‘A life-changing difference’ Boost for overseas-trained teachers at Harris. See page 8.
Winning for women Strike delivers better maternity pay. See page 12.
Take me to your leaders NEU Leadership convention talks Ofsted & workload. See page 19.
May/June 2025
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Read full report from NEU annual conference p20-25
❤ the arts p26-31
Educate
May/June 2025 Teacher, workplace rep and conference delegate Andrea McClurg from Lambeth, south London. Photo by Kois Miah koismiah ‘A life-changing difference’ Boost for overseas-trained teachers at Harris. See page 8.
Winning for women Strike delivers better maternity pay. See page 12.
Take me to your leaders NEU Leadership convention talks Ofsted & workload. See page 19.
May/June 2025
Your magazine from the National Education Union
Read full report from NEU annual conference p20-25
❤
the arts p26-31
NEU president Sarah Kilpatrick
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede
Editor Max Watson Editorial assistant Frankie Faccion Journalists
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Welcome
WELCOME back to the summer term. I hope you all had a lovely Easter break and bank holiday weekend. In this issue we cover the launch of an important NEU initiative – the brilliantly named Arts and Minds campaign – which aims to put the arts squarely back on the agenda for the government’s curriculum and assessment review (pages 26-31). Since Michael (now ‘Lord’) Gove’s time as education secretary, the arts have been squeezed out of the classroom to make room for all things science, technology, engineering and mathematics (see Michael Rosen and Dan Berry on page 13). As we go to press we have heard, via a leak to the Times, that the School Teachers’ Review Body is recommending a four per cent pay rise for teachers in England. If this is true, the big question is: will it be funded? An unfunded pay rise is quite simply unaffordable and will push more and more schools into crisis. Delegates have just voted at our annual conference to move to a formal ballot for strike action following our successful preliminary electronic ballot. Please keep an eye on your email inbox for news from the union’s executive on our next move. Conference was incredibly inspiring – if you haven’t been before, get active in your branch and try to get yourself along. Don’t take my word for it – hear from Hattie, Julie, Hannah and Mhairi about how they felt speaking at conference for the first time (pages 20-25). As someone who studied art at A-level, our Final word (page 50) really chimes with me. As arts ambassador Eunice Olumide says: “The arts are increasingly important now that computers are taking over much of the workforce. Our very human ability to think outside the box correlates with variety of experience.” I hope that when you get this issue, you can log off, sit down with a cuppa and enjoy a good read of Educate magazine in the staff room, park or at home. Feel free to pen us a letter, a postcard or even a cartoon (see Letters, pages 42-43). Or simply email educate@ neu.org.uk Max Watson Editor, Educate
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‘FULL OF WARMTH, MISCHIEF AND FUN’ THE SPECTATOR
‘A WELCOME EXCUSE TO REVISIT A CLASSIC – FUN AND TOTALLY FABULOUS’ THE INDEPENDENT
The rest is history
Contents
18 June 1984
The Battle of Orgreave takes place during the height of the UK miners’ strike. This violent confrontation between striking miners and police sees hundreds injured amid police brutality and false arrests. Despite numerous legal proceedings and public inquiries, no police officers are ever held accountable. n See Bigger picture on page 15
Regulars
Features PHOTO by Kois Miah
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13 Michael Rosen & Dan Berry 35 Tim Sanders & Warwick Mansell 36 Ask the union 37 A class act 39 International 40 Jon Biddle & reviews 42 Teacher’s pet & letters 45 Noticeboard 47 Photo opportunity 48 Crosswords & sudoku 50 Final word
p20-25
26 News
PHOTO by Joe Pepler/PinPep
‘Lighting fires of resistance’ at conference
6
Big wins on workload, pay and overseas recruitment.
12 5.5% pay rise for NI
Members gathered in Harrogate to network, debate and vote on key union issues (above).
Teachers in Northern Ireland vote to accept pay offer.
15 Bigger picture
John Harris’ famous photo at the Battle of Orgreave in 1984.
26 Arts & Minds
Educators, celebrities and children celebrate launch at the Tate Modern (above right). Meet the NEU’s 2025 winners (right).
NEU supports charity Parentkind’s call to government.
8 Victory for Harris members
20 NEU conference
32 Union awards
Take action on poverty crisis
17 NEU women make history
First trade union bloc at 19th Million Women Rise march.
32
PHOTO by Kois Miah
19 NEU Leadership convention Workload and Ofsted on the agenda.
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News
NEU backs call for action on poverty crisis CHARITY Parentkind is calling on the government to set a target for halving the average £2,000-a-year school costs for poorer parents by 2030 in its child poverty strategy due in the summer. A poll of parents living below the poverty line, carried out by the charity, found schoolrelated expenses for things such as food, uniform and IT equipment consumes up to a quarter of poor families’ disposable income. Almost half said they had no help with these costs. MPs who attended the launch of Parentkind’s The Missing Chapter report in Parliament (2 April), which is backed by the NEU, were asked to pledge support for five key recommendations for government. They include free school meals (FSM) for all primary age children, one of the union’s key campaigns. Speaking at the event, NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said it was “shameful” that only children in families with a household income of £7,400 or less were eligible for FSM. He added: “Families are constantly faced with financial barriers to supporting their
Strike to support college rep EDUCATORS at Longley Park Sixth Form College in Sheffield have taken seven days of strike action in support of their union rep who they believe is being victimised. IT teacher Duncan Blackie (above) was put on formal capability procedures in October, but the NEU has lodged a grievance saying his employer breached its own policy. Brigantia Learning Trust’s policy says formal procedures can only be invoked if informal action has been taken and failed. The grievance also alleges the trust has victimised Duncan, a rep at the college for 21 years, because of his union role. Duncan said going into work with a “cloud” over him was very stressful, but added: “I’m buoyed by the solidarity shown by my colleagues.” 6
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede at the launch of The Missing Chapter
children’s education, and it’s no coincidence that these costs rise as school funding continues to be cut. Government proposals will see overall per-pupil funding drop to its lowest levels in England for at least 15 years.” The report also recommends the government establishes an independent
PHOTO by Rehan Jamil
advisory body to monitor progress towards halving the cost of school. Peter Swallow, MP for Bracknell, said the government could and should do more to alleviate the effects of poverty. He thanked teachers and support staff for going above and beyond to ensure their pupils were supported.
n Visit tinyurl.com/the-missing-chapter
Sixth form strikers secure pay win AFTER eight days of well-supported strike action, teachers at non-academised sixth form colleges voted to accept a revised pay offer, ending their dispute with education secretary Bridget Phillipson. Members took action between November and February after the government provided funding for a 5.5 per cent pay rise for teachers at academised colleges, but only two per cent for those at non-academised colleges. This was the result of a Department for Education error. It believed sixth form colleges were covered by the School Teachers’ Review Body, but the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) negotiates pay for all colleges. Members’ action forced an improved offer of 4.3 per cent, with firm assurances that there will be no two-tier pay offers in future. They voted by 78.6 per cent to accept the offer, on a 64.6 per cent turnout.
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“This shows our whole union what collective action can achieve.” Their dispute succeeded in boosting funding for an above-inflation pay award for the sixth form college sector, saw off the threat of a permanent two-tier pay system and preserved the integrity of collective bargaining in the sector for the long term. Our sixth form college section has led from the front and shown our whole union what collective action can achieve. By Phil Child, national official, FE and 6FC
Bigger and better than ever before
This year’s NEU conference was the largest since the union was formed with almost 1,500 delegates. For full conference coverage, see pages 20-25.
Ballot rejects government pay offer NEU annual conference has called on the executive to move to a formal ballot over pay and funding after members rejected the government’s pay offer of 2.8 per cent for all teachers and leaders in England. In the union’s preliminary ballot over pay and funding, which closed in April, 93 per cent of respondents voted to reject the offer with 83.4 per cent saying they would be willing to take strike action to secure an increased pay award. Schools forced to cut staff to fund pay The government’s recommendation to the School Teachers’ Pay Review Body (STRB) is both below inflation and unfunded, meaning schools will have to fund the pay rise from their already squeezed budgets. Research by the School Cuts campaign shows 76 per cent of primaries and 94 per cent of secondaries will be forced to cut staff or resources or both. As Educate went to press the STRB report had yet to be published, but a leak to the Times newspaper suggested it would recommend a teacher pay rise for September of “close to four per cent”. The government would then need to decide whether to accept
this and what funding would be given to schools to pay for it. NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said: “Year upon year of pay cuts against inflation have damaged the competitiveness of teacher pay. Coupled with relentless workload, this has fuelled a recruitment and retention crisis that is affecting every school in the land.” Teacher pay has fallen in real terms by 20 per cent since 2010. A new report released in March by Incomes Data Research,
commissioned by the NEU, shows that teachers’ earnings consistently rank lower than those for most other professional groups. The research also concluded that the recruitment problems that affect teaching are likely to be connected to earnings comparisons. “We call on the government to do the right thing and fund fair pay and invest in our schools,” said Daniel.
n Visit schoolcuts.org.uk n Turn to pages 20-25 for conference news
Independent staff take on second jobs ALMOST a third of independent sector members are taking on additional work to make ends meet, an NEU pay survey has found. In the poll of nearly 5,000 members in England and Wales, 32 per cent of teachers and 29 per cent of support staff reported that the cost-ofliving crisis had forced them to take a second job such as babysitting, bar and restaurant work, or private tuition. Support staff can earn as little as £12,600, and 55 per cent are on termtime-only contracts. “My wage is so low
that I qualify to claim benefits and I use a food bank weekly,” said one support staff member. The introduction of VAT on school fees in January has led to redundancies, freezes on recruitment and lower pay rises. Just 12 per cent of independent sector teachers received a pay increase that matched or bettered the state sector pay award of 5.5 per cent. Forty-five per cent of support staff received less than the state minimum of 2.5 per cent.
COLLEAGUES from the Trades Union Congress visited the NEU’s London office, Hamilton House, as part of a grand tour for Heart Unions week. The tour included stops at the British Library and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and focused on the call for better arts education. Speaking outside Hamilton House, NEU vice-president and music teacher Ed Harlow said: “The arts have been decimated in our schools over the last 15 years. It’s going to take a Herculean effort to put it back together. The Arts and Minds campaign is critical, and we won’t stop until we get the change we need.” n See pages 26-31
PHOTO by Jason Perryman
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News
Major victory for 55 Harris schools HUNDREDS of members at the Harris Federation – known for its unscrupulous practices and poor staff retention record – are celebrating after a ballot for strike action forced the trust to improve its terms and conditions. In all, 750 staff employed at 18 secondaries and sixth forms of the trust’s 55 schools in London and the south east fought back against overwhelming workload, unfair pay progression and the exploitation of overseas trained teachers. Their 15-month dispute ended after the federation agreed to a raft of improvements – days before the ballot closed – following talks with arbitration service Acas. NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede hailed the victory in February as a “remarkable achievement” and “testimony to the strength of collective action”. It was the first multi-school ballot in the Harris Federation’s history. Wins include automatic pay progression for those on the main pay scale and a minimum of 12 per cent planning, preparation and assessment time. A new trust-wide policy on directed time includes the 23 admin tasks teachers should not be expected to do, including ordering supplies and equipment, and photocopying. Members also won significant improvements for overseas trained teachers (OTT), many of them recruited from Jamaica, who were being paid in some cases
“Improvements to workload, pay and the treatment of overseas trained teachers.”
electing reps and standing together, we’ve shown that every school and academy has the capacity to raise its standards for staff. “Experienced overseas-trained teachers who joined Harris in the past year will now earn thousands more than they would have. That’s a life-changing difference. Seeing our members realise their strength and make this change happen is a proud reminder of what union organising can achieve.”
up to £20,000 less than their British-trained colleagues until they gained qualified teacher status (QTS). Some were held back for years from pursuing QTS, with many expected to pay the £2,800 cost themselves. Daniel had described the treatment of these teachers as “Harris Federation’s Windrush”. A new OTT policy for all Harris schools says teachers will have the freedom to decide when – after completing their probation – they will embark on QTS, and the federation will pay. They will be paid a top-up to the main pay scale point relevant to their years of experience, a change Harris already implemented from the 2024/25 academic year. Lead Harris rep Ben Farren said: “NEU colleagues formed a strong, united front to secure real improvements for all Harris staff – and by extension, for our students. “Even in a challenging landscape of workload and pay, real change is possible. Through organising, holding meetings,
Harris primary wins more HLTAs At Harris Primary Academy South Kenton in north London, members who had also balloted for a fairer pay policy and more manageable workload are jubilant after benefiting from the new, trust-wide policies. The school, which only opened in September, also agreed to employ more higher level teaching assistants. These staff won’t be expected to do more than three consecutive days of cover in a week and will have guaranteed lunch breaks from 12.30-1pm. NEU Brent joint district secretary Jenny Cooper said members had been “buoyed” by the success of colleagues at the Harris secondaries and had attended meetings with them: “They could have felt quite isolated otherwise, but they had that solidarity.” Staff at the school, formerly Byron Court Primary, had fought hard to stop it being turned into an academy, fearing worse terms and conditions.
STAFF and pupils in Barrow, Cumbria, who have been without a permanent school building for over two years, have been “let down by government”, said NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede. Sacred Heart RC Primary School was forced to close its doors on 16 January 2023 after dry rot was discovered in the floorboards. The building was condemned and sealed off immediately. Staff and children have since been using portable cabins at the original site or travelling by bus to various nearby schools. The impact on learning has been severe, the school’s budget has been driven into deficit by the additional costs incurred and staff have been working excessive hours. Repair work could take up to five years. Daniel visited Sacred Heart (pictured left) in March and said: “I witnessed the most amazing staff, an inspirational head teacher and fantastic children, but they are being completely let down by the government.” PHOTO by Matt Wilkinson 8
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MEMBERS at Red Hill Church of England Primary School in Worcester are celebrating after winning a dispute over directed time. On their second day of strike action, members were called into a meeting where the employer agreed to their demands, including a negotiated directed time calendar. They had planned six days of strike action after a staff member had been disciplined for not attending a voluntary evening meeting.
Worcestershire NEU joint branch secretary Catherine Harris told Educate that had been “the last straw”. The disciplinary sanction has now been withdrawn. “Members are elated,” she said. “We knew some were frightened of the consequences of taking action, but they were able to feel the power they have as a union group, and they have seen that staying firm has paid off.” PHOTO by Lee Thomas
News in brief United action saves 39 jobs JOINT action by unions has forced one of England’s largest multi-academy trusts to abandon plans to cut estates officer jobs. The NEU, Unite, Unison and GMB had called for a ballot on strike action in February after Oasis Community Learning, which runs 54 schools, announced proposals in January which placed 39 staff at risk of redundancy or a pay cut. The move would have increased the workload of already overstretched estates officers, who would have received no extra pay. Lead Oasis rep Rob Owen said: “Our success shows the power unions have when we stand together.”
48-day anti-academy strike A RECORD 48 days of strike action has been taken by members at George Dixon Primary School in Birmingham over forced academisation plans. The long-running action began after the school was graded Requires improvement by Ofsted in November 2023, triggering an academisation order. Members fear there may be
redundancies and changes to their terms and conditions if the school becomes an academy. A conversion date has been repeatedly delayed. George Dixon has made sustained and significant improvements, say members, and has been receiving support from high-achieving schools within the borough. Governors, along with Birmingham NEU, have written to education secretary Bridget Phillipson asking her to revoke the order. Birmingham NEU general secretary David Room said members hoped she would act without delay: “The number of strike days members have taken is a record for the NEU. Their strength, solidarity and determination serve to inspire others across the country. More strike action is planned through to October, should it be needed.”
Backdated pay for support staff SUPPORT staff at a primary school who fought back against their employer’s refusal to award them back pay will receive a one-off payment of £403 pro rata. All 32 support staff at Kanes Hill
School, in Southampton, had voted to take six days of strike action in March, after being told their 2024/25 pay award would be implemented in September, rather than April. The NEU says the pay policy at multi-academy trust Inspire Learning Partnership, which runs Kanes Hill, is contradictory – it says support staff pay is set according to the local county council pay framework (April), but also that “pay progression takes effect from 1 September”. With less than 48 hours to go until the first strike day, the trust agreed to a non-consolidated payment for support staff, equivalent to a pay rise backdated to April 2024. The trust also agreed to members’ other demands, including a new pay policy that says support staff will be paid on 1 April each year. A joint negotiating and consultation committee for all its schools will be in place from September 2025. Vikki Franks, a teaching assistant and NEU rep at Kanes Hill, said: “This wasn’t just about pay. It was about knowing our worth.”
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Opinion
Standing up for what is right, when it’s right NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede discusses
what’s next in our continuing battle to improve education for pupils and educators alike.
AS I write this, I am coming down from the buzz of our brilliant annual conference in Harrogate. An incredible four days of discussion and debate, it’s always such an inspiration to meet and talk to our members about all the great work they are doing in their workplaces. I’d like to thank each and every one of you for all that you do to improve the lives and outcomes of the children you teach. And for all you do to support your union and each other. New government, fresh approach? This year has been particularly demanding as we have entered new territory. Since last year’s conference, we have a Labour government. After years of Conservative mismanagement of education, it seemed there would be muchneeded light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. As a union, it is right that we talk to government. I know that you expect us to be part of any negotiating process and that you expect us to get your voices heard. But having a seat at the table is not everything. Negotiations will only be successful if we can use our union’s power to win for members. And that power is based on your organising, your campaigning and your action. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves may say austerity is over but, as I have said many times recently, austerity will only be ended by deeds not words. You will probably know that, just before our conference, members voted to reject the government’s unfunded 2.8 per cent pay offer for this year and said they would take strike action if necessary to secure a fully funded, significantly higher pay award that takes steps to address the crisis in recruitment and retention. The government responded by saying it would be “indefensible” for the NEU to take
Daniel speaking at NEU annual conference
industrial action. But what is truly indefensible is a Labour government putting forward policies that would cut school funding. Because cuts hurt our kids. Terrible toll of cuts and staff shortages Time and time again, we are told there is no money. No money to properly fund our schools, or to cover fair pay. No money to repair crumbling classrooms or to scrap the two-child benefit cap. But, after 14 years of Conservative austerity, we expect better from Labour. At our conference, delegate after delegate described what cuts and staff shortages are doing to their schools. And they asked us to bring a clear message to government: if the School Teachers’ Review Body recommendation is not above inflation, if it is not a pay award that takes a step towards a correction in pay, if it does not address the crisis in recruitment and retention and if it is not fully funded, then we will conduct a formal ballot of our members to take strike action. No teacher wants to strike. But we will not stand by and see education destroyed by
PHOTO by Kois Miah
more funding cuts and staffing shortages. The government’s refusal to fund fair pay and invest in schools is not just a policy failing, it is a betrayal. It’s a betrayal of a generation of children who get one chance at school. It’s a betrayal of the poorest families in our communities. And it’s a betrayal of all those who voted for change, many of whom were our members. Do what we have to do to save our schools We will keep you up to date with all our conversations with government and with plans for any possible formal industrial action ballot timeline. As I promised at conference, we are a union with a high moral purpose, united in our shared desire to improve education for every child, in every classroom. We are a union that stands up for what is right, when it’s right. In the classroom and in the corridors of power. If the government does not take the crisis in education seriously, we will do what’s necessary to save our schools.
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News Schools set to close as cost of living prompts city exodus FALLING pupil numbers in an east London borough mean that four primary schools will close at the end of the school year. St Dominic’s Catholic School and St Mary’s Church of England Primary School will permanently close their doors, while Oldhill Community School will merge with Harrington Hill Primary School, and Sir Thomas Abney Primary School will merge with Holmleigh Primary School.
Members at St Dominic’s Catholic School took 18 days of strike action in a fierce battle to save their school, but a final decision was taken by Hackney council on 22 April. NEU rep and Hackney joint district secretary Carly Slingsby warned: “We are the cautionary tale for a national picture. Data suggests that soon schools around the UK will also be hit by closures, due to housing costs and the cost-of-living crisis leading to falling
rolls. It’s harder for working-class people to remain in cities due to austerity.” St Dominic’s staff, parents and children had united on the picket line, chanting: “When our school is under attack, we fight back” and “Hackney council, leave our kids alone.” Ronnie Haynes, a parent of two children at St Dominic’s, described the decision as “gut wrenching”, adding: “This is more than a school, it’s a family.”
NI teachers win 5.5% pay rise and workload commitment TEACHERS in Northern Ireland have voted to accept a 5.5 per cent pay offer, ending their long-running dispute. The offer, which was accepted by all five unions that make up the NI Teachers’ Council (NITC), will be backdated until 1 September 2024. Education minister Paul Givan has agreed to an independent review covering all aspects of workload which will conclude in November 2025. Teachers had been participating in action short of strike since early February, and two previous pay offers had been rejected.
Maintained nursery members pledge to save vital services ON 8 March, maintained nursery school (MNS) members held an organising day at the union’s London office, Hamilton House. There are now only 379 MNS, down from 400 before the pandemic. They are seriously underfunded and the percentage of schools in the sector in financial deficit has increased from three per cent in 2009/10 to 33.5 per cent in 2023/24. Almost all MNS are in areas of deprivation with high numbers of children with special educational needs and disabilities. Staff are highly trained specialists in early child development. Children get the best start to their education and parents receive essential support, which private nurseries are rarely able – or willing – to provide. We decided to get together to plan a fightback to save our schools and we will be calling on the support and solidarity of the rest of the union. Look out for our campaign. By Lucy Cox, NEU executive member and early years SEND teacher
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NEU members on the picket line at Dunraven
Dunraven strike: winning for women, winning for mothers A FIGHT for better maternity pay at a south London academy trust has won members an average £10,000 more than the nationally agreed Burgundy Book rate. At Dunraven Educational Trust, which runs four schools in Lambeth, members took three days of strike action in March to push for the enhanced maternity package offered to teachers employed at neighbouring councilrun schools. Rep Andrea McClurg told Educate: “It was a battle to get the trust’s schools brought up to what’s offered at maintained schools. I hadn’t realised how rubbish the Burgundy Book rate is. Maternity pay was one of the first things a member came to me about when I became a rep last year.” She added that the schools’ heads had
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been supportive, with one suggesting the dispute should be national rather than local. Spanish teacher and mum of two Celia Da Silva told Educate that, as her family’s breadwinner, she had only been able to afford five months’ maternity leave. “With the new offer, if I were to take maternity leave again, I’d be able to have another two months or so with my baby,” she said. “I’m happy and relieved that this policy means others will not lose out on time with their little ones, as I did. Teachers should have better maternity leave nationwide. I have friends working elsewhere who get six months’ full pay.” Celebrating the victory, NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede told annual conference in April it was an example of the NEU “winning for women, winning for mothers, winning for families”.
Michael Rosen
Arts and Minds Words by Michael Rosen Illustration by Dan Berry
We’re always looking for news that’ll save us from getting bored. As luck would have it, we’ve heard Michael Gove will soon be a lord. As we survey the curriculum and around its features we rove we know that we owe it all to the great and future Lord Gove. For example, we might sometimes wonder how come in all of its parts we spend so little time with our students pursuing and practising the arts? Isn’t this how we learn to experiment, how we learn things can change? How to make the unfamiliar familiar, how to make the familiar strange? We can investigate how things work; we can look into the world and its dealings; we can explore what it is to be human; and we can feel other people’s feelings. But our wiser and betters produced plans and a different curriculum wove, so as we deliver the timetable, let us praise the elevation of Gove.
Turn to pages 26-31 for more on our Arts and Minds campaign to restore the status of arts subjects in education educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
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A MOUNTED police officer attacking Lesley Boulton from miners’ support group, Women Against Pit Closures, at Orgreave coking works in Sheffield on 18 June 1984. This image, which features in Blood, Sweat & Tears: Photographs from the Great Miners Strike 1984-1985 (see right), remains as powerful today as ever. Email your best high-resolution photo of a picket line to educate@neu.org.uk for a chance to win a copy of the book. The winner will be picked by its editor, Mike Simons. It is also available to buy from minersstrike.com priced £30. PHOTO by John Harris/reportdigital.co.uk
News Removing society’s barriers that disadvantage disabled people
colleges are aware of and using the social model of disability.” n Visit neu.org.uk/disability-equality-toolkit
Union signs up to eco treaty
THE NEU has created guidance for schools and colleges on the social model of disability. It provides examples of how to use the social model and includes checklists for workplace reps and school leaders. The social model of disability recognises that people are disabled by the barriers in society, not by their impairment, long-term health condition or difference. Colleen Johnson, NEU executive, disabled members’ seat, said: “We need social model thinking in schools so that the barriers to inclusion for students and staff who are disabled or have special education needs are removed. “With the government’s intention to make mainstream schools more inclusive, it is essential schools and
THE NEU has signed up to a treaty aimed at fostering international cooperation on speeding up the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The global Fossil Fuel NonProliferation Treaty Initiative (FFNPTI) says many governments are still approving new coal, oil and gas projects. Jenny Cooper, NEU executive member, said NEU educators believe it is their duty, as stated in union policy, to speak up for the futures of the young people they teach. Jenny added: “The FFNPTI is a grassroots movement led by the people and countries that feel most affected by climate change, and in many cases did the least to cause it. Such grassroots campaigns give us hope.”
NPYW member conference NEW professional and young worker (NPYW) members from across the eastern region met in March at
Wyboston Lakes, Bedfordshire. A wide range of delegates, from trainees and early career teachers (ECTs) to school leaders and experienced reps, attended the event. Workshops covered issues including behaviour, surviving the ECT years, the NEU’s It’s Not OK toolkit for tackling sexism and sexual harassment, and a leadership perspective on protecting staff and dealing with investigations.
Strike over Bolton primary school’s unfair pay policy MEMBERS at St Matthew’s Church of England School in Bolton have taken four days of strike action – with more days planned for May – in a dispute over performance-related pay. Last year, the School Teachers’ Review Body recommended schools remove the direct link between performance and annual pay, but the school governors have refused to change their policy. NEU Bolton secretary Joanne Squires said members had been raising objections for months, but talks only began after moving to strike action.
LGBT+ conference: ‘most welcoming space’
I attended some exceptional sessions. The most impactful, for me, was run by outgoing LGBT+ executive member Kacey de Groot. Delegates voted on a motion to go to annual conference – Funding for inclusive organising: enabling diverse member engagement. The debate was empowering and an example of democracy in action. On Saturday night, the glamorous LGBT+ educators’ awards highlighted inspirational work by activists. Bex BothwellO’Hearn, a teacher at Northgate High School, in Ipswich, talked about the fantastic work her school Pride group does in the community, including volunteering at Suffolk Pride fringe events and leading a memorial and march for the trans community. Melissa Hind, assistant head teacher 16
PHOTO by Jess Hurd
AS a first-time disabled delegate to the NEU’s LGBT+ conference, held this year in Birmingham, I was nervous. But it was the most welcoming and accessible union space I’ve been in.
(From left) Pauly Etheraads, vice-chair of the LGBT+ organising forum, outgoing LGBT+ executive member Kacey de Groot, NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede and equalities organising officer David Braniff-Herbert
at Chelsea Community Hospital School, won a lifetime achievement award for the incredible work she has done campaigning on LGBT+ issues. I have never had an easier time at a
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conference and would encourage any LGBT+ member to apply next year. It really is a fantastic experience.
By Thyme Chapman (they/them), teacher, west Hampshire
Photo by Isabel Infantes
‘Electric atmosphere’ at Million Women Rise march the strength, joy, vulnerability and rage of being a woman. To quote them: “When we call: you will listen… This is how a Million Women Rise.” We are already building for our NEU bloc presence to be bigger and better next year and we invite all NEU women who can to come to London to rise with us on International Women’s Day weekend 2026.
ON a gloriously sunny International Women’s Day (8 March), around 50 NEU women made history by forming the first ever trade union bloc at the 19th Million Women Rise march in central London. Million Women Rise is an organisation, led by women of colour, which works to empower all girls and women in the fight against male violence against women and girls. NEU women from 21 districts travelled from as far as Cornwall, Northumberland and Torfaen in Wales. The atmosphere was electric
as we marched behind the NEU banner – led by our Black sisters – under blue skies through the streets of London to Trafalgar Square, driven by the powerful beats of the Samba Sister Collective drums. Once at Trafalgar Square we gathered with the rest of the women on the march in sisterhood and solidarity to hear a variety of powerful speeches and spoken word performances from Black women. A notable highlight was Miss Yankey and Y.A., whose inspiring performance beautifully captured
NEU delegates at this year’s TUC women’s conference (5-7 March) proposed motions on improving maternal care for Black women and supportive workplaces for women in menopause. Both were passed. Shakila Said, NEU northern Derbyshire equality officer, said discrimination, racism and additional stress at work meant Black women were twice as likely to have small babies and develop health problems such as pre-eclampsia. Rosie Kelly-Smith, of the NEU’s women’s organising forum, spoke for a motion on better support for those who have suffered pregnancy loss, including full pay when they took leave. Two motions on decriminalising sex work were voted down by conference. Speaking against, NEU women’s organising forum member Mairead Canavan said: “The NEU speaks for students’ interests, as well as our members’, and we think girls need to be given aspirations to feel equal to boys and men. Surely sex work can’t be something that we would want our girls to aspire to?”
NEU delegates at TUC women’s conference, including president Sarah Kilpatrick (right)
By Rosie Kelly-Smith, NEU women’s officer,
Sutton, and member of the NEU women’s organising forum
PHOTO by Jess Hurd
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News
NEU delegates at the TUC Black workers’ conference
BLACK workers from all industries joined together at the TUC Black workers’ conference in London (11-13 April), where we united to challenge racism we face in our different employment sectors. I was a first-time delegate and speaker, afforded the opportunity to speak in
support of two motions – one on protecting workers’ linguistic rights and another on refugees seeking citizenship. The support was amazing and the positive comments I received were much appreciated. The NEU’s motion was on supporting maternity for Black women at work.
PHOTO by Jess Hurd
There were also opportunities for networking. I spoke to interesting people throughout, including exchanging a few words with Dawn Butler MP and the Cuban ambassador to the UK, Ismara Walter. By Tokunbo Sode, NEU Wolverhampton district
Powerful NI conference: from equality to mental health ON 4 April, NEU members gathered at The Merchant Hotel in Belfast for the NEU’s annual Northern Ireland (NI) conference, which had the theme Equality for All.
Pamela Cosgrove (left) and Sinéad McBrearty
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The day opened with a powerful keynote address from Sinéad McBrearty, chief executive of Education Support, a mental health and wellbeing charity. She shared stark and sobering data on the growing mental health crisis among education staff, underlining the urgent need for systemic change, rather than individual resilience. A dynamic panel discussion delved deeper into the theme of equality in education. NEU president Sarah Kilpatrick discussed the power of collective action, while Nick Mathison, chair of the Stormont education committee, reflected on the role of devolved institutions in tackling inequality in schools across NI. Social Democratic and Labour
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party leader Claire Hanna reinforced the need for political will to address structural barriers in education, and Rachel Hogan, from the Children’s Law Centre, provided a rightsbased view on how educational inequality impacts our most vulnerable young people. NEU reps from Oakgrove Integrated College delivered a thought-provoking session on AI in education, which explored the promises and perils of emerging technology in the classroom. They asked tough questions about who benefits, who gets left behind, and what role educators must play in shaping an equitable digital future. Pamela Cosgrove, NEU NI president, said the conference provided “a powerful reminder that our union is more than just a support system – it’s a movement. A strong, informed, and principled union that will continue to challenge injustice, empower members, and fight for an education system that works for everyone.”
Going through the motions
NEU conference welcomed 185 children to its crèche, the highest number ever. And there were 335 motions submitted by districts, the largest number so far. See pages 20-25.
Workload and Ofsted on leaders’ agenda LEADERS gathered for their annual NEU convention in London (7 March), where they heard from speakers including a secondary head who has reduced workload by introducing class sizes of 22 and giving teachers 20 lessons a week. Andrew O’Neill, who leads All Saints Catholic College, a secondary school in north Kensington, said he wanted to make teaching less exhausting. He has scrapped morning tutor time, with the register now taken in the first period, so teachers can come in at 10.30am one day a week. “We just stack more and more on teachers,” he added. “I wanted to reignite that passion.” Collaborative alternative to Ofsted NEU Leadership member John Hayes told delegates about the app-style school report he and other heads have developed in the London borough of Camden – an alternative to Ofsted’s much-criticised proposals for a school report card. “As a head teacher, I believe there must be a better alternative to Ofsted and its reports,” said John. “What makes Camden’s school report different is that it is collaborative and school-led, without grades or labels. In contrast, Ofsted’s approach remains inspector-driven.” NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede praised Camden’s “fantastic model”. He said Ofsted’s report card, which the inspectorate consulted on until 28 April, would not be reliable. “Reducing what you achieve, plan and
(Above) Andrew O’Neill, and (below) convention delegates
create into numbers is not wise or safe,” Daniel told leaders. Professor Karl Kitching from Birmingham University delivered a speech on how far-right populism had found its way into mainstream education policy making. He said teachers had found it “tricky”
PHOTOS by Jess Hurd and Rehan Jamil
to teach topics such as racism, after then education secretary Nadhim Zahawi issued political impartiality guidelines for schools in 2022. Terms like white privilege had been turned into “trigger words” used to divide people, when they were simply another way of referring to racial inequality, added Karl.
Black academics discuss NEU anti-racist curriculum plan THE NEU hosted a roundtable of leading Black academics and educators in central London to launch its new publication on creating an anti-racist national curriculum. Entitled Thinking beyond the box: developing critical curriculum perspectives and culturally responsive pedagogy, it sets out key theoretical concepts and practical approaches to creating an inclusive curriculum. Dr Aminul Hoque, a lecturer in the educational studies department of Goldsmiths
College and a contributor to Thinking beyond the box, said many children were in a “quandry of belonging”. This is because school can echo the idea for them that if you don’t come from a certain culture, your identity matters less, he said. “There is a dynamic synergy between home, culture and school whereby children’s culture, history and heritage should be explored at school. This approach empowers children to want to learn and come to school.”
Another speaker, Dr Zaahida Nabagereka of the Lit in Colour Pioneers pilot programme, said teaching inclusive texts improves attainment, engagement and a sense of belonging for a wider range of students. It also increases empathy and understanding among pupils. “This is clearly important in a country where we have cyclical race riots,” Dr Nabagereka added.
n Visit neu.org.uk/thinking-beyond-box
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Conference news Sally Gillen, Sarah Thompson and Max Watson report on some of the highlights from this year’s NEU annual conference in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. FOR four (mostly sunny) days during the Easter holidays, thousands of NEU delegates debated motions on topics from pay and maternity rights to Ofsted, AI and the far right. They took part in workshops and listened to guest speakers, and declared their solidarity with the people of Ukraine and Gaza. An emergency debate on pay and funding heard high praise for the work of reps and activists on winning votes for an indicative ballot. Delegates agreed the urgent motion, proposed by Chris Denson from the executive, for the union to launch a formal ballot on taking industrial action (see page 7). Executive member Louise Regan said: “This is a priority for each and every one of us – to restore pay to 2010 levels.” A Labour government said it would invest in education, she said, yet “this government has not ended austerity, it has ramped it up”. In a debate on workload, members voted against launching a national ballot for action on workload, after hearing that the agreed ballot on pay and funding would need to be “the fight of our lives”. Early years teacher Lucy Cox, from Brent, said: “I absolutely get it about workload. I’m standing here as someone doing four people’s jobs due to cuts. But we need to concentrate on building one ballot around funding and pay, which will improve our workload.” She was applauded, as she added: “We need to send a message to government that we’re not going to put up with these cuts.” Delegates also passed a motion calling on the union to campaign to raise understanding of the 1998 Working Time Regulations 20
Photos by (WTR), which state that no-one should work more than 48 hours a week on average, over 17 weeks. Conference heard from independent sector members, many of whom are expected to work excessive hours, including evenings and weekends. Michael Cox, from Canterbury, described his job as a housemaster in a boarding school: “I was working seven days a week, six weeks in a row, and then driving a minibus to Wales for the Duke of Edinburgh expedition. Had I
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known about the WTR, I would have had an argument against these conditions.” Maternity rights were a hot topic at conference this year, with speaker after speaker highlighting the success of members at Dunraven Educational Trust, in Lambeth, south London (see page 12). Three days of action at Dunraven has secured an average extra £10,000 maternity pay. Highlighting the win during a debate on improving maternity rights, NEU president Sarah Kilpatrick said: “We need to seek out
Conference news
y Kois Miah local disputes and co-ordinate them across the country and make sure maternity campaigns are at the top of the bargaining agenda.” Proposing the successful motion, executive head teacher Georgina Mulhall, from Hampshire, said the Burgundy Book’s four weeks’ full maternity pay was “simply not enough”, comparing it with the 26 weeks for civil servants and 22 weeks for employees at some supermarkets. The motion instructs the union to call on the government to introduce 26 weeks’ full pay for teachers on
maternity leave and for paternity pay to be doubled. There were tears and anger as delegates debated and then passed an urgent motion to MORE tfdsfto abolish Ofsted. Mocking redouble efforts it as “the great wizard of Ofsted”, proposer and NEU executive member Nicola Hawkins said despite its pledge to promote high fdsf standards, fdsfd Ofsted remained damaging and controlling. “It masks the need for investment with its Mifdsfy sad rankings and individualised blame games,” Sevfdsfle. she said, winning applause as she added: “We fdsfdsf don’t ºneed Ofsted’s snap gradings. We live, breathe and sleep the highest of standards.” Brent NEU district secretary Jenny Cooper also derided Ofsted’s proposed new inspection framework, in which seven areas of school life will receive a colour-coded 1-5 grading. Branding it a “Nando’s-style spice chart with patronising drag ratings”, she said: “Let’s never forget that at least ten people from our workforce have Ofsted listed as a contributory factor on their coroner’s report.” The motion also called for inspection to be replaced with a focus on school improvement, and for the union to work with NEU Leadership members on the campaign. Delegates gasped as Aimee Turner, deputy head at a primary school in Peterborough, said an Ofsted inspector had “held his hand to my face and told me to stop talking because he did not want to hear my story”. Applause and cheers rang out as she said: “Ofsted must be replaced with a body fit for purpose, with a focus on school improvement, not inspection.” Rep Alice Butterton recalled the terrible impact of the inspection at her school, Byron Court Primary, which led to a takeover by the Harris Federation multi-academy trust in September 2024, despite a strong campaign by staff and parents. Alice said inspectors had behaved unprofessionally, “chopping and changing the timetable” and the inspection had been “detrimental to every staff member’s mental health”. But a staff complaint had been dismissed without proper investigation. A smear campaign against the school began. Breaking down in tears, Alice said: “It gave us some small insight into how Ruth Perry must have felt.” She was silent for a few moments but supportive applause from delegates urged her on. “Ofsted is unaccountable and dangerous,” she said.
“Speaking at conference is nerve-racking, but it’s rewarding. It’s all about representing your members as best you can and knowing what they want you to say.” Julie Walter-Nesbitt, Leicester
first-time speaker
Proposing a motion passed by members on tackling violence in schools, Sabrina Greenall from Torfaen, in Wales, said there was a worsening daily “crisis” in schools, with teachers and support staff being punched, kicked and verbally abused. The motion called for a survey of members to explore how extreme behaviour was impacting their wellbeing, time off, workload, and the quality of teaching and learning. It also called on the union’s executive to campaign to highlight intolerable working conditions caused by extreme behaviour and to equip branch secretaries with the knowledge to challenge local authorities over unsafe schools. In a motion calling for the NEU to fight the far right, Mairaed Canavan, from the Vale of Glamorgan, warned: “Hate groups pushed to the fringes are now bubbling up to the surface.” Tomas Logan, from Halton, Cheshire, told delegates: “People are suffering. The far right is controlling the narrative with lies. One hundred years after we beat them at [the Battle of ] Cable Street, we must do it again.” Nottingham delegate Kathryn Norouzi added: “Refugees and migrants significantly
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Conference news
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contribute to our society – we see first-hand how immigration is good for British culture.” Delegates voted unanimously to pass a motion designed to stop the exploitation of overseas trained teachers (OTT). It calls on the executive to create a working group of OTTs from the Caribbean and other countries to advise on union, government and school model policy positions. Proposer, Hillingdon NEU district secretary Carol Jumpp-Graham, who migrated from Jamaica in 2001, said she had been actively advocating for recognition of OTT for 20 years. “We have had one victory,” she said. “Harris Federation (see page 8), but that’s not enough. There are many schools that need to ensure OTT are treated equally,” she added. A motion calling on the union to listen to the collective voice of disabled members, proposed by executive member Colleen Johnson, sought to make disability equality a responsibility for every union member. “We need to stand together against particular groups being demonised or ignored,” said Colleen. “We should be anticipating attendance by disabled members, avoiding using upstairs rooms with steps, and making sure hearing loops and British sign language interpretation are available.” Conference agreed to call on the executive to ensure equality of opportunity in regions and districts. Colleen told delegates: “The employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people is 28 per cent. The disability pay gap means that on average a disabled
‘Introduce the theme of unending curiosity’ IN an impassioned speech to conference, artist, writer and advocate for art education, Bob and Roberta Smith, said art was a human right. And called on the government to give all children access to arts education. There were cheers at placards telling the government to scrap the EBacc and Progress 8, policies introduced under the Conservatives that have contributed to a decline in GCSE art entries. “Let’s allow kids to study at GCSE what they are enthusiastic about,” said Bob and Roberta. “If a child loves music, drama, art and dancing, let them get GCSEs in all those subjects.”
person earns £4,300 less a year than a nondisabled person.” Debating the pros and cons of holding hybrid meetings Louise Moores, from Middlesbrough, said: “Remote meetings can remove some barriers, but as a deaf person, the minute someone on Zoom turns their camera off, it’s a barrier for me. Remote access is not a silver bullet for inclusion.” Delegates also agreed a motion calling on the union to campaign to ensure every workplace has a disability leave policy. Leigh Seedhouse, from Oxfordshire, said she suffered from three conditions that caused pain and fatigue, impacting her work and daily life. Too often, disability-related absence is wrongly treated as a sickness absence, putting disabled workers at risk
of disciplinary action, she said. “It is not just unfair, it’s discriminatory. Nobody should have to choose between their health and their job. Disability leave has made a real difference in my life. This should be a right for every disabled worker.” Proposing a motion on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, Yaqub Hanif from Luton told delegates he had asked AI for a speech on the role of the teacher in the age of AI. What was produced stated that AI should “enhance, not replace” teachers. “That’s comforting,” Yaqub said wryly. But he said the widespread use of AI can create a digital divide and will impact on young people, exposing them to harmful content.
Power of education as an agent of peace “Education is a powerful force to not only empower the younger generation to become agents of peace, but to welcome those that have been identified as the ‘other’ only because they were born belonging to a specific group of people,” said Elmina Kulasic (left), Bosnia and Herzegovina country director for Remembering Srebrenica UK. In a moving address to conference, Elmina, a survivor of the Bosnian genocide, told her story of how, on her seventh birthday in 1992, her hometown of Kozarac was attacked and she and her family were forced into concentration camps.
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“I forgot my letters and numbers. I only knew fear, hunger and screams,” she said. Elmina survived the concentration camp and became a refugee. She told conference how her sister, Melisa, gave her the courage to be brave and to fall in love with learning again: “I understood that my past is a lesson to be taught.” Elmina praised NEU members for their work and stressed the vital importance of education in moving towards peace. “I applaud all of you for dedicating your life to education. Our younger generation needs you and so do survivors.”
Nicola Hawkins pointed out the “tech bros” leading the charge on AI were always men. She said the union needed “a furious intensity of campaigning”. “It’s so urgent – we have surveyed members. We do not need to be force fed a diet of AI ready meals,” she said, adding that AI intensified workload stress, short-changed children and was an excuse not to properly fund education. First-time delegate Mhairi Potts-Wyatt, from Brent, pointed out that most educators – and children – were already using AI. There are “safeguarding risks” at stake, she cautioned. Children are becoming “desensitised” to violence. The importance of acknowledging the impact of climate change was raised in the motion: Future proofing our schools and preparing for a year of climate and ecological action. Proposer Zareen Sajid, from Waltham Forest, told delegates: “We are at a pivotal moment in history. What we do next matters more than ever.” She warned that school buildings, more than 80 per cent of them decades old, were at risk of extreme weather conditions and high energy bills. “A school that can’t cope with the climate is a school that can’t function. This is not just about protecting our bricks and mortar, it’s about safeguarding the learning, the dreams and the futures that exist in these spaces.”
Jenny Cooper, from Brent, said our union sisters and brothers in South Asia, South and Central America, and Africa were already suffering from climate change. Conference agreed the union should sign the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, organise a climate education conference, and organise national and regional networks of green officers and sustainability leads. On other international issues, the NEU agreed a motion calling for solidarity with Ukraine. Janine Booth, from Leicester, told delegates she had visited schools in Ukraine, witnessing education workers and children with air raid shelters under their school. “Every person we met supports Ukraine’s defence against Russian imperialism,” Janine said. “They want peace, and so do we. The only way for that to happen is for Russia to withdraw from all of Ukraine.” As the war in Gaza grinds on there were moving speeches from delegates calling for solidarity with the Palestinian people. First-time speaker Susan Piper, from Oldham, said she was “privileged” to visit Gaza with the NEU in 2023, when she had met children and teachers who had been bombed, starved and traumatised by the Israeli army. The university she visited was “turned to dust like the dreams of former students. Staff were killed with their families,” she said.
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“I have such a supportive district, so I wanted to make them proud. Also, being on stage means others are able to recognise and approach me – I’ve met so many people. ”
“We’re in a caring profession, and are here to speak on what we’re passionate about. Listening to other people’s voices and experiences has helped me feel positive about teaching again.”
Mhairi Potts-Wyatt, Brent
Hattie Thomas, north West
first-time speaker
first-time speaker
On the fringe CONFERENCE featured dozens of fringe meetings and Activist Zone workshops. Here’s a taster: ACTIVIST ZONE
n Shared parental leave n Risk assessing Ofsted n Big MAT strike back n Solidarity in SEND n Equalities rights n Tackling the threat of the far right n Supporting the return to work n Effective member meetings n Write a winning press release n Education in Palestine n Poverty, power and politics n Curriculum, assessment, workload n Peri/menopause matters n Lessons from sixth form dispute n How do we win workplace disputes? n Learning through play n Fund fair pay – what’s next? FRINGE MEETINGS
n Early years - recentring the early years on the child Crumbling schools and the n funding crisis in education n Show Racism the Red Card n Maternity Matters n Arts and Minds n Women on the frontline in the Middle East and North Africa n Cuba Solidarity Campaign n Palestine Solidarity Campaign n Stand Up to Racism n Employment rights bill n Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Action Group n Remembering Srebrenica n Abolish Ofsted n Justice for Colombia n A curriculum for a different future (see next issue of Educate) FEATURED FRINGE: Is social media hurting our children? Anna McShane, director of The New Britain Project thinktank, said its research has revealed a “universal call for action” on tackling the harm social media causes young people. One dad commented: “Adults don’t give 13-year-olds cigarettes or alcohol, so why do we give them social media?” “Gen Z think it has become more toxic, addictive and unsafe over the last five years,” said Anna. “No parent or school can do this alone. We need government intervention.”
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‘This is our fight. We can’t shy away’ EDUCATORS need to reclaim education – and they have the power to do it, the union’s president Sarah Kilpatrick told the opening session of conference. “When they tell us there’s no funding, but our buildings are crumbling and they’re laying off support staff, we fight back. “When they tell us they can’t fund a pay rise, but they’ll fund arms built in the UK and used to kill children in Palestine and Yemen while simultaneously cutting the overseas aid budget, we are the trade union which takes a stand, we raise our voices.” Sarah described her own working-class upbringing in Newcastle and how, as a longstanding campaigner against child poverty, she went into teaching determined to offer the same support she had received at school. “I was working in a community school in a deprived part of Gateshead, a school with children at its heart. A vibrant place, it was a specialist arts college which championed working-class children’s
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creativity and believed that every child is an artist no matter their background,” she said, but went on to describe how she saw “the joy sucked out of learning” by successive Tory governments. “I lived Michael Gove and Nick Gibb’s ideological destruction of everything I loved. An entire generation of working-class children have been robbed of art, music, drama, dance,” she said. And now the Labour government was balancing the books on the backs of a generation of children whose education has been limited to such a degree that they don’t even know they can fight back, Sarah said. But she told delegates: “This is our fight, and we can’t shy away from it.” “I know you all want those things, too. It’s more important than ever that we stand together to fight for them.”
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She still receives messages from teachers and children in Gaza after her first visit in 2017, she told conference, tearfully. “We must be unwavering in our solidarity and call for justice for Palestinian people.” UK complicity for war crimes must end, she said, the flow of weapons must stop. Susan called for the release of all hostages – “including the thousands of Palestinians under administrative detention”, ending her speech leading a chant of “free, free Palestine”. First-time speaker Faria Tabassum, from Waltham Forest, spoke to a successful amendment calling for support for the Disarm Education campaign, which calls on schools and colleges to cut ties with arms companies, at careers fairs for example. The crisis in funding special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in schools and the pressure it was putting on teachers was much debated. Michael Gurney, from Devon, proposed a motion calling on the government to increase funding for SEND and to ensure education provision was inclusive. “SENCOs are being put in an impossible position, trying to navigate the pressures of a lack of funding, a lack of staff and the longterm decline of social services and mental health provision. No wonder so many are burning out and leaving,” he said. Delegates shouted agreement as Alyson Dermody-Palmer, from Camden, said: “Many of the families of children with SEND will be adversely affected by the welfare cuts brought in by this Labour government.” Kathleen Els Steelandt, from Denbighshire, said that in Wales 90 per cent of school leaders believed additional learning needs (ALN) funding was inadequate and called on the union to lobby the Welsh government to increase and ringfence ALN funding. Delegates voted unanimously to campaign for a culturally inclusive curriculum. Camille London-Miyo, from Leicester, said: “We need to ensure that the institutional racism that exists in society is
‘Lighting fires of resistance’ “WHEN we fight, we win.” That was NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede’s rallying message to members at conference, in a speech filled with warnings for the government, poor employers and Ofsted. Taking aim at the government, leaving in droves, some academy he said: “It is indefensible for a CEOs are cashing in.” Labour government to cut school Ofsted, he warned, was heading funding. Cuts hurt kids. After 14 for “big disaster” with its proposed years of austerity, we expect better new system of inspection, after from a Labour government.” consulting but then ignoring Applause rang out as he went the views of the profession. “We on to say that a refusal to commit to welcome the move away from fund fair pay and the wider funding single-word judgements, but – and of education was “not just a policy this takes some doing – Ofsted’s failing – it is a betrayal”. proposals risk making a terrible He warned that the union situation even worse,” he said. “stands ready to act industrially” if The NEU would continue to push the award is not fully funded, above for it to be abolished. inflation, with enough to address the As part of a “fighting union” crisis in recruitment and retention. members had ramped up industrial It was a punchy address, with action in 2024, carrying out 219 plenty of cheers, whoops and formal ballots and taking 583 days of applause from the audience. Daniel strike action, Daniel said, reeling off slammed inflated academy trust major victories across the country. chief executive salaries – including “We are lighting fires of the “scandal” of £500k+ for Harris resistance… teachers and support Federation boss Dan Moynihan. staff working and winning together,” “In what world can this ever be he added. “We want to see more of justified? While schools struggle this. We are a union that stands up to afford basic resources, while for what is right, when it’s right. support staff are being paid poverty So let’s leave here confident in the wages, and while teachers are courage our collectivism brings.”
given short shrift. We still have third- and fourth-generation Black children and young people who experience swathes of racial trauma in their school lives. They struggle to access a curriculum that has nothing to do with them.” Angela Jerome, from Havering, brought cheers from delegates as she said: “We wouldn’t need Black history month if our curriculum taught us our full history.” In a debate on the government’s curriculum and assessment review, conference welcomed the government’s recognition that the current curriculum was not fit for purpose and called for the abolition of the EBacc and Progress 8, as well as threshold measures in primaries.
Art teacher Hattie Thomas, from Rochdale, speaking for the first time at her first conference, said the academy where she worked had limited drama, art and music to just one lesson a fortnight. “It makes such a difference to children’s day-to-day lives,” she said. “Teachers were in tears, because we know – and so do the parents. Every parents’ evening, it’s the same: ‘My child loves your subject’.” Primary school rep Lucy Coleman, from Oxford, opposed the “sheer number of assessments”. “SATs need to go. It’s ridiculous.” Among the many other topics debated were a better deal for new educators, defending members’ pensions, ending academisation, post-16 funding and defending early years.
“Conference gives you the opportunity to hear from groups you aren’t a part of. Go to everything you can: fringe events, CPD events and receptions.” Hannah Phillipson, Blackpool first-time speaker
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Interview Feature
Light a fire Words by Emily Jenkins Photos by Joe Pepler/PinPep 26 26
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Feature EDUCATORS and leading lights of the entertainment world came together in a joyful celebration of the arts at the Tate Modern in February. “The arts changed my life. I didn’t grow up with any wealth. I found dancing and it gave me a safe space and a way to physically express the way I felt,” Dame Arlene Phillips said to a packed room. The choreographer, TV presenter and theatre director was launching the Arts and Minds campaign, a coalition of more than 20 organisations, including the NEU, which is working to restore the status of arts subjects in education. The star-studded event included musical performances, dance and celebrity speakers who made a passionate plea to the government to put creativity back at the heart of learning.
(From left) Shania, Eliza, Nyiemah and Mason from Bellfield Junior School in Birmingham, pictured on London’s Millennium Bridge at the launch of the Arts and Minds campaign
‘Can’t afford full suite of GCSE arts’ Despite 90 per cent of students saying they want to study a creative subject, two-thirds of school leaders report that they cannot offer the full suite of art, music, dance, drama and media to GCSE level, two surveys by the campaign found. One in four school leaders say they do not have enough funding for teachers and resources, or do not have the necessary facilities. Speaking at the campaign launch, NEU president Sarah Kilpatrick shared how an art trip while she was at school “changed my life” and inspired her to become an art teacher. But she said arts education had changed dramatically since she began teaching in 2006: “The children I teach, in a very deprived area of the north east of England, don’t have access to the arts in the way they used to. What I’ve witnessed is a systematic decimation of the arts. It’s heartbreaking.” ‘I don’t have to feel angry’ Participation in the arts not only makes young people happier and healthier, it also increases their motivation to learn and builds confidence, resilience and empathy. That was a finding of the Cultural Learning Alliance (CLA), in its report The Arts for Every Child. In a video for the campaign, 11-yearold Nyiemah from Bellfield Junior School in Birmingham shared how discovering drama classes helped her express herself: “I used to get angry. I didn’t really care about anyone else. But in year 5 I got into drama. I can be someone else, and I don’t have to feel angry anymore.” continued on pages 29, 30 and 31 educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
Interview
Feature
continued from page 27
“The arts is about freedom of expression, a chance to tap into our creativity and share that to empower our future selves. We all deserve a real and fair chance at that, not just the elite or the lucky.” Shannie Mears, co-founder & head of talent at The Elephant Room
realisation “The arts feed the soul, and the the is s that your life can be in the art desire it. o wh biggest gift for young people ough “To give everyone that chance thr for ng ngi their school life will be life cha so many.” pher, Dame Arlene Phillips, choreogra ter theatre director and TV presen “I support the Arts and Minds campaign because I believe in the power of art to uplift, inform, inspire and comfort hearts and minds, especially in these times.” Karl Nova, hip-hop artist, poet & author
Nyiemah’s teachers say it’s helped her become more empathetic and improved her performance in other subjects too. “Her progress in the last term, especially with her English and any kind of writing, has just gone through the roof,” said Bellfield head teacher Nigel Attwood. E-Back to the future The UK’s creative industries delivered almost £124 billion to the economy in 2023 – more than the life sciences, aerospace and automotive sectors combined, according to a 2024 House of Lords report. And yet analysis of GCSE data by the CLA revealed that between 2009/10 and 2022/23, there was an overall decline of 42 per cent in the number of entries for arts GCSE subjects. The introduction of performance and accountability measures such as the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) have contributed to this decline. The
“A school show is a magical thing, especially when it can pull in live music, set design, dancing and drama. Whether or not even a fraction of the students involved go on to have careers in the arts, it’s an experience that will stay with them their whole lives. I know, because I was one of those students. “Now, as a parent, I find it so sad to see how little time and resources are available in schools for the arts. I hope this will change under a Labour government.” Olugbenga Adelekan, musician & writer
EBacc measures the achievement of pupils who have gained key stage 4 (GCSE level) qualifications in English, mathematics, history or geography, the sciences and a language. Entries in non-EBacc subjects, including the arts and technical subjects, have decreased by over a third since its introduction in 2016, with the qualifications regulator Ofqual confirming this decline is directly attributable to the existence of the EBacc. The introduction of Progress 8 – which heavily weights league tables towards EBacc subjects – has also contributed to a narrowing of the curriculum. “Down with the EBacc! Down with Progress 8!” shouted contemporary artist Bob and Roberta Smith at the launch. He led the audience in a rousing chant, while carrying a sign that read: “All schools should be art schools.” Class divide There is a substantial economic divide in the study of arts subjects. Children in disadvantaged areas are least likely to study them, and the most likely to attend a school that doesn’t offer arts qualifications, a 2024 report from the Fischer Family Trust entitled How has access to creative subjects changed over time? revealed. continued on pages 30 and 31
“Learning music in school is not just about learning to play an instrument – it helps develop other skillsets, both in school subjects like maths, and in wider life like collaboration, confidence building, listening, memory, critical thinking and quick decision making.” Andy Gangadeen, musician
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Feature
continued from page 29 This is despite evidence showing that the arts can have a huge impact on social mobility and attainment, with children from low-income families who take part in arts activities at school being three times more likely to earn a degree, says the CLA. In 2023/24 the government failed to meet any of its recruitment targets for arts teachers. For art and design it met just 44 per cent of its target, and for music teachers, only 27 per cent of its 2022/23 target. Actor Jamie Kenna, an ambassador for the Arts and Minds campaign, spoke passionately about the difference arts made to him growing up: “What have the arts done for me? Well, I’m a working-class kid and now I’m sitting on a sofa next to Arlene Phillips. “There are so many kids like me, sitting at the back of the class, throwing bits of paper and being told they are disruptive. Because a fire hasn’t been lit. We’ve got to light that fire. Otherwise, these kids are being punished for not being given the opportunity,” said Jamie. Currently, the privately educated and those from upper-middle-class backgrounds dominate the creative industries. For example, 43 per cent of top classical musicians attended an independent school, a 2024 report by the Sutton Trust found. Research in 2021 by the UK’s Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre found that if the UK’s creative industries were as socio-economically diverse as the rest of the economy, there would be 250,000 more working-class people employed in the sector.
arts and creativity, and if “We are intrinsically built for the re fracturing in our lives. we don’t have it then you’ll see mo s equally. They are not “We need to value arts and science the theatre our hearts separate things. When you sit in be in community with beat together. We’re supposed to one another.” Adjoa Andoh, actor
‘You need to follow your dreams’ At the end of the event, young people in the audience came up on stage to speak. Taking the microphone, nineyear-old Mason from Bellfield Junior School confidently addressed the audience to rapturous applause: “The arts in schools is really important. You never really know how much you can change somebody. “I am an artist and an actor and I’ve been doing it for three years. You need to follow your dreams.”
NEU backs call to scrap EBacc In February, eight MPs who chair influential allparty parliamentary groups (APPGs) on the arts and education wrote to the government calling on it to scrap the EBacc so that arts subjects can be restored to prominence in schools. The letter was co-ordinated by Labour’s Polly Billington MP, chair of the APPG for art, craft and design in education, and is backed by the NEU. It forms part of the MPs’ submission to the government’s curriculum and assessment review. Daniel Kebede, NEU general secretary, said: “If the government is serious about fulfilling its growth mission and giving every child a rich, rounded and balanced education, the EBacc and Progress 8 must be consigned to history.”
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Lyrical artist Harry Shotta performed a specially written rap for the launch, accompanied by legendary drummer Andy Gangadeen “It’s all about the arts and minds; The next generation won’t be left behind. They are the future, it’s time to invest, From the arts to the minds, forever we stay blessed.
It was hip-hop that saved me, the arts that gave me Something to live for and filled me with bravery. It’s crazy, but music is truly what made me The man that I am, no ifs, buts or maybes.”
Feature
“Sadly, in most cases talent doesn’t give you opportunities, money does. The arts should be accessible to every child. The opportunity to follow your passions and dreams should not be determined by your wealth and status.” Jamie Kenna, actor
Students from One Dance UK
is “We have a huge mental health cris are re The . ple peo among our young is that many reasons behind it, but one s way ple peo ng you we are not giving how e lor exp to es; to express themselv others. they’re feeling and share it with age dam l rea ng doi is Withholding that iety.” soc ole wh our to to our children and Baroness Natalie Bennett, member of the House of Lords “As a child of African immigrant s, and being from a working-class background, I understand the barriers to even envisaging a career in the arts when you aren’t part of the dominant culture, and don’t have the safety net of a wealthy background, let alone the difficulties of navigating a career once you’re in the door. “Art for art’s sake has to be the mantra moving forward. That means giving children of all backgrounds an opportunity to interface with artistic endeavour s.” Mark Tieku, songwriter & produc er
The Arts and Minds campaign is calling for: n A right to study arts and creative
subjects – all children regardless of their background should have the opportunity to study a rich, creative curriculum. n Restore the status of arts and creative education – scrap the EBacc, restore parity between subjects, and give schools the trust and flexibility they need. n End the exam factory culture – end high-stakes assessments at primary school which narrow the curriculum and put undue pressure on students, teachers and leaders, and reduce the exam burden at GCSE. n Equip the education system to deliver the broad and balanced curriculum our communities want – increase teacher and subject-specific CPD for all teachers. n Fund the arts – restore school funding to allow schools to invest in arts education, and restore arts funding to facilitate links between the education system and the industry. Visit theartsandmindscampaign.org.uk Sign our letter to the government at tinyurl.com/arts-minds-letter educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
31
A special thank you Every year at annual conference, the NEU presents awards to celebrate outstanding members, officers, supporters and campaigners for their commitment to education. taking over their community’s school in north London. Accepting the award – with her two daughters alongside her – Vina dedicated it to everyone “who fought with every fibre of our being to save Byron Court” against the takeover in September 2024. It “still hurts”, she said. But then added: “I called Harris a juggernaut. But it’s not – we are. Our union is the biggest education union in Europe. It’s time to stiffen our sinews, show our teeth, and get our schools back.”
Fred & Anne Jarvis award Kye Gbangbola & Nicole Lawler (right)
Annie Higdon award Vina Vekria (above), London
Before becoming a rep, Vina co-led a highprofile campaign against the academisation of Byron Court Primary School, mobilising parents, particularly mothers. Secondary teacher Vina was inspired to become a learning rep and campaigning officer after the fight against Harris Federation
The parents of Zane Gbangbola, who died age seven, received the Fred and Anne Jarvis award for their ongoing fight for truth and justice. Zane was poisoned to death when floodwater infused with hydrogen cyanide entered the family home, also paralysing father Kye from the waist down. Kye said: “This is an interlinking fight for our children, parents and a safe environment.” Since Zane’s tragic death, they have struggled for 11 years to raise awareness of the dangers of contaminated land and the need for greater protection from climate change.
Blair Peach award
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Dedicating the award to Zane, Kye said the “mighty” NEU could help support them to send “shockwaves” to the prime minister. Nicole added: “We personally will never win. Zane has been taken from us. But we promise to fight to make sure that what happened to Zane never happens again.” They received a two-minute standing ovation from delegates.
Shahzia Salim (left), Wales
Anna Gluckstein (left), London
Shahzia is described by her division, Rhondda Cynon Taf, as “a role model – always fighting racism and raising awareness wherever she gets the opportunity”. As a member of the Wales Black organising forum, she secured funding for an NEU stall at a Welsh antiracist education festival in 2024. Shahzia also persuaded her NEU branch to affiliate to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. She said: “I stand in solidarity with all those fighting for equality, justice and dignity for those people who suffer under the weight of racism and oppression. Let’s work united to honour Blair Peach and to make sure that Britian doesn’t return to how it was in 1979 when he lost his life.”
As a teacher and NEU rep at Stoke Newington School, Anna works tirelessly to challenge racism and create safe spaces where students can unpick complex situations. She has created and shared numerous school resources and assemblies addressing discrimination and showing the relevance of resisting injustice. Anna mobilised colleagues to join the Stand Up to Racism demonstration in October and, as a Jewish woman, campaigns tirelessly against both antisemitism and Islamophobia. Anna says: “Being an active, anti-racist educator is more important than ever. If we don’t provide an alternative narrative, our students will get the answers online.”
educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
Union people Nikki Simpson award Jane Birch (below), Bolton
As an NEU officer she spearheaded a comprehensive workload survey, campaigned to ensure equity of pay and conditions for support staff, and has organised workshops on issues such as mental health, menopause in the workplace and learning to say no. Edel said: “This award belongs to every educator who has taken a stand and fought for the profession we love. Education should never be treated as an afterthought or a budget line to be cut. It’s the foundation of society. When educators stand together on common goals – whether it’s pay, workload or conditions – we are a force to be reckoned with. This isn’t just a job to me, it’s a mission.”
Steve Sinnott award Justine Valentine (below), Warwickshire
Rep of the year Rachel Ferraby (below), Leeds
Bolton NEU nominated learning rep Jane Birch for the Nikki Simpson award for working tirelessly to provide interesting and engaging training opportunities. Jane said: “We see these events not only as opportunities to offer good-quality training to our members, but also to try and encourage members to become more involved in our branch and for trainee teachers to understand the importance of belonging to the union.”
Officer of the year Edel McInerney (below), NI
Edel, a physics teacher at Campbell College, Belfast, was nominated by the Northern Ireland district for her “unwavering dedication, innovative leadership and passion for advocacy”.
Rachel won a hard-fought campaign against proposed new terms and conditions at Oulton Academy, Leeds, in the summer of 2024. Her strong leadership was critical, said one colleague: “She kept people going when it looked like staff were losing faith.” Rachel’s enthusiastic promotion of the union has seen membership more than double in her time as rep, and she supports NEU members across her region – including standing with sixth form college members on their picket lines. It has been a “rollercoaster” of a year, said Rachel, who is a support staff member: “I became a rep because I believe in the power of the collective voice. Being a workplace rep is the most important role for effecting change in your workplace. If one person stands up for what is right, others will have the courage to follow.”
Justine has been an international solidarity officer (ISO) for two years. As a teacher, Justine encourages meaningful dialogue with students and colleagues about international issues. She created an interactive ‘peace wall’ involving pupils, staff and parents for Remembrance Day and is training to become a Schools of Sanctuary leader. Justine said it was a “genuine honour” to win the award and thanked the NEU “for providing all the opportunities for ISOs to spread awareness and do a little bit of good”. Justine has taken the lead on organising support for asylum seekers at a new hotel in Warwickshire, providing clothes, board games, sports equipment and running weekly English language lessons.
Nikki Ajibade (above), Warwickshire As an English as an additional language specialist teacher, Nikki supports school induction programmes for refugees and asylum-seeking children. She is a Schools of Sanctuary leader, helping to create welcoming spaces for refugee and asylum-seeking children in local schools. She has been an ISO for two years, organising an international solidarity evening in Warwickshire with a focus on refugee solidarity to build bridges between communities, and visited Cuba in 2023 with an NEU delegation, sharing her experience afterwards. Nikki said: “I am honoured to be a joint winner of the award and delighted that it is with my dear friend and fellow ISO, Justine.”
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Opinion
Cartoon by Tim Sanders
Brothers and sisters stand up for Brothers Warwick Mansell
is a freelance education journalist and founder/writer of educationuncovered. co.uk
TO what degree are academy trusts accountable to the public for their decision making? This is a question that comes my way frequently, as educators, parents and governors raise concerns about goings-on, often exasperated at having to go to the media because they feel that only this – and sometimes industrial action from unions – can realistically lead to a change of course. One trust which has provoked this question especially obviously was the subject of a public meeting recently, in support of an NEU rep who had been suspended for having raised concerns about budget pressures. Joe Brothers, a young teacher of English at Millthorpe School in York, had appeared in an NEU video for the union’s national campaign for greater school funding. His comments included: “I work in
a multi-academy trust. We put all of our support staff from 52-week contracts on to 39-week contracts for the year through a fire and rehire basis… since then… we’ve just haemorrhaged even more money, because all of our good-quality teaching assistants have left.” At the time of writing (March 2025), Mr Brothers remained suspended by his employer, a six-school multi-academy trust formerly called South Bank Academies Trust but recently rebranded as Excel Learning Trust. More than 1,000 people signed a petition against his suspension. And I was among the speakers at a public meeting held in March to support Mr Brothers, and to raise awareness of academy controversy more generally. Mr Brothers spoke the truth about the trust’s decision in autumn 2022 to put support staff on term-time only contracts. A group of them had contacted the York Press, warning that this would mean a pay cut from £18,000 to £15,000 a year. A parent told me after the meeting that “fantastic” teaching assistants had left as a result and her child’s education had suffered drastically. She is no longer at the school. Meanwhile, the amount spent per pupil
on the trust’s senior management has doubled since it came into being in 2016. Excel’s toppaid person received £160-£170,000 last year – roughly the prime minister’s salary. Academy trusts’ spending decisions, including around top pay, were extensively aired during this meeting. However, Excel – which as I wrote last year had sought unsuccessfully to stop local councillors holding a public meeting about its impact – has so far stood by its right not to be swayed. The trust “respects that people may wish to hold public meetings”, Excel told the York Press. “However, it is important that they understand that public meetings will not influence the operation of our schools as these are run by school leaders, not the public.” The organisers of the meeting responded: “The event was to show support for Mr Brothers, a popular and respected teacher. Unfortunately, the leadership of Excel Learning Trust don’t believe they are accountable to the community they serve.” There remains an issue that academy trusts have little or no formal answerability for their decision making at local level. Cases such as this underscore the weakness of the model.
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Ask the union Evening emails from the head
Receiving work-related communications outside your designated working hours, especially in the evening, can feel overwhelming and intrusive. Your head teacher should only contact you during off-hours in an emergency. Protecting your work-life balance is essential, and setting boundaries around work communications is a healthy practice. Raise this with your NEU school rep – it may be that other colleagues are experiencing the same thing. If you feel comfortable raising the issue on your own, explain to your head teacher that while you want to be helpful, you also need time to unwind after work. Explain how receiving messages in the evening affects your ability to switch off, recharge and be productive the next day. Additionally, consider adjusting your notification settings. For platforms like WhatsApp or email, you can mute notifications during evening hours or set up an automatic reply informing your head teacher that you are unavailable outside of working hours.
Violent pupil behaviour A STUDENT threw a chair at me and made threats. Can I refuse to teach them? Violent or intimidating pupil behaviour in schools can be addressed in a number of ways.
PHOTO by Adobe Stock
MY head teacher thinks nothing of emailing or messaging me in the evening with work requests. I feel it’s unacceptable. What can I do?
First, through appropriate health and safety measures in which the risk of injury and psychological distress to staff and pupils can be managed and controlled. Individual pupil risk assessments can be useful in such situations – visit neu.org.uk/pupil-behaviour-
In such circumstances, members should contact their NEU workplace rep, or if there is no rep, the NEU AdviceLine.
Except in emergency situations, teachers are likely to be in breach of contract if they refuse to teach students. Industrial action to refuse to teach cannot be taken until relevant procedures, including an industrial action ballot, have been followed and union rules satisfied.
n Please email your questions to educate@neu.org.uk
Contact us…
risk-assessment
n If your question is urgent, please call the AdviceLine on 0345 811 811
Free CPD webinars for all NEU members NEU members have exclusive access to our continuing professional development (CPD) webinars. Here are some of the courses coming up. Scaffolding in practice For support staff: intersectionality, holistic support and practical strategies to enable children to thrive. 12 May 11am-12.15pm Primary - identifying and supporting children with EAL speech and language challenges Impact of English as an additional 36
language on learning and development, and strategies to support learners. 14 May 3.45-5pm Adaptive teaching - overcoming barriers Strategies to make lessons accessible, focusing on reading, decoding, listening, comprehending, writing, time management. 15 May 3.45-5pm Promoting positive behaviour in the early years Why children behave the way they do and how to promote positive behaviour. 5 June 3.45-5.15pm
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Wellbeing in the primary classroom Research and practical ideas to help educators and their class develop a sense of belonging. 11 June 11am-12.15pm Leadership masterclass - strategic thinking For middle leaders and those who lead a team: the concept of strategic thinking as a leader in education. 18 June 4-5pm n Webinars are available for 14 days. n Visit neu.org.uk/national-cpd
A class act
‘What we are seeing is phenomenal’ Rachel Gillett (pictured) is executive head teacher of two nursery schools in Warwickshire. Passionate about promoting creativity, Emily Jenkins finds out what makes her a class act. “A LOT of the work we do focuses on the idea that creativity is the basis for communication with young children. It’s the point all children can access, communicate and express themselves,” says Rachel. She has been teaching for 26 years, 16 of which have been in maintained nursery schools (MNS). As an executive head teacher for ten years, she oversees two MNS – Whitnash Nursery School and Kenilworth Nursery School. She is also NEU Warwickshire’s joint early years officer. At the beginning of this academic year, Whitnash became part of a special project to deliver creative programmes to two- to fouryear-olds. The Energiser Fund, run by Youth Music, awarded 11 organisations – including art galleries, theatres and Whitnash – a threeyear grant worth up to £120,000 to “celebrate and energise” creative practice. Rachel used the grant to employ a local artist, Matt Shaw, to develop a creative space for her pupils and to work with them on site three days a week supporting and exploring their creativity. As part of the project, they have created an atelier – a classroom dedicated to creativity and art. The atelier is a space for child-led exploration, where small groups express themselves however they choose. This could be exploring light, painting, photography or whatever they are drawn to that day or week. Children are free to go into the art and creativity classroom whenever they wish. Open up children’s worlds and minds Matt explains to Educate: “It’s a space that evolves with every interaction. The children can pursue their ideas in free and open ways. It’s about putting the child’s voice at the centre. I am just there to work alongside them and facilitate that.” He already had a relationship with the school as a visiting artist but, Rachel says, she had never had the funding to allow children enough time with him. “What this funding has given us is a concentration of Matt’s time,” she says. “Creativity is no longer an ‘add-on’. It
Do you know a class act? Email
educate@ neu.org.uk
Rachel with a Whitnash nursery pupil
‘Creativity is shaping children differently. Early years is where it all begins.’ has allowed us to open up the children’s worlds and minds and create a place that will shape their learning behaviours for life.” Engages most vulnerable children The children who seem to be drawn to the atelier are often the school’s “most vulnerable children”, Rachel says, including those who are non-verbal or with special educational needs. She describes one young boy who was unable to focus and required a member of staff with him at all times to keep him safe. “The first time I saw him stop and engage was the day Matt set up the atelier. He just walked in and stayed there for 20 minutes,” Rachel says. He is now able to stay and focus for prolonged periods of time and is learning to express himself.
As part of the project, space is given to reflect on the impact of the work. Rachel says she has already seen a huge difference in the development and confidence of her pupils. “What we are seeing, only in our second term, is phenomenal, really. They are developing resilience, cognitive flexibility, the ability to problem solve. They are linking better with other children and are more grounded,” she says. The problem Rachel now has, she explains, is trying to measure or quantify this work. “We’re looking at how children function and make sense of the world.” She is working with Matt to explore a system of progress against the ten learning behaviours – risk-taking, collaboration, inquisitiveness, resilience, making links, reflection, problem solving, co-operation, independence and perseverance. She says the children are already making huge progress in these areas and believes the work they are doing proves how fundamental creativity is to child development. “This project has already shown the power and impact of this work with creativity. It’s shaping children differently. Early years is where it all begins.” n youthmusic.org.uk/funding/energiser-fund
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International
‘Victims of genocide, but also survivors’ The NEU is supporting the education of Rohingya children living as refugees in Bangladesh. Sarah Thompson reports. THE NEU has donated £20,000 to the Rohingya Centre of the United Kingdom (RCUK) to support its project, Educate Rohingya: meaningful education for Rohingya children in refugee camps. In August 2017, more than 700,000 Rohingya people in Myanmar’s Rakhine state fled to Bangladesh to escape attacks by the military. It followed years of systematic discrimination and violence – what some have called “a slowburning genocide”. They joined other Rohingya people, who had previously escaped, in the sprawling, congested camps of Cox’s Bazar. Home to 1.5 million people, conditions in Cox’s Bazar are very difficult. The camps have limited access to clean water and healthcare, and are vulnerable to flooding and cyclones. Many thousands of children are missing out on education. Education to empower refugees Co-founder and chief executive of RCUK, Mohammed Amin, who grew up in the camps, tells Educate that it is only through education that Rohingya children can be empowered to rebuild their lives. Without it, they will lose the opportunity to improve their lives or speak up for themselves, he says. Despite attempts by charities and some government organisations, provision is limited and rife with problems – a lack of trained teaching staff and resources, language barriers and little accountability. The REB will provide a centralised curriculum, learning resources and teacher training under an internationally accredited system to ensure children are receiving a high-quality education. Four pilot centres have already been established across refugee camps in Bangladesh for children aged four to 12, providing 250 children with an education. “We want, with the NEU’s support, to advocate for this community,” says Amin. “Rohingya children and young people want to have a meaningful education so they can be changemakers and support themselves.” As a refugee growing up in Bangladesh, Amin says he had little access to education:
Protesters in Bradford on 24 August calling for an end to the atrocities against the Rohingya people in Myanmar
“I was given the basic alphabet and numbers. I didn’t know what education should look like until I came to the UK – that I had the right for a teacher to treat me well, for lessons to be meaningful.” He arrived in the UK in 2012 and settled in Bradford, which has the largest Rohingya population outside Asia. In 2022, Amin set up RCUK to promote the rights of Rohingya refugees and has been working closely with the local NEU branch. The need for engagement and for the NEU’s support is more urgent than ever. Tens of thousands of new refugees continue to arrive in Cox’s Bazar to escape outbreaks of violence that have broken out between the Myanmar army and Buddhist Arakan separatists – both are fighting for control of Rakhine, and both are hostile to the remaining Rohingya population. Young people are at risk of being conscripted by the Myanmar army in their fight against the Arakan army. The announcement by prime minister Keir Starmer that the UK’s aid budget will be reduced from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent by 2027 – an estimated £6 billion a year – will have devastating consequences. It follows a huge cut in British aid to Rohingya refugees from £112.36 million in 2019-20 to just
£20.26m in 2022-23. RCUK is calling on the UK government to reverse these cuts and ensure the Rohingya community’s future. Devastating earthquake in Myanmar On 28 March, central Myanmar was hit by a devastating earthquake. The death toll had passed 3,000, and many more people were thought to be trapped under rubble. Buildings as far as 150 miles away have been destroyed. And yet, almost immediately after the earthquake, there were reports of airstrikes in Rakhine state by the Myanmar military. But there are also some hopeful signs. On 8 August 2024 an interim government was formed in Bangladesh, which Amin says is engaging with the Rohingya people: “It is compassionate and wants to ensure the Rohingya have a right to education and can return safely to their home country.” Amin believes that by setting up the REB, and working closely with NEU allies, we can bring about meaningful change. “Rohingya are eager to bring changes that are not only sustainable, but that help the community thrive. We are persecuted, discriminated against. We are victims of genocide, but also survivors.”
n Visit rcuk.org.uk
educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
39
Reviews How to Unplug Your Child IN a world driven by technology, how can you persuade children to take time out from their screens? This handy, pocket-sized guide is filled with 101 creative ideas, split into themed chapters such as Indoor fun and Get outdoors. Each activity has a difficulty rating and a list of resources needed. Ideas include indoor balloon sports and ice marbles, which are ideal for family time together. Aimed at parents and carers, many of these activities can also be adapted for educators to use in school. Cindy Shanks
Poems About Education FOR the past ten years, Michael Rosen has been writing poems for the former NUT magazine The Teacher, and currently for Educate. These poems have been compiled into a collection of sharp observations and politically charged pieces, addressing the state of education and beyond. Rosen takes jabs at the Conservatives and Ofsted, pens deeply personal and powerful words for Holocaust Memorial Day, and even creates a poem using enjambment to explore
Vie Publishing. £7.99.
THIS book is a reminder that despite the advances made in LGBT+ equality, significant challenges remain, with increased levels of homophobic and transphobic prejudice. It is a practical book with lived experience at its centre. Jones explores areas including marriage, health, religion and age. Each chapter concludes with action points and biographies of activists. Edu-gay-tion looks at the impact of government guidance on young LGBT+ people and the limitations imposed upon educators. The work of LGBT+ charities Schools OUT and Just Like Us shows us that there is hope, but action is still needed. Graham Ward-Tipping Outrage: Why the Fight for LGBTQ+ Equality is Not Yet Won and What We Can Do About It, by Ellen Jones. Bluebird. £20.
Send us your 100-word review to educate@neu.org.uk with a link to the book, and your membership number, and your review could be published.
40
Francesca Faccion
Poems about Education, by Michael Rosen. Published by Michael Rosen. £9.99.
The Reason I Jump
How to Unplug Your Child, by Liat Hughes Joshi.
Outrage: Why the Fight for LGBTQ+ Equality is Not Yet Won and What We Can Do About It
the fast-moving atmosphere, senses and diversity of a school bus ride. Though some poems are reflective and serious, Rosen also provides comic relief with lighter works, such as reimagining Hamlet’s famous To be or not to be soliloquy, where the literary figure debates how to answer a SATs paper. The poems are complemented by illustrations from Educate contributor Tim Sanders.
One Boy’s Voice from the Silence of Autism THE Reason I Jump is based on the first-hand experiences of 13-year-old Naoki Higashida, whose honest and thoughtprovoking account provides a strong basis for compassionate understanding about neurodiversity. Naoki poses 58 questions he thinks readers would like answered, including: “Why don’t you do what you’re told to straight away?” and “Why do you take ages to answer a question?” He then narrates answers drawing on his own experiences, providing an immersive, personal account of what autism “feels like to him from the inside”. I would recommend this book to educators, parents and carers, as well as older children trying to understand neurodiversity.
Michelle Roe
The Reason I Jump: One Boy’s Voice from the Silence of Autism, by Naoki Higashida. Translated by David Mitchell and Keiko Yoshida. Sceptre. £9.99.
Leading Exceptional CPD SUSIE Fraser has produced a thoughtful and practical guide for developing the best practice for continuing professional development (CPD). The book looks at issues of wellbeing, staff motivation, defining school culture, choosing the right context and how habits influence teachers. It examines common mistakes in CPD using several case studies to develop its themes, rooting the book’s suggestions in the experience of schools, not just in theory. Recommended for all educators. Cavan Wood
Leading Exceptional CPD: How to Create a Culture of Growth in Your School, by Susie Fraser. Bloomsbury. £16.99.
educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
Reading for pleasure
Books are friends for life Jon Biddle, English lead and NEU rep at Moorlands Primary in Norfolk, discusses how to foster a love of reading for pleasure in secondary school pupils. BUILDING a reading culture in secondary schools can be a challenge. As well as the social factors and increasing pressures on home and school life for pupils, it can be hard to involve staff from the entire school due to the numerous demands on their time. While the librarian and English department should certainly take a leading role, as the Department for Education’s reading framework states: “Embedding a school culture that values and supports reading for pleasure is the collective responsibility of all staff.” Having talked to several secondary school librarians and English teachers, there is clearly an enormous amount of outstanding work already happening. There is also widespread acknowledgement that, although using form time for reading and talking about books is a valuable starting point, more is needed. A welcoming, inclusive library A functioning library is crucial. Often referred to as the welcoming, inclusive heart of the school, it may host breakfast and after-school clubs for children who might otherwise lack access to reading material. Many are open at break and lunch times for book clubs and independent reading time, providing children with an opportunity to form new friendships. Holding departmental meetings in the library and giving the librarian a regular slot to talk about relevant books is an effective strategy to increase staff awareness of what is on offer. For example, when it is the turn of the art department, the librarian could share biographies of famous artists and books about art techniques, with teachers taking them back to their classrooms to introduce to pupils. This would allow a culture of recommendations to develop more widely across the school. Most secondary schools are aware of the value of visits from authors, poets and illustrators, and try to budget for at least one each year. However, effective communication between departments is essential in order to make them successful.
Read more ideas from Jon next issue
Key stage 4 book club
If the school has organised a visit from a writer who specialises in historical fiction, the history department need to be informed about it well in advance so it can support with publicising the event and follow up afterwards. Providing a copy of their latest book to staff across the school and encouraging it to be used and referred to in a range of subjects is a simple way to raise the profile of a visitor. Essential to education as a whole Finding a few minutes every couple of weeks to read and talk about relevant books in all subjects helps get the message across that reading is essential to success in education as a whole, not just in English. The pressure of the curriculum is an obvious barrier here, but it could be as simple as sharing book lists (with cover photos), creating a book display or the teacher talking to pupils about what they’re reading. A lot of secondary schools use form time for reading and give pupils ownership over what they read. Graphic novels, manga, contemporary poetry, magazines and light
non-fiction are all popular, so making a couple of boxes of these available in the classroom is an easy win. Ensuring there is a Reading for Pleasure (RfP) section in the school newsletter keeps parents informed. Book recommendations and details of events, alongside an occasional piece of evidence about the importance of reading, provides a good balance. It almost goes without saying that a librarian is critical to the success of all this. Their role must be genuinely valued, with unwavering support from the senior leadership team, and year 6 children need to meet the librarian on their transition days. n The Open University RfP team runs a Building
a Culture of Reading programme for key stage 3. Visit ourfp.org
n Thank you to Julianne Coggan (Priory Pembroke Academy), Rebecca Rouillard (Kingston Educational Trust) and Valerie Dewhurst (Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School) for their help with this article. jonnybid.bsky.social
educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
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Letters Power in positivity I THOUGHT the latest issue of Educate (March/April) was great and super informative. However, I wondered if a new page could be included covering positive things that have happened in education around the world? I think we all need some positivity in our lives. Jo Williams, Bedfordshire The editor writes: Please keep sending in great suggestions like this – we really value your feedback on Educate.
Cinderellas of education
UPON receiving the March/ April issue of Educate, it was comforting to read the letters pages, which were dominated by issues related to supply teachers. As one myself, I feel we are treated as the Cinderellas of education. It was heartening to read from the editor’s response (page 42) that the NEU “is calling on the government to invest in the funding of a national supply register, which recognises experience and gives access to a public pension scheme”. Ten years
ago, I joined a supply pool and was able to teach in schools across the county. Each day I taught, I added to my teachers’ pension. Now, direct supply work has been abandoned by most schools. This is because they are required to add the supply teacher to their staff, meaning tedious bureaucracy and protocol. As a result, most schools and academy trusts have turned to the multitude of agencies that have sprung into existence, eager to profit at the expense of supply teachers. My pension pot is now stagnating. I empathise with Lorraine Mollins, who went from a U3 to below an M1 rate of pay after registering with an agency. My situation is similar. I appreciate that day-to-day supply doesn’t incur the stresses of planning and prep endured by regular teachers, but the demands on us are extremely high. Behaviour in most classrooms is more challenging each year. There is increasingly a worrying lack of respect from many children, even in primaries, as well as a diverse range of needs to be accommodated.
Supply teaching is not an easy option. Not being attached to one specific school makes it difficult to achieve any representation. I hope our value and contribution will be acknowledged more during these challenging times. Jane Kimberlin, Worcester
Our amazing rep Ian
I WOULD like to give a shoutout to an NEU East Midlands rep, Ian Walters. I appreciate there are loads of amazing reps out there, but Ian’s passion for the union and the way he fights for his colleagues is second to none. As a disabled member, I am forever grateful for not only his support navigating tricky policies, but his reassurance when I feel worn down by it. He has taken us through turbulent issues within our trust. He makes time for anybody, while leading a department in a school with almost 2,000 students. The NEU is the biggest union in our workplace – probably because we’ve got such an amazing rep. Betty Hubball, Derbyshire
The value of residential trips for pupils I WAS fascinated to read about the campaign to gain recognition for heroic teacher Bernard Butt, who died on a school trip aboard SS Jupiter (Educate, January/ February, pages 22-25). I urge the NEU to get behind this campaign to award Bernard a posthumous medal. As the article points out, in today’s worldwide news coverage, he would have been internationally applauded. Few teachers die in the execution of their duty. I have recently retired after 48 years as a teacher. As a young and somewhat naive teacher, I led two school trips to the eastern Mediterranean aboard the SS Uganda, a forerunner of the Jupiter. It would be an interesting feature for Educate to explore the history and impact of this opportunity for school children of the 1970s and 80s, especially as recently readers have requested feel-good stories. Our school travelled as part of a large contingent organised by Staffordshire County Council, and the experiences it afforded
Teacher’s pet Bumper Bumper is the pet budgie of Mike Dignan, year 6 teacher at St Mary’s Primary School on the Isle of Wight. Mike says: “Bumper is very tame and can say many phrases, such as ‘Pretty boy’, ‘My name is Bumper’, ‘Silly old Miss Young’, ‘Where’s my porridge?’ and ‘Marcelo Bielsa’. Sometimes he gets confused and says: ‘My name is Porridge.’ “Bumper has a beautiful beard and magnificent white wings. He’s gentle, never bites and loves a quick nap. Occasionally, he visits school to say hello and help the children with long multiplication.” Email a high-resolution photo of your treasured pet 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. stayed with me throughout my career. I have been part of many diverse residential visits in Britain and Europe and have seen the value they bring to students, both educational and in terms of personal development and independence. Taking pupils on a school trip involves commitment and sacrifice on the part of teachers, as demonstrated in the extreme by the altruism of Bernard Butt. I do hope that the NEU will get behind this campaign for one of our unsung heroes. Name and address withheld
Ofsted: marking its own homework
THE new Ofsted scheme of assessment raises the obvious question: who inspects the inspectors? Meaningful change cannot be brought about by Ofsted itself. This is the equivalent of marking its own homework. Teachers themselves are best placed. Anyone who has worked in a school for years is more likely to know what is going on than someone who is only there for a few days. I could contribute a few comments about the Ofsted clowns who inspected my IT lessons. They were bullies, intrusive and – most irritatingly – completely ignorant of the subject they were supposedly inspecting. Derek McMillan, West Sussex
Love and respect for cherished John Pearce
Thanks so much for celebrating the first 100 years of John Pearce’s life (Educate, March/ April, page 17). I have only known John, a perceptive, intelligent and childcentred teacher and head teacher, for his second 50 years. He is a clever and consensual political negotiator; a kind, loyal and generous friend; brave and calm in the face of adversity; and a man who richly deserves every bit
Star letter Workload still looms large I HAVE enclosed a cartoon (right) which relates to Nicholas Kasparis’ letter (Educate, January/February, page 41) on the issue of workload. I drew this cartoon in 2002, as a member of the NUT. Nothing appears to have changed and demands on teachers’ time seem to be as prevalent an issue as ever. Mike Kelly, West Sussex
of the respect and love that now surrounds him. Antony Evans, retired member, north Somerset
Our apologies
In the March/April issue of Educate, we incorrectly stated that Ruth Perry had “committed suicide” (page 8). This was an insensitive way of referring to someone losing their life in this manner, as it implies criminality. We do our best to follow the guidelines set by Samaritans for discussing suicide, but in this instance, we failed to do so. The online version of the magazine has been corrected to “died by suicide”.
kids say the funniest things
“I’m a science teacher of five years and am confident in saying I can now anticipate most things in the science classroom. However, this was unexpected...
“I was teaching about pathogens as part of a topic on health and disease, and the title of the lesson, ‘viral diseases’, was on the board for students to see as they entered the classroom. One of my students walked in and enthusiastically and sincerely asked: ‘Sir, are we WIN! learning about famous diseases today?’ Send us your “He was partially right in asking, given the funny stories diseases we spoke about were well-known. More to win a importantly though, caused by viruses!” £30 gift voucher n Email your funny stories to educate@neu.org.uk educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
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Noticeboard Free internet safety lesson
Celebrating community as a superpower DAY of Welcome is an annual day of solidarity and learning in schools, to build a culture of welcome and understanding for refugees. Celebrated by more than 550 schools in 2024, Day of Welcome (this year on 13 June), is run by Schools of Sanctuary. It kickstarts Refugee Week (16-22 June), which is the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating refugees’ contributions, creativity and resilience. This year’s theme is Community as a superpower. n Free resources and virtual events for key stages 1-4 are available at schools.cityofsanctuary.org n Download the NEU Welcoming refugee children pack at neu.org.uk/refugee
THE Tree Council’s Young Tree Champions programme supports schools across the UK to engage students in nature-based projects, building their climate awareness, knowledge and skills. It provides free, cross-curricular resources, designed by experts and experienced teachers, to help young people form stronger connections with nature in their school grounds. With topics ranging from growing trees from seed to public speaking, teachers can make use of worksheets, lesson plans and online training. Young Tree Champions also runs competitions throughout the year and schools can register for its Trees and More project packs, where eligible schools receive free trees, tech and training to green their grounds.
A survey commissioned by BBC Teach suggests that online safety is a growing problem among younger children. The survey found that 80 per cent of primary school teachers are aware of at least one safeguarding incident linked to online safety in the past 12 months. To support educators, BBC Teach has created a game, Scam Smashers, which encourages pupils to use their detective skills to spot scams and solve online safety problems. The curriculumlinked lesson for seven- to 11-year-olds is created in partnership with Childnet. BBC Teach has more than 100 resources for primary and secondary students to promote online safety. n Visit bbc.co.uk/teach
Two free places up for grabs on carbon literacy course CHANGE Agents UK, a sustainability education charity, has created a carbon literacy course aimed at sustainability leads in schools. Certified through the UNsupported and internationally recognised Carbon Literacy Project, it includes three, two-hour live virtual workshops and costs £75 for educators. The charity is offering two free places to NEU members on its Carbon Literacy for Schools course, which runs on 26 June, 1 July and 3 July from 4-6pm. n Visit tinyurl.com/changeagentsuk and use the code NEU2025 . Places are offered on a first come,first served basis.
n Visit youngtreechampions.org
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Photo opportunity
WIN!
Send us your photo to win a £20 book token
THIS beautiful photo was taken by Ben Clarke, an IT manager at an academy in north Devon.
Ben says: “In 2009, I visited Japan as part of a youth exchange, so it was wonderful to return with my wife over Christmas and reconnect with my former host family.
“These monkeys huddled together for warmth at Jigokudani emphasise the importance of family and support for me.” Why not send a picture to us at educate@neu.org.uk. It should be large and high resolution, accompanied by 50 words about its subject. We send a £20 book token to each featured so don’t forget to include your address in the email too.
Update your membership details – visit my.neu.org.uk IT’S vital that the NEU has up-to-date details for all its members. You may be eligible for reduced subscriptions – for example, if you work part-time, are about to take maternity leave or retire. It’s important we have the correct address for you for balloting purposes so, if you have moved, make sure you tell us your new home or workplace address. The easiest way to update your details is by logging on to myNEU. Go to my.neu.org.uk to manage
n or write to Membership & Subscriptions, NEU, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD.
your membership, including updating your address, workplace and equality information. Alternatively: n call us on 0345 811 8111 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm) n email membership@neu.org.uk
Access myRewards today myNEU is also a portal to accessing hundreds of exclusive discounts available to members through myRewards. From savings on your weekly shop to holidays and special treats, you could save up to £1,000 a year. Visit neu.org.uk/neu-rewards educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
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Answers at bottom of page 49
Quick crossword Across 1 William ___ :
playwright (11) 9 Moulin ___ : film directed by Baz Luhrmann (5) 10 Extra (in cricket) (3) 11 Aberdeen ___ : breed of cattle (5) 12 ___ Boyle: Scottish singing star (5) 13 Eg Brandenburg or Emperor (8) 16 Robert ___ : German composer (8) 18 Shane ___ : Australian former spin bowler (5) 21 ___ MacDowell: Groundhog Day actress (5) 22 Yoko ___ : Japanese artist and musician (3) 23 Creatures like Shrek (5) 24 US musician who sang Hero (6,5)
Down 2 John ___ : snooker
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player (7)
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3 ___ Dunst: US actress (7) 4 Royal house of James I
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of England (6) 5 Swords used for fencing (5) 6 Inspector ___ : Ian Rankin character (5) 7 Physicist who discovered gravity (5,6) 8 Iconic James Bond actor (4,7) 14 Supercontinent located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres (7) 15 Young pilchard (7) 17 Charlotte ___ : Welsh singer (6) 19 Spanish wine (5) 20 Rod-shaped bacterium that can cause food poisoning (abbrev) (1,4)
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1 - William ___ : playwright (11)
Sudoku
2 - John ___ : snooker player (7)
9 - Moulin ___ : film directed by Baz Luhrmann (5)
3 - ___ Dunst: US actress (7)
Sudoku solutions will feature - Royal house of James I of England (6) on4this page next issue.
10 - Extra (in cricket) (3) 11 - Aberdeen ___ : breed of cattle (5)
7 6 1 4 5 4 7 9 1 8 4 8 2 4 1 5 9 8 2 7 9 5 4 1 2 6 8 4 3 8 5 7
(from left: Easy, Medium and Difficult)
6 - Inspector ___ : Ian Rankin character (5)
5 8 1 6 9who discovered gravity (5,6) 7 - Physicist 6 7 16 - Robert ___ : German 4 3composer 1 (8) 3 4 78 - Iconic James Bond6actor (4,7) 18 - Shane ___ : Australian former spin bowler (5) 14 - Supercontinent located primarily in the easter 9 2 9 1 hemispheres (7) 21 - ___ MacDowell: Groundhog Day actress (5) 15 Young pilchard (7) 7 3 8 223- Yoko ___ : Japanese4artist and musician (3) 17 - Charlotte ___ : Welsh singer (6) 2 23 - Creatures 5 like Shrek 3 (5) 7 4 19 - Spanish wine (5) 24 - US musician who sang Hero (6,5) 8 4 7 8 bacterium that can cause food p 20 - 5 Rod-shaped (abbrev) (1,4) 2 6 3 4 3 5 9 1 8 9 1 6 5 7 4 6 2 9 13 - Eg Brandenburg or Emperor (8)
Easy
Last issue’s (March/April 2025) sudoku solution
5 - Swords used for fencing (5)
12 - ___ Boyle: Scottish singing star (5)
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educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
9 7 1 6 2 8 5 4 3
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WIN!
Across 1 University that’s
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a bit unorthodox for dons (6) 9 4 A full whisky blend is not illegal (6) 9 Plant supplying iron to Royal Navy (4) 12 10 Revised wording I’d leave out as incorrect (5) 11 Back in grammar class, study intensively (4) 14 12 Figure who was in part inspiring and historical (6) 13 Unequalled, like the House of Commons! (8) 17 14 Uni involved in strange secret for hundreds of years (9) 16Notice is a bit insignificant (4) 17 Fellow starts college here at 22 Peterhouse (4) 18 University in the North East, but select a North West alternative (9) 22 Strong emotions when successful 25 exam result is no different (8) 23 Composer adds lady’s underwear item to hymns, oddly! (6) 28 25 Move to Religious Education for the bloodshed! (4) 26 Age when you’re small, and not odd? (5) 27 Develop grand argument! (4) 28 Group of pupils let loose on wooden bench (6) 29 Latin’s confusing for old dictator (6)
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A £50 Marks & Spencer voucher
Down 1 Perform surgery on La Traviata, for example – heartless tale! 2 Some staff in education given a penalty (5) 3 Worried about being more noisy and disorderly (7) 5 New graduates sat out, but debated (6) 6Anagram fits a clue for ‘university departments’ (9) 7 I join Alison to form a working relationship (7)
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The winner and solution of this prize crossword will feature on this page next issue.
8 Type of school that has medium phone service, unfortunately (13)
15 Anti-rents movement is short-lived (9) 17 Maybe as corny as coloured pencils (9) 19 I can’t be shifted from ministerial group! (7) 20 Ridicule crazy pool man (7) 21 Inspector left small quantity of food (6) 24 Something seen in the heavens, composed of halogen, but lacking oxygen and hydrogen (5)
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.
Last issue’s (March/April 2025) prize crossword solution
Across 7 SEMICOLON 8 STONE 10 ADHESIVE 11 OBERON 12 NATO 13 TAPESTRY 15 LIONESS 17 PRODIGY 20 BONE IDLE 22 GLAD 25 FELLOW 26 SUSTAINS 27 DENSE 28 SAFEGUARD Down 1 LEEDS 2 CINEMA 3 MONITORS 4 ROSETTA 5 STRESSED 6 ENCOURAGE 9 SOUP 14 DISOBEYED 16 NEEDLESS 18 REGISTER 19 MESSIAH 21 DOWN 23 ABACUS 24 INERT
Congratulations to last issue’s winner – Lisa Gan from east London
This issue’s quick crossword solution (p48)
Across 1 SHAKESPEARE 9 ROUGE 10 BYE 11 ANGUS 12 SUSAN 13 CONCERTO 16 SCHUMANN 18 WARNE 21 ANDIE 22 ONO 23 OGRES 24 MARIAH CAREY Down 2 HIGGINS 3 KIRSTEN 4 STUART 5 EPEES 6 REBUS 7 ISAAC NEWTON 8 SEAN CONNERY 14 EURASIA 15 SARDINE 17 CHURCH 19 RIOJA 20 E COLI educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
49
Final word
The skills we need to survive and thrive
Fact file
Eunice Olumide is a model, designer and broadcaster. She is a strong supporter of the Arts and Minds campaign and ambassador for Zero Waste Scotland. She also helped actors’ union Equity to develop a strategy to support fashion models in the UK.
Eunice with pupils from Bellfield Junior School at the launch of Arts and Minds
IT’S no exaggeration to say that having exposure to the arts at an early age transformed my life. I grew up on a council estate in Edinburgh, in an area of severe social and economic deprivation. When I was young, I felt isolated and disconnected from the world. Our area had some serious social problems and sometimes things were so bad that we couldn’t even play outside. I was, however, allowed to go to the National Museum of Scotland, which was a bus ride away from where we lived. And it was there, seeing the art, culture, history and spectacular works on display, that I really learned how to dream, to see the world in a new light. ‘Making ends meet is a dream in itself’ Art institutions felt like the only safe space around. They inspired me to imagine a life that was different from what was expected of me and the lives of many in the community around me. In a working-class community like mine, there was little hope for a future built on dreams. For a lot of people, just getting a job that paid enough to feed your family was the stuff of dreams – all the creative talents of a community put into the struggle to make ends meet. 50
I was lucky. I got a break or two that allowed me to build a life in the creative arts. And I have been trying to be an advocate for the inspiration it gave me ever since. Help pupils focus and participate The arts are a powerful tool for supporting children who are experiencing severe challenges in the education system. They help young people focus or concentrate; to feel like they can truly participate. This, in turn, helps to enhance their overall skills and improve academic achievement. I’ve visited and worked in schools across the UK, from the Highlands and Perthshire to Birmingham and London. What I’ve found is that we learn in different ways: some of us learn better through vocational activities, some through academic study, some of us are kinetic learners. I’ve seen how the arts can give a child a reason to turn up at school, which then impacts positively on other lessons. I believe in a universal education, so I’m deeply concerned about the current lack of access to creative subjects. What’s more, the arts are increasingly important now that computers are taking over much of the workforce. Our very human ability to think outside the box correlates with variety of experience. Different backgrounds bring different perspectives, and diversity
educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
PHOTO by Joe Pepler/PinPep
of thought will give us a greater chance of solving environmental and social issues. We need government to commit Whether it’s drama, dance, music, painting or design, even learning how to cook or use a sewing machine, I would like to see the whole range of creative subjects valued as much as academic studies. These are the skills that we need to survive… and to thrive. But this won’t happen just because we think it should. We need strong, specific policy commitments and, call me a cynic, but I’m sceptical of government promises. Words are not enough; action is needed. Despite huge tax rises in recent years, people aren’t able to access what they need to excel. Arts education has to be a priority, or the country will lose something that’s impossible to get back. The Labour government needs to now show its commitment. If it truly cares about humanity and the next generation, investing in arts education should be a no-brainer. There is no excuse not to. There are so many areas where it could save money – even if that means MPs taking a pay cut. We need the government to commit to the arts 100 per cent; to give educators the tools to free the next generation of learners to follow their dreams. n Sign our letter to the government at tinyurl.com/arts-minds-letter
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Post-16 Senedd demo NEU Cymru joins UCU to protest funding cuts.
Issue 79 Summer term 2025
Scam-savvy pupils Learning e-safety skills at a Torfaen school.
Tackling teen violence ‘Wider public health approach needed.’
inwales
Racism report calls for more training A LACK of educator confidence is a barrier to teaching around racism and anti-racism, as well as a lack of knowledge and understanding, says a new report by campaign group Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC).
Memorial garden for Emily, 24 A YOUNG teacher who died suddenly last December is to be remembered with a memorial garden at the school in Cardiff where she taught. Emily Rose Browning was in her first term teaching at Gladstone Primary School when she had a cardiac arrest in her sleep and later died, aged just 24 years. She had been working as a supply teacher in several schools across south Wales for a year before getting her first permanent job at Gladstone, where she joined NEU Cymru. “She was so happy when she got the job,” Emily’s boyfriend Jack Weston told Educate in Wales. “She adored the job, she adored the kids, so it seemed right to raise money for something at the school in her memory.” continued on page 3
Many educators feel that influences from attitudes at home and from social media create further difficulties. The report, A Work in Progress, highlights areas where improvements have been made in schools in Wales, but also indicates many remaining problems. It features responses from educators and from secondary and primary school pupils which, it says, “shine a light on the lived experiences of racism within schools”. While more educators said they felt confident about recognising racist incidents in their schools (77 per cent compared to 48 per cent in a 2020 SRtRC survey), the research found that the implementation of an anti-racist approach in schools was “patchy and often reliant on a few committed individuals”. continued on page 2
Redundancy threat dropped after 95% vote for strike action A MASSIVE vote for industrial action at a new special school in south Wales has seen the threat of redundancies dropped. Staff were told that as many as one in six of them faced redundancy within weeks of the £22 million Ysgol Robert Owen opening in Newtown, Powys last September. In a ballot for industrial action, 95 per
cent of NEU Cymru members voted for action in a 100 per cent turnout. The union has now been told that the redundancies for teachers are no longer necessary due to an increase in pupil numbers and that the reduction in support staff can be achieved through voluntary redundancies. But Peter Marsh-Jenks, NEU Wales
officer, warned that the NEU mandate for strike action remained live until the end of the school year. He said a number of issues relating to the health, safety and wellbeing of staff were being addressed but if a much-improved working environment was not delivered, members would revisit the issue of industrial action.
educate in Wales Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
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News SRtRC: A Work in Progress
continued from page 1 One teacher reported: “I feel there is a huge gap in knowledge and training in our school. This needs to be made a bigger priority as a matter of urgency.” Several educators felt that racism they experienced – either from pupils or colleagues – was not taken seriously, leaving them feeling unsafe in the workplace. In secondary schools, there appeared to be a significant gap between pupils’ perception of racism as being more widespread than was recorded by staff. One pupil warned: “Be more aware of what people say quietly in class because that’s when people talk racist.” The report makes several recommendations to the Welsh government, including a review of the support provided to educators who experience racism and continued training and resources for educators. SRtRC campaign manager for Wales, Dean Pymble, said: “Together we must commit to creating education settings where every child feels safe, respected and valued.” n Read the report at theredcard.org/wales
NEU joins UCU colleagues at Senedd protest
NEU members with UCU colleagues protesting outside the Senedd
NEU Cymru members are supporting colleagues in Welsh universities who face hundreds of job losses due to the funding crisis hitting Wales’ post-16 education sector. Cardiff and Bangor universities and University of South Wales Newport have announced plans to cut hundreds of jobs and drop some courses amid a funding shortfall. NEU members joined the University and College Union (UCU) and other education unions to protest outside the Senedd in Cardiff in February to highlight the funding crisis, which is also hitting student numbers. “The sector continues to confront a crisis
of learner participation with fewer Welsh young people attending university compared to other UK nations and regions,” said NEU interim Wales secretary Nicola Fitzpatrick. “Anything other than a real-term increase in budgets will be a false economy with the worst effects felt by the most disadvantaged learners, and staff on precarious contracts.” UCU members at Cardiff University were due to take strike action on 1 May and boycott assessment work indefinitely from 6 May unless their demands for no redundancies were met.
Learning dates for your diary
NEU wins three more years of WULF funds for member training
TRAINING FOR REPS
NEU Cymru has again been successful in its bid for funding from the Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) for the next three years. It means the union will be able to continue the popular training scheme in its four priority areas: n to promote Welsh language learning to all education professionals across Wales n career progression and professional development – to provide a comprehensive bespoke support programme for supply and out-of-work teachers and support staff n health and wellbeing – to provide support and training for members n digital skills – to assist with the development of the new Curriculum for Wales. NEU Cymru policy officer Stuart Williams said: “NEU Cymru is the only education union in Wales to have accessed WULF funding, and this has allowed us to deliver the training and support that NEU members in Wales need and deserve.”
Foundation and advanced reps courses are now available for reps to attend for three days in one block. Courses have been arranged, subject to numbers, on the following dates: Foundation course 17-19 June – Swansea tinyurl.com/June-2025-Swansea Advanced course 8-10 July – Llandudno tinyurl.com/July-2025-Llandudno Challenging capability course 1 July – Swansea tinyurl.com/July-2025-Swansea If you’re interested in becoming a workplace rep and attending one of the courses, email cymru.wales@ neu.org.uk – and remember, reps are
legally entitled to attend this training. The NEU will support any rep who has difficulties getting time off work to attend. You can find the full range of workplace reps courses taking place across the UK at neu.org.uk/courses/ training-reps-and-officers You can also find out more about national NEU continuing professional development (CPD) courses at neu. org.uk/courses/national-cpd
MORE COURSES THROUGH WULF Courses are also available through the Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) project. A list of topics can be found at tinyurl.com/wulf-courses with information on how to register. 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 X at @neucymrutrain and visit neu.org.uk/learning-and-events 2
educate in Wales Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
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Read back issues of Educate in Wales, in English and in Welsh, at neu.org.uk/educate-wales
Welsh member wins NEU award THE growing activism among NEU Cymru members was reflected in yet another award for Wales’ campaigners at last month’s annual conference in Harrogate. Anti-racism campaigner Shaz Salim (pictured right), from Rhondda Cynon Taf and a member of the Wales Black organising forum, won the Blair Peach award jointly with Hackney member Anna Gluckstein. Shaz follows in the footsteps of Roxanne Beccles from the Vale of Glamorgan who won the award last year. Another 2024 winner was Pembrokeshire branch secretary and international solidarity officer Gavin Sharp who won the Steve Sinnott award.
Fundraising for Emily memorial continued from page 1
and all this year’s award winners
A GoFundMe page, Emily’s Roses, set up in February, has already raised more than the £25,000 target and more fundraising is planned. Jack and Emily’s friends and family are taking part in various challenges, including a triathlon in Swansea in May, and the school held its own events in April. Head teacher Paula Shipton-Jones said: “Emily was a much-loved and dedicated teacher at our school. Her passion for teaching, love for nature, and kindness touched the lives of all the children she taught, her colleagues and the parents. “The garden to be created in Emily’s memory will be a space for reflection, joy, and growth, a place where children can learn through outdoor experiences and find peace and inspiration.” n Emily’s Roses GoFundMe page is at
in Educate.
gofundme.com/f/emilys-roses
n Read about conference
‘E-safety is a key skill’ E-SAFETY skills are being taught to pupils at a Torfaen school as they learn to become scam-savvy and safe online. Children at Griffithstown Primary School in Pontypool are learning digital resilience and how to recognise scams, cyberbullying and other pitfalls of the internet. Year 6 teacher and the school’s e-safety co-ordinator, Rebecca Thomas, believes digital awareness and online safety are increasingly important skills for children to have, especially with the likely impact of artifical intelligence. “E-safety is a key skill and one that young people are going to need in their future lives and careers,” Rebecca said. “It’s important that we teach them strategies to cope online.” Rebecca has devised an anagram, PROTECH, to help get across the key messages of e-safety: P – protect personal information such as
Scam awareness was the theme of Safer Internet Day in February when cabinet secretary for education Lynne Neagle (left) joined Griffithstown digital detectives and their teacher Rebecca Thomas (right)
passwords, names and addresses R – report and block – if someone is making you feel uncomfortable, tell a parent, teacher or guardian O – only talk to people you know online, avoid chatting to strangers T – think before you click, share or chat E – extra care with passwords and privacy settings; keep accounts secure
C – check with a trusted adult if something feels wrong or scary H – have kindness and respect online. There are e-safety messages around the school, and pupils have created digital characters based around the Harry Potter books such as Harry TikToker, Professor McChrome and Hagrid Hub. n Find resources at tinyurl.com/SID-25
educate in Wales Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
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News
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 0345 811 8111 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 Interim Wales secretary: Nicola Fitzpatrick Senior Wales officers: Debbie Scott, Daniel Maney Senior Wales policy officer: Mary van den Heuvel
Tackling youth violence in a ‘challenging time to grow up’ NEU Cymru is calling for a wider public health approach to tackling youth violence after two teachers and a pupil were injured in a stabbing at a south Wales school. A teenage girl was found guilty of attempting to murder two teachers and a pupil following an incident at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Carmarthenshire in April last year. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of the three charges following a trial at Swansea Crown Court in January. She had previously admitted to three counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and possession of a bladed article on a school premises. The 14-year-old was sentenced to 15 years in detention on 28 April. Emergency services were called to the school on 24 April, following reports that three people had been injured. Two teachers along with a child were admitted to hospital for treatment having been stabbed. After the girl’s conviction in February, NEU interim Wales secretary Nicola
“School should be a safe place, a sanctuary.” Fitzpatrick said: “Young people are growing up in very challenging times; the impact of Covid and cost-of-living crisis, alongside the readily available access to harmful and ageinappropriate content on social media and online forums are all taking their toll. “It’s time for a wider public health approach to tackling youth violence.” Detective chief superintendent Ross Evans of Dyfed-Powys Police said: “School should be a safe place, a sanctuary for the pupils that attend it, and weapons have no place within their grounds. We will not tolerate any attempt to compromise the safety of children or staff.” He thanked the emergency services who responded on the day, as well as the teachers and staff at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman for the way in which they dealt with the incident.
North Wales organiser: Cai Jones South Wales organiser: Robert Goddard Wales solicitor: Angharad Booker Executive members: Elizabeth McLean, Hannah O’Neill, Claire Rickard
Head office
National Education Union, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD Tel: 020 7388 6191 Website: neu.org.uk President: Sarah Kilpatrick General secretary: Daniel Kebede Translation by Rhys Iorwerth Cyf rhysiorwerth@ hotmail.com 4
GCSE reform concerns NEU Cymru members are growing increasingly concerned about GCSE reforms in Wales. Union officers met Ian Morgan, chief executive of the Welsh Joint Education Committee, in March when they outlined members’ demands for greater consultation on the reforms and a pause on parts of their implementation. There were particular concerns about the new English GCSE. In a later letter to Mr Morgan, NEU interim Wales secretary Nicola Fitzpatrick wrote: “Engagement with our members has revealed a growing sense of frustration and concern regarding the pace of the GCSE qualification reform and its implementation in Wales. “This includes the lack of exemplar materials for new GCSEs, and the workload impact of the changes on teachers. They are also concerned about the implications for students, especially those from disadvantaged
educate in Wales Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
groups, disabled students and those with additional learning needs.” The introduction of new history and science GCSEs has already been delayed and plans for a British sign language GCSE have been suspended.
Report on ALN in Llanelli AN independent review of the additional learning needs provision in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, has identified six possible options, some of which include the need to expand support for autistic spectrum conditions. The review was commissioned after concerns were raised about the decision to drop plans for a new special school in the town (EiW 78). The county council said a final report would be presented to the cabinet following discussions with stakeholders before the summer holidays for a formal decision on the recommendations. n Read the review at tinyurl.com/ALN-llanelli
Protest ôl-16 yn y Senedd NEU Cymru ac UCU yn gwrthwynebu toriadau.
Osgoi sgamiau Dysgu sgiliau e-ddiogelwch mewn ysgol yn Nhorfaen.
Taclo trais ymysg pobl ifanc ‘Mae angen dull ehangach.’
addysgu yng nghymru Rhifyn 79 Tymor yr haf 2025
Galw am fwy o hyfforddiant hiliaeth MAE diffyg hyder ymhlith addysgwyr, yn ogystal â diffyg gwybodaeth a dealltwriaeth, yn rhwystr wrth roi addysg ym maes hiliaeth a gwrthhiliaeth. Dyna ddywed adroddiad newydd gan y grŵp ymgyrchu, Dangos y Cerdyn Coch i Hiliaeth.
Gardd goffa i Emily, 24 BYDD athrawes ifanc a fu farw’n sydyn fis Rhagfyr diwethaf yn cael ei chofio drwy greu gardd yn yr ysgol yng Nghaerdydd lle roedd hi’n gweithio. Roedd Emily Rose Browning yn addysgu yn ei thymor cyntaf yn Ysgol Gynradd Gladstone pan gafodd drawiad ar y galon yn ei chwsg. Bu farw’n ddiweddarach, a hithau ond yn 24 oed. Roedd hi wedi bod yn gweithio fel athrawes gyflenwi mewn nifer o ysgolion yn y de am flwyddyn cyn cael ei swydd barhaol gyntaf yn Gladstone, ac yno yr ymunodd hi ag NEU Cymru. “Roedd hi mor falch pan gafodd hi’r swydd,” dywedodd Jack Weston, cariad Emily, wrth Addysgu yng Nghymru. “Roedd hi’n gwirioni ar ei swydd, ac yn addoli’r plant, felly roedd codi arian at rywbeth yn yr ysgol er cof amdani’n teimlo’n addas.”
Mae nifer o addysgwyr yn teimlo bod agweddau gartref a’r pethau sydd i’w gweld ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol yn achosi rhagor o anawsterau. Mae’r adroddiad, Gwaith ar y Gweill, yn dangos bod rhai pethau wedi gwella mewn ysgolion yng Nghymru, ond mae hefyd yn pwysleisio bod nifer o broblemau’n dal i fodoli. Mae’r adroddiad yn cynnwys ymatebion gan addysgwyr a disgyblion mewn ysgolion uwchradd a chynradd, a’r rheini’n “taflu goleuni ar y profiadau byw o hiliaeth mewn ysgolion”. Er i fwy o addysgwyr ddweud eu bod nhw’n hyderus y gallan nhw adnabod digwyddiadau hiliol yn eu hysgolion (77 y cant o’u cymharu â 48 y cant mewn arolwg gan Dangos y Cerdyn Coch i Hiliaeth yn 2020), casgliad yr ymchwil oedd bod y broses o gyflwyno dull gwrth-hiliol o weithio mewn ysgolion “yn ysbeidiol ac yn dibynnu’n aml ar ambell i unigolyn ymroddedig”. Meddai un athro: “Rydw i’n teimlo fod yna ddiffyg aruthrol o ran gwybodaeth a hyfforddiant yn ein hysgol. yn parhau ar dudalen 2
yn parhau ar dudalen 3
Dim dileu swyddi ar ôl i 95% bleidleisio dros streicio YN DILYN pleidlais anferth dros weithredu diwydiannol mewn ysgol arbennig newydd, mae’r bygythiad i ddileu swyddi wedi diflannu. Wythnosau ar ôl i Ysgol Robert Owen agor yn y Drenewydd, Powys, fis Medi diwethaf – a hynny am gost o £22 miliwn – dywedwyd wrth y staff y gallai cynifer ag un ym mhob chwech o’u plith golli’u swyddi. Mewn balot ynghylch gweithredu
diwydiannol, pleidleisiodd 95 y cant o aelodau NEU Cymru dros weithredu, gyda’r ganran a bleidleisiodd yn 100 y cant. Mae’r undeb bellach wedi clywed na fydd angen dileu swyddi athrawon, a hynny oherwydd cynnydd yn nifer y disgyblion ac oherwydd y bydd modd lleihau nifer y staff cymorth drwy ddileu swyddi gwirfoddol. Ond rhybuddiodd Peter Marsh-Jenks,
swyddog NEU Cymru, y bydd mandad yr NEU i streicio yn dal i fodoli tan ddiwedd y flwyddyn ysgol. Dywedodd fod nifer o broblemau sy’n ymwneud ag iechyd, diogelwch a lles y staff wrthi’n cael sylw. Ond pe na bai amgylchedd gweithio llawer gwell yn cael ei greu, byddai’r aelodau’n edrych unwaith eto ar y posibilrwydd o weithredu diwydiannol.
addysgu yng nghymru Eich cylchgrawn gan yr Undeb Addysg Cenedlaethol
1
Newyddion
yn parhau o dudalen 1
“Mae angen gwneud hyn yn flaenoriaeth uwch ar frys.” Teimlai nifer o addysgwyr nad oedd yr hiliaeth y bydden nhw’n ei hwynebu – naill ai gan ddisgyblion neu gan gydweithwyr – yn cael ei chymryd o ddifrif. Roedd hynny’n eu gadael i deimlo’n anniogel yn y gweithle. Mewn ysgolion uwchradd, roedd hi’n ymddangos bod disgyblion yn teimlo bod hiliaeth yn fwy cyffredin o lawer na’r hyn sy’n cael ei gofnodi gan staff. Rhybuddiodd un disgybl: “[Mae angen bod] yn fwy ymwybodol o beth mae pobl yn ei ddweud yn ddistaw yn y dosbarth oherwydd dyna pryd mae pobl yn dweud pethau hiliol.” Mae’r adroddiad yn cyflwyno nifer o argymhellion i lywodraeth Cymru, gan gynnwys argymell y dylid adolygu’r cymorth a roddir i addysgwyr sy’n profi hiliaeth, a rhoi hyfforddiant ac adnoddau cyson i addysgwyr. Meddai Dean Pymble, rheolwr ymgyrchoedd Dangos y Cerdyn Coch i Hiliaeth yng Nghymru: “Gyda’n gilydd rhaid i ni ymrwymo i greu lleoliadau addysg lle bydd pob plentyn yn teimlo’i fod yn ddiogel, yn cael ei barchu, ac yn cael ei werthfawrogi.” n Darllenwch yr adroddiad yn theredcard.org/ wales
Aelodau’r NEU a chydweithwyr o’r UCU yn protestio y tu allan i’r Senedd
Yr NEU yn ymuno â’r UCU mewn protest yn y Senedd MAE aelodau NEU Cymru’n cefnogi cydweithwyr ym mhrifysgolion Cymru lle mae disgwyl colli cannoedd o swyddi oherwydd yr argyfwng ariannu sy’n effeithio ar y sector addysg ôl-16 yng Nghymru. Mae prifysgolion Caerdydd a Bangor, ynghyd â Phrifysgol De Cymru Casnewydd, wedi cyhoeddi’u bwriad i dorri cannoedd o swyddi a chael gwared ar rai cyrsiau oherwydd prinder cyllid. Ymunodd aelodau’r NEU â’r Undeb Prifysgolion a Cholegau (UCU) ac undebau addysg eraill i brotestio y tu allan i’r Senedd yng Nghaerdydd fis Chwefror, gan dynnu sylw at yr argyfwng ariannu sydd hefyd yn effeithio ar niferoedd myfyrwyr.
“Mae’r sector yn parhau i wynebu argyfwng o ran dysgwyr, gyda llai o bobl ifanc o Gymru’n mynd i’r brifysgol o’u cymharu â chenhedloedd a rhanbarthau eraill y Deyrnas Unedig,” meddai Nicola Fitzpatrick, ysgrifenyddes dros dro NEU Cymru. “Bydd unrhyw beth ar wahân i gynnydd mewn termau real mewn cyllidebau yn gamgymeriad dybryd. Y dysgwyr mwyaf difreintiedig a’r staff sydd ar gontractau ansefydlog fydd yn teimlo’r effeithiau mwyaf.” Roedd disgwyl i aelodau UCU ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd streicio ar 1 Mai a threfnu boicot o waith asesu am gyfnod amhenodol o 6 Mai oni bai bod y brifysgol yn cytuno i’w galwadau i beidio â dileu swyddi.
Dyddiadau dysgu i’ch dyddiadur
Yr NEU yn sicrhau tair blynedd arall o arian i hyfforddi aelodau
HYFFORDDIANT I GYNRYCHIOLWYR
Mae NEU Cymru unwaith eto wedi bod yn llwyddiannus yn ei gais am gyllid gan Gronfa Ddysgu Undebau Cymru (WULF) am y tair blynedd nesaf. Mae’n golygu y bydd yr undeb yn gallu parhau â’r cynllun hyfforddiant poblogaidd mewn pedwar maes blaenoriaeth: n hyrwyddo dysgu’r Gymraeg i bob gweithiwr addysg proffesiynol drwy Gymru n cynnydd gyrfa a datblygiad proffesiynol – rhaglen gymorth benodol a chynhwysfawr i athrawon cyflenwi ac athrawon a staff cymorth sydd ddim mewn gwaith n iechyd a lles – rhoi cymorth a hyfforddiant i aelodau n sgiliau digidol – helpu i ddatblygu’r Cwricwlwm newydd i Gymru. Meddai Stuart Williams, swyddog polisi NEU Cymru: “NEU Cymru yw’r unig undeb addysg yng Nghymru sydd wedi llwyddo i gael arian WULF, ac mae hyn wedi ein galluogi ni i roi’r hyfforddiant a’r cymorth y mae aelodau’r NEU yng Nghymru ei angen ac yn ei haeddu.”
Cyrsiau sylfaen 17-19 Mehefin – Abertawe tinyurl.com/June-2025-Swansea Cwrs uwch 8-10 Gorffennaf – Llandudno tinyurl.com/July-2025-Llandudno Cwrs herio galluogrwydd 1 Gorffennaf – Abertawe tinyurl.com/July-2025-Swansea Os oes gennych chi ddiddordeb mewn dod yn gynrychiolydd yn y gweithle a mynd ar un o’r cyrsiau, anfonwch e-bost i cymru.wales@neu. org.uk. Cofiwch fod gan gynrychiolwyr hawl gyfreithiol i gael yr hyfforddiant hwn. Bydd yr NEU yn cefnogi unrhyw gynrychiolydd sy’n wynebu
anawsterau wrth geisio cael amser i ffwrdd o’r gwaith i fod yn bresennol. Gallwch chi weld yr holl gyrsiau sydd ar gael yn y Deyrnas Unedig i gynrychiolwyr gweithle yn neu.org.uk/ courses/training-reps-and-officers Gallwch chi hefyd gael mwy o wybodaeth am gyrsiau datblygu proffesiynol parhaus yr NEU yn neu.org. uk/courses/national-cpd
RHAGOR O GYRSIAU DRWY WULF
Mae cyrsiau ar gael hefyd drwy brosiect Cronfa Ddysgu Undebau Cymru (WULF). Mae rhestr o’r pynciau hefyd i’w gweld yn tinyurl.com/wulfcourses ynghyd â gwybodaeth am sut i gofrestru. 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 i weld gwybodaeth am y cyfleoedd hyfforddiant diweddaraf. Hoffwch ni ar Facebook yn facebook.com/ neucymrutraining, dilynwch ni ar X drwy @neucymrutrain ac ewch i neu.org.uk/learning-and-events 2
addysgu yng nghymru Eich cylchgrawn gan yr Undeb Addysg Cenedlaethol
Wedi colli rhywbeth?
Darllenwch hen rifynnau Addysgu yng Nghymru, yn Gymraeg ac yn Saesneg, yn neu.org.uk/educate-wales
Aelod yng Nghymru’n ennill gwobr gan yr NEU
Codi arian at ardd goffa Emily
CAFODD y cynnydd mewn ymgyrchu ymhlith aelodau NEU Cymru ei adlewyrchu mewn gwobr arall yn y gynhadledd flynyddol yn Harrogate fis diwethaf. Enillodd Shaz Salim (yn y llun ar y dde), sy’n ymgyrchydd gwrth-hiliaeth o Rondda Cynon Taf ac yn aelod o fforwm trefnu Du Cymru, wobr Blair Peach ar y cyd ag Anna Gluckstein, aelod o Hackney. Mae Shaz yn dilyn Roxanne Beccles o Fro Morgannwg a enillodd y wobr y llynedd. Enillydd arall yn 2024 oedd Gavin Sharp, sy’n ysgrifennydd cangen yn Sir Benfro ac yn swyddog cydsefyll rhyngwladol, a enillodd wobr Steve Sinnott. ac enillwyr gwobrau eleni yn
Sefydlwyd tudalen GoFundMe, Emily’s Roses, ym mis Chwefror. Eisoes codwyd mwy na’r targed o £25,000, a’r bwriad yw parhau i godi arian. Mae Jack a ffrindiau a theulu Emily yn cymryd rhan mewn amryw o heriau, gan gynnwys triathlon yn Abertawe fis Mai. Cynhaliodd yr ysgol ei digwyddiadau ei hun fis Ebrill. Meddai Paula Shipton-Jones, y pennaeth: “Roedd Emily yn athrawes ymroddedig yn ein hysgol, a phawb yn dotio ati. Fe wnaeth ei brwdfrydedd heintus wrth addysgu, ei hoffter o fyd natur, a’i charedigrwydd gyffwrdd bywydau’r holl blant y bu hi’n eu dysgu, ynghyd â’i chydweithwyr a’r rhieni. “Bydd yr ardd sydd i’w chreu er cof am Emily yn lle i fyfyrio, i fwynhau ac i dyfu. Bydd yn rhywle lle gall y plant ddysgu drwy brofiadau yn yr awyr agored a chanfod llonyddwch ac ysbrydoliaeth.” n Mae tudalen GoFundMe Emily’s Roses i’w
Addysgu.
gweld yn gofundme.com/f/emilys-roses
n Darllenwch am gynhadledd
yn parhau o dudalen 1
‘E-ddiogelwch: sgìl o bwys’ MAE sgiliau e-ddiogelwch yn cael eu cyflwyno i ddisgyblion mewn ysgol yn Nhorfaen wrth iddyn nhw ddysgu sut i fod yn wyliadwrus o sgamiau a bod yn ddiogel ar-lein. Mae plant yn Ysgol Gynradd Griffithstown ^ yn dysgu am wydnwch ym Mhont-y-pwl digidol a sut i adnabod sgamiau, seiberfwlio a pheryglon eraill ar y rhyngrwyd. Mae Rebecca Thomas, athrawes blwyddyn 6 a chydlynydd e-ddiogelwch yr ysgol, yn teimlo bod ymwybyddiaeth ddigidol a diogelwch ar-lein yn sgiliau cynyddol bwysig i’w cyflwyno i blant, yn enwedig ac ystyried effaith debygol deallusrwydd artiffisial. “Mae e-ddiogelwch yn sgìl o bwys, a bydd angen hyn ar bobl ifanc yn eu bywydau a’u gyrfaoedd yn y dyfodol,” meddai Rebecca. Mae Rebecca wedi creu anagram Saesneg, PROTECH, er mwyn atgoffa pobl o brif negeseuon e-ddiogelwch: P (protect) – diogelu gwybodaeth bersonol
Ymwybyddiaeth o sgamiau oedd thema’r Diwrnod Rhyngrwyd Mwy Diogel fis Chwefror pan ymunodd Lynne Neagle (ar y chwith), ysgrifennydd y cabinet dros addysg, â ditectifs digidol Griffithstown a’u hathrawes, Rebecca Thomas (ar y dde)
fel cyfrineiriau, enwau a chyfeiriadau R (report and block) – os bydd rhywun yn gwneud i chi deimlo’n anghyfforddus, rhowch wybod i riant, athro neu warcheidwad O (only talk) – pan fyddwch chi ar-lein, siaradwch â phobl rydych chi’n eu hadnabod yn unig, ac osgowch siarad â dieithriaid T (think) – meddyliwch cyn i chi glicio, rhannu a sgwrsio E (extra care) – yddwch yn fwy gofalus fyth gyda chyfrineiriau a gosodiadau preifatrwydd;
cadwch gyfrifon yn ddiogel C (check) – holwch oedolyn rydych chi’n ymddiried ynddo os bydd rhywbeth yn teimlo o’i le neu’n codi braw H (have kindness) – byddwch yn garedig a dangoswch barch ar-lein. Mae negeseuon am e-ddiogelwch i’w gweld o amgylch yr ysgol, ac mae disgyblion wedi creu cymeriadau digidol sy’n seiliedig ar lyfrau Harry Potter. n tinyurl.com/SID-25
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
Taclo trais ymysg pobl ifanc mewn ‘oes anodd i dyfu ynddi’ MAE NEU Cymru yn galw am ddefnyddio dull ehangach, a hwnnw wedi’i seilio ar iechyd y cyhoedd, er mwyn mynd i’r afael â thrais ymysg pobl ifanc. Daw hyn ar ôl i ddwy athrawes a disgybl gael eu hanafu wrth gael eu trywanu mewn ysgol yn y de.
Uwch swyddogion Cymru: Debbie Scott, Daniel Maney
Cafwyd merch yn ei harddegau yn euog o ymgais i lofruddio dwy athrawes a disgyblion yn dilyn digwyddiad yn Ysgol Dyffryn Aman yn Sir Gâr fis Ebrill y llynedd. Cafwyd y ferch, na ellir ei henwi am resymau cyfreithiol, yn euog o’r tri chyhuddiad yn dilyn achos yn Llys y Goron Abertawe fis Ionawr. Roedd hi wedi cyfaddef cyn hynny i dri chyhuddiad o achosi niwed corfforol difrifol gyda bwriad, ac o fod ag eitem â llafn yn ei meddiant ar dir ysgol. Ar 28 Ebrill, cafodd y ferch 14 oed ddedfryd o 15 mlynedd mewn canolfan gadw. Galwyd y gwasanaethau brys i’r ysgol ar 24 Ebrill, yn dilyn adroddiadau bod tri o bobl wedi’u hanafu. Bu’n rhaid i ddwy athrawes a
Uwch swyddog polisi Cymru: Mary van den Heuvel
Pryderon am ddiwygio TGAU
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 dros dro Cymru: Nicola Fitzpatrick
Trefnydd y gogledd: Cai Jones Trefnydd y de: Robert Goddard Cyfreithiwr Cymru: Angharad Booker Aelodau gweithredol: Elizabeth McLean, Hannah O’Neill, Claire Rickard
Prif swyddfa
Yr Undeb Addysg Cenedlaethol, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, Llundain WC1H 9BD Ffôn: 020 7388 6191 Gwefan: neu.org.uk Llywydd: Sarah Kilpatrick Ysgrifennydd cyffredinol: Daniel Kebede Cyfieithiad gan Rhys Iorwerth Cyf rhysiorwerth@ hotmail.com 4
MAE aelodau NEU Cymru yn pryderu’n gynyddol am y diwygiadau i gymwysterau TGAU yng Nghymru. Cafodd swyddogion yr Undeb gyfarfod ag Ian Morgan, prif weithredwr Cyd-bwyllgor Addysg Cymru, fis Mawrth, gan egluro bod aelodau eisiau mwy o ymgynghori am y diwygiadau ac oedi cyn cyflwyno rhai o’r newidiadau. Roedd pryderon penodol am y TGAU Saesneg newydd. Mewn llythyr diweddarach at Mr Morgan, dywedodd Nicola Fitzpatrick, ysgrifennydd dros dro NEU Cymru: “Wrth drafod â’n haelodau, roedd rhwystredigaeth a phryderon cynyddol am gyflymder y diwygiadau i’r cymwysterau TGAU ac am sut mae’r rheini’n cael eu cyflwyno yng Nghymru. “Mae hyn yn cynnwys diffyg deunyddiau enghreifftiol ar gyfer y TGAU newydd, ac effaith y newidiadau ar lwyth gwaith athrawon. Maen nhw hefyd yn pryderu am y goblygiadau i fyfyrwyr, yn enwedig y rheini o grwpiau dan anfantais, myfyrwyr anabl a myfyrwyr
addysgu yng nghymru Eich cylchgrawn gan yr Undeb Addysg Cenedlaethol
phlentyn fynd i’r ysbyty i gael triniaeth ar ôl cael eu trywanu. Ar ôl euogfarn y ferch ym mis Chwefror, dywedodd Nicola Fitzpatrick, ysgrifennydd dros dro NEU Cymru: “Mae pobl ifanc yn tyfu mewn oes anodd iawn; mae effaith Covid a’r argyfwng costau byw i’w theimlo’n amlwg, ac felly hefyd yr holl gynnwys niweidiol ac anaddas i’w hoedran sydd ar gael ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol ac mewn fforymau ar-lein. “Mae’n bryd mynd i’r afael â thrais ymysg pobl ifanc mewn ffordd ehangach sy’n seiliedig ar iechyd y cyhoedd.” Dywedodd y ditectif brif uwch-arolygydd Ross Evans o Heddlu Dyfed-Powys: “Dylai’r ysgol fod yn lle diogel ac yn lloches i’r disgyblion sy’n mynd iddi, a does dim lle i arfau ar dir unrhyw ysgol. Fyddwn ni ddim yn goddef unrhyw ymgais i beryglu diogelwch plant na staff.” Diolchodd i’r gwasanaethau brys a ymatebodd ar y diwrnod, yn ogystal ag i athrawon a staff Ysgol Dyffryn Aman am sut y gwnaethon nhw ddelio â’r digwyddiad. sydd ag anghenion dysgu ychwanegol.” Bu oedi eisoes wrth gyflwyno’r TGAU hanes a gwyddoniaeth newydd, ac mae’r cynlluniau ar gyfer TGAU iaith arwyddion Prydain wedi’u rhoi o’r neilltu am y tro.
Adroddiad am ADY yn Llanelli MAE adolygiad newydd o’r ddarpariaeth anghenion dysgu ychwanegol yn Llanelli, Sir Gâr, wedi canfod chwe opsiwn posibl, gyda rhai o’r rhain yn cynnwys yr angen i roi mwy o gefnogaeth ar gyfer cyflyrau’r sbectrwm awtistig. Comisiynwyd yr adolygiad ar ôl i bryderon gael eu codi am y penderfyniad i roi’r gorau i’r bwriad i godi ysgol arbennig newydd yn yr ysgol. Dywedodd y cyngor sir y byddai adroddiad terfynol yn cael ei gyflwyno i’r cabinet ar ôl trafodaethau â rhanddeiliaid cyn gwyliau’r haf, er mwyn gwneud penderfyniad ffurfiol am yr argymhellion. n Darllenwch yr adolygiad yn tinyurl.com/ ALN-llanelli