong evidence against the re-brokering of schools from one MAT to another.” coerced into becoming an academy. There was no justification for these academy orders, and it is right that they have been withdrawn.”

Flawed forced MAT plan

NEU analysis shows that the Government’s evidence for forcing all schools into MATs is “badly flawed”.

To justify the Government’s White Paper policy for all schools in England to join a MAT by 2030 (see page 6), the Department for Education (DfE) published the case for a fully trust-led system. But NEU analysis of the document has shown that much of the evidence presented is incorrect or misleading.

The White Paper systematically misreported Ofsted grades for many schools – claiming certain grades were achieved while they were MATs, when in fact those grades were achieved while local authority (LA) maintained.

The DfE paper also used small samples in order to produce higher results for schools in MATs and failed to report Pupil Premium information for these small samples in a way that was highly misleading.

Kevin said: “Our analysis renders nonsensical the Government’s drive towards academisation in the name of standards. It demonstrates that there is no compelling reason for a school to join a trust and provides strong evidence against the re-brokering of schools from one MAT to another.”

It found 30 per cent of LA primary schools rated Outstanding by Ofsted managed to maintain that status, whereas only seven per cent of Outstanding MAT primary schools do so. It also showed that, if an Outstanding primary school in a MAT is moved to another MAT, zero per cent retain their status.

n Visit neu.org.uk/media/20731/view

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News

Strike threat puts workload woes in focus THREATENED strike action over unsustainable workloads has caused management to back down at Gordano School in north Somerset.

2021, members renewed their campaigning efforts to reduce workload. Although the employer made some changes initially, staff felt it was not enough to make a sufficient difference and so, in January 2022, NEU members successfully balloted for strike action.

“The one trait you need as an activist is persistence. Balloting was a big step and many members felt uncomfortable with taking action that could disrupt their pupils’ education,” said Ted. Despite these concerns, 90 per cent of members voted for strike action.

They announced six days of strikes, forcing management to return to the negotiating table and, at the 11th hour, management agreed to all members’ demands.

“The dispute was a stressful time for everyone involved, but when it was finally resolved members really did have a spring in their step knowing that their collective action and strength had brought about positive change in the workplace,” said Ted.

Workload concerns at Gordano School stretch back several years. In autumn 2019, members formally approached management about the issue and outlined ways a reduction in workload could be achieved. These included reducing the number of additional lessons, staff briefings and working hours on days with parents’ evenings.

However, at the time little was done to resolve the issue by the employer.

Staff then worked increasingly long hours throughout the pandemic to the point where members said it was not acceptable or sustainable. Ted Powell, joint NEU rep at the school, said: “Staff were feeling overworked and stress levels were rising.”

On returning to school in September

A long battle, but unity and solidarity prevail at Chingford NEU members at South Chingford School in Waltham Forest have postponed their seventh day of action as management agreed to the majority of their demands.

Members at the London secondary school and sixth form college, which is run by the Chingford Academies Trust, had been raising concerns over workload, health and safety and staff wellbeing for several years. Threatened redundancies in the PE department then caused members to rally together and successfully ballot for seven days of strike action.

Staff had 16 concerns, including a proposal to increase weekly teaching hours; issues over appraisals for support staff; playground safety; and a lack of a formal consultation process for staff threatened with redundancy.

“Until we decided to strike, management didn’t take any notice of us,” said Paula Smith, support staff rep.

Paula is one of three NEU reps. Her colleague, Katharine Hinds, who is health and safety rep, said: “The solidarity between the three of us has had a huge impact. I think it’s important to encourage schools to have more than one rep so they can support each other.”

After six days of strike action, a meeting with the Advisory, Conciliation 8

and Arbitration Service (ACAS) led to management agreeing to the majority of members’ demands. These included an agreement to keep the teaching week to 20 hours; individual risk assessments for staff; a stress survey; proper payment for part-time staff; and the establishment of a joint trade

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union employer group that will have regular meetings with the trust’s chief executive.

NEU rep Alison Stirling said: “All we want is a happier, healthier school and we’re finally being listened to. It’s been a long battle but the members have achieved so much through their unity and solidarity.”

Rights of the child

An urgent motion on police in schools after the Child Q case was debated at conference. See page 12.

Child Q: right to respect & dignity HUNDREDS of protesters gathered in front of Stoke Newington police station in London on 18 March to express their anger over the strip-andsearch of a Black school girl by police.

The 15-year-old, known as Child Q, was strip searched by Metropolitan Police officers – who knew she was menstruating – at her school without another adult present.

The union said: “The NEU is appalled by the findings of the Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review into the treatment of Child Q. Students have a right to be treated respectfully and with dignity at all times and for their wellbeing and safety to be top priority.

“We extend our full sympathy and solidarity to Child Q and her family and echo their calls for this never to happen again.” PHOTO by Guy Smallman

‘Assessment that is an aid to learning’ PRIMARY educators are being urged to share their experiences of statutory assessment with a commission set up to evaluate the purpose and relevance of high-stakes tests such as SATs. The commission, which is being co-ordinated by the NEU, will also propose a new system of assessment more suited to children’s needs.

Speaking at its online launch in March, joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said: “Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi says he is driven by evidence. Will he appreciate the evidence we can produce about the negative effects of our school system?”

London primary teacher and commission member Megan Quinn said teachers carry out formative assessment all the time, but that a commission on high-stakes tests is “desperately needed”.

In a plea to members to contribute to its work, she said: “We have a lot of power as a collective. There is something we really need to challenge, which is that if you are anti the current forms of assessment, you’re not pro high standards.”

Currently, assessment is simply to provide data for the DfE. The Baseline testing this September hadn’t been useful for teachers and had interrupted children settling in, said Megan.

“These children have been through so much in the past couple of years and they had to do this assessment in quite a sterile, alien way.”

Commission co-chair and former primary teacher professor Alice Bradbury – who is based at the Institute of Education in London and has been researching assessment for 14 years – said the commission wanted to find a workable reform to the system.

“We don’t want to do away with assessment but have assessment that is an aid to learning rather than to simply provide data for the Department for Education,” she added.

Also speaking at the launch, Jill Robinson, of coalition More Than A Score,

presented findings from a new survey of more than a thousand heads, senior leaders and teachers. It found 92 per cent do not believe preparing for SATs helps learning, and one in three heads have been contacted by parents worried about the effects of SATs on their child’s wellbeing.

“Please write to your MP. It really is a numbers game,” she said. “It’s really important your voice is heard.”

More schools drop pension exit plan TWENTY-FIVE independent schools have been forced to drop plans to exit the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) after NEU members took strike action. Independent schools across the country are trying to leave the TPS, arguing that it will be unaffordable if the employer contribution increases when the scheme is re-evaluated next year.

n See feature on page 26

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Opinion

Calling time on 30 painful years of Ofsted NEU joint general secretary Mary Bousted argues it is time to end the tyranny of Ofsted.

OFSTED is 30 years old this year.

This is no cause for celebration for the generations of teachers and school leaders who have sweated under the yoke of its tyrannical inspection regime.

School leaders, whose future job prospects rest on getting a good Ofsted judgement, pass their terror down to teachers. The Ofsted inspection framework rules. Its decrees must be obeyed.

The problem for everyone involved in the whole sorry process is that Ofsted is unable to make up its mind about what it counts as evidence. Ofsted has run through five different inspection frameworks in nine years as it casts around for a methodology which it can defend as valid (that is, its inspections are a good measure of education quality), and reliable (that is, would two Ofsted teams inspecting the same school come to the same judgement about the quality of education it provides?).

How can judgements mean anything over time when the inspection framework changes every other year?

86% cite harmful workload and stress Of the NEU members who responded to our State of Education survey, 77 per cent disagreed with the statement that Ofsted contributes to school improvement. An incredible 86 per cent believe that Ofsted inspection introduces unreasonable or harmful levels of workload and stress. Seventy-six per cent think that Ofsted is not independent of Government.

These are shocking findings – but they are not surprising. Professional distrust of Ofsted has grown throughout the 30 years it has been in existence. The gulf between the profession and its inspectorate is now a chasm.

Dear reader, sometimes the self will intrude. So now let me confess that I am a survivor of 25 Ofsted inspections during the period in my career when I worked in departments of education at universities, training teachers.

Mary speaking at the NEU annual conference. Read more on pages 12-17

During that period of intensive and frequent inspection of initial teacher training courses, I am very willing to report that I did meet some excellent inspectors – ones that were thorough, reasonable, knew their subject and reported fairly and accurately.

The good, the bad and the incompetent But I also met too many inspectors with weak subject knowledge, with distant teaching experience, with poor analytical skills and terrible communication skills. I met too many inspectors who should have been nowhere near education – never mind inspecting education quality.

So, based on my own exhaustive professional experience, I am certain that Ofsted has major problems with quality control of its inspectors and that those problems go right up to the top – to Her Majesty’s Inspectors.

The problem for leaders and teachers is that they do not know which Ofsted team will turn up at their school gate. Could it be a team that knows what it is about, understands the context in which the school works, is prepared to listen and to come to a fair judgement?

Or could it be a team which has made up its mind before it enters the school gates?

A team which resolutely refuses to listen, and treats staff with disdain and contempt? I

PHOTO by Kois Miah

have heard of far too many Ofsted teams who behave unprofessionally and inappropriately.

I am now hearing of schools getting poor inspection judgements because selected pupils, under the glare of the inspectors’ gaze, are unable to recall facts they were taught over a year ago, in the middle of a pandemic.

Time to replace Ofsted The NEU believes that it is time to end the tyranny of Ofsted. And so we have launched our petition to replace Ofsted with a system of school accountability which is fair and reliable, and which works with teachers and leaders to support improvement in schools, in the local area and across the whole education system.

Please sign the petition (page 46) – it already has tens of thousands of signatures.

Let’s get it to hundreds of thousands and make the case for change so strong that it has to be heard.

It is time for teachers to regain their sense of professionalism. For teachers to be given the space to make informed choices about teaching and assessment methods which are suitable to the topic being taught and the pupils who are learning.

It is time for the profession to regain some confidence in the choices it makes – to regard accountability as something which is necessary and useful, rather than a terrible burden.

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Conference round-up Words by Sally Gillen and Max Watson. Photos by Kois Miah

It’s been too long… together again at last WITHIN 24 hours of its launch at annual conference in Bournemouth (11-14 April), the union’s Replace Ofsted: Let teachers teach petition had 17,000 signatures. As Educate went to press, more than 27,500 people had signed.

Ofsted topped the programme at this year’s event – the first in person for three years – with delegates debating the damage done by the inspectorate in its 30-year lifetime. Ofsted must go – that was the message delivered by speakers and it met with huge applause and cheers from the audience of 1,600 NEU members (page 13 and sign our petition on page 46).

An urgent motion was debated on the rights of children in schools, following the review into the Child Q scandal. Following the strip-searching of a Black 15-year-old girl who was menstruating, national executive member Jess Edwards asked: “How can we trust a police force like this?”

“We must fight for a fairer, properly funded future.”

Jenny Williams, Croydon The case should have been treated as a safeguarding concern not a criminal matter, said Jess: “Let Child Q be the moment we reflect on policing in schools.”

Zahra Bei from Brent said: “It’s not a oneoff – not just a few bad apples.” She called for schools to emphasise restorative justice practices.

Another urgent motion – on the Government’s White Paper on education – was moved by Megan Quinn from Camden.

She talked of the challenges faced by staff during Covid: of special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision; of child poverty. But she said the White Paper

“It’s brilliant. It’s just for me a big learning point. I was very nervous about speaking at first but it felt quite empowering afterwards. I definitely recommend it. You get a sense of unity. It builds your commitment to the union and the causes as well.”

Khedija Doukani from Waltham Forest, first-time delegate and speaker

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fails to acknowledge all of these concerns, instead focusing on structural reform to push all schools into multi-academy trusts (MATs) by 2030. “We saw the same push for academisation in 2016. We didn’t need or want academisation then, nor do we need or want it now,” she said. (see Kevin and Mary’s speech, pages 16-17).

SEND: fighting for a fair future Jenny Williams from Croydon proposed a motion, SEND – fighting for a fair future, denouncing a £2.5 billion shortfall in funding: “Money is at the heart of the problem.

We must fight for a fairer, properly funded education that our pupils, especially those with SEND, deserve.”

Latifa Abouchakra from Ealing said: “If they can ringfence money for military spending, they can ringfence money for SEND support.”

Workload and a national contract Delegates voted for the union to press the Government to remove clause 51.7 from the school teachers’ pay and conditions document (STPCD), which says: “A teacher must work such reasonable additional hours as necessary to enable effective discharge of a teacher’s professional duties.”

Proposer Gary McVeigh-Kaye of North Yorkshire said: “I’m calling on the NEU to

Conference 2022 online

For photos, debate and much more, go to #NEU2022 @NEUnion on Twitter.

DELEGATES voted overwhelmingly for a motion calling for Ofsted to be replaced.

The union will now establish an independent commission to report on the quality and reliability of Ofsted’s judgements, its effects on the education profession and on its pupils. The motion also calls on the NEU to campaign for a new system of collaborative support and accountability.

“The National Audit Office concluded in 2017 that Ofsted does not know whether its inspections are having an impact on raising standards. Ofsted is failing. Ofsted must go,” argued proposer Deirdre Murphy from Bedford.

“Of course, schools should be accountable, but schools should also speak for themselves. I have stood up at conference for several years calling for a framework of self-evaluation. We cannot wait much longer. Let’s get an independent commission involving classroom teachers. We can deep-dive Ofsted into far-off waters and drown this offensive, outdated practice.”

Seconding, north London primary teacher Jess Edwards said: “After 30 years, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone working in education with anything positive to say about Ofsted. And Ofsted can’t find anything positive to say about itself. It’s a damning indictment.

“We know what makes good teaching and learning. So, Ofsted, don’t tell us how to teach. We know how to teach. We love to teach. Ofsted must go.” lead the fight to try to remove this clause, ending once and for all that much-exploited ‘reasonable additional hours’ burden.

“Working excessive hours drives down the value of our wages and drives up the anxiety and stress that makes so many teachers leave our profession within five years of entering it.”

Paul Busby from North Yorkshire said: “Who decides what is reasonable? It’s entirely subjective and open to abuse.”

Fighting for support staff Members voted overwhelmingly to work with other unions to jointly organise campaigning on support staff issues, including a ten per cent pay rise. Proposer Tyrone Falls, a science technician and NEU rep, said the pandemic had taken a massive toll on support staff, adding that they are most impacted by the

cost-of-living crisis. “We are vital to the education sector and to our workplaces.

During the pandemic, it was support staff who kept schools open for vulnerable children and those of key workers. Without us, education institutions cannot function,” he argued.

South London librarian Kristabelle Williams said many support staff are on shockingly low pay and their jobs often the first to be cut. “We need to make the NEU a union for all education workers. There’s a strength from everyone in the same building being in the same union,” she said.

The audience broke into applause and cheers as Phil Lindsey from Newham said: “I stand in awe of every teacher in this room and the work you do, but I do not want your job, because I am proud of my job. And I’m proud to be an NEU member.”

Support libraries “One in eight schools doesn’t have a library,” said Laura Butterworth from Tameside, moving a motion to support libraries. Laura said staff regularly spend their own money on books for underfunded libraries. “Reading for pleasure has a positive impact on mental health. When faced with a situation when we need libraries most, we are falling short. We are not a luxury, we are a necessity,” she said.

Kristabelle added: “Books can also be a mirror – we can see our own lives, leading to self-affirmation.”

Fair assessment, SATS and phonics Proposer Vikki Fawcett from Durham asked why the assessment system is not moving with the times: “Ahead of the exams in a few weeks we’ve had people crying, parents worried. Our continued on page 14

JENNY Cooper from Brent moved a motion on the climate crisis, which cites the latest IPCC report that we are now at ‘Code Red’.

“There is nothing the Government and big business would love more than for educators to ignore the climate crisis and for us to carry on as normal,” Jenny said. “The results of inaction will be catastrophic. We are perilously close to tipping point.”

Sally Kincaid from Wakefield said: “This is not a crisis for the future, it’s a crisis now. We can’t leave it all to Extinction Rebellion activists; we need to take action now.”

Simon Shaw from Redbridge said: “If we get this wrong everything else becomes moot.” educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

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Conference continued from page 13

high-stakes system narrows the opportunities for many of our young people.”

“Our primary assessment system is broken,” said Theodore Whitworth of Southwark. He decried the “futility” of highstake summative tests, such as SATs, in schools.

Emma Rose of Warwickshire recalled how a ten-year-old boy vomited on a teacher during SATs. “The stakes are too high to get this wrong,” she said.

Anne Swift from North Yorkshire derided the Government’s obsession with a phonicsonly approach to reading in primary schools: “We need a holistic approach, with play-based learning. We need an inclusive model, focusing on reading for pleasure.”

Louise Regan from Nottingham said the phonics-only approach was a “narrow and dull view of reading. Children love books but we’re destroying their love of reading.”

Adult mental health in education Delegates voted to pass a motion on the growing level of mental illness among staff resulting from the pandemic and the “toxic brew” of unreasonable accountability, tests and funding cuts. The union will lead a campaign on challenging mental health stigma in the workplace and survey the whole membership on invisible injury and traumatic experiences.

Scott Lyons from Norfolk said: “Everybody knows there is a mental health crisis in schools but nothing is being done.”

Save vocational education Conference passed a motion calling on the union to campaign to save applied general qualifications, and to work with other unions to press the Association of Colleges to pressure individual colleges to respect pay deals.

Post-16 lecturer Duncan Blackie from Sheffield, who proposed the motion, said BTECs, which are 70 per cent of the work in further education (FE), offer second chances for working class people to find their way into the jobs they want.

“Pay is very serious for us,” he added.

“FE teachers are paid 30 per cent less than school teachers. We are fighting back – the pay

Decisions, decisions Building professional unity

The motion calls for further unity with teaching unions.

Coming out

Conference passed a motion calling on the union to create a guide to support staff coming out as LGBT+.

Conversion therapy

Conference passed a motion to extend the ban on conversion therapy – described by Amnesty International as a form of torture – to cover trans and non-binary people.

Defending workplace reps

Conference voted to boost support for reps targeted by their employers.

Education funding

The total shortfall in school funding is £1.6 billion compared with 2015-2016.

The motion called for a continued

claim in the FE sector is for ten per cent or a minimum of £2,000. We have an opportunity for schools and colleges to unite and fight.”

Windrush, BLM, anti-racist framework Dalian Adofo from Brent (below) moved a motion expressing “dismay at the ongoing injustices meted out to the Windrush generation and their families”.

The way the so-called motherland treated the Windrush generation is a “disgrace”, Dalian said. “England would be the type of mother you call social services on.”

Sharon John from Surrey said. “Windrush is synonymous with the hostile environment. If you tolerate this, your children will be next.”

Jodie Mallier-Ridley from Coventry moved a separate motion on anti-racism.

She said there was a deliberate attempt to sow division by the Government, which she denounced as “racist to the core”.

The motion called for a continued campaign to decolonise the curriculum.

Venda Premkumar from Redbridge said:

“Conference is amazing. The fact that we can meet each other and have in-depth discussions rather than just looking at a screen feels fantastic.

“I really loved the opportunity to speak and get my points across. I say to anyone willing to come to conference, it’s an important opportunity to get your voice heard.”

Dalian Adofo, Brent, first-time speaker

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campaign through the school cuts website and with other unions.

GCSE and A-levels

Conference voted to campaign for fundamental reform to assessment and qualifications at 16 and 18, and to produce materials calling for changes including: an end to norm-referenced GCSEs and A-levels, replacing them with criteria-based assessments; a reduced dependence on formal examinations; and a diversity of assessment methods, in particular moderated teacher assessment.

Long Covid

Conference voted to campaign for Long Covid to be named as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, and for the union to produce a model return-to-work risk assessment for members with the condition.

“Empowering students to become critical thinkers is the only way to build a better world for all of us.”

The union also launched its new antiracist framework at conference. It had been devised following a wide consultation.

Jenny Christopher from the Black members’ organising forum said: “Racism can be very complex and nuanced, and it’s largely invisible to white people because they don’t experience it. Racist incidents are not always overt.” She urged people to use the framework to engage members and pupils. She said she appreciates it can be a challenge and that most people want to help but don’t know how to.

Executive member Denise Henry said: “You can be guided by Black members but everybody has to take part. We need your support.”

Delegates passed a motion to campaign to reduce exclusions. The motion was proposed

by Judith Johnson from Hackney, who said the zero tolerance policies in some schools were wrong and damaging.

“All students are entitled to have access to a quality education, irrespective of race, ethnicity and culture,” she said. She added that pupils from some groups are excluded at a higher rate, including Black Caribbean, mixed heritage, Gypsy and Romany, and those of Irish traveller heritage.

Keith Smith from Telford and Wrekin said: “You might have problems in your

Fringe news

Mental health of caseworkers

n CLIMATE CRISIS Lisa Tunnell from north Derbyshire said the climate crisis can feel overwhelming, but referred to the millions of students who in 2019 protested against climate change during their school strikes. “The energy is still there – there is still hope,” she said.

Conference passed a motion to develop training for caseworkers in responding to the emotional needs of members, and strategies for protecting their own wellbeing.

Mothers in prison

Delegates voted for a motion calling for greater support for children whose mothers are in prison.

Subject leadership in schools

A motion was passed calling for teachers who are responsible for a subject to receive a TLR payment and time to complete duties, and to not be expected to prepare unnecessary paperwork for Ofsted.

Value Education,Value Educators A motion was moved that the union’s VEVE work is “a key strategy to challenge on a range of crises: workload, professional autonomy, accountability, assessment and more”.

classroom, but we are saying: deal with it as a school, deal with it in its totality, because not dealing with it doesn’t solve the problem. We have to say exclusion is not the answer.”

Disabled members A motion on pride and power for disabled members was moved by Colleen Johnson from the disabled members’ organising forum, who said there should be “nothing about us without us”. She urged members to self-identify as disabled as a position of “strength and pride”.

“Ultimately we see disabled members as a powerful, not a vulnerable group,” she said.

Challenging stereotypes, tackling porn Neil Dhanda from Redbridge moved a motion denouncing unchallenged stereotypical sexist and homophobic language in schools and colleges. Many staff don’t feel confident challenging such language and the motion calls for the union to provide dedicated CPD and best-practice examples. “Comments like ‘that’s gay’ are commonplace,” Neil said. “We need to take bullying seriously.”

Executive member Debs Gwynn said: “All of us in this room have a duty to fight discrimination or we let it happen.”

Michael Dance from Redbridge said he was “massively inspired” by the way staff had responded to the cancellation of a gay author event at John Fisher School in Croydon with a ballot for strike action (page 20): “How

THE founder of social enterprise Stemettes, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon (above), received the Fred and Anne Jarvis award this year. A leading advocate for increasing access to STEM subjects and careers for girls, Anne-Marie was the youngest girl ever to pass A-level computing and graduated with a masters degree in maths and computer science. She was nominated by Tower Hamlets NEU, in east London, as a “role model and inspiration to all girls, young women and non-binary people”. brilliant is it to see a strike over LGBT rights?”

Amy Fletcher from Tower Hamlets and the City moved a motion on tackling pornography. Pornography is laced with sexist, ableist and racist tropes, leading to damaging and degrading views of women, Amy said. She referred to research carried out by You Can’t Consent to This, which found 38 per cent of UK women under 40 had experienced unwanted slapping, spitting and strangulation during sex.

“As a union of over 70 per cent women, we must stake a stand against pornography,” she said.

Lisa Tunnel from north Derbyshire said pornography “contributes to violence against women” and the 51,000 testimonies on the Everyone’s Invited website “shows how prevalent misogyny is in schools.” She said we need a “holistic education to give a safe space for boys and girls to talk about their emotions”.

Poverty in coastal schools Moved by Lynne Naylor from East Riding, this motion highlighted the fact that poverty is more pronounced in coastal areas.

Opportunities are closed off to children simply because they can’t afford basic facilities.

Working class kids don’t get to university even if they’re bright. “It breaks my heart,” she said.

Eugene Doherty from Lancaster and Morecambe said: “Poverty is not a choice. It is not the fault of individuals. It is a political choice by politicians.” continued on page 16

n ANTI-ACADEMIES ALLIANCE The push for all schools to be in academy chains by 2030 was castigated by speakers at a fringe meeting hosted by the AntiAcademies Alliance. Mary Bousted said: “Like a balloon that has been pricked, the rate of academisation has gone from a torrent to a trickle.”

Julie Copeland, NEU rep at St Matthew’s in Preston, spoke about their 13 days of strike action against academisation: “Did we win? No. But we felt like we hadn’t lost because we stood up for something we believe in and we have bargaining power we didn’t have before.” n CUBA SOLIDARITY The Cuba Solidarity Campaign fringe featured Cuban trade union leader Niurka González Orberá. She said that schools faced a lack of materials due to the US blockade, leading to shortages of Braille machines and wheelchairs, for example. She thanked delegates for their support of the Viva La Educación appeal: “We ask for your support and to tell the truth that the blockade is real.” n STOP THE WAR Alex Kenny from the NEU executive chaired a Stop the War fringe meeting on Ukraine. The meeting heard from Yuri, a Ukrainian pacifist, who condemned “teaching children to meet violence with violence”. He said: “When we refuse to kill we challenge dystopias. We need to teach pacifism.”

Daniel Kebede said he was proud the NEU was affiliated to the Stop the War coalition and stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Kevin Courtney said: “We need talks, ceasefires and diplomatic solutions now that stops the killing.” n STAND UP TO RACISM This fringe featured speakers Diane Abbot MP and Gus John, activist and author. Gus said we need a coalition of students, parents and teachers to fight racism and “to give us the country we deserve.”

Conference round-up

continued from page 15

‘People like you make me confident we can win’ ANGER, pride and hope. In a speech packing an emotional punch, NEU president Daniel Kebede opened the union’s annual conference by taking aim at the Government.

“This is a Government which, while you were working through lunches to keep bubbles going, while your workload was rocketing, while you were juggling teaching online and in-person, was sipping wine and eating cheese on the patio of Downing Street.”

He blasted its failure to tackle the many problems affecting education – child poverty, fair pay, an accountability system not fit for purpose and an assessment system that does not put the needs of children and young people first.

On child poverty, Daniel tearfully recalled the struggles in his own childhood, before declaring: “Things should be different now, but the reality is they’re so much worse.

“If our education secretary was evidence based, he would provide the £15 billion outlined by Sir Kevan Collins for Covid recovery and ensure adequate funding for all schools and colleges during this crisis.”

NEU president Daniel Kebede at conference

Educators are facing a choice between eating and heating, as the cost-of-living crisis – on top of a decade of wage cuts – bites, Daniel said.

His anger gave way to pride as he went on to reel off a list of wins by union members over the past year – including those at the Girls’ Day School Trust who fought off their employer’s attempt to fire and rehire them

(pages 26-27). “You’ve shown me how we can win,” he said.

“I’m confident we can reorganise education and reorganise society in the interests of our children and of our class. And friends, it is you and people like you who make me confident.

“Conference, the decisions on how we fight back lie with you.”

Kevin highlights holes in White Paper…

NEU joint general secretaries Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney addressed the final session of conference, saying: “We can build from strength. If we are united, if we are focused, if we are determined, then we can achieve great things.”

Mary derided the Government White Paper on education: “After 12 years in power, the Government wants to convince us that it is full of drive, determination and zeal and that its reform agenda is as fresh as a daisy.

“But the White Paper fails on all those fronts. It is a shoddy piece of work with no new ideas, other than to carry on grimly with structural reform which evidence clearly shows has failed in its aims to transform educational standards.”

NEU analysis shows the Government’s evidence for forcing schools into MATs is badly flawed, said Mary: “It systematically misreported Ofsted grades for many schools, claiming that improved grades were a result

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of being in a MAT when those grades were achieved by local authority schools.”

Kevin added: “The whole premise of the education White Paper is founded on fantasy. This Government paper is truly a statistics scandal.” He said the NEU would be writing to every councillor, every head teacher, every chair of governors to urge them “to resist this siren call for yet more structural change”.

Haemorrhaging teachers

The biggest hole in the White Paper, said Kevin, “is that we simply do not have enough teachers… Our education system is haemorrhaging teachers.” Applications for teacher training are in “freefall”.

The NEU’s State of Education survey asked members about their working lives.

“The results are shocking,” said Kevin.

Forty-four per cent of respondents said they will no longer be working in education

Labour: Ofsted must turn a corner BRIDGET Phillipson MP (left), Shadow Secretary of State for Education, was a guest speaker.

To a mixed reception, she said Labour would reform rather than replace Ofsted: “Because we want schools to be better, we need to know where the support to achieve that belongs.

Which schools, which parts of the system, which areas. And that means inspection.”

The previous day, delegates had voted to campaign to replace Ofsted (page 13), leading

some to heckle her speech. But she said Labour would improve the inspection regime: “It’s time for Ofsted to turn a corner. To be supportive of inspection is not to believe it cannot be better.”

She acknowledged that the way Ofsted operates “makes teachers, leaders and lecturers too often feel punished rather than supported”.

“Getting the best out of people means respecting their professionalism and supporting improvement, as well as challenging their performance,” she said.

She denounced the Government’s White Paper as “hollow” of ideas and paid tribute to educators: “I want to thank you today, for all that you did, and all that you are doing.”

Pay ballot if 8% demand not met DELEGATES voted for a national ballot for industrial action on pay if the union’s demands for an eight per cent pay rise for teachers are not met.

In a lively debate, delegates heard that teachers at the top of their scale are now £7,000 a year worse off than in 2010.

Paul Gillett, Warwickshire branch secretary, said: “Educators work hard inside the classroom but outside many are increasingly struggling. Many of us are just

about managing, despite the incredibly important job we do.

“Support this motion so young teachers can see in front of them a pathway to match their ambitions, and allow them to progress without having to constantly worry about pay.

“I know of valuable members of staff who left because they couldn’t manage on the low pay anymore. They cried as they left their schools – experienced staff forced to leave the job they love.”

Fringe news n SEND GREEN PAPER Teacher Leigh Seedhouse from Oxfordshire said of the Green Paper: “It seems to suggest that behaviour is a sickness that can be cured in six weeks. Throughout this whole paper there is absolutely no exploration of behaviour as a response.” n WELSH CURRICULUM Delegates found out how schools can rise to the challenges of an ethnocentric curriculum, climate change and inclusion at a session chaired by Welsh executive member Mairead Canavan.

Information about a new resource commemorating the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre was also presented. n PRIMARY ASSESSMENT Teachers on the new independent commission on primary assessment urged others to share their experiences. Commission co-chair and assessment expert Dominic Wyse said: “A big issue for me is pedagogy; now you can’t even teach the way you want to because you’re told how to teach.” Attendees also debated the frustrations of being forced to use phonics to teach children to read, with several saying the method is particularly problematic for dyslexic children.

… while Mary blasts tyranny of Ofsted in five years’ time due to excessive and intensive workload.

“This is the most serious problem our children are facing – there are not enough teachers entering the profession. Those that do leave, leave far too early – burned out by overwork and exhausted by intense and unremitting stress.”

Mary said the Government White Paper seeks to resolve excessive workload ‘where it still exists’ with a staff wellbeing charter: “What an insult – completely inadequate to the scale of the problem.”

‘We are against tyranny’

Mary pointed the finger of blame at Ofsted: “An agency which terrifies school leaders, and they pass their terror down to teachers.

None of us here is against accountability.

But we are against tyranny. It’s time to end the tyranny of Ofsted.”

Kevin urged members to sign the newly

launched replace Ofsted petition: “Let’s get hundreds of thousands of people to sign it.”

Kevin and Mary celebrated the victories of members in schools and colleges. “These victories give us hope,” said Mary. “Hope that things can be different.”

Mary reminded delegates it had been three years since we were last all physically together and during that time we have learned new ways of reaching out to members – on 3 January 2021, more than 400,000 people joined a meeting on Zoom.

“The union became central to our members’ lives during Covid,” she said. “We have to work to make the union important to members after Covid.”

Kevin added: “We have shown that there is power in a union – and power in the NEU. We must harness this power, direct it and make it work for our members, and through them for children and young people who have suffered so much in the pandemic.”

News in brief Holiday grants available GRANTS of up to £300 are available for teachers of limited means to help them pay for a convalescence break.

The Lucy Lund Holiday Grants, a charity established in 1927, is seeking applications from retired members – particularly those who retired early on grounds of ill health and have an annual pension income of less than £15,000. Teachers who are in temporary severe financial difficulty because of prolonged illness may also be eligible.

Application forms are available from The Secretary, The Lucy Lund Holiday Grants, Little Hoe Farm House, Paradise Lane, Bishops Waltham, Hampshire SO32 1NU.

Touring exhibition about role of Black classicists comes to UK A FREE exhibition celebrating the role and historic contribution of African American classicists during the 19th and 20th centuries is being offered to schools in the UK. Black Classicists: A Mural Mosaic, curated by Michele Ronnick, a professor of classics, has toured extensively in the US. It will open for the first time in the UK at St Gabriel’s School in Newbury, Berkshire, after Marc Ives, head of classics at the school, asked to display it.

“The exhibition came about because a GCSE class was following closely the George Floyd case and asked about colour with regards to the ancient world,” Marc told Educate.

NEU advisers tell minister of educators’ workload and stress SHADOW Schools Minister Stephen Morgan MP visited the NEU’s AdviceLine office (above) to hear from our advisers and members directly about their reasons for leaving the profession.

NEU staff recounted the typical calls they get every day from members who are faced with unsustainable workloads, an increase in pupil behavioural issues and stress resulting from staff shortages.

There was a discussion about how individual issues members experience are all linked to a lack of funding and accountability pressures created by Ofsted. Staff explained the fundamental 18

changes to the make-up of the workforce as more teachers are pushed out of the profession.

Stephen also spoke to a member on the phone who had left teaching after nearly a decade, citing excessive workload and other changes impacting on their wellbeing, such as shorter lunch breaks.

Stephen praised the work of the union in supporting members and agreed to continue to work with the NEU to tackle workload, accountability and funding. n Contact the AdviceLine on 0345 811 8111

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“We thought it was a necessary response to a legacy of classics being elitist, exclusionary and overwhelmingly white. It gives pupils a chance to see that the world of classics has been historically much more diverse than people realise.” n Email classicsexhibition@stgabriels.co.uk

TV star tells students: autism made me more determined SEND students at Laleham Gap School in Kent received a virtual visit from West End and TV star Connor Curren for a Q&A on acting and autism.

The hour-long session took place with students who have autism or speech and language difficulties.

Connor, who is himself autistic, is playing the lead role of Christopher, an autistic teenager, in the West End hit The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Connor shared with students that, as a teenager, he had found coping with some aspects of his autism hard, but he was now able to see what an “asset” it is. He explained it made him more determined and focussed and he probably saw things differently to neurotypical actors. This, he felt, gave him an edge.

The Q&A session was organised by post-16 teacher Mr Ursell, who said: “It is so important for my students to see that people with Asperger’s, autism or other communication issues can be successful and live fulfilling lives.”

Connor said afterwards: “It was lovely chatting to the students. They had such great questions and it was interesting hearing their perspective.

“I really want them to find the thing they love and go for it. For me, it was acting. For them it can be whatever they love.” n Read our feature on neurodiverse teachers on page 28

National officers’ elections THE NEU is pleased to announce that Emma Rose has been elected as senior vice-president (elect), Phil Clarke as junior vice-president (elect) and Louise Regan as membership and equalities officer. Hazel Danson was re-elected (unopposed) as national treasurer.

They will take up their roles in September 2022.

Bigger picture AN NEU member striking in defence of her Teachers’ Pension Scheme at Forest School in Waltham Forest, north London.

The school union group took four days’ strike action earlier this year until the employer backed down.

See feature on page 26-27.

Photo by Jess Hurd

News 43% of sporty girls quit as teens A LACK of self-belief and fear of being judged are leading to young girls disengaging from physical exercise, according to new research.

A survey of 4,000 young girls and boys by charity Women in Sport found that 43 per cent of teenage girls who described themselves as ‘sporty’ at primary school have since disengaged from physical exercise, compared with just 24 per cent of boys.

The charity estimates this would equate to 1.3 million girls across the UK. Sixty-eight per cent of these girls said they no longer exercised because they felt others were judging them, while 61 per cent lacked confidence and 43 per cent reported not feeling safe outside. All girls said exercising while on their period was challenging.

Women in Sport is calling for the sport, leisure and education sectors to give girls choice and control to feel empowered, bring a sense of adventure and discovery, and take the pressure off performance and winning. n Visit bit.ly/3tDOT4U

NEU members at John Fisher School in Croydon at a lunchtime protest. They were balloted for strike action after their employer, Southwark Archdiocese, cancelled a visit by gay author Simon James Green and removed members of the school’s governing body. NEU regional officer John Friend said the decision “sets a terrible precedent for LGBT+ rights and representation at the school”.

‘Small changes make a big difference’ SIMPLE, cost-free changes in the workplace can make a huge difference to women struggling with menopause symptoms.

That was one of the key messages of the NEU’s fringe session Making menopause matter at work at the TUC women’s conference (9-11 March).

“Sometimes it is the small adjustments that make the difference and being in a workplace where the menopause is spoken about openly makes a huge difference,” said Sarah Vaughan, NEU branch and district secretary in Cheshire East.

For example, at one school the nylon tabards worn by cleaning staff were abandoned because for some women the material exacerbated menopause symptoms.

Other schools make sanitary products, soaps and deodorants freely available in the toilets, said Sarah, who helped the NEU develop its policy (neu.org.uk/menopause), which was launched on World Menopause Day on 18 October 2019.

The psychological and physical 20

“Treatment related to the menopause can be unlawful discrimination.” symptoms of the menopause, which are wideranging in type and severity, include memory problems, hot flushes, anxiety and depression, continence problems and fatigue.

Sandra Bennett, who is based in the NEU’s employment rights unit, said that, as an equality and occupational health issue affecting a significant proportion of the education workforce, menopause is a trade union issue. Treatment related to the menopause can amount to unlawful discrimination on the grounds of sex, age and/ or disability, said Sandra, who helped devise the union’s menopause toolkit.

Ivy Scott, a member of the Black organising forum in the eastern region, said

educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

that six out of ten women say the menopause has had a negative impact on their life.

Ivy, who is holding meetings to raise awareness of the issues around menopause, added that the union needs to do more to find out about the experiences of Black women.

Portrayal of women in the media Chair of the NEU’s women’s organising forum Heather McKenzie seconded a motion on femicide, proposed by entertainment union Equity.

The motion, which was passed, called on the TUC to assess and challenge the portrayal of women in media images, and in the stereotypical storytelling of women’s lives.

It also called for work with the TUC to: n demand the Government listen and urgently act to tackle the societal issue of women’s safety n commit adequate funding for re-education n support the work of Equity in calling on production companies across the entertainment industry to take an active stance against the discriminatory portrayal of women.

Michael Rosen

The New Reality Words by Michael Rosen Illustration by Dan Berry

How worrying it must be to be in power when children watch the news hour by hour.

Take as one example the lockdown time, when a breach of the rules, earned you a fine; you and your family didn’t have ‘dos’, kept all meetings, down to twos; missed out on seeing Gramps and Nan you did what was best, as part of the plan.

Then you turn on your TV and you quickly hear that those in power, only last year, were gathering together - women and men for drinks and laughs, at Number 10.

But hold it right there! There is much concern

that children, knowing this, might speak out of turn.

Horror of horrors! Children have written letters that seem to criticise their powerful betters letters written by children, in their schools about those who broke the lockdown rules.

Luckily, the response has been sharp and clear from those in power who bend our ear.

Such letters will have no place in the new reality we must, in future, show political impartiality.

Union people

Our thanks to you all National officer of the year

Every year at annual conference the NEU awards to celebrate outstanding reps and Educate congratulates them all.

Annie Higdon award Kiri Tunks (right), former NEU president and London secondary teacher

Yvonne Hardman (above), membership secretary and LGBT+ officer at Durham NEU

“Yvonne is the whole reason I joined the NEU,” says one of her many nominators, Alexandra Summerson. “As an LGBT+ disabled woman I’ve often felt unheard and unwanted. Yvonne has showed me that within the NEU, not only is my voice heard but I’m able to make a difference to other members.”

Yvonne has set up an LGBT+ network, and has been involved in a number of campaigns including Help a Child to Learn.

Yvonne says she’s privileged to have been nominated: “Thanks to all my dysfunctional union family in Durham, Northern region and, of course, all of my extended rainbow siblings. Everything that I do is part of a larger team and I look forward to continuing to engage members, organise strong workplaces and campaign for inclusion and equality both in the union and in our communities.”

Steve Sinnott award Alpha Kane (right), international solidarity officer, Brent NEU Alpha discovered the true meaning of international solidarity in 1978, as a delegate to the XI World Youth and Student Festival for peace and friendship in Havana, where more than 2,500 young people gathered to express support for each other’s struggles, he recalls.

Today, as part of his work to strengthen the NEU’s international solidarity links, Alpha is researching the Cuban education system. He says he is “truly honoured” to receive this award given in honour of former NUT general secretary Steve Sinnott.

“Steve said we can’t teach global citizenship in our classrooms without attempting to practice it ourselves; and we can’t encourage pupils to show courage and advocate human rights without us supporting those people who show those qualities themselves. That was his response to why we, as teachers in the UK, busy in our daily challenges in school, should get involved in the causes of teachers so far away.”

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Former NEU president (2018) and teacher Kiri Tunks was nominated for her contribution as an “absolute leader” in challenging sexism and engaging women in the union movement.

Highlights include her contribution to It’s just everywhere, the union’s 2017 publication exposing the extent of sexism in schools. A groundbreaking report, produced with charity UK Feminista, it highlighted the scale of the problem years before national media focussed on the Everyone’s Invited movement.

Kiri has since organised a one-day sexism in schools conference for members in London, which was so successful it has been replicated in other regions. And she organised the very successful women’s fringe meeting at the online annual conference 2021, bringing together all previous winners of this award and helping to build and inspire other leaders in the union.

Kiri says: “It’s an honour to follow previous winners who have done exemplary work in challenging sexism.

I’m proud to be part of a union which is actively working to remove barriers and change the culture for women and girls in education, the labour movement and wider society.”

Union people Blair Peach award Katie Spencer-Matthews, teacher, Yorkshire, and Robin Tear, teacher, London (below)

presents officers.

Rep of the year Carla Topham and Roisin Kelly (above), Langley School, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands Carla and Roisin have achieved profound change in their workplace. Their successes on workload, directed time and Covidrelated health and safety concerns involving cleanliness, ventilation and heating have made the pair a model for best practice for NEU reps everywhere.

Fallon Hayes, a teacher at Langley and one of their many nominators, says: “The school has completely changed in the 18 months since Carla and Roisin have been our reps. They have guided us through industrial action and got the outcomes we desired to make Langley a better place to work.”

Responding to their award win, Roisin and Carla say: “We are both very shocked and grateful. When we started out as reps, we were just hoping to increase the union voice in school and make a difference for our members and children. We are very thankful for the opportunities that have been given to us and the support provided by the NEU, specifically the Birmingham branch and our joint deputy general secretary Shirley Perry.”

As a co-ordinator for the west Yorkshire Care4Calais group since November 2020, Katie has worked tirelessly, organising networks of volunteers across Home Office hotels and dispersal accommodation. She has even converted her garage into a small distribution warehouse.

Nationally, she has challenged the Home Office over the poor food provided by its contracted private company to run the hotels, and has also managed to get young refugees into school and college. She was nominated for the Blair Peach award by Wakefield NEU “to recognise all her hard work and infectious enthusiasm”. Blair Peach was an NUT activist killed on an anti-racist march in 1979.

Katie says: “I am regularly appalled by the hostile and downright racist actions of our Government. I, like many others, have been compelled to stand up for and give voice to the incredible humans that reach our shores.

“I am delighted that the work Care4Calais volunteers are doing is being spotlighted by this year’s Blair Peach award and I’m delighted to win alongside Robin. What an honour.”

Nikki Simpson award Sarah Murphy (left), teacher and Gloucestershire NEU district and branch secretary

Chemistry teacher Sarah Murphy is “completely thrilled” to be recognised for changing people’s lives through union learning.

Her award is given in honour of Nikki Simpson, an exceptionally talented and passionate learning and development organiser and the first person to receive the TUC’s union learning rep award, who died from pancreatic cancer aged 48.

As well as handling a substantial amount of casework, Sarah enjoys planning training and conferences for members. In 2021, she organised a rep weekender and in June there will be a support staff conference.

“Thank you to the regional office for its support in organising these events,” she says. “I know that members thoroughly enjoy the variety of speakers we have in Gloucestershire, and I am sure that this is one of the reasons that membership and involvement in the NEU is so buoyant in the county.” educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

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Book a holiday and 10% of the total cost will be paid back to all teachers

Our tempting collection of award-winning escorted tours and luxury European river cruises will offer all the inspiration you require for your next break from school, whether you’re looking forward to exploring some of Europe’s most cultured cities or planning ahead for a bucket list adventure.

With limited 2022 availability, make sure you book early to secure your preferred school holiday escape.

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Opinion

Cartoon by Tim Sanders

Schools cracking the whip over Covid absences Warwick Mansell

is a freelance education journalist and founder/writer of educationuncovered. co.uk

DOES England’s education system get the balance right between pressure and support?

Sadly, I have long believed the answer is “no”, with national ambitions which few would object to – such as the need for all pupils to do well at school, and achievement gaps to close – bleeding into stress on both children and adults that is counterproductive.

Personal experience of this came our way recently, on receipt of a letter from our children’s primary school about their attendance. Both had missed two or three days for genuine sickness, in three months, with one child also missing another six days due to Covid.

Yet the letter did not mention Covid.

It seemed not to take into account that coronavirus had caused some of the absence.

Instead, it quoted attendance rates which were

below average and informed us that court action and a penalty notice could be triggered if “attendance continues to drop”.

This was a shock, from a school that in the past has provided great levels of support, and where kindness is rightly emphasised.

The letter had the feeling of having been automatically generated, yet it brought up questions as to what pressures were on the school that it had been produced without any contextual communication with us, and why potential punishments had been mentioned so quickly.

What would be the impact on parents who are really struggling, we wondered?

How are families meant to cope if anxiety created by the schooling experience is fuelling absences? Will punishment help?

It seems, after I tweeted a question about whether this was occurring in other schools, that this letter, while not the norm, was not that unusual, either. Sadly, it was also clear that this is very much the mild end of less-than-positive experiences some people have had.

Several Twitter responders wrote of having been interviewed by police under caution “for non-attendance during the pandemic”. One

parent wrote of being “threatened with three months in jail” after deciding not to send her daughter into school, which she said was not “safe” because of Covid. Stories have emerged throughout the pandemic of children being under pressure to attend school despite family members being clinically vulnerable.

I hear of these experiences and think, along with many others, that education in England needs a reset following the strain of the last two years. Or should we just hope to return to ‘normal’?

This seems to be the Government’s hope, with Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi having written to head teachers last November warning them of the importance of improving attendance and that they should “make full use of enforcement actions where appropriate”.

Of course attendance is important.

But, as an NEU survey found last year, so is a nurturing approach to the recovery, with nearly two thirds of respondents believing mental health was a low priority for the Government.

Surely we need to consider all of the pressures on children and their families, before we start routinely adding to them?

educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

25

Interview Feature A hike in employer contributions means many independent schools are trying to leave the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS). But they have a fight on their hands – members are striking to protect a key part of their remuneration.

A pension is not a per “EGG, milk, sugar and flour, teachers have all the power!”

Protesting to save their teachers’ pension, NEU members on the picket line outside Putney High School on pancake day were among 1,200 teachers employed by the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) who took action.

Mostly women, the teachers joined pickets at the GDST’s 23 schools in England and Wales over six strike days in February and March. Together, they made the attack on their pension national news.

The strikes – the first in the trust’s 149-year history – took place alongside

“It’s unbelievable that the employer just expected staff to accept losing their TPS.” high-profile action in central London.

Some 300 members gathered outside GDST’s head office in Victoria, and in neighbouring Westminster, 500 members, with representatives of all 23 schools, made Parliament Square their home. They were joined on the green by 30 MPs and a member of the House of Lords. Over 25,000 people viewed their live Twitter stream.

By mid-March, the GDST had backed down. Kester Brewin, an NEU rep and teacher at Sydenham High School in south London, said: “We are deeply saddened that the offer to honour our contractual entitlement to the TPS and rescind the threat to fire and rehire us was only made after six days of industrial action.

“All of this disruption, damage to reputation, and trust and confidence between teachers and GDST could have been avoided.

There is a huge amount of active work that

must now be done by GDST to rebuild staff trust and confidence.”

There is also the “fundamentally wrong” decision by the GDST to close the scheme to future teachers, he added.

“It will adversely affect the schools’ ability to recruit quality teachers in the future, who are likely to join competitor independent schools offering the TPS or state schools.”

The action by members at GDST grabbed headlines, partly because of its sheer scale, but the trust is just one of many independent sector employers trying to deny teachers what is a key part of their remuneration package.

The move has been prompted by the increase in the employer contribution to the scheme from 16 to 23 per cent in September, which schools say makes it unaffordable.

They also fear another increase when the Government re-evaluates the scheme, which was due to happen in 2023 but has been delayed until 2024 because of the pandemic.

Opt out of TPS – or it’s fire and rehire At the 600-year-old Ipswich School, staff became the first ever to strike when they took three days of action in March after being threatened with fire and rehire if they did not agree to new contracts opting out of the TPS. As with the GDST action, it took the intervention of Acas to settle the dispute.

Words by Sally Gillen Photos by Ben Broomfield, Stephen Chung, Natasha Hirst, Rehan Jamil, 26

educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

rk NEU members on picket lines and marches around the country, fighting to save their pensions – from Nottingham to Notting Hill; from Wales to Westminster

Ipswich and South Suffolk district secretary Craig Tournay-Godfrey, who supported the union’s 54 members, says governors were taken aback by how many staff had been prepared to go on strike.

“It’s unbelievable that the employer should have just expected staff to accept losing their TPS,” he says.

Teachers will remain in the TPS, and those starting from September can also join.

But it isn’t all good news. New starters will be required to sign a variation of contract letter that says if the employer contribution to TPS increases to 27 per cent or above they will sign

Kois Miah and Carmen Valino

a new contract agreeing to leave the scheme.

“That will put teachers off joining that school, if they want to stay in the TPS,” argues Craig. “I don’t think the school understood how important the TPS is to teachers.”

If the 27 per cent “trigger point” is reached, the school will enter negotiations with the union on whether the TPS is affordable.

“We are really pleased that the staff, who have taken a stand, have made the school change its plans,” he says. For now, at least, teachers will keep their pension.

TPS success at 60 independent schools Members at more than 60 independent schools have successfully defeated their employer’s proposals to deprive them of the

TPS. Usually, however, the employer only backs down when strike action is threatened.

Members have learned that success comes from a strong collective union response, acting early, and the leverage of the threat of industrial action.

Three strike days at Forest School, in east London (see page 19), saw off the threat to the TPS. Staff are “jubilant”, says NEU rep Pablo Phillips, who, along with his joint branch secretary Sandra Faria, supported staff.

“The TPS success at Forest School has triggered a strike wave,” he says. “Members at other schools in the area are looking at it and thinking if you can have success at an independent school, you can succeed anywhere.” n Visit neu.org.uk/protecting-pensions

educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

27

Interview Feature

Vive la différence

Around one in seven people in the UK are neurodivergent.

And while educators find lots of ways to support their neurodivergent pupils, they are often reluctant to ask for help themselves, Emily Jenkins reports.

The Umbrella project, celebrating neurodiversity and ADHD awareness Liverpool, 2019 & 2021 Photo by Iordanis

Feature NEURODIVERSITY refers to the different ways the brain interprets information and includes conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

All are considered disabilities under the Equality Act 2010, which means employers are required to make reasonable adjustments to support employees in carrying out their job.

However, educators are often unwilling to ask for support, despite finding many ways to support their neurodiverse pupils.

‘Don’t want to be seen as a nuisance’ “Of course everyone deserves to be supported in their work environment, but at the same time you don’t want to be seen as a nuisance,” says Charlotte Barnes-Thomas, a design and technology teacher from Walthamstow in east London.

Charlotte has dyspraxia, a condition that affects movement and co-ordination.

A self-described “bull in a china shop”, Charlotte says: “I’m constantly bruised.

Only today I walked into a vice.”

She is a slow reader and sometimes muddles up words. Dyspraxia also affects her short-term memory, meaning that even small changes to things like her timetable have to be written down and transferred to her longterm memory. “Organisation is a big thing for me, as I need extra time to get things into my head. If a meeting room changes at the last minute, I have to write it down,” she says.

Charlotte has developed strategies to make sure she can do her job – such as

Know your rights UNDER section 20 of the Equality Act 2010, neurodiverse conditions includingdyslexia, dyspraxia and autism are considered a disability.

If you have a disability which disadvantages you at work, or when you want to apply for a job, employers are obliged to make adjustments which are reasonable in order to prevent you from being placed at a substantial disadvantage compared with persons who are not disabled. neu.org.uk/advice/ reasonable-adjustments-work

(From left) Charlotte Barnes-Thomas, Mallainee Martin and Hannah Lawrence

keeping her timetable on her lanyard and having multiple copies – but, despite the added pressures her neurodiversity brings to her daily life, she is reluctant to approach her employer for adjustments.

“You have to start the conversation, and that’s quite nerve-wracking. You are always taking a leap to see how people will react to you being different to other people,” she says.

‘Never occurred to me to ask’ Many neurodiverse educators don’t even realise they can ask for support. Mallainee Martin and Hannah Lawrence are teachers at the same secondary school in London, and both have dyslexia. As well as causing problems with reading, writing and spelling, dyslexia can also affect memory, organisational and numerical skills. Around ten per cent of the UK population has dyslexia.

“It has never occurred to me that I can ask for reasonable adjustments,” says Hannah, a science teacher who wasn’t diagnosed until she was in her late twenties.

Her colleague Mallainee, who is head of geography, agrees: “I guess I never considered myself neurodiverse. I think there’s a lot of stigma and misunderstanding around dyslexia.”

Many neurodiverse staff are so used to developing their own coping strategies – even if these take up additional time or labour in their day – that they are unsure what to ask for from their employer, or feel that they don’t have a right to ask for more time or support.

As people with invisible disabilities, they feel they don’t have the same right to support as colleagues with visible disabilities.

More time needed Being neurodiverse can compound the time, workload and accountability pressures all educators struggle with. Despite being an excellent mathematician, Hannah struggles with mental maths, so for each lesson she needs two hours to prepare a PowerPoint presentation with all answers worked out in advance. This means she is often working late into the night putting her lessons together.

“Dyslexic people are given more time in exams, but not in the workplace,” says Hannah. For Mallainee, marking homework is very time-consuming, and other writing related tasks take much longer. “I’ve just had to write a letter to parents and it’s taken me two weeks to draft,” she says.

These added pressures can create strain.

The International Dyslexia Association says that as many as 20 per cent of children with dyslexia also suffer from depression and another 20 per cent suffer from an anxiety disorder. Half of all autistic people regularly suffer high levels of anxiety and half will be affected by depression at some point in their life, according to the National Autistic Society (see Suzanne’s story, page 31).

Charlotte confesses that she can often suffer from anxiety: “You’re under a huge amount of stress because you’re having to put more effort into everyday tasks.” continued on page 31

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29

Primary, secondary & send Schools

"Taking part in the festival has been truly life-changing" Harriet, Teacher-Director

Feature continued from page 29 Mallainee agrees: “Things accumulate over time. At least once a half term I’ll have a massive breakdown.”

Inspiring their pupils in many ways Despite the challenges neurodiverse educators can face, for employers they bring many benefits. Neurodiverse people are known to be creative thinkers and, because they have often had to do it for themselves, are extremely good at breaking down complicated ideas, concepts or problems for their students.

Having a neurodiverse teacher can also inspire students and allow those with their own neurodiversities to feel less isolated. “I am quite vocal with the kids that having a difficulty doesn’t impair your ability to be successful,” says Mallainee, who also has a speech impediment. “The children laugh, but I explain it’s important to bear in mind that when someone does something that’s a bit strange, it’s not necessarily funny and there could be an underlying reason.”

Sadly, because of workload Hannah has decided to leave the profession at the end of the year. However, for the many neurodiverse educators remaining, it’s important to understand your rights and the support and adjustments you are entitled to (see below).

Mallainee herself is aware of the irony: “It’s funny, we spend so much time thinking about what the students need, but not what we, as staff, need.”

Need more help? n NEU AdviceLine 0345 811 8111 or email adviceline@neu.org.uk

n Visit neu.org.uk/disability and neu.org.uk/send

n Ambitious About Autism

ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk

n National Autistic Society autism.org.uk

n British Dyslexia Association bdadyslexia.org.uk

n The Dyslexia Association dyslexia.uk.net

n Dyspraxia UK dyspraxiauk.com n ADHD Foundation

adhdfoundation.org.uk

n Tourettes Action

tourettes-action.org.uk

‘I didn’t really know who I was anymore’ “I ALWAYS knew I was different.

I struggled to connect with people and I found it difficult to fit in,” explains Suzanne Clarke (left), who is autistic.

Suzanne worked as a behaviour management and safeguarding lead at a school in Hertfordshire, before becoming a training consultant for the National Autistic Society (NAS).

Autism is a lifelong disability which affects how people communicate and interact. According to the NAS, there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. Like many autistic people Suzanne has difficulties interpreting both verbal and non-verbal language like gestures or tone of voice, making it difficult to navigate the social world. When she was young she developed a coping mechanism called ‘masking’, where she would mimic the behaviours of others, or hide her own behaviours, in order to fit in.

“I would behave in a way that I thought was ‘acceptable’. I became a chameleon and learned to hide all of my difficulties to a point where I didn’t really know who I was anymore.”

Masking may include forcing facial expressions, copying gestures and mannerisms, pre-preparing conversation topics or jokes, and imitating eye contact.

Particularly common in girls and women, masking is thought to be one of the reasons why three times more men than women are diagnosed as autistic.

Suzanne was so adept at masking that she wasn’t diagnosed until she was 38. However, the pressures of masking took their toll and she experienced several mental breakdowns.

“It’s draining. The older you get, the mental list of behaviours you think you should do or avoid doing becomes bigger and more complex. I think eventually anyone would collapse under that pressure of trying to do everything right when you just can’t ever be yourself.”

When she was finally diagnosed –

accidentally, by a psychology student after years of misdiagnosis – she describes finding out as “a huge relief”.

But she also felt a lot of anger that her condition had been missed for so long.

Suzanne applied for the role of behaviour manager a few years after her diagnosis, disclosing her condition in her application and talking about it in her personal statement. “People need to learn about autism. I thought the reason my autism was missed for so long is because there’s so little awareness of it.”

Suzanne believes being autistic helped in her role at school. She was able to identify and support neurodiverse students in a way that many neurotypical colleagues were unable to do. “I noticed an awful lot of students, particularly girls, who had gone unnoticed like me, and I could relate to so many of them.”

After giving presentations on autism to her colleagues, she created a women’s group which was open to any female educators who felt they may be autistic.

“It was really successful, so many people could relate to what I’d said.”

‘Many undiagnosed female educators’ Suzanne believes that there are many autistic educators, particularly women, who have gone undiagnosed: “It’s the kind of profession that draws autistic people because it involves having specialist knowledge, and the school environment is really structured with a clear hierarchy.” But she also says that many who are drawn to these positions may struggle with the workload and last-minute changes, especially with the added pressures of social interactions and potential masking.

When asked what she would recommend to anyone who might think they are autistic, she says: “Not everyone needs a diagnosis. But what helped me most was reading about it and learning to live in a positive autistic way.”

Suzanne says she is now much kinder to herself, and won’t put herself into situations she feels uncomfortable, such as work drinks or a staff party.

“Before, I felt I had to go and would come back miserable and exhausted.

Now I just don’t put myself through it.”

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Feature Interview Annie Morgan, a social sciences teacher, tells Educate about how she is tackling sexism in her school.

I BEGAN teaching in the North East in 2019. It was evident from the outset that sexism was present in school, as it is in many institutions.

I noticed that male students were treating me differently from my male counterparts.

This was also the experience of other female colleagues. We felt unable to manage some male students’ behaviour and gain their respect. It made me consider what policies the school had in place for dealing with sexism and lower-level micro-aggressions.

We had policies to deal with bullying, but not specifically related to sexual harassment and everyday sexism. As a result, I asked to set up a research action group (RAG) consisting of 12 teachers, from a range of subjects and specialisms, who felt inspired to create change in this area. The key aims of this action group were to identify: n issues regarding sexist language and behaviour between pupils n how to ensure a teacher’s response is consistent and that teachers are aware of what to do/say when an incident occurs n what opportunities exist, in the curriculum, to tackle sexist language and behaviour n how a whole-school approach could tackle sexist language and behaviour through policy developments and changes.

29%

said they have been treated differently because of their sex

32

The Feminist Society meets weekly at the secondary school where Annie Morgan teaches, to discuss a range of issues presented by

Sexism: it’s still We designed a questionnaire to gather data about the experiences of sexism in years 9 to 13 and had responses from 186 students.

Our findings (see below) coincide with those in the NEU and UK Feminista report, It’s just everywhere (neu.org.uk/advice/its-justeverywhere-sexism-schools).

In addition to the RAG, I had other regular meetings with members of the senior leadership team to discuss the importance of student voice, and set about running three

44%

experienced insulting or hurtful language based on sex

educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

focus groups with year 13 students to talk about sexism in school. We wanted about 14 young people in each group, and ran the initial session with male and female students to explain what our plan of action was. We then split the sessions into students who identified as female and those who identified as male.

In these sessions, students talked about the issues they faced at school and identified: n the need to educate teachers about student experiences of sexism

Experience of sexism in school: years 9 to 13

30%

experienced unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature

47%

experienced unwanted attention of a sexual nature

61%

wanted more opportunities to discuss sexism in school

students – from representation of women in gaming, to menstruation

‘just everywhere’ n the use of sexist language and ‘banter’ n the school uniform and sexism in sports

at school.

Addressing students’ concerns All the students were very engaged and keen to have their voices heard. To address these issues at the school, we have: n created a policy directly to address sexism in school n created a ‘peer-on-peer abuse’ workshop for year 11 relationship and sex education days n created a specific series of lessons to discuss sexism and gender equality for year 12 citizenship students n improved awareness in school and among the senior leadership team n begun regular work with the West End Women and Girls Centre, which runs gender equality workshops.

There are several suggestions and ideas which we hope to implement at the school in

the future. These include the development of an assembly programme and teacher education on identification and reporting of sexism and sexual harassment. We recognise how important it is to listen to our students and respond to their experiences.

To create real change in the education sector, we needed to recognise there is a problem. That sounds simple enough, but, in many situations, teachers may find themselves having to justify and provide more evidence for their own experiences of sexism and that of their students. Others are not aware that these incidents arise because the students do not talk to them about it.

However, for some teachers, students talking about their experience of incidents of sexism and harassment is a regular occurrence.

The incidents include, for example, being touched and grabbed on the bus on the way to school and being the subject of sexist ‘banter’ during break times.

Behaviour of perpetrator, not victim On the basis that it is not the responsibility of the victim of harassment to alter their behaviour, but that of the perpetrator, we need to remove the burden from female students (whose behaviour is often described as ‘distracting’ – for example, because their skirts are ‘too short’).

As teachers, we also need to look at this issue of sexism through an intersectional lens, referencing critical race, feminist, queer and critical disability theories in our discussions on tackling sexism. These are complex topics and require specialist educators.

It is also important for me to consider my own positionality as a white woman in this area of work, listening to people’s experiences as an ally in many circles, not an expert.

For example, Crenshaw (1989) considers how the feminist and anti-racist movements neglect the experiences of women of colour.

This could have a significant impact upon the way that schools respond to accusations of sexism made by students of colour. Crenshaw discusses the implications that race can have on the way that sexual violence is addressed by organisations and society. Black female bodies are attributed less worth than their white counterparts and there are implications for Black males and the policing of their behaviour when compared to that of white males.

In the current climate, with the influence of the media, these intersections are often politicised, undermined and misunderstood. I want to identify how we, as a sector, can move our thinking forward to address the concerns surrounding intersectional inequities.

There is hope for the future, but teachers need to be given the opportunity to prioritise such vital areas of work, as all children need to know how to treat others and to feel empowered to stand up for their rights and the rights of those around them.

New tackling sexism toolkit coming soon According to our research with UK Feminista, It’s just everywhere, 24 per cent of female students at mixed-sex schools have been subjected to unwanted physical touching of a sexual nature while at school. Our research also highlighted that schools are currently ill-prepared and ill-equipped to tackle sexism.

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33

A class act

Meaningful, not just measurable learning which transcended the learning objective for that day – to sing a song in two parts.

Ruth Wills (pictured) is an early childhood lecturer at Liverpool Hope University, and a part-time music subject lead at a primary school in Lancashire.

She has recently published a new book, Learning Beyond the Objective in Primary Education. Emily Jenkins finds out what makes her a class act.

Scrutiny and measurable learning It is these moments that drive Ruth’s passion for education. But, over her 20 years of teaching, she feels there has been a shift in teacher training, from a previous focus on pedagogy to an emphasis on delivering the national curriculum and meeting objectives.

She speculates that this is the result of more intense scrutiny on educators to meet set targets, and a determination by policy makers to make all student learning measurable.

“So many of the important things children learn – such as teamwork, negotiation, communication, empathy and creativity – are immeasurable,” says Ruth.

Focusing on the existential elements of teaching and learning is something she has explored in her book, which seeks to encourage policy makers and educational practitioners to consider the impact of education on children, over and above the meeting of set targets and objectives.

She is keen to acknowledge that most are already struggling under intense workload pressures and accountability measures; meaning time to reflect on pedagogical practices can feel like a luxury.

“MORE than anything I feel passionate about pedagogy: how we teach and how we can get the best out of our children – not just academically but getting them to a place where they can develop and flourish as human beings,” says Ruth.

As a primary teacher and early years lecturer, Ruth constantly reflects on her practice and feeds back to her university students: “Whether I’ve had a good or bad day, I come home and think: what can I use from this experience to help my students be critically reflective when they go into the workplace?”

She says she is continually wrestling with her own pedagogical position and often finds herself frustrated by “a constant internal battle” between making sure she meets set learning objectives, and allowing space for, as she describes it, “the spiritual and existential” sides of learning and child development.

‘Our capacity to connect’ She explains: “For me it’s about identity and who we are at a deeper level. It’s about our capacity to connect with ourselves, with others, with the world around us, and with things that are beyond ourselves – whether, for the individual, that’s some higher power or simply a feeling of interconnectedness.”

She uses one of her own recent lessons as an example. While she was working with year 6 students on singing songs from the civil rights movement, one of the students started to cry, and another boy stood up and said: “I know why she’s crying, she’s sad because people were treated badly. But it’s no different from today.”

This opened up a long and meaningful conversation between her students. The boy ended the lesson by declaring that he would go home that night “and tell people to stop being racist”. For Ruth, this was a “transformational and emotional moment” for her students,

“So many of the important things children learn – such as teamwork, negotiation, communication, empathy and creativity – are immeasurable.”

Do you know a class act?

Email educate@neu.org.uk

Meaningful learning at the heart of it Ultimately, like most educators, encouraging meaningful learning in her students is at the heart of everything Ruth does and is the reason she has worked in education for so long.

“That feeling I get when I hear the children in the playground either talking about the class or singing a song we’ve worked on – I love that. Because it means what we’ve done has been meaningful to them.”

Learning Beyond the Objective in Primary Education: Philosophical Perspectives from Theory and Practice by Ruth Wills. Routledge. £16.99.

n See Educate, March/April, page 41

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Ask the union Mental health worries

I WAS diagnosed with anxiety and depression a year ago and have just started a new job. Should I disclose this?

Changing nappies: severe impact on teaching time

THREE children in my year 1 class have continence issues. I am expected to change nappies along with my teaching assistants – about a dozen a day between us. We have no personal protective equipment (PPE) and the time it takes up is severely impacting teaching and learning.

It is not part of a teacher’s professional duties to clean up children. Quite apart from the fact that such a task is not making effective use of a teacher’s skills and time, there are practical issues too. Teachers cannot simply abandon their class to attend to a child who needs this kind of assistance.

Although most teachers would assist in

Staff safety of utmost importance A PLANNED tube strike coincides with our parents’ evening. While fully in support of the strike, myself and other women are concerned about getting home safely. The event will end late and will mean walking home alone in the dark. Our head is reluctant to change the date or make it online.

Your head should assess the risks of working after hours and how it might impact staff, particulary women. Risks to safety are heightened when public transport is limited by transport workers’ strikes or extreme weather conditions, etc.

Contact your NEU branch/district health and safety officer and, as a group, ask your head to adjust arrangements to reduce the risk to you. This could involve moving the event online, rescheduling so that it doesn’t coincide with travel disruption, arranging approved private transport for staff who rely on public transport, or not requiring staff who don’t have a safe route home to attend after-hours events.

an emergency, as no child should be left in wet or soiled clothing, it is important there is no expectation that routine and predictable incidents are dealt with by teachers.

Some support staff members may have the duty of helping children with personal care written into their contract. However, if this is not the case it should not be assumed that they will undertake these duties. A generalised clause, requiring a support staff employee to carry out “any other reasonable request” by management, does not give

managers carte blanche to impose permanent additional changes such as administering personal care.

Please raise this issue with management, as additional support needs to be put in place. n Government guidance on managing nappies is available at bit.ly/3Iws5ZM n NEU guidance is available at neu.org.uk/ advice/continence-and-toilet-issues-schools

Please email your questions to educate@neu.org.uk

Free CPD webinars for all NEU members NEU members have exclusive access to CPD webinars, which are recorded and made available for seven days afterwards.

Here are some of the courses coming up in May. Email cpd@neu.org.uk or visit neu.org.uk/national-cpd How music education supports pupils’ health and wellbeing Run in partnership with the Musicians’ Union (MU), this webinar will discuss the

many benefits of music education. It will include ways for teachers to look after their own health, plus information on services provided through the MU. 17 May from 3.45-5pm Mental health and primary to secondary transitions This webinar, aimed at those working with years 6 and 7, will focus on mental health during the transition from primary

to secondary and how to help children to prepare for, and cope with, change.

18 May from 11am-12.15pm Introduction to Girls on Board When friendships go wrong it can be a major source of stress and anxiety. Girls on Board empowers girls to manage the dynamics of the friendships for themselves, with support but without interference.

18 May from 3.45-5pm

educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

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IMAGE by Remedios

Having open conversations about one’s mental health can be a positive thing if the environment is supportive. However, there is no legal requirement to disclose your diagnosis to your employer. You are in the best position to judge whether your employer would respond supportively or not.

If your condition is classed as a disability – in other words if it has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal activities – at some point you may wish to seek reasonable adjustments to the way you work. In those circumstances you would need to disclose your condition and how it affects you in order to access support. n Visit neu.org.uk/advice/making-work-fit n Visit neu.org.uk/advice/neu-mentalhealth-charter

EDUCATIONAL AID FOR CUBA

Viva La Educación is a joint appeal by the NEU and the Cuba Solidarity Campaign to provide essential educational resources for Cuban schools.

Cuba’s achievements in literacy and further education compare well with others in the region. However, students often have to make do without the basic classroom necessities that we take for granted, and teachers face difficulties obtaining materials to help them plan, teach and share lessons due to the cruel 60-year-old US blockade.

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Find out how you can support and donate to Viva La Educación at vivaeducacion.org.uk

MU

SUPPORTING EDUCATION, RESISTING THE BLOCKADE

International Educators from the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee in Bahri, Greater Khartoum, Sudan, taking part in a march for dignity on 17 March PHOTO courtesy of the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee

Sudan: ‘The country is in grave danger’ DEMONSTRATIONS are a near-daily experience in Sudan as civilians continue to protest against the military coup that began in October.

Attempts at democratic rule have been precariously balanced since the overthrow of the country’s long-term authoritarian President Omar al-Bashir in 2019.

Now, the dissolution of the transitional government has disrupted the roadmap to civilian rule. In January, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned amid mass protests against a deal he struck with the army, which staged the coup.

Lethal force against demonstrators The current political crisis threatens to return Sudan to authoritarian leadership.

Lethal force and violence are being regularly

deployed to counter demonstrations, and peaceful protesters are being killed or injured on an almost daily basis.

“All indicators available to us at the UN and African Union (AU) show that the country is in grave danger,” said AU envoy Mohamed Lebatt at a joint news conference with UN special representative Volker Perthes.

As previously reported (see Educate, January/February 2022), Sudanese teachers have consistently participated in the protests, with hundreds being arrested and several injured. NEU joint general secretaries Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney wrote to Sudan’s ambassador in the UK expressing their concern.

More recently, Gawain Little, chair of the union’s international committee, and NEU national officer Louise Regan met virtually with the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee in a session hosted by the MENA Solidarity

Network. The meeting heard reports of violence, killings and repression being meted out against teachers and other civilians.

In March, Sudanese teachers launched further overwhelming strike action – demanding a pay rise and protesting their experience at the hands of the military regime.

Reacting to the coup, Gawain said: “We must unequivocally condemn the military coup in Sudan and call for its immediate cessation. We must call upon UK politicians to add their voices to this condemnation, as well as to support the upholding of Sudan’s democratic transition.

The human rights of teachers – as with all citizens in Sudan – must be fully observed.”

The coup has arrived on top of a deep economic crisis, with widespread shortages of food, fuel and medicine. n Visit menasolidaritynetwork.com

Discover more about issues facing educators globally “PLEASE don’t give up” campaigning for human rights was the resounding instruction of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, speaking at the NEU’s 2021 virtual International Solidarity Conference.

Now, the NEU is gearing toward this year’s in-person event on Saturday 2 July where international solidarity officers (ISOs) will come together to share progress, learn and renew their commitment to global solidarity.

Ahead of the conference, Gawain Little, chair of the international committee, said:

“With war, conflict, climate change and poverty dominating the headlines, many NEU members have been asking: ‘what can I do to help?’

“ISO conference is an opportunity to discover more about issues facing educators and children globally, learn from the exemplary efforts of NEU members and our sister unions, and build international solidarity at the local level.”

Education unions have long held a key role in putting human rights on the

agenda and holding governments to account.

Teachers’ voices must be meaningfully heard by decision makers. This year’s conference will welcome inspiring international speakers and offer workshops hosted by experienced global justice campaigners and key NEU partner organisations. n Register for ISO conference 2022 at neu.org.uk/learning-and-events

n To get involved in the NEU’s international work or find out more about the conference, email international@neu.org.uk

educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

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Reviews Jon Biddle, English lead and NEU rep at Moorlands Primary in Norfolk, is passionate about fostering a love of reading for pleasure.

Here he shares ideas and tips for schools to try.

We are the champions, my friend CREATING a whole-school reading culture requires widespread support and isn’t something that an English lead (or reading lead) can achieve on their own.

With supportive staff and parents, the job feels manageable, but when ownership and responsibility is shared with the children, it becomes a pleasure. Over the past couple of years at Moorlands we’ve introduced a team of reading champions, made up of year 6 pupils whose objective is to help develop Reading for Pleasure across the school.

The original idea was for them to promote the annual summer reading challenge, which they did superbly, ensuring that we had our highest ever number of pupils take part.

Because they were so passionate about reading and sharing their love for it, we then explored ways for the role to be expanded.

Specialist subject: graphic novels We now have a team of eight champions from year 6, and eight who shadow them from year 5. We selected them for a variety of reasons: the majority because they already loved reading; some because they didn’t love reading; some because they were ‘specialists’ in a certain area such as graphic novels; and some because we believed it would really help their self-confidence.

There’s a reading champions meeting held every few weeks to discuss ways to promote Reading for Pleasure, which is also open to any interested staff. We’ll sometimes talk about how to roll out ideas that have been successfully introduced in some classes, such as the pupil recommendations shelf and poem of the day.

They’re also keen to share their own ideas.

Several have been wonderful, such as putting reading blankets out on the field during the summer and becoming reading buddies with children in reception. Some were perhaps slightly less practical (although I love the idea of unlimited bacon rolls for library helpers).

They’ve already organised and led reading assemblies this year. In the most 40

Read more ideas from Jon next issue (Left) Reading champions sharing some of their favourite books (Below) Summer reading challenge poster

recent one they put together a very convincing case about why graphic novels should be in every classroom.

They have full responsibility for one of our corridor display boards. It changes regularly, and includes information about new books, a list of current class reads, reading recommendations, news about book awards and a ‘help’ area where pupils can ask for suggestions of books they might enjoy.

Sharing their love with younger pupils Some of our reading champions visit classes in early years and key stage 1 to read picture books and poems with them. The thought and care that they put into their choices never fails to impress me, and it’s lovely to hear them practising their reading aloud in the classroom at lunchtime before they read to the pupils.

educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

The fact that the children have increasing ownership over the direction of reading in their school is something they’re very proud of, and I’m continually surprised by how innovative and creative their ideas are. As well as promoting reading, the idea has created friendships and given certain children a wider sense of purpose in the school. Although I still have an overview of the work they do, it’s exciting to have reached the point where it’s almost self-sustaining.

Update: Since writing the first draft of this piece, some of the pupils have suggested creating a display in the library featuring books to help reassure children worried about the war between Russia and Ukraine. I couldn’t be prouder.

@jonnybid

Know any good educational websites and apps?

Let us know if you’d like to review them – email us at educate@neu.org.uk

Kool Covid Kids: Their Place in History aspects in life. An inspirational and emotional read.

THE Covid-19 pandemic brought the whole world to a shocking standstill and changed lives.

Cindy Shanks This fascinating book explores how it became a Kool Covid Kids: Their Place in History, by Chris Hillman time for empowerment and hope for a group of 11and Suzanne Wilson. Freddie Publishing. £12.99. to 13-year-old girls. Known as the Girls Gang from Whitehaven, Cumbria, they recorded their journey, n To buy the book visit koolcovidkids.org where, for achievements and personal challenges every book purchased, £6 will be donated to a during 2020. post-Covid school project.

Within the pages are photos, poems, drawings, motivational quotes n We have one free copy of Kool Covid and reflections from the Girls Gang Kids to give away. Email your name, a copy of and people around the world. Some address and membership number to Kool Covid parts of the book are deeply moving educate@neu.org.uk with Kool Covid and a reminder that love, friendship Kids in the subject line, and one lucky Kids and family are the most important winner will be picked at random.

WIN!

100 Ideas for Primary Teachers A BREATH of fresh air for the classroom teacher and special educational needs and disabilities co-ordinator alike, 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Sensory Processing Differences is an easyto-follow book full of practical ideas which anyone can apply in their classroom.

If you don’t fancy a deep, in-depth bedtime read, this book can be accessed in small chunks. Sensory processing difficulties may not be the simplest thing to understand, but I now feel like a mini expert after implementing its advice. I feel like I can refer back to it as well as continue to learn.

A nice bonus is the Twitter community that #100ideas provides where you can see others implementing the advice in real time. If the book wasn’t enough, the community around it is such a boost to the confidence.

SHAKESPEARE’S Macbeth is retold in story form for key stage 2 readers, as part of the Bloomsbury Readers series. The engrossing tale is accessibly broken up into chapters and with engaging illustrations. Full teaching notes and additional support are available online.

Aliss Langridge Macbeth by William Shakespeare, retold by Tony Bradman. Bloomsbury. £5.99.

Samantha Hickling

100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Sensory Processing Differences by Kim Griffiths. Bloomsbury. £14.99.

Sky Gazing THIS book is packed full of facts, information and activities linked to all aspects of the sky above us. Whether you want to find out about the moon, sun, planets, stars, eclipses or constellations, this is a comprehensive guide.

Laid out as a standard, non-fiction text with contents, index, appendix and glossary, this book is ideal for

Macbeth retold

children aged nine to 14 who are curious to study the night (and day) sky.

Additions such as myths and legends around the stars, a calendar of special events, and tips for using binoculars, all add to the depth of information.

Sian Sparrow

Sky Gazing by Meg Thacher. Storey Publishing. £15.99.

Succeeding as an English Teacher WRITTEN by 12 experienced, enthusiastic English teachers, this is a comprehensive, accessible guide offering an overview of an English teacher’s career. It offers practical guidance on planning and delivering engaging lessons; advancing your subject knowledge; teaching at different career stages; and applying research. It combines case studies, advice and opportunities for reflection to take your teaching to the next level.

Aliss Langridge Succeeding as an English Teacher by Abigail Mann et al. Bloomsbury. £14.99.

educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

41

Letters Academisation changed everything

MY experience of a school being academised was not a happy one.

When they came in, they uttered the words “we will not change anything if it is working” and then immediately set about changing everything. From student uniform and standards, through to job roles, titles and responsibilities.

There appeared to be a ‘system’ to gradually eradicate the over-50s until they moulded their chosen staff. I may just be bitter about being one of the over-50s who ended up on supply, but having spoken to many other colleagues from other schools that

have been academised, it seems I am not the only teacher who has gone through the above system.

David Harrington, Redcar

Central supply register would benefit us all

I AM a science teacher with 20-plus years of experience.

Having left the profession to have children, on my return I have been unable to obtain permanent employment.

For the last ten years I have been on temporary contracts, usually through supply agencies.

Unfortunately, I am in a profession where the more experience you have, the less desirable you are as

a new employee because you are more expensive.

I am registered with three agencies, but constantly contacted by others from across the country.

An agency in Bristol regularly emails me about work in the North East. I’m not sure how this agency has any real knowledge of our schools here. My impression is that the majority of teaching agency staff are not teachers.

Colleagues contact me directly about work because their schools are unable to source teachers through agencies. If the agencies do not have a suitable teacher on their books, schools are left in the position of making

random calls to one of the many other agencies out there. A central register of supply teachers would make it easier for schools and supply teachers.

I have numerous examples of the destructive parasitic nature of agencies/academy trusts. A supply teacher friend was recently working as a science teacher. The school really valued her, but after a few months she was contacted by the academy trust to say she needed to sign up with a different agency to continue working there. On further investigation she discovered she was going to receive a substantial cut in her daily rate.

A slippery supply slope that sadly started decades ago I WAS interested to read in your article, The fight for a fair deal, that 74 per cent of cover supervisors were delivering lessons (Educate, March/April, page 29).

When I worked at a school in the 1990s my head was among the first to introduce cover supervisors and I predicted that it would be the “thin end of the wedge” and that before long such supervisors would be used in place of qualified supply teachers.

How sad I am that I was right.

John Lovell, Worthing

74%

48%

36%

of cover supervisors deliver lessons

of HLTAs teach whole classes regularly

are timetabled to teach whole classes permanently

Teacher’s pet Rocket Rocket lives with SEND assessment officer Sam Nicholson-Hickling in Oldham.

Sam says: “Rocket was a school guinea pig who I rescued nearly seven years ago.

He’s now the ripe old age of ten and is spoilt rotten.

“When I was having my trickiest classroom days, he would have this sense that I wasn’t feeling great and would give my chin a lick to make me feel better.

“When things were hard, he was a great emotional support animal.”

If you have a treasured pet you’d like to show off, email a high-resolution photo with 50 words about what makes them so special to educate@neu.org.uk 42

educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

Please write The editor welcomes your letters but reserves the right to edit them.

Write to Letters, Educate, NEU, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD or email educate@neu.org.uk Please note we cannot print letters sent in without a name and postal address (or NEU membership number), although we can withhold details from publication if you wish.

I really hope this situation is addressed. I am sure the Department for Education is clueless as to what is happening.

Julia Whitfield, Newcastle upon Tyne

Could the NEU use banned BLM lessons?

I WAS shocked to read of the banning of teacher Kevin Shannon’s history lessons, History in our Time – Black Lives Matter (Educate, November/December, page 41).

It seems he put a lot of thought into these lessons, focusing on practising historical skills in a more relevant and engaging way; research; source analysis, including assessing potential bias and likely factual accuracy of differing reports of Black Lives Matter protests. All admirable, and providing essential knowledge and skills for students.

I was further shocked by the order requiring all students’ work, as a result of the lessons, be destroyed. Can a head teacher do this on the basis of one parent’s complaint and without any discussion with the class teachers and heads of departments?

A news items in the same issue was about the NEU’s framework for developing an antiracist approach (page 16). Maybe the NEU could consider using Mr Shannon’s resources if appropriate?

Ann Cantwell, Wimbledon

The National Education Museum stall at the NEU national conference in April

PHOTO by Kois Miah

Star letter Thank you from the National Education Museum THE National Education Museum wants to thank all the NEU branches and districts that have become founder patrons by donating £2,500 towards this exciting project. Our funds are now over £100,000, well on the way to our target of £250,000, which will enable us to purchase an initial premises in Portsmouth.

Many delegates at the NEU annual conference in Bournemouth will have made a visit to our stall (above) and enjoyed reading and looking at work by primary and secondary pupils on their experiences during

the Covid pandemic. These were examples of living history.

The museum already gets many different offers and requests but the most recent was very exciting: information was sought about what text books would have been like in the 1920s for the National Theatre production of The Corn is Green, with actress Nicola Walker in the leading role.

On 8 June, Stephen Morgan MP, who is a trustee of the museum, is hosting an event at the House of Commons. All founder patrons, including those

NEU branches and districts, have been invited to send a representative, and joint general secretaries Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney are attending.

The aim of the event is to build support for this exciting project. It will be attended by MPs, educationalists, authors and media, and hopefully some of those attending will become founder patrons. This will bring us closer to our target of 100 patrons and the opening of our museum.

Jean Roberts, secretary to National Education Museum trustees

Gym membership, supermarket shopping, days out and more NEU members have access to moneysaving benefits with myRewards.

Members can take advantage of a wide range of deals including gym membership, mobile phones, car hire, dining out and takeaways, cinema tickets, magazine subscriptions, travel and holidays, and discounts at high-street retailers.

Special offers change regularly, so be sure to check for the latest deals on home appliances, cottage breaks and much more. Or you can sign up to the

myRewards newsletter to get the latest deals by email.

Access myRewards today Simply log in to your myNEU account at my.neu.org.uk/login and click on the myRewards tab to access the latest offers.

If you haven’t set up your myNEU account yet, it only takes a minute by clicking on ‘activate your login’.

As well as giving you access to myRewards, your myNEU account allows you to update your membership details.

You may be eligible for reduced subscriptions if you work part-time, are about to retire or take maternity leave.

Have you moved? Tell us your new home or workplace address. It is also important you update your equalities information.

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43

Are you a student or trainee qualifying this summer?

Upgrade now for just £1 Upgrade to full membership for just £1

New teachers are entitled to full membership of the NEU for just £1 in the first year after qualifying.

To continue to access the support and opportunities our union has to offer, such as high-quality CPD training, a network for new professionals, and resources specifically designed for you as an ECT, upgrade your membership now.

Upgrading is quick and easy at neu.org.uk/upgrade

*Valid for students/trainees who complete their initial teacher training in summer 2022. Your next subscription payment will not be due until October 2023 when you will pay one third of the full subscription which you can choose to spread across 10 monthly payments with direct debit.

Noticeboard

Tackling the climate crisis THE Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has released a new film and suite of curriculum-linked learning resources exploring climate change and the built environment.

Aimed at students in key stages 3 and 4, the film is presented by award-winning poet and BBC radio presenter Rhael ‘LionHeart’ Cape. The film empowers young people to think critically and creatively about how we can tackle the climate crisis through design and innovation.

A student using the resources at Denefield School in Berkshire said: “I learned that encouraging people to walk and cycle is really important, so the location of developments is really important.”

Another commented: “I learned that reducing carbon emissions is really important in both construction and demolition.”

The film is part of RIBA’s free National Schools Programme, which aims to help children explore and understand the built environment, its impact on people and

Courtesy of The FA

REFUGEE Week 2022 will take place from 20-26 June and this year’s theme is healing. Through creativity and conversations, it will celebrate community, mutual care and the human ability to start again.

Access free resources at refugeeweek.org.uk

LGBT+ sessions streamed for School Diversity Week SCHOOL Diversity Week, a UK-wide celebration of LGBT+ equality in primary and secondary schools, will take place from 20-24 June. This year, alongside a range of free resources, organiser Just Like Us will be streaming free online lessons, masterclasses and Q&A sessions from LGBT+ figures on subjects ranging from poetry and history, to faith and economics.

Visit justlikeus.org Rhael ‘LionHeart’ Cape, presenter of the new RIBA film

communities, how it is shaped and developed, and why good design is important.

Visit bit.ly/35ZyfDQ

Teamwork across the curriculum PRIMARY and secondary schools can now download an extensive programme of free cross-curricular resources to inspire pupils as the nation counts down to the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 tournament on home soil this summer.

The tournament resources, for key stages 2 and 3, encourage teamwork, creativity

Refugee Week: healing & care

and a love of sport. The activities cover subjects including personal, social, health and economic education, PE, English, maths, science, and art and design. They can be differentiated for pupils of varied abilities or with special educational needs and disabilities, and can be used in the classroom or at home.

Visit weuro2022schools.com

Diabetes advice for educators THERE are approximately 35,000 children and young people under the age of 19 with diabetes in the UK. Ninety-six per cent have Type 1.

Diabetes UK has created a free school pack with practical tips for educators on supporting pupils with the condition, and guidance on staff training. It also includes a sample medical conditions policy, and answers to important questions staff might have.

Visit bit.ly/3CIzO4Z

Free online SEND workshops from UK Parliament THE UK Parliament Education and Engagement team has launched a free online special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) workshop aimed at learners between seven and 25 years old with profound learning needs.

The online session invites students to explore Parliament and find out who works there and what they do.

The ‘tour’ is based around a poem, which will guide the students around the building using rhyme, repetition and actions. A PowerPoint is also provided and objects in the classroom will be used to bring the smells, sounds and textures of Parliament to life for students.

The workshop team are also able to make adaptions where needed.

Visit learning.parliament.uk/en

educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

45

We must create a new approach to school and college evaluation which is supportive, effective and fair.

SIGN THE PETITION www.replaceofsted.valueeducation.org.uk

Photo opportunity What’s in your lunchbox?

Salmon salad serves 2

Ingredients

Primary school teacher Ellie Bull from Barnsley sent in this healthy salad that’s perfect for a packed lunch.

100g pasta 1tbsp rapeseed oil 1 large red pepper, chopped 2 salmon fillets 1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 shallot, chopped finely 2tbsp capers 6 pitted black olives 1tbsp olive oil 2 handfuls of rocket

Method 1. Cook the pasta following the instructions on your pack.

2. Heat the rapeseed oil in a frying pan, add the pepper, cover

and leave for about 5 minutes until it softens and starts to char a little. Stir, then push the pepper to one side and add the salmon. Cover and fry for 8-10 minutes until just cooked.

3. Meanwhile, mix the lemon zest and juice in a large bowl

with the garlic, shallot, capers and olives.

4. Add the cooked pepper and salmon to the bowl. Drain the

pasta and add it too, with black pepper and the olive oil. Toss everything together, breaking the salmon into bite-sized pieces.

5. If eating now, toss through the rocket; if

packing for your school lunch, leave to cool, then put in a container with the rocket on top and mix through just before eating.

THIS beautiful photo was taken by Stephen Camilleri from Sidcup who works in education.

Stephen says: “Strange clouds gathering overhead may be interpreted as ominous or exciting.

“Whichever way you see it, the gate invites you up the path towards them… so go for it!”

If you are a keen photographer, why not email your pictures to us at educate@neu.org.uk They should be large and high resolution, accompanied by 50 words telling readers about the subject of your photo.

We send a £20 book token to each featured so don’t forget to pop your address on the email.

WIN!

Send us your photo to win a £20 book token

Win a copy of Jack Monroe’s Good Food for Bad Days

Email your recipe to educate@neu.org.uk with your name, address and membership number, putting ‘Jack Monroe’ in the subject line. Don’t forget to attach a picture. educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

47

Quick crossword Across 1 Long type of tunic usually

worn with a belt (6) 7 ___ Darling: former Labour Chancellor (8) 8 ___ Brydon: Welsh actor and comedian (3) 9 Landlocked country in East Africa (6) 10 ___ the Terrible: first tsar of Russia (4) 11 Bryan ___ : Canadian musician (5) 13 Ancient Greek epic poem

by Homer (7) 15 Hector ___ : French composer (7) 17 The Hunting of the ___ : Lewis Carroll poem (5) 21 Salvador ___ : Spanish surrealist painter (4) 22 Tyson Fury’s sport (6) 23 Yoko ___ : Japanese artist and musician (3) 24 ___ Jolie: Hollywood star (8)

25 Where one finds Monte Carlo (6)

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Republic (6) 2 A bone in the lower leg (6) 3 Eg Mary Poppins (5) 4 Opera by George Frideric Handel (7) 5 Rowan ___ : Blackadder star (8) 6 Zinedine ___ : French former footballer (6) 12 Island nation in the Indian Ocean (8) 14 Hans ___ the Younger: King’s Painter to Henry VIII (7) 16 ___ Paige: singer in musical theatre (6) 18 Cat, goat or rabbit of a long-haired breed (6) 19 Pristina is the capital of this country (6) 20 Well-known charity (5)

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Answers at1bottom of page 49 Republic (6) - The currency of the Czech 2 - A bone in the lower leg (6)

8 - ___ Brydon: Welsh actor and comedian (3)

3 - Eg Mary Poppins (5)

9 - Landlocked country in East Africa (6)

4 - Opera by George Frideric Handel (7) Sudoku solutions will feature - Rowan ___next : Blackadder star (8) on 5this page issue.

10 - ___ the Terrible: first tsar of Russia (4) 11 - Bryan ___ : Canadian musician (5)

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Last issue’s (March/April 2022) sudoku solution (from left: Easy, Medium and Difficult)

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6 - Zinedine ___ : French former footballer (6)

13 - Ancient Greek epic poem by Homer (7)

12 - Island nation in the Indian Ocean (8)

2 4 5 14 - Hans ___ the6Younger: King's Painter to Henry 17 - The4Hunting of the ___ 8: Lewis Carroll 9 poem (5)7 2 16 - ___ Paige: 1 musical singer (6) 21 - Salvador ___ : Spanish surrealist painter (4) 18 - Cat, goat or rabbit of a long-haired breed (6) 6 5 22 - Tyson Fury's sport (6) 19 - Pristina is the capital of this country (6) 23 - Yoko 9 ___ : Japanese artist and musician (3) 9 3 6 20 - Well-known5charity2(5) 24 - ___ Jolie: Hollywood star (8) 1 2 25 - Where one finds Monte Carlo (6) 4 1 3 6 3 4 2 7 7 4 2 2 8 5 3 1 6 8 7 9 6 3 15 - Hector ___ : French composer (7)

Medium 1 6 3 5 4 9 2 7 8

8 2 5 3 7 1 4 6 9

educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

9 7 4 6 8 2 5 1 3

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Prize crossword

WIN!

A £50 Marks & Spencer voucher

Across 1 Stupid mistake describing flower? (7) 5 Fresh article on musical performance (7) 9 Appropriate session to test the

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meat? (9) 5 Boat race participant turns up in theatre workshop (5) 6 Acrobatic manoeuvre made by teacher left drunk with whisky! (9) 7 and 22 down Unfortunately they smear a former Prime Minister (7,3) 8 Baby clothes etc not on time, yet included (7) 13 and 30 down Make no progress with new Goethe translation? About right! (3,7)

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distance! (5,4) 14 West needs warmth to produce cereal crop (5) 15 ‘Walked out with’? Old-fashioned! (5) 17 Divide different classes over smashed Easter egg? (9) 19 Dean hid PE arrangement – very foolish! (9) 21 Fruit from the French – my French (5) 24 Head of Goldsmith’s possesses academic garments (5) 25 Set out with prayer to be used in the event of a puncture (5,4) 27 Some modernist poem (3) 28 Schools group gala ends in health resort (3) 29 Clumsy scrum half dropping first two – damaging (7) 31 CO leaves new telescope as church feature (7) 32 Hair accessories producing curls or long waves (7)

Down 1 Graduate, female, ran away, completely bewildered (7) 2 Not at home at the beginning of one university term (3) 3 Silly Tom is a bit wet (5) 4 Made a backward step with new Masters degree that lacks

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suitability of a new garment? (7)

10 Major conflict starts with a riot (3) 11 Lovely half of cathedral city (3) 12 A girl they move an astronomical

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1 29

1 1

1

1

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30 1

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32

The winner and solution of this prize crossword will feature on this page next issue.

16 Puts on fancy clothes, with suspenders, perhaps – no end of fun! (7,2)

18 Sadly, head forgot to omit Oscar as one taking responsibility

for religious education (9) 19 One confused, surrounded by hogs and birds (7) 20 See 13 down 22 See 7 down 23 Sewing aids are almost unnecessary (7) 25 Virginia, for example, has small London art gallery (5) 26 Register for a course with a bit of kitchen roll! (5) 30 Enemy regularly fooled (3)

Send your completed crossword, with your contact details, to: May/June crossword, Educate, NEU, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD, or email a photographed copy to crossword@neu.org.uk. Closing date: 31 May.

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Car

14255 NEU Crossword Page Image v2 01-19.indd 1

Travel

Gadget

Motorbike 30/01/2019 14:48

Last issue’s (March/April 2022) prize crossword solution

Across 1 SATCHELS 5 LAUNCH 9 DROPOUTS 10 DOCTOR 12 KILN 13 HECTARE 17 OVERACTING 19 WHO 21 YES 22 CINDERELLA 24 RANGERS 25 HEAT 28 TABLES 30 RUMINATE 31 RUNNER 32 SENTINEL Down 1 SIDE 2 TROY 3 HOOLIGAN 4 LATIN 6 AT ONCE 7 NUT 8 HORSEWOMAN 11 PHONED 14 AS WELL 15 COPYWRITER 16 LESSON 18 THIRST 20 ORGANIST Congratulations to last issue’s winner – Margaret Gleason from Angmering 23 DELETE 25 HOUSE 26 MAIN 27 PEAL 29 BIN

This issue’s quick crossword solution (p48)

Across 1 KAFTAN 7 ALISTAIR 8 ROB 9 UGANDA 10 IVAN 11 ADAMS 13 ODYSSEY 15 BERLIOZ 17 SNARK 21 DALI 22 BOXING 23 ONO 24 ANGELINA 25 MONACO Down 1 KORUNA 2 FIBULA 3 NANNY 4 RINALDO 5 ATKINSON 6 ZIDANE 12 MALDIVES 14 HOLBEIN 16 ELAINE 18 ANGORA 19 KOSOVO 20 OXFAM educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

49

Final word

IMAGE by Raisa Zakirova

Decentring the resilient teacher

Fact file

Dr Steph Ainsworth is a senior lecturer in primary education at Manchester Metropolitan University whose research interests include teacher resilience and wellbeing.

THERE is currently a major teacher retention crisis with around one in five teachers planning to leave the profession in the next five years, and one in three experiencing mental health issues.

In response to this crisis, a strong discourse around the need to ‘build teachers’ resilience’ has emerged.

What does teacher resilience mean?

In everyday use, resilience is understood as the capacity to bounce back in the face of adversity. However, this places the responsibility for ‘being more resilient’ solely on the teacher, and takes attention away from the fact that teachers are being put in a position where they have to be so resilient in the first place.

Recent research into teacher resilience, including our own at Manchester Metropolitan University, suggests that resilience should not be considered as merely an individual capacity, but rather a complex interaction between factors within the individual and their environment. While the characteristics and behaviours of individual teachers are certainly important, we also need to consider the impact of factors relating to their school environment on their ability to thrive in the profession.

‘The need to be made of steel in order to survive’ Individually, teachers might benefit from training which raises their awareness and provides practical strategies to help manage the demands of the role. However, if we only focus on what individual teachers can do to protect themselves, we are only ever going to solve part of the problem.

Teachers deserve to work in environments where they do not need to be made of steel in order to survive. Our research shows that leadership practices can have a significant impact on the way 50

educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

teachers experience their roles. Levels of wellbeing and job satisfaction vary a lot depending on factors at school level, such as support from management, workload and school culture.

This suggests that leaders are able, to some extent, to buffer some of the risks inherent to the job, promoting more resilient environments for their staff. School leaders should look beyond one-off initiatives (for example, wellbeing afternoons), to leadership practices which have teacher resilience at their core.

School leaders have limited autonomy to bring about change But we must not merely pass the responsibility from teachers to school leaders to build teachers’ resilience. We must also acknowledge the near impossibility of building a resilient school environment when school leaders have limited trust and autonomy themselves. If leaders, teachers and their pupils are to thrive, we need a paradigm shift in the way accountability in education is conceived. We must move away from what Professor Stephen Ball from UCL Institute of Education describes as the “terrors of performativity” to an education system which promotes professional trust, growth and collegiality.

We might imagine a resilient education system which focuses its resources on developing professional expertise, rather than stifling it through an inspection framework that inflates workloads unnecessarily and contributes massively to stress levels in both teachers and school leaders.

The first step towards promoting teacher resilience is recognising that it is a distributed phenomenon – something which needs supporting at all ecological levels – for example, the individual, the school, the academy trust and the Government.

Only then can we take teachers’ wellbeing seriously and address the retention crisis.

TICKETS £25 EACH FOR EDUCATION GROUPS 10+ PLUS TEACHER GOES FREE* To book or for more information email aldwych.tdesk@nederlander.co.uk Free learning resources with links to Drama, English & PSHE are now available at our new Resource Hub† tinathemusical.com/ukeducation

*One free teacher ticket per every 10 students paid. Valid Wednesday evenings subject to availability.

Exclusions apply. Age recommendation 14+ Educational material provided by Susie Ferguson

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Cyflwyno’r cwricwlwm Mae angen amser ac arian i osgoi oedi.

Gwobrau’r flwyddyn Cwrdd â Claudia Merola a Jenny Spratling.

Canmlwyddiant yr Urdd Ymunwch â ni yn Ninbych dros hanner tymor y Sulgwyn.

addysgu yng nghymru Rhifyn 70 Tymor yr haf 2022

90% yn anfodlon â’r cyfraddau cyflog MAE mwyafrif llethol – dros 90 y cant – o’r aelodau a gymerodd ran mewn arolwg gan NEU Cymru wedi dweud eu bod nhw’n anhapus â’r cyfraddau cyflog presennol sy’n cael eu cynnig i athrawon Cymru.

Ymatebodd dros 2,200 o addysgwyr i’r arolwg, wrth i’r undeb ganolbwyntio ar faterion cyflog cyn ei gyflwyniad i Gorff Adolygu Cyflogau Annibynnol Cymru. Cyfeiriodd nifer o aelodau at sut roedd y polisïau cyni a gyflwynwyd yn 2010 wedi effeithio ar gyflogau.

Yn Lloegr, mae’r NEU yn galw am gynnydd o wyth y cant mewn cyflogau eleni a’r flwyddyn nesaf. Barn bron i bawb a arolygwyd gan NEU Cymru (99 y cant) oedd bod yn rhaid i athrawon yng Nghymru gael yr un telerau, o leiaf, â’r strwythurau cyflog yn Lloegr. Roedden nhw’n cytuno i raddau helaeth hefyd (96 y cant) fod yn rhaid i unrhyw ddyfarniadau cyflog fod yn berthnasol i athrawon ar bob graddfa gyflog.

Cynhaliodd NEU Cymru ddadansoddiad manwl o gyflogau athrawon, gan eu cymharu â swyddi proffesiynol graddedigion eraill.

Aeth yr undeb ati i ddadansoddi cyflwyniadau manwl gan randdeiliaid eraill cyn cyflwyno datganiad atodol a thystiolaeth lafar ym mis Ebrill. n Roedd arolwg NEU Cymru hefyd yn

ystyried cynigion diweddar a amlinellwyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i newid y flwyddyn ysgol a’r diwrnod ysgol. Mynegodd wyth deg tri y cant o ymatebwyr bryderon am y cynigion, gyda nifer yn cwestiynu rhesymeg y syniadau, gan ddweud nad oedd hi’n ymddangos bod unrhyw fudd addysgol go iawn iddyn nhw.

Bydd y wybodaeth yn cael ei defnyddio yn sail i’r broses ymgynghori ar y cynigion ac yn ystod cyfarfodydd â swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru a Jeremy Miles, y Gweinidog Addysg.

Creu hanes yn 23 o ysgolion GDST

Gwawr Prys-Davies ar y llinell biced yn Ysgol Howell’s yng Nghaerdydd. Ewch i dudalen 3

‘Dydy’r system asesu ddim yn deg’ MAE angen system addysg ar bobl ifanc yng Nghymru sy’n cydnabod y pethau maen nhw’n gallu’u gwneud, yn hytrach na’u sgorio ar sail profion maen nhw wedi’u sefyll ar ddiwrnod penodol.

Gan alw am “syniadau clir” gan Lywodraeth Cymru, dywedodd NEU Cymru fod y cwricwlwm newydd yn rhoi cyfle i sicrhau bod gennyn ni drefniadau asesu newydd sy’n ateb anghenion dysgwyr.

Dywedodd David Evans, Ysgrifennydd NEU Cymru: “Mae ein haelodau’n bendant

na ddylid profi plant wrth iddyn nhw fynd drwy’r ysgol.

“Dydy’r system bresennol ddim yn deg – mae rhai’n ennill, a rhai’n colli. Mae angen i bobl ifanc adael yr ysgol yn barod at y dyfodol gyda phrawf o’r pethau maen nhw’n gallu’u gwneud, ac nid â graddau sy’n cael eu defnyddio i gosbi eu hysgol.” n I ddarllen yr adroddiad terfynol gan y Comisiwn Asesu Annibynnol, comisiwn y mae’r NEU yn rhan ohono, ewch i neweraassessment.org.uk/findings

addysgu yng nghymru Eich cylchgrawn gan yr Undeb Addysg Cenedlaethol

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Newyddion

Cymorth gyda’r cwricwlwm i osgoi oedi MAE angen rhagor o gymorth gan Lywodraeth Cymru i sicrhau bod ysgolion yn barod i addysgu’r cwricwlwm newydd ym mis Medi ac osgoi unrhyw oedi wrth ei gyflwyno.

Mae’r undeb yn dweud bod COVID-19 yn dal i effeithio ar staff a bod llawer iawn o absenoldeb a tharfu wedi bod yn gynharach yn y flwyddyn.

Dywedodd David Evans, ysgrifennydd NEU Cymru, ei bod hi’n iawn bod addysgwyr yn canolbwyntio ar geisio helpu disgyblion i ddal i fyny â’u dysgu a pharatoi at arholiadau.

“Roedd staff i fod i gael diwrnodau cynllunio ychwanegol ar gyfer y cwricwlwm newydd. Mae’r diwrnodau hynny wedi’u treulio’n cynllunio at newidiadau Covid,” meddai. “Rydyn ni’n gwybod bod y staff yn ei chael hi’n anodd ymdopi â’r disgwyliadau a’r llwyth gwaith aruthrol. Mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru weithredu’n ddiymdroi a sicrhau bod gan bawb yn y byd addysg ddigon o amser i baratoi.”

Yn gynharach eleni, cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru ei hymchwil ei hun yn dangos bod dau draean (67 y cant) o addysgwyr ac uwch arweinwyr mewn ysgolion yn credu

bod angen mwy o gymorth i sicrhau eu bod nhw’n barod i addysgu Cwricwlwm newydd Cymru o fis Medi. Dywedodd David y byddai’r aelodau’n cyd-weld â’r canfyddiadau hyn, a bod angen i’r Llywodraeth weithredu.

“Os na ellir dod o hyd i’r amser a’r arian nawr i helpu ysgolion i fod yn barod at y newidiadau, yna bydd oedi’n anochel. Mae’n well cyflwyno’r cwricwlwm yn iawn – dim ond un cyfle mae pobl ifanc yn ei gael,” meddai.

TGAU Cymraeg yn newid MAE Cymwysterau Cymru yn bwriadu newid cymwysterau Cymraeg TGAU o 2025 er mwyn ceisio helpu mwy o ddysgwyr i ddod yn siaradwyr Cymraeg hyderus.

Mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Cymraeg a dwyieithog, bydd y cymwysterau iaith a llenyddiaeth Cymraeg presennol yn cael eu cyfuno i greu un cymhwyster TGAU. Mewn ysgolion cyfrwng Saesneg, bydd y cymhwyster TGAU Cymraeg ail iaith yn dod i ben, gyda chymhwyster TGAU Cymraeg newydd yn dod yn ei le. Bydd cymhwyster newydd i ddisgyblion sy’n barod i wneud cynnydd pellach gyda’r iaith hefyd yn cael ei gyflwyno yn yr ysgolion hyn.

Dyddiadau dysgu i’ch dyddiadur HYFFORDDIANT I GYNRYCHIOLWYR

Mae hyfforddiant i gynrychiolwyr ar gael ar ffurf cwrs tridiau llawn mewn un bloc, neu ar ffurf cwrs mewn modiwlau lle gellir gwneud y tri diwrnod ar wahân dros gyfnod o amser. Byddwn ni hefyd yn parhau i ddarparu cyrsiau’n rhithwir dros gyfnod o chwech wythnos gyda sesiynau dwyawr wythnosol rhwng 4 a 6pm. Bydd ein cyrsiau wyneb yn wyneb cyntaf ers mis Mehefin 2019 yn cael eu cynnal ar y dyddiadau canlynol, yn ddibynnol ar niferoedd a chanllawiau Llywodraeth Cymru: Cyrsiau sylfaen n 15-17 Mehefin – cwrs tri diwrnod Village Hotel, Chester St David’s, Ewloe bit.ly/3Ij86Nn n 22-24 Mehefin – cwrs tridiau – Village Hotel, Abertawe bit.ly/3Ihl3an

Cwrs uwch n 6-8 Mehefin – cwrs tridiau – Village Hotel, Abertawe bit.ly/3tdTKJW Os oes gennych chi ddiddordeb mewn bod yn bresennol, anfonwch e-bost i cymru.wales@neu.org. uk – mae gan gynrychiolwyr hawl gyfreithiol i fod yn bresennol a bydd yr NEU yn cefnogi unrhyw gynrychiolwyr sy’n cael trafferthion wrth geisio cael amser i ffwrdd o’r gwaith.

Rhagor o gyrsiau drwy WULF Mae cyrsiau ar gael hefyd drwy brosiect Cronfa Ddysgu Undebau Cymru (WULF) – ewch i bit.ly/3hWYJcj Os hoffech chi i’r undeb ystyried trefnu cwrs penodol, anfonwch e-bost naill ai at Lisa Williams, lisa.williams@ neu.org.uk neu at Beth Roberts, beth.roberts@neu.org.uk

Cadwch olwg ar eich e-bost.Hoffwch ni ar Facebook yn facebook.com/ neucymrutraining, dilynwch ni ar Twitter drwy @neucymrutrain ac ewch i neu.org.uk/learning-and-events 2

addysgu yng nghymru Eich cylchgrawn gan yr Undeb Addysg Cenedlaethol

Adnoddau ACRh MAE’R undeb wedi bod yn gweithio gyda Phrifysgol Caerdydd ar adnoddau sy’n helpu addysgwyr i gefnogi pobl ifanc i wneud dewisiadau iach a diogel ynghylch cydberthnasau.

Yn ôl Mary van den Heuvel, uwch swyddog polisi yn NEU Cymru, mae adroddiad gan Estyn am aflonyddu rhwng cyfoedion yn ysgolion Cymru wedi dangos bod angen sicrhau bod gan fyfyrwyr wybodaeth a dealltwriaeth dda.

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo adnoddau ychwanegol i gefnogi addysg cydberthynas a rhywioldeb yn dilyn cymeradwyo’r Cod Addysg Cydberthynas a Rhywioldeb yn y Senedd fis Rhagfyr diwethaf.

Dywedodd Mary: “Tra bydd ein haelodau’n falch o weld y dull hwn o weithio a’r addewid i roi rhagor o adnoddau, mae hi nawr yn hollbwysig bod y rheini sy’n gweithio i gefnogi pobl ifanc yn y gweithlu addysg yn cael yr amser a’r adnoddau y mae eu hangen arnyn nhw i sicrhau bod addysg cydberthynas a rhywioldeb yn rhoi’r wybodaeth a’r adnoddau i bobl ifanc wneud dewisiadau iach.” n Darllenwch yr adroddiad gan Estyn yn bit.ly/35lvc8f n Ewch i agendaonline.co.uk

Llwyddiant gyda chyllid WULF BYDD cyfleoedd hyfforddiant i aelodau yng Nghymru yn parhau diolch i bumed cais llwyddiannus gan NEU Cymru i Gronfa Ddysgu Undebau Cymru (WULF).

Dywedodd Stuart Williams, swyddog polisi NEU Cymru, fod y cyllid yn golygu y gallai’r undeb barhau i roi cyfleoedd dysgu gydol oes hanfodol i’w aelodau tan fis Mawrth 2025.

Yn dilyn poblogrwydd ei brosiect WULF blaenorol, bydd NEU Cymru yn parhau gyda’r pedwar maes blaenoriaeth ar gyfer hyfforddiant: n hyrwyddo dysgu’r Gymraeg i bob athro ac athrawes yng Nghymru n sgiliau digidol – i baratoi at y Cwricwlwm newydd i Gymru n cynnydd a datblygiad gyrfa – rhoi rhaglen gymorth benodol a chynhwysfawr i athrawon cyflenwi ac athrawon sydd allan o waith n iechyd a lles.

Ysgrifennodd Stuart y cais ar y cyd â Beth Roberts, cydlynydd y prosiect, a fydd yn parhau i fod yn gyfrifol am ddatblygu strategaeth ddysgu NEU Cymru.

Wythnos hwyliog yn llawn canu, dawnsio a pherfformio

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yr Urdd yw un o wyliau teithiol mwyaf Ewrop i bobl ifanc, a hithau’n denu tua 90,000 o ymwelwyr bob blwyddyn. Ewch i dudalen 4

Lluniau gan Natasha Hirst

DAETH streic yn Ysgol Howell’s (uchod) yng Nghaerdydd i ben ganol mis Mawrth ar ôl i aelodau NEU Cymru ymuno â chydweithwyr yn Lloegr i dderbyn y cynnig a wnaed gan y Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), sy’n gyfrifol am yr ysgol.

Roedd y cytundeb yn dilyn trafodaethau rhwng yr NEU a GDST drwy’r gwasanaeth cyflafareddu, ACAS. Roedd aelodau NEU Cymru yn Howell’s wedi streicio am bedwar diwrnod ym mis Chwefror a dechrau mis Mawrth. Pleidleisiodd yr aelodau dros streicio pan wnaeth GDST, sy’n gyfrifol am 23 o ysgolion annibynnol, fygwth tynnu yn ôl o’r Cynllun Pensiwn Athrawon. Ar ôl derbyn cynnig GDST, mae hawl gan yr athrawon bellach i aros yn rhan o’r cynllun. Serch hynny, mae’r undeb yn dal i bryderu bod GDST yn bwriadu cau’r cynllun i athrawon newydd. Dywedodd David Evans, ysgrifennydd NEU Cymru: “Dylai aelodau’r NEU sy’n gweithio yn Ysgol Howell’s fod yn falch o’r undod, o’r penderfynoldeb, ac o’r ysbryd a ddangoson nhw drwy gydol yr anghydfod. Wrth sefyll eu tir dros eu hawliau, fe gawson nhw’u gorfodi i streicio mewn ffordd ddigynsail a hanesyddol er mwyn gwarchod eu pensiynau.” n Darllenwch y stori lawn ar dudalennau 26-27 yn Educate

Cwrdd â chynrychiolydd a swyddog y flwyddyn MAE Jenny Spratling (ar y chwith) wedi bod yn ganolog i un o anghydfodau mwyaf hanesyddol yr undeb eleni.

Ac mae’i gwaith fel cynrychiolydd yr NEU yn Ysgol Howell’s yng Nghaerdydd wedi golygu mai hi yw enillydd gwobr Cynrychiolydd y Flwyddyn yng Nghymru eleni.

Mae Jenny wedi helpu i ddenu mwy o aelodau ac wedi codi proffil yr undeb yn ystod yr anghydfod gyda’r Girls’ Day School Trust. Arweiniodd hynny at y streic gyntaf yn hanes GDST ers ei sefydlu 149 o flynyddoedd yn ôl (gweler uchod). Mae Howell’s yn un o 23 o ysgolion annibynnol sydd yng ngofal GDST, a’r unig un yng Nghymru.

Gan siarad ar ôl un o’r streiciau, dywedodd Jenny: “Nid dyma oedden ni’n dymuno’i wneud, ond mewn undod mae nerth, ac mae hynny wedi dangos cryfder y 23 ohonon ni gyda’n gilydd. Roedd pawb am ddangos pa mor gryf rydyn ni’n teimlo am hyn.”

Ychwanegodd: “Mae pobl newydd wedi ymuno â’r NEU yn unswydd i ddangos eu bod nhw’n teimlo’n gryf am y mater.”

MAE Claudia Merola (ar y chwith), ysgrifennydd ardal Sir Benfro, wedi ennill gwobr swyddog y flwyddyn NEU Cymru 2022 mewn cydnabyddiaeth i’w gwaith.

Er ei bod hi wedi ymddeol fel ysgrifennydd cangen, mae hi’n dal i gefnogi’r undeb a’i aelodau drwy’i gwaith fel ysgrifennydd ardal, gan weithio i annog undod rhyngwladol ledled Cymru. A hithau’n ymgyrchwraig frwd ers blynyddoedd lawer, mae Claudia wedi arwain fforwm drefnu Cymru ar gyfer undod rhyngwladol ers ymuno â dirprwyaeth a aeth i Balesteina, ac mae hi’n awyddus i’r gwaith hwn barhau.

Mewn neges, dywedodd: “Diolch i’r aelodau hynny a wnaeth fy enwebu a diolch i fy nhîm o swyddogion a chynrychiolwyr yn Sir Benfro sydd wedi fy nghefnogi ac sy’n gwneud gwaith mor bwysig.”

Cafodd y gwobrau eu cyflwyno yng nghynhadledd flynyddol yr undeb ym mis Ebrill. n Ewch i dudalennau 12-17 yn Educate addysgu yng nghymru Eich cylchgrawn gan yr Undeb Addysg Cenedlaethol

3

Newyddion

Yma i helpu

FEL yr undeb addysg mwyaf, gall NEU Cymru roi gwasanaeth heb ei ail i’w aelodau. Mae ein tîm proffesiynol yma i ddefnyddio’u harbenigedd er mwyn helpu ein rhwydwaith o gynrychiolwyr gweithle ac ysgrifenyddion rhanbarthau a changhennau.

Os oes gennych chi broblem yn y gwaith neu i gael rhagor o wybodaeth am ein gwasanaethau i aelodau, cysylltwch â’r canlynol: n cynrychiolydd eich gweithle n ysgrifennydd eich cangen n AdviceLine n Swyddfa NEU Cymru.

NEU Cymru

Ty Sinnott, 18 Neptune Court, Vanguard Way, Caerdydd CF24 5PJ Ffôn: 029 2049 1818 E-bost: cymru.wales@neu.org.uk Ysgrifennydd Cymru: David Evans Uwch Swyddogion Cymru: Gareth Lloyd, Debbie Scott Uwch Swyddog Polisi Cymru: Mary van den Heuvel Trefnydd y Gogledd: Cai Jones Trefnydd y De: Robert Goddard Cyfreithiwr Cymru: Angharad Booker

Grŵp dawnsio gwerin o Ysgol Uwchradd Fodern Pendorlan, Bae Colwyn, yn cymryd rhan yn Eisteddfod yr Urdd 1966 yng Nghaergybi. Sefydlwyd Urdd Gobaith Cymru yn 1922 gan Syr Ifan ab Owen Edwards i warchod dyfodol y Gymraeg. Cynhaliwyd Eisteddfod Genedlaethol gyntaf yr Urdd yng Nghorwen saith mlynedd yn ddiweddarach. Dyma bellach y sefydliad ieuenctid gwirfoddol cenedlaethol mwyaf yng Nghymru, gyda dros 55,000 o aelodau rhwng wyth a 25 oed.

Llun gan Rees James, Abergele, diolch i Urdd Gobaith Cymru

Ymunwch â ni i ddathlu canmlwyddiant yr Urdd BYDD gan NEU Cymru stondin yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yr Urdd eleni, a honno’n dychwelyd am y tro cyntaf ers tair blynedd oherwydd y pandemig.

A hithau’n ganmlwyddiant y sefydliad, bydd Urdd Gobaith Cymru yn cynnal ei eisteddfod yn Ninbych yn ystod hanner tymor y Sulgwyn, gyda’r cystadlu’n dechrau ddydd Llun, Mai 30. Mae’r mynediad am ddim. Yn ymuno â NEU Cymru ar ei stondin bydd yr elusen addysg wrth-hiliaeth,

Ymgyrchwyr benywaidd y dyfodol

Llywydd: Daniel Kebede

MAE NEU Cymru yn trefnu digwyddiad deuddydd ym mis Mai i annog mwy o aelodau benywaidd i ymgyrchu gyda’r undeb. A hwnnw’n cael ei gynnal yn Llandrindod, Powys, ar Fai 20 a 21, mae’n cael ei ddisgrifio fel penwythnos cyflwyniadol i fenywod sy’n newydd i’r byd ymgyrchu, a bydd yn cynnwys siaradwyr gwadd, gweithdai a gweithgareddau.

Mae croeso arbennig i athrawon newydd gymhwyso gymryd rhan. n Anfonwch e-bost at mairead.canavan@neu.org.uk

Cyd-ysgrifenyddion Cyffredinol: Mary Bousted a Kevin Courtney

Cwrs prifysgol am ddim i ANG

Aelodau Gweithredol: Máiréad Canavan, Elizabeth McLean, Hannah O’Neill

Prif Swyddfa

Yr Undeb Addysg Cenedlaethol, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, Llundain WC1H 9BD Ffôn: 020 7388 6191 Gwefan: neu.org.uk

Cyfieithiad gan Rhys Iorwerth Cyf rhysiorwerth@hotmail.com 4

MAE Prifysgol Caerdydd yn cynnig cwrs ar-lein yn rhad ac am ddim i helpu athrawon newydd gymhwyso (ANG)

addysgu yng nghymru Eich cylchgrawn gan yr Undeb Addysg Cenedlaethol

Dangos y Cerdyn Coch i Hiliaeth, a fydd yn cynnig bandiau garddwrn, sticeri a phosteri o dimau chwaraeon Cymru i ymwelwyr.

Dywedodd Stuart Williams, swyddog polisi NEU Cymru: “Rydyn ni’n gobeithio’n fawr y byddwn ni mewn sefyllfa lle gall pawb fwynhau popeth sydd gan yr eisteddfod i’w gynnig, ac os bydd y cyngor meddygol a gwyddonol yn caniatáu hynny, gobeithio y gall cynifer o bobl â phosibl gefnogi’r digwyddiad gwych hwn.” n Ewch i urdd.cymru/cy/eisteddfod

ac athrawon cyflenwi sy’n gweithio yng Nghymru. Gyda’r nod o ddatblygu a gwella’u gwybodaeth broffesiynol, a dyfnhau eu dealltwriaeth am addysgu, mae’r cwrs yn agored i bobl sydd wedi ennill statws athro cymwysedig (SAC) yn haf 2020 neu 2021. n Ewch i bit.ly/3N0VFt6

Taith Care4Calais aelodau

^ o aelodau NEU Cymru ROEDD grwp yn bwriadu teithio i ogledd Ffrainc ddiwedd mis Ebrill gyda chyflenwadau i ffoaduriaid anghenus.

Bu’n rhaid gohirio taith flaenorol ym mis Ionawr oherwydd Omicron, ond mae’r aelodau wedi bod yn codi arian i brynu pebyll, sachau cysgu a hanfodion eraill i’w dosbarthu gyda gwirfoddolwyr o’r elusen, Care4Calais.

Curriculum rollout Time and money needed to avoid a delay.

Issue 70 Summer term 2022

Officer and rep of the year Meet Claudia Merola and Jenny Spratling.

100 years of the Urdd Join us in Denbigh during Whitsun half-term.

inwales

90% unhappy with pay rates AN overwhelming majority – over 90 per cent – of members taking part in an NEU Cymru survey said they were dissatisfied at the current pay rates offered to teachers in Wales.

More than 2,200 educators responded to the survey in which the union focussed on pay issues ahead of its submission to the Independent Wales Pay Review Body. Many members highlighted how salaries have been impacted as a result of austerity measures introduced in 2010.

In England, the NEU is calling for an eight per cent pay rise this year and next.

Nearly all those surveyed by NEU Cymru (99 per cent) gave a clear indication that teachers in Wales must retain parity, at least, with pay structures in England. They also largely agreed (96 per cent) that any pay awards must apply to teachers across all pay scales.

NEU Cymru has also carried out a detailed analysis of teachers’ pay in comparison with other graduate professions.

The union analysed detailed submissions by other stakeholders before offering a supplementary statement and attending an oral evidence session in April. n The NEU Cymru survey also considered

recent proposals outlined by the Welsh Government to change both the school year and school day. Eighty three per cent of respondents expressed concern at the proposals, with many questioning the rationale behind the ideas which they said appear to have no true educational benefit.

The information will be used to inform the consultation exercise on the proposals and during meetings with Welsh Government officials and Education Minister Jeremy Miles.

Making history at GDST’s 23 schools

Gwawr Prys-Davies on the picket line at Howell’s School in Cardiff. See page 3

‘The assessment system is rigged’ YOUNG people in Wales need an assessment system that recognises what they can do rather than ranking them on the basis of tests they have taken on a certain day.

Calling for “clear thinking” from the Welsh Government, NEU Cymru said the new curriculum offered the opportunity to ensure new assessment arrangements meet the needs of learners. NEU Cymru secretary David Evans said: “Our members are clear

that there should be no testing of children as they go through school.

“The current system is rigged for winners and losers – we need young people to leave school equipped for the future with proof of what they can do, not with grades used to punish their school.” n Read the final report by the Independent Assessment Commission, of which the NEU is a part, at neweraassessment.org.uk/findings

educate in Wales Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

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News

Curriculum support to avoid delay MORE support is needed from the Welsh Government to ensure schools are ready to teach the new curriculum in September and to avoid any delay in its rollout.

The union says Covid-19 is still taking its toll on staff and there had been high levels of absence and disruption earlier in the year.

NEU Cymru secretary David Evans said educators were rightly focussed on trying to help pupils catch up with their learning and prepare for exams.

“Staff were meant to have extra planning days for the new curriculum. Those have been taken up with planning for Covid changes,” he said. “We know staff are struggling with the huge amount of workload and expectations.

Welsh Government needs to act swiftly now and ensure that everyone in education has enough time to prepare.”

Earlier this year the Welsh Government published its own research showing that two thirds (67 per cent) of educators and senior leaders in schools believed more support was

needed to ensure they were ready to teach the new Curriculum for Wales from September.

David said members would recognise these findings, and needed the Government to take action.

“If the time and money can’t be found now to support schools to be ready for the changes then there will have to be a delay. It is better we get the curriculum rollout right – young people only get once chance,” he said.

Changes to Welsh language GCSE QUALIFICATIONS Wales is to make changes to Welsh language qualifications at GCSE level from 2025 in a move to help more learners become confident Welsh speakers.

In Welsh-medium and bilingual schools, the current Welsh language and literature qualifications will be combined into one GCSE. In English-medium schools, the Welsh second language GCSE will be discontinued and replaced with a new GCSE in Welsh. A new qualification for pupils ready to progress further in the language will also be introduced in these schools.

RSE resources with Cardiff Uni THE union has been working with Cardiff University on resources to help educators support young people make safe and healthy relationship choices.

Mary van den Heuvel, NEU Cymru senior policy officer, said a report by Estyn on peer-on-peer harassment in schools in Wales showed there was a need to ensure students were knowledgeable and informed.

The Welsh Government has committed extra resources to support relationship and sex education (RSE) following the approval of the new RSE Code by the Senedd last December.

Mary said: “While our members will be pleased to see this approach and the extra resources pledged, it is now critical that those working to support young people in the education workforce are given the time and resources needed to ensure that RSE provides young people with the knowledge and tools to make healthy choices.” n Read the Estyn report at bit.ly/35lvc8f n Find RSE resources at agendaonline.co.uk

Learning dates for your diary

WULF funding win

LEARNING is at the heart of NEU Cymru and we take pride in the local training that we provide for education professionals, officers and workplace reps.

TRAINING opportunities for members in Wales will continue thanks to a fifth successful bid by NEU Cymru to the Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF). NEU Cymru policy officer Stuart Williams said the funding meant that the union could continue to provide essential lifelong learning for its members until March 2025.

Following the popularity of its previous WULF project, NEU Cymru will continue with the same four priority training areas: n to promote Welsh language learning to all teachers across Wales n digital skills – to prepare for the new Curriculum for Wales n career progression and development – to provide a comprehensive bespoke support programme for supply and out-of-work teachers n health and wellbeing.

Stuart co-wrote the application with project co-ordinator Beth Roberts, who will continue to be responsible for the development of the learning strategy for NEU Cymru, assisted by Lisa Williams.

TRAINING FOR REPS

Training for reps is available as a full three-day course in one block, or as a modular course where the three days can be done separately over a period of time. We will also be continuing to deliver courses virtually over a period of six weeks with weekly two-hour sessions from 4-6pm.

Our first face-to-face course since June 2019 will go ahead, subject to numbers and Welsh Government guidelines, on the following dates: Foundation courses n 15-17 June – three-day course – Village Hotel, Chester St David’s, Ewloe bit.ly/3Ij86Nn n 22-24 June – three-day course –

Village Hotel, Swansea bit.ly/3Ihl3an Advanced course n 6-8 June – three-day course – Village Hotel, Swansea bit.ly/3tdTKJW If you’re interested in attending, email cymru.wales@neu.org.uk – reps are legally entitled to attend and the NEU will support any rep who has difficulties getting time off work.

More courses through WULF Courses are also available through the Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) – visit bit.ly/3hWYJcj If you would like the union to consider organising a particular course, email Lisa Williams at lisa.williams@neu.org.uk or Beth Roberts at beth.roberts@neu.org.uk

Check your email inbox for information on the latest training opportunities.

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/neucymrutraining, follow us on Twitter at @neucymrutrain and visit neu.org.uk/learning-and-events 2

educate in Wales Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

Fun-filled week of singing, dancing and performing

The Urdd National Eisteddfod is one of Europe’s largest touring youth festivals, attracting around 90,000 visitors each year. See page 4

Photos by Natasha Hirst

HISTORIC strike action at Howell’s School (above) in Cardiff ended in mid-March after NEU Cymru members joined colleagues in England to accept the offer made by the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), which runs the school.

The agreement followed talks between the NEU and GDST at the arbitration service, ACAS. NEU Cymru members at Howell’s had taken part in four days of strike action in February and early March. Members voted to strike when the GDST, which runs 23 independent schools, threatened to withdraw from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS). Although the accepted offer from the trust won teachers the right to remain in the scheme, the union remains concerned that the GDST still proposes to close it to new teachers.

David Evans, NEU Cymru secretary, said: “NEU members working at Howell’s School should be proud of their solidarity, resolution and spirit shown throughout the dispute. In standing up for their rights they were forced to take unprecedented and historic strike action to n Read the full story on pages 26-27 of Educate defend their pensions.”

Meet your rep and officer of the year JENNY Spratling (left) has been right at the centre of one of the union’s most historic disputes this year.

And her work as NEU rep at Howell’s School in Cardiff has won her this year’s Wales Rep of the Year award.

Jenny has helped enlist more members and raised the profile of the union during the dispute with the Girls’ Day School Trust which saw the first strike action in the trust’s 149-year history (see above). Howell’s is one of 23 independent schools in the trust and the only one in Wales.

Speaking after one of the walkouts, Jenny said: “It’s not what we wanted to do, but everyone was together and it shows that we are 23 strong. Everyone wanted to show how strongly we feel.”

She added: “We’ve had new people join the NEU just so they can demonstrate and show that they feel strongly about the issue.”

PEMBROKESHIRE district secretary Claudia Merola (left) has won the 2022 NEU Cymru officer of the year award in recognition of her work.

Although she has retired as branch secretary she continues to support the union and its members as district secretary, working to encourage international solidarity across Wales.

A keen activist for many years, Claudia has led the Welsh international solidarity organising forum since joining a delegation to Palestine and she is keen for this work to continue.

In a message she said: “Thank you to those members who nominated me and to my team of officers and reps in Pembrokeshire who have supported me and do such important work.”

The awards were presented at the union’s annual conference in April. n Turn to pages 12-17 of Educate for a full report on annual conference educate in Wales Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

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News in brief

Here to help AS part of the largest education union in Europe, NEU Cymru can offer members an unrivalled service.

Our professional team is here to provide expertise to our network of workplace representatives and district and branch secretaries.

If you have a problem at work or want to know more about member services, contact: n your workplace representative n your branch secretary n AdviceLine n NEU Cymru office.

NEU Cymru

Ty Sinnott, 18 Neptune Court, Vanguard Way, Cardiff CF24 5PJ Tel: 029 2049 1818 Email: cymru.wales@neu.org.uk Wales secretary: David Evans Senior Wales officers: Gareth Lloyd, Debbie Scott Senior Wales policy officer: Mary van den Heuvel North Wales organiser: Cai Jones South Wales Organiser: Robert Goddard Wales solicitor: Angharad Booker Executive members: Máiréad Canavan, Elizabeth McLean, Hannah O’Neill

Head office

National Education Union, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD Tel: 020 7388 6191 Website: neu.org.uk President: Daniel Kebede Joint general secretaries: Mary Bousted & Kevin Courtney Translation by Rhys Iorwerth Cyf rhysiorwerth@ hotmail.com 4

The folk dancing group from Pendorlan Secondary Modern School, Colwyn Bay, taking part at the 1966 Urdd Eisteddfod in Holyhead, Anglesey. Urdd Gobaith Cymru was established in 1922 by Syr Ifan ab Owen Edwards to protect the future of the Welsh language, and the first Urdd National Eisteddfod was held in Corwen, north Wales, seven years later. It is now the largest national voluntary youth organisation in Wales with more than 55,000 members aged between eight and 25.

Photo by Rees James, Abergele, courtesy of Urdd Gobaith Cymru

Join us for 100 years of the Urdd NEU Cymru will have a stand at this year’s Urdd National Eisteddfod, which is returning after a two-year absence caused by the pandemic.

In this its centenary year, Urdd Gobaith Cymru will hold its eisteddfod in Denbigh during the Whitsun half-term week with competitions starting on Monday, May 30.

Entry is free. NEU Cymru will be joined on its stand by the anti-racism education

Future female activists NEU Cymru is organising a two-day event in May to encourage more women members to get active within the union. Taking place in Llandrindod Wells, Powys on May 20 and 21, it is described as an introductory weekend for women new to activism and will include speakers, workshops and activities. NQTs are particularly encouraged to take part. n Email mairead.canavan@neu.org.uk

Members’ Care4Calais trip A GROUP of NEU Cymru members were planning to travel to northern France at the end of April with much-needed supplies for refugees.

educate in Wales Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)

charity, Show Racism the Red Card, whose team will be giving away wristbands, stickers and posters of Welsh sports teams.

NEU Cymru policy officer Stuart Williams said:“We sincerely hope that we will be in a position where everyone can enjoy everything that the eisteddfod has to offer and that, medical and scientific advice allowing, as many people as possible are able to support this great event.” n Visit urdd.cymru/en/eisteddfod

An earlier trip in January had to be postponed because of the Omicron outbreak but members have been raising funds to buy tents, sleeping bags and other essentials for distribution with volunteers from the charity, Care4Calais.

Free uni course for NQTs CARDIFF University is offering a free online course to support newly qualified teachers and supply teachers working in Wales. Aimed at developing and extending their professional knowledge and deepening understanding around teaching, the course is open to those who gained qualified teacher status (QTS) in summer 2020 or 2021. n Visit bit.ly/35WvjI3