the Teacher – July 2016

Fighting for school funding

k July / teachers.org.u

August 2016

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8196-2016

The fight is on As I write this editorial, I must pay tribute to Christine Blower. Christine became General Secretary under the tragic circumstances of Steve Sinnott’s untimely death and led the Union under difficult circumstances.

She kept us united and was consequently elected twice. We all owe her a debt of gratitude.

Times aren’t getting easier for teachers or for education. Biting funding cuts are affecting our conditions and workload, Ebacc is marginalising arts subjects and many colleagues in those areas are being made redundant or not replaced when they leave. The KS2 SATs results have left teachers angry and their students despondent. Meanwhile academies continue to expand despite the setback we inflicted on the Government’s White Paper reforms.

Over the last month the Union has been busy working to help our overseas teachers in the face of the EU referendum result. Unfortunately Brexit has led to a surge in racist incidents and in response we’ve already begun distributing materials to fight racism in our schools.

We are hugely disappointed that the STRB accepted the 1% pay limit this year, but strongly support their view that the Government must urgently find more money for schools. In the meantime, we are continuing to work with ATL towards forming a new Union that will combine the best of both our organisations and help us further fight such injustices.

Our day of action on 5 July got us substantial media attention and has put school funding firmly on the political map. More than 10,000 of you were at the march and rally in central London and, in the run up to that strike, we recruited over 6,000 new members and received many messages of support from parents and politicians.

Features 04 Accountability lost LGA Labour councillors speak out against the Government’s Educational Excellence Everywhere White Paper, and tell us why they are standing with the NUT. 06 The myth of linear progress Professor Terry Wrigley continues our Learning by Numbers series.

15 A new much improved Hamlet Our resident poet Michael Rosen puts Hamlet through his SATs. 16 Analogue thinking Karl Hopwood from the UK Council for Child Internet Safety talks about the digital dangers our young people face.

20 The doctors will see you now the Teacher takes an in-depth look at the recent Junior Doctors’ strike and what made their campaign so successful.

25 Enough is enough This month over 10,000 teachers took to the streets to strike for their rights.

30 Not for my child Parents explain why they took their children out of school on the day of this year’s SATs tests and why they’re backing teachers.

We will continue this fight for pupils, for schools and for your rights as teachers. I hope that you will join us.

32 Primary Assessment Teachers give their verdict.

Kevin Courtney – General Secretary (Acting)

50 Backbeat Kathryn Riley, Professor of Urban Education, UCL, Institute of Education responds to proposals in the White Paper.

President Anne Swift General Secretary (Acting) Kevin Courtney Editor Daniel Humphry Journalists Emily Jenkins, Monica Roland Administration Maryam Hulme Cover Noma Bar Newsdesk 020 7380 4708 teacher@nut.org.uk

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July / August 16 I the Teacher

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Accountability lost

By Councillor Nick Forbes, Newcastle City Council and Councillor Richard, Islington Council Nothing is more important than ensuring every child we represent gets the best start in life. We know that we share this commitment with NUT members and school staff across the country.

By working in partnership with schools, teachers and the wider community, local councils are able to help improve standards and ensure that schools serve the needs of communities. That’s why, on behalf of Labour councillors across the country, we spoke out against much of the Government’s Educational Excellence Everywhere White Paper, which sought to effectively remove local accountability in schools and posed a serious threat to our education system.

The proposal to force all schools to become academies went against Ofsted evidence that shows ‘inadequate schools’ are more likely to improve if they were allowed to stay with their local authority. At a time when school budgets are being cut, forcing all schools to become academies could also have wasted more than £1 billion of taxpayers’ money.

Thanks to the combined efforts of parents, governors, teachers, school leaders, trade unions, and councillors from all parties, we were able to force the Government into significant climbdowns. However, as we know with this Government, a headline-grabbing press release often does not tell the full story.

When announcing her U-turn over forced academisation, the Secretary of State made it absolutely clear that it was still the express intention of the Government to see all schools become academies eventually. Now in the Queen’s Speech we have the Education for All Bill, which will mean many schools still face the threat of forced academisation.

The Government’s plans fly in the face of the reality that over 80% of maintained schools have been rated good or excellent by Ofsted, while three times as many

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July / August 16 I the Teacher

councils perform above the national average in terms of progress made by students than the largest academy chains. When a school is struggling we must take action, but converting a school to an academy, without giving parents a say, is not the answer.

However, it’s clear that councils play an effective and important role in helping to turn struggling schools around.

Despite this, the Bill proposes that local authorities deemed not to be ‘viable’ or that are ‘underperforming’ will see all local schools, including outstanding schools, become academies. Yet at the same time, councils will retain extremely important responsibilities for ensuring there are enough local school places, protecting vulnerable pupils, and ensuring good provision for pupils with special education needs, but will not have the powers over schools in order to fulfil their duties.

We know the Government is already set on pushing ahead with cutting councils out of education, with the Education Services Grant (which funds councils’ school improvement and special needs support) being cut by £600 million in the next two years.

There are many other areas of the White Paper and Bill that cause great concern – potential removal of parent governors, weakening of national pay structures, and cuts to school funding. The Government has the wrong priorities and needs to realise that education for all is about supporting what works, not enforcing a top-down reorganisation of the education system that does nothing to address the real issues facing our schools.

Labour councillors will continue to hold the Government to account over these ill-thought out plans and will carry on putting the best interests of children, parents and teachers first.

Illustration: Nate Kitch

July / August 16 I the Teacher

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Learning by Numbers

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The

of

myth linear progress

By Terry Wrigley, Visiting Professor, Northumbria University There is an assumption within the UK’s education system that children generally make steady progress.

Indeed our entire assessment machine is founded on this idea. The elaborate system of SATs, levels of progress, performance pay and Ofsted categories depends on the myth that children’s progress can be accurately measured, like centimetres calibrated on a ruler.

The reality is more like walking down a street: some houses are in a narrow-fronted terrace and others are detached mansions with big gardens. Despite the levels system of assessment having now been removed, the old assumption remains that schools can be judged on whether progress is above or below the ‘norm’.

Level descriptors were often dubious. Sometimes the difference between levels was vague descriptions such as ‘very’, ‘confidently’ or ‘reliably’. Disparate skills were placed at the same level of learning despite every teacher knowing that children acquire them at different times. The accountability police then invented an extra layer of fantasy: ‘sub-levels’ whose equidistance was fictitious.

This elaborate mechanism was torpedoed when Education Datalab – a UK education policy research lab – revealed that only a third of pupils assessed as 2b at the end of KS1 ended up with their predicted grade C at GCSE. Further still, most of these children had gone up and down grades in between – there was no smooth linear progress. As these statisticians pointed out, “children with low initial attainment have particularly unpredictable future attainment.”

While the burden of finding a replacement for levels has been dumped onto schools, the DfE and Ofsted persist in their assumption that teacher and school effectiveness is calculable within a punitive blame-game. New instruments such as Progress 8 have been invented, with nervous heads insisting on measuring children’s progress every term.

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The parts just don’t fit The DfE are constantly devising new weapons to point at teachers’ heads. Baseline was supposedly a foundation for holding schools to account. Yet even the most experienced provider’s predictions for each child’s future attainment were wrong more often than right. The DfE can’t see the folly of using only English to test EAL children or in ignoring age differences.

Meanwhile the phonics check has come under serious criticism, not least because many children fail it simply because they are too young. One third of August-born children fail, twice as many as those born in September.

KS2 grammar is the final absurdity. It judges 11-year-olds on whether they can identify a modal verb (can, will, might), though most children already use them competently at four years old. It also tests linguistic features they won’t use till they grow up. Children simply don’t write in genres that require semicolons and the only place they ever use a subjunctive is in the set expression “If I were you”!

Learning is simply not linear. Children vary as individuals, with different temperaments, attitudes or personal interests. Kids’ lives don’t always run smoothly. Inevitably schools and teachers vary in effectiveness, though the differences are often exaggerated. What is required is greater support, not blame.

Often the major cause of gaps in skills and learning is economic and social inequality. Some children gain by absorbing their parents’ vocabulary, having books of their own or private tuition. Others are damaged and demoralised by poverty, especially in de-industrialised areas with few job opportunities. It is time to empower teachers and look seriously at how we manage the progress of our children. Anything less is a disservice.

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t u o b a d n a Out Tolpuddle Martyrs Drama students from Heathfield Community School in Taunton brought the story of the Tolpuddle martyrs to packed audiences over three nights at the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, as well as with a special performance at the 2016 Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival itself in July.

Drama teacher, Helen Elliott, launched this ambitious project with a group of 21 Year 11 BTEC Acting students in September 2015 with a visit to Tolpuddle and Dorchester Court.

Helen explained: “This has been much more than a school play. The learning experience of taking on such a challenging piece, understanding the trade union movement and the role of modern day trade unions has given the students a valuable insight into how extraordinary people can achieve extraordinary things.”

The production was supported by: UNISON, UNITE, Thompsons Solicitors, FBU, EQUITY, TUC South West, NASUWT and the NUT, who all attended the performance.

The South West Region of the NUT once again ran a marquee at the festival, as well as workshops on Women and Girls in Education.

Further information about the programme of events can be obtained by emailing: south.west@nut.org.uk

Keep up to date with education and the NUT – follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/NUTonline for the latest news and views. And stay informed at: teachers.org.uk

You can also find the NUT on Facebook.

Keep up with the latest campaigning and Union news via the official NUT Facebook page at: facebook.com/nut.campaigns

July / August 16 I the Teacher

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Red card for racism

Show Racism the Red Card’s National School Competition Awards Ceremony 2016 recently took place at West Ham United FC, where prominent figures rewarded young people for their hard work and creativity.

West Ham United first team players Sam Byram and Reece Oxford were guests of honour at the event, and were involved in presenting prizes to young people in a variety of different age groups and categories.

The 16th annual awards were once again supported by funding from long-term campaign supporters: the National Union of Teachers, UNISON, Unite the Union, the Football Association, the Professional Footballers’ Association, Potts Print UK and Durham County Council.

Following entries from thousands of young people from hundreds of different schools, the winners travelled from throughout England to visit the iconic venue for the awards ceremony presented by TV personality Lisa Rogers and former

West Ham United forward and TV pundit Leroy Rosenior.

Former NUT General Secretary Christine Blower closed the ceremony. The campaign paid tribute to the support from the NUT and from Christine herself, before she announced the overall winners of the competition: Hexthorpe Primary School, Doncaster, for their extraordinary film about the life of pioneering black sportsman Arthur Wharton.

You can view Hexthorpe Primary School’s winning entry via: youtube.com/showracismtheredcard

Victory in Barnsley NUT members recently expressed concern after Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council gave the go-ahead to change its school holiday pattern from September 2017.

The change would have shortened the summer break to four weeks and four days, with an extra week in October.

The council argued this would avoid the “learning loss” they claim is associated with the current holiday pattern, but the shortening of the summer break would have made some terms up to eight weeks without a break.

Teachers worried about the impact on behaviour and pupil

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absence during term time. The NUT Division did not accept that these changes would benefit pupil learning and a detailed press release refuting the claims was issued.

Some secondary academies in Barnsley immediately said they would not follow the new term dates, which would have led to different schools in the same area potentially having different holiday dates.

Members organised a public meeting inviting councillors, and a lobby was also arranged with the local MP Dan Jarvis. After a successful campaign against these changes, in June the council said it would cancel its plans.

More than 50 people participated in a vibrant Education Question Time hosted by Bury NUT and chaired by new Division Secretary Natasha Shears.

Cllr Heneghan (Labour), Cllr Hankey (Conservative), and Cllr Pickstone (Lib

Dem) spoke out against the Education White Paper, forced academisation and the break up of local authorities.

After a lively discussion, the following motion was passed unanimously: “This meeting calls on Bury Council to: vigorously and publicly oppose any

Out and about

Education Question Time in Bury proposed legislation which includes forcing our schools to become academies; and actively discourage head teachers and governors in Bury from converting their schools into academies or from setting up multiacademy trusts.”

Keeping schools creative Teachers in the Northern Region have been collaborating with artists to highlight the importance of the arts in the school curriculum. Keeping Schools Creative was started after NUT activists Nik Jones, Bob Webb and Sarah Kilpatrick recognised the correlation between the narrowing of the curriculum and the dramatic increase in mental health concerns amongst their students.

Firm in their belief that access to creativity and freedom of expression is vital to the wellbeing of children, they sought support from fellow trade union the National Society for Education in Art and Design.

Alongside a prominent social media campaign, two conference events were set up in order to engage with parents and the wider public.

Combining informal discussions with a range of workshops led by the mental health charity Mind, the morning session spoke directly to families, academics and teachers about the current threats to a broad and balanced curriculum. Alongside this, artists Susan Coles and Traci Cain ran free art workshops for families attending the event and in the afternoon an Education Question

Time saw a lively debate with panellists including Christine Blower, Kevin Courtney and Anne Swift.

The first event was held at York’s National Railway Museum in May and Newcastle upon Tyne’s Discovery Museum hosted

the second conference in June.

Follow the team on twitter @SchoolsCreative and get in touch if you would like to host your own Keeping Schools Creative event locally.

We have a network of activists waiting to assist in this important campaign.

Outstanding service award Former National Executive member, Barrie Smith, has been honoured by Diabetes UK in recognition of his outstanding contribution as a volunteer for the organisation.

Barrie has been a diabetic since January 1988 and had the lower part of his left leg amputated in 2008. He has continued his work for the NUT in Hampshire, particularly in the Fareham and Gosport Association.

He is also a member of the National Advisory Committee for Retired Teachers and elected to the National Appeals Committee of the NUT. He has been awarded the Sir Steve Redgrave Award for the South East Region of Diabetes UK.

I the Teacher 11

Rep of the Year 2016 At this year’s conference Jean Evanson, an NUT rep from Shrewsbury, was the proud recipient of the Rep of the Year award. Jean was acknowledged for her work defending pay and conditions in the aftermath of restructuring in her sixth form college.

“It’s great to be recognised to be working very hard for members,” says Jean. “But I also feel it’s important to say that without members behind me, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do.”

Jean first became a rep two years ago after a dispute based around a restructuring that resulted in six days of strike action at her college. Although the strike was unsuccessful, Jean stayed in post to continue defending her members while rebuilding their relationship with management. When teachers were recently threatened with a period of compulsory redundancies, Jean and her members began to fight back.

“Everyone stuck together and voted to say that if anyone was made compulsorily redundant, we would strike.

That was very effective.”

Jean is also a central part of the NUT campaign against the cuts in sixth form funding. At the sixth form rally in London she was one of the platform speakers alongside Shakira Martin of the NUS and journalist Owen Jones.

“Standing up in front of so many teachers was nerveracking but great,” remembers Jean.

Sixth from colleges were subject to 14% funding cuts during the coalition and a further 8% by the current Government. The result is increasing class sizes, reduction in enrichment activities and the loss of courses. In addition, area reviews mean that many colleges are being merged with other colleges, schools, and Further Education Institutions.

“You get to a stage where you think they can’t cut any more and then they just put mergers in place. We are undergoing threat after threat.”

Jean explains why she thinks sixth form colleges are so important: “It’s an atmosphere which is a transition between school and university. It’s very supportive. It gives the students more responsibility for their learning and themselves and there’s an atmosphere where they are treated like an adult. Also, the whole remit of courses is available rather than just a select few.

“I’ve been teaching for 27 years and for 18 of those 27 years I’ve taught in sixth form colleges, and I just think it’s a fabulous working environment.”

Photo: Justin Tallis

“Everyone stuck together and voted to say that if anyone was made compulsorily redundant, we would strike.

That was very effective.”

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I the Teacher I The Teacher

CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS All over England and Wales teachers are standing up for education and fighting for the rights of their students, schools and fellow teachers.

Your hard work may not always get the recognition it deserves so now is the time to shout about your achievements and celebrate your successes!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM

YOU Whether it’s a dispute over pay, redundancies, workload, or academisation, we want to hear about the triumphs at your school.

No victory is too small.

A win for one member is a win for us all.

Submit your success stories to the Teacher and help us spread the good news to the rest of the Union!

Send all stories and accompanying photos to teacher@nut.org.uk July / August 16 I the Teacher

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YELLOW

The question said he must pick one of two courses of action.

One way’d lead to disaster, the other to satisfaction.

“I know I’ve got to choose between ‘To be?’ or ‘Not to be?’

That is the question,” he said, “but it’s much too hard for me.”

He argued with himself for a while, he knew the choice was stark.

Then with a decisive move, Hamlet finally made his mark.

A new much improved ‘Hamlet’

Hamlet stared at the SATs paper, the question was extremely tough: would he be right or wrong? had he really studied enough?

It seems as if Hamlet’s marker was someone who yearned for fame.

He copied Hamlet’s answer, to use in his own name.

He wrote a play about a man who kills his own brother and Hamlet can’t make up his mind about one thing or another.

He wrote a speech for Hamlet but stuck to the essential core: no point in chat and debate no one needs that anymore. “‘To be or not to be?’ that’s the question,” went the speech. “‘To be’s’ the correct answer.

Now I’m off to the beach.”

The SATs showed this writer that nothing should ever take long. and everything in this world is either right or wrong.

July / August 16 I the Teacher

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Analogue thinking

By Karl Hopwood, UK Council for Child Internet Safety The German city of Augsburg recently installed traffic lights on pavements to protect pedestrians who are checking their latest Facebook notifications while walking down the street. This is the world that we now live in and schools are often on the front line of a battle between smartphones and attention spans. Indeed, one school gate bears the sign: Greet your child with a smile not a mobile.

A 2015 Cyberbalance in a Digital Culture study found that 44% of teens did not get enough sleep because of digital devices. 25% of adults suffered the same fate. This is a challenge for schools, as pupils need to arrive focussed and ready to learn. If they have been chatting on WhatsApp or Instagram until 1am, or checking Facebook until 2am, then this will clearly have an impact on their ability to learn.

An updated version of the Government’s Keeping Children Safe in Education publication, released in May, states that schools require a clear whole-school approach to online safety, including a policy on the use of mobile technology in school. From September, schools will also need to include peer-to-peer abuse and sexting in their policies.

I regularly see large numbers of pupils in Year 5 and 6, sometimes even younger, using apps such as Instagram and Snapchat, despite age restrictions supposedly set at 13. These accounts are often public and when asked why they want their pages open to the world, pupils will say that it’s the best way to get more followers, no matter who they are.

In one Year 6 class that I visited, pupils were particularly upset when someone they were following shared distressing pictures of selfharm, which of course everybody then saw. Using apps that showcase user-generated content is always fraught with risk, yet in many cases parents are fully aware that their children are using this type of platform.

Illustration: Eva Bee

As such, we need to fundamentally re-think the way that we teach e-safety in school in order to help young people use these online platforms safely. Every day we see news stories that could act as a touch point for us to discuss online safety issues with pupils. For instance, Premier League football clubs recently enlisted

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July / August 16 I the Teacher

in a digital world cybersecurity firms to trawl social media sites for anything inappropriate that potential transfer candidates might have posted.

This could be an excellent discussion point for helping pupils realise that things they do online can have offline consequences.

Both pupils and staff need to be aware that they have an online reputation. Staff should realise that pupils and parents often Google them, checking out the backgrounds of those who teach their children, sometimes even trawling through old social media posts.

Things that a teacher did or said when they were at university can quickly come back to haunt them.

Similarly, the reputation of a whole school is now up for public comment. One head teacher I met was horrified to discover a public Google review, written by a disgruntled parent, condemning the school as awful. While it was a terrible advert for the school, the solution manifested itself via the internet, as parents who thought that the school was great were encouraged to post their own reviews, quickly outweighing the lone negative review.

Setting up a Google alert for the name of the school or key members of staff is a simple and effective way to stay up to date with anything that is being said about you or your name online. You can do this at: google.co.uk/alerts In the UK we are lucky to have a dedicated internet safety helpline for any professionals who work with children. Professionals Online Safety Helpline (POSH) is a fantastic organisation that is part of the UK Safer Internet Centre that is able to provide advice and guidance around any online issues that schools are dealing with. You can find out more about them at: saferinternet.org.uk/about/helpline Online safety is now well and truly high on both Government and inspection agendas. It is important that schools give serious consideration about what they must do in order to protect and educate their pupils and staff.

“We need to fundamentally re-think the way that we teach e-safety in school in order to help young people use these online platforms safely.�

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International

l a n o i t a n r Inte Amidst growing civil unrest, terrorist attacks and a spiralling refugee crisis, there is a voice emerging from amongst the rubble in Turkey. Scholars and students are publicly expressing outrage at the continued violence that the Turkish government has employed against its own people. But speaking out comes at a price as some teachers are discovering…

Background

Speaking out

With war raging in neighbouring Syria and ongoing turmoil in the Kurdish region, the southeast of Turkey is a hotbed of political tension. Alarming reports have surfaced of the Turkish military killing civilians, displacing Kurds, and imposing curfews. Teachers and students in the area have spoken out against the unjustifiable violence and the curtailment of freedoms, but their dissent has only provoked the government to clamp down further on democratic entitlements and issue hundreds of arrest warrants for anyone challenging the government.

Despite the obstacles, teachers refuse to be silenced.

More than 1,100 Turkish academics have been placed under investigation after they signed a petition calling for the restoration of peace in the region. A large portion of signatories were subsequently arrested on charges of terrorism and either suspended or forced to resign from their teaching posts.

Education International (EI), a global federation of teacher unions, and the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE), organised a joint mission to assess the impact of government actions and demonstrate solidarity with students and teachers living under oppression.

Following the trip, Christine Blower wrote a letter to the Turkish ambassador in London demanding the release of recently detained academics.

“It is unacceptable that those who seek peace and express opinions about the current violence can be in danger of being accused of terrorism,” declared Christine.

Solidarity matters The trip The mission to Turkey was led by ETUCE President and former NUT General Secretary Christine Blower and was comprised of representatives from Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, Cyprus, the Netherlands, France and Greece. The trip was coordinated in liaison with the Education and Science Workers’ Union (Egitim-Sen) ˇ and the Turkish Public Services Trade Union Federation (KESK).

Mission delegates met with teachers and education support personnel from the affected areas and received thorough reports on the political situation in Turkey. A press conference was held which was broadcast on several regional and national channels and also gained coverage in the national press.

“We believe that schools must be a place of safety, that trade unions must have the right to organise and that people must have the freedom of expression,” Christine stated during the press conference. “We believe too that the Kurdish population must have access to education in Kurdish,” she continued.

The disproportionately harsh punishments meted out to academics demonstrate that there is still much work to be done to secure an open, democratic society in Turkey.

Until the government upholds freedom of expression and respects the right to assemble and unionise, the fight will continue.

“Teacher trade unions should continue to make intensive efforts to fully support their colleagues in Turkey in defending the rights and interests of the teachers in their country,“ urged ETUCE director Martin Rømer.

Save the date!

World Teachers’ Day is an opportunity to honour teachers who inspire and transform the lives of children across the globe. Amnesty International and the NUT are collaborating to host this year’s World Teachers Day event at NUT Headquarters, Hamilton House, WC1H 9BD on 5 October, 5:30-7:30pm. To attend the event or for further details email: international@nut.org.uk

July / August 16 I the Teacher

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The doctors will see you now‌ For nearly a year junior doctors have been at the centre of a very public battle with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt over controversial new contracts – a battle that is not yet over. the Teacher looks back at how junior doctors campaigned to capture the public imagination and win over hearts and minds.

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July / August 16 I the Teacher

The doctors will see you now…

It has been a long road to Jeremy Hunt’s public climbdown in May 2016. After months of street campaigning, strikes and an unprecedented all-out walkout, the Health Secretary was forced to acknowledge the concerns of junior doctors and open talks that eventually led to a revised contract. At the time of going to press, a majority of junior doctors voted to reject the amended contract in an official BMA ballot, so the fight for their rights continues.

The saga began in August 2015 when the Government sought to impose a new contract for junior doctors, claiming the proposals were necessary in order to deliver a seven-day NHS. The contract would entail longer working hours, less down time between shifts and no extra pay for weekend work.

Four strikes were held between January and March 2016 to raise awareness of the issue and force the Government into negotiations. But after these talks failed to materialise, junior doctors went a step further and decided to commit to the NHS’s first ever all-out strike over two days in April.

Hunt accused the BMA of “blackmailing” the Government with strike action, but the BMA countered that junior doctors felt they had no other option.

“I am no economist, I am merely a cancer specialist trying to get on with the business of getting patients to their operations, radiotherapy and chemotherapy as quickly, painlessly and with as much support as possible,” says junior doctor Dr Aislinn Macklin-Doherty. “But the absolute lunacy of expanding the service to seven days with no extra funding is, quite simply, shocking.”

Grassroots activity Widespread campaigns against Government policy have not been uncommon during this austerity era of politics.

From trade unions to public groups such as the People’s Assembly, hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets to voice their concern over Conservative plans since 2010.

Yet the junior doctors’ campaign caught the public imagination like few others. For months it dominated news headlines and water cooler conversations alike.

Photo courtesy of BMA

One reason for this was the doctors’ success at motivating support at a grassroots level. Junior doctors rallied their colleagues and took to the streets and the airwaves with a single, simple message: this contract will endanger patients. Local press coverage complemented national newspaper stories and brought the fight closer to home.

Protests took place outside of hospitals and in city centres across England, putting a human face to the campaign and delivering its message to the farthest corners of the country.

“This was a tremendous group effort. You needed to hear from people on the ground, that made it real,” explains junior doctor Dr Reena Aggarwal. “It wasn’t just the national press we were convincing, we were speaking to the local press as well. All around the country people were writing to their MPs, writing to Jeremy Hunt, signing petitions... there was a real mobilisation.”

Photo: Jess Hurd

What followed was an all out war between NHS staff and Government ministers. The British Medical Association (BMA) were quick to publicly oppose the contract, claiming changes would jeopardise patient safety and put further strain on an already overstretched workforce.

As the campaign grew, Dr Aggarwal became something of an unintentional public figure as an off-the-cuff radio call-in led to interviews, guest columns in newspapers and TV appearances. Unlike other disputes where press releases are carefully delivered by campaign spokespeople, here every day junior doctors found themselves as the faces of the debate. It allowed the BMA to deliver a united message on a very human level that the public could appreciate.

Opinions matter Of course strike action will always leave many weary and the junior doctors’ campaign undoubtedly faced its hurdles. Denis Campbell, health policy editor at the Guardian, tells us that many people were still unsure of the doctors’ true motives.

“Junior doctors have proved themselves articulate and very resourceful campaigners through petitions, keeping the media beast well-fed, using strike days to teach life-saving skills to the public and staging sit-out protests outside the Department of Health,” says Campbell.

“But their inability to successfully deny the notion that ‘it’s all about the money’ has been a major problem,” he continued. “The new contract that the BMA agreed to is, at best, a partial victory.”

Despite this wariness public support remained largely consistent, with opinion polls showing that a majority of the public supported the campaign, both before and after the historic all-out strike.

Before the strikes in April, an Ipsos MORI poll revealed that 57% of adults in England supported the strike, while an informal poll by Sky News showed 70% of viewers backed the action. Immediately after the strikes, ORB International conducted a follow-up poll that found that the same percentage (57%) of English respondents believed doctors were right to hold an all-out strike, even with many non-emergency surgeries and appointments having been postponed.

July / August 16 I the Teacher

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“We support the fight of the junior doctors to have safe working patterns and cannot understand why Jeremy Hunt will not realise that you cannot work 12 days in a row and still make sensible life-and-death decisions,” the mother of a patient declared in a BBC News interview.

Capturing public imagination Throughout the nine month campaign widespread media coverage helped boost the junior doctors’ case and brought public attention to an issue that could easily have gone under the radar.

The BMA spearheaded with One Profession, a media campaign that promoted professional unity with the maxim: We are one profession – we stand together.

Bright blue badges bearing the BMA logo and proclaiming “It’s everyone’s fight” began appearing on jackets and bags across the country as the public stood in solidarity with doctors. The hashtags #ImAtWorkJeremy and #IAmTheDoctorWho even trended on Twitter, while a Facebook page in support of junior doctors amassed tens of thousands of followers.

A key flashpoint in the campaign came when Dr Ben White, a junior doctor who was pushed to breaking point, resigned on live television over the proposed contract.

The clip amassed millions of views online and gave the public a taste of just how concerned NHS staff were at Jeremy Hunt’s plans.

“I saw that junior doctor resign on ITV this morning, and if he is willing to put his career at risk then I am willing to support him,” commented one 62-year-old patient in an interview with the Guardian. “If I can do that by putting my own life on hold for a short while then I am only too happy to do that.”

The BMA’s campaign not only captured the public’s interest but also caught the attention of a judging panel for the British Media Awards. One Profession was shortlisted for Editorial Campaign of the Year which recognises the most innovative, best executed and most effective media campaign. Though they did not take home the prize, the nomination confirmed the effectiveness of the BMA’s efforts to spread their message and boost public awareness.

Meanwhile celebrity endorsements helped maintain the junior doctors’ dispute in news headlines, with Vivienne Westwood designing a campaign t-shirt for the BMA and actors such as Robert Lindsay, Martin Freeman, Michael Sheen and Peter Capaldi filming declarations of support for the cause. Notable figures such as JK Rowling, Ralf Little and Sally Lindsay tweeted messages and photos of themselves supporting the strike action, while actors from

“For the first time ever, doctors united across specialities, across sectors, across hierarchies.

Everyone came together with one purpose.”

Dr Reena Aggarwal, junior doctor

the cast of TV medical comedy Green Wing joined the picket line dressed in scrubs at Northwick Park hospital where the series was filmed.

Unity across the profession Perhaps most importantly, the junior doctors’ campaign united much of the medical profession. Consultants and surgeons stood in solidarity with junior doctors, backing the campaign even though the contract would not directly impact their working lives.

“For the first time ever, doctors united across specialities, across sectors, across hierarchies. Everyone came together with one purpose,” says Dr Aggarwal. “Alongside that, you had all the allied health professionals – porters, nurses, cleaners, patients – wearing the one profession badges in support of junior doctors. We united as one group to fight the Government.”

The BMA also received solidarity from fellow trade unions including the Fire Brigades Union, NUT and UNISON who stood side-by-side with doctors at marches and rallies; spreading the message to a broad church of allies.

“I think there is something truly wonderful to be said for the unity that we have seen, not just with those working in the NHS but even beyond this. The unimaginable support from teachers, patients, transport workers, the fire brigade, unions, political activists and campaigners has demonstrated that this fight is one that affects every single one of us in Britain. It is the fight to demand that the Government invest in the services that we value,” emphasises Dr Macklin-Doherty.

Political power Dr Aggarwal is keen to argue that doctors haven’t become “radicalised” as pundits such as Polly Toynbee have suggested. Rather, she says, those in the medical profession have become politicised and moved from a contractual debate over terms and conditions into a wider political discussion about the state of healthcare. It is no longer the Health Secretary versus junior doctors, it is a battle between the Government and the public services that are suffering from extensive cuts, a broken system of accountability, decreasing morale, increasing workload and flawed pay structures.

These issues will be familiar to teachers and they highlight the need for the public sector to unite during times of strike action. Cuts to one branch of public services can have an impact on other areas, and solidarity across sectors amplifies voices of outrage.

As Dr Macklin-Doherty so astutely points out: “It is time we joined forces and worked together for the sake of the people we care for and for each other. It is time we were heard again. And heard loudly.”

The contract battle is not yet over and the NUT will continue to support junior doctors in their fight for fair terms and conditions. Over 40,000 junior doctors recently signed a letter pledging support for the NUT’s campaign against the Government’s White Paper, which demonstrates the importance of solidarity amongst teachers and doctors. Together we are stronger, together we can win.

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Earlier this month tens of thousands of teachers took to the streets, striking against devastating funding cuts and continued attacks on their pay and working conditions. the Teacher joined the rallies to judge the mood‌

July / August 16 I the Teacher

25

Enough is enough As the sun rose on a warm July morning, men and women in green shirts emblazoned with Stand Up for Education began filing into city centres from Newcastle to Portsmouth, unfurling banners and plugging in PA systems. Slowly coaches arrived, train platforms filled and Underground entrances bustled. The teachers were in town and it was only for one thing.

Meanwhile, in the heart of Westminster, MPs gathered for an emergency debate on education policy and the looming protest that was about to land on their doorstep. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan remained defiant, claiming the strike would put children’s education at risk, but what she could not deny was that over 91% of teachers who voted in the ballot were in favour of industrial action.

– particularly in the arts – are being removed from the curriculum. Teaching posts are being cut or not filled when staff leave. All of this just to balance the books.”

By midday Portland Place in London had filled with over 10,000 teachers, ready to march on Parliament. The crowd stretched for nearly a mile, wrapping around BBC Broadcasting House, as a noticeably young crowd held aloft placards reading ‘Don’t make the children pay’ and ‘If you cut us, do we not bleed?’.

Asking teachers why they had taken the decision to strike, we again and again heard that they couldn’t see any other way of making the Government hear their concerns. A theme emerged of cuts forcing schools to axe teaching assistants and support staff, leading to less teaching time for pupils amid rising class sizes. “These cuts aren’t just going to affect teachers, they’re going to massively affect children and what we can provide in schools,” explained one young teacher.

As marches across the country set off, chants of ‘No ifs, no buts, no education cuts’ could be heard ringing out in Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and London – where an hour-long column of teachers quickly filled Whitehall, pausing only to boo as they passed Downing Street.

Members of UCU, parents’ pressure groups such as Let Kids be Kids, and junior doctors joined the march, proclaiming solidarity with teachers and their struggle against public sector cuts. Speaking to teachers, Aislinn Macklin-Doherty, representing the junior doctors’ movement, drew parallels between the campaigns.

“All of us in the public sector are watching the privatisation and dismantling of our institutions. Teachers, doctors, police, fire fighters… we need to join together to defend the public services that we all deserve.”

Responding to Morgan’s claims during a Radio 4 interview on the morning of the strike, Acting General Secretary Kevin Courtney explained how schools are facing the worst cuts in funding since the 1970s – an average of 8% per pupil according to The Institute for Fiscal Studies.

“The decisions that head teachers have to make are damaging to our children and young people’s education,” he said. “Class sizes going up, school trips reduced, materials and resources reduced, and subjects

Such privatisation was a hot topic among those marching, with teachers repeating stories of academy sell-offs and the subsequent impact on teachers’ pay and conditions. One teacher explained to us how their school had ‘no choice but to become an academy’ even if it was not legally forced. “If your school has to cut its budget by £80,000 a year, then it is forced to make its own money and, really, that means becoming an academy just to support the services to keep your school a good one.”

While teachers felt certain that striking was the right course of action – to protect school funding, their pay and the rights and conditions of their colleagues – there was perhaps one question hanging in the air: during such a politically uncertain period, is this the right time to strike? Executive member Alex Kenny soon assuaged

All photos Jess Hurd

This dissatisfaction with current education policy won’t surprise anyone who’s spoken to a teacher in recent months. The Government’s White Paper has unified a broad coalition in shock and horror over proposed funding cuts and mass academisation plans.

any fears, confronting the issue head on as he opened the rally. “In the media and amongst our own, I have heard over and over is this the right time to strike?

Absolutely. It’s time to tell our Government to stop worrying about their jobs and to start worrying about our children!”

As the rallies hit their peak, members in London made history in becoming the first ever meeting of striking workers in Parliament Square. Over 10,000 gathered directly outside Parliament chanting ‘Can you hear us now?’ towards the MPs still debating inside. It soon proved they could, as MP after MP made their way into the square unannounced and unplanned, to show their solidarity.

Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, Clive Lewis MP, was the first to arrive. Taking to the stage in front of the massed crowd, Lewis acknowledged that the strike was just the start. “Despite what some in there [Parliament] might say, there are many of us who know that you are not here for yourselves, you are here for our children and for the future of our country,” he said, adding, “Government is in disarray. Keep up the pressure, you can make the change.”

The sentiment was later echoed, to roaring applause, by SNP education spokesperson Carol Monaghan MP, who proclaimed: “You must fight for your rights. Come together and defend education.”

As the afternoon drew on, representatives of Unison, BMA and the UCU alike arrived to pledge their support towards the NUT’s campaign, with the BMA bringing a

letter of solidarity signed by 40,000 junior doctors. In a major boost for the strike, and in a display of the effect the rally was having in Parliament, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell took to the stage alongside Kevin Courtney. Describing teachers as the heroes and heroines in the struggle to protect our education and our country, McDonnell thanked the striking NUT members for their passion and pledged that Labour would stand alongside them.

If the day of industrial action was designed to raise awareness and send a message to Nicky Morgan, what is it that teachers would like her to know? One request resurfaced over and over: for our Education Secretary to spend some time in a teacher’s shoes. “It’s very easy for Morgan to sit in Westminster and tell us how our jobs are, but it’s very clear when she speaks that she doesn’t know what our day-to-day lives are actually like,” said one young teacher. “The hours we work are expected of us. Teaching is a vocation and we do it for a reason, but we shouldn’t be exploited for our passion for teaching.”

Thousands of teachers have joined the NUT since the strike was announced in late June, with one new member joining every minute in the days before industrial action. Kevin Courtney stated, and MPs and fellow union heads have reiterated, that this is the beginning of a long campaign which will unify a broad church against the Government’s public sector assault. Keep your eyes on the Teacher for all the latest developments...

Y Care International Founder Terry Waite CBE launches Special Appeal to readers of The Teacher to help thousands of people in West Africa cope with the aftermath of the worst outbreak of Ebola ever

“Now Ebola is killing the people who aren’t even infected” Terry Waite writes on why public donations are critical to preventing a further Ebola-related catastrophe As I launch this £189,902 appeal to you – and other readers of The Teacher – I am aware that there have been further recent deaths from Ebola in Sierra Leone.

Yet when I speak at public events people often say to me: hasn’t Ebola been beaten now? Although the world’s media has moved on from the Ebola crisis, in West Africa people are still at risk of dying from the virus and its terrible effects.

That is why my appeal is so urgent.

Without action now there is not just the risk of a further outbreak of Ebola but also thousands of survivors are in great danger from hunger and disease.

Why is this? You may have seen on TV during the epidemic how death and fear tore communities apart. People stopped working because they were fearful of contracting the disease by mixing with others.

Breadwinners in thousands of families died and the local economy collapsed.

This July the survivors are still extremely vulnerable – many are struggling to feed themselves and their families.

The truth is, without the help of donors now, a new Ebola and hunger catastrophe could kill many more in West Africa. That is why I am seeking donations on behalf of Y Care International to urgently fund further projects, including: • HYGIENE: Firstly, donations are needed to prevent further outbreaks of Ebola.

Gifts will provide protected sources of

water – plus training in how to purify drinking water – to 12,960 of the most vulnerable slum dwellers.

• JOBS: Secondly, donations are needed to provide training and capital to help young people like Gabriel to start up or rebuild their own businesses. Gabriel, from Liberia, survived Ebola but lost his father and many other friends and family. He had to fend for himself alone – and feared for his survival.

But Y Care International’s Food for Work programme enabled him to earn a living and put food on the table for the survivors in his family.

“After so many people died all I could dream of was death.”

Gabriel, 20 years old, Ebola survivor.

£73.56 could help one young person to start their own business (and we are targeting 995 of the most needy young people in the very poorest communities in Liberia).

Y Care International is bringing hope and practical help to people in West Africa, who have endured so much suffering. But we cannot continue without more donations.

That is why I have launched this £189,902 special appeal to raise funds for our urgent work in West Africa and around the world.

DE ADL Act NOW for INE: ST 3 1 AUGUS Ebola Survivors T They:

• have been through the horror of the worst Ebola epidemic ever • are suffering now because the economy collapsed during Ebola.

You can help by: • giving £25 towards the £2,636 needed to construct water points in Liberia’s West Point Slum to prevent further Ebola outbreaks • giving £73.56 to provide Vocational and Life Skills training to one jobless young person • helping us raise a total of £189,902 to rebuild lives in West Africa and around the world.

Donations will get traumatised young people like Gabriel back into work

Please help by 31st August.

Terry Waite, CBE President of Y Care International

Y Care International is the international relief and development agency of the YMCA movement in the UK and Ireland.

Complete and return the form below or give online at ycareinternational.org/appeal/ebola Please note: your donation will be used wherever the need is greatest. Names have been changed to protect the identities of the young people we help.

Registered Charity No. 1109789

I’d like to give

£25

£73.56

£2,636

Other £

I enclose a cheque payable to Y Care International OR I wish to pay by: Visa/Amex/Mastercard/Maestro/CAF Card No. Start Date: Issue Number

Expiry Date: 3 Digit Security Code:

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Postcode Please keep me updated via email at: Phone No.

Please return to: FREEPOST RTKY-TBHS-RGLC, Y Care International, 67-69 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6BP. You can also donate by calling Y Care International on 020 7549 3175 Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm.

Thank you for your support – it is vital to us. We store your details securely and will never sell, trade or rent your personal information to other organisations. We’d really like to keep you up to date with our work and appeals occasionally, but if you’d prefer not to receive this information by mail or telephone just tick the appropriate box here and return this form, or contact us to let us know on enquiries@ycareinternational.org or 020 7549 3175.

The Teacher

Yes Terry, I will donate to your Special Appeal to help Ebola survivors rebuild their lives

Not for my child On 3 May, parents around the country removed their children from school in defiance of SATs tests. So we asked some of these parents why they took a stand and why they’re backing teachers…

Joining forces If one good thing has come out of this year’s primary assessment fiasco, it is the emergence of an articulate and vigorous movement of parents. In large numbers, they are expressing the same passionate criticisms as teachers about a system that is failing children and punishing schools.

The parents’ group Rescue Our Schools speaks of a curriculum “skewed toward high stakes tests” while Let Our Kids Be Kids denounces an assessment system that is “excessive, provides inaccurate results” and shows a “clear lack of trust in trained teachers”.

These are the voices of powerful allies, which have already been heard at rallies and meetings across England. The NUT will be working with them over the next year to ensure that the wasteful experiences of 2016 are never repeated.

Too young to test “My concern with SATs is that children who are so young should not have such pressures placed upon them. These tests do not have their best interests at heart.

I believe this year’s tests were made harder so as to label schools as failing.

School ratings and teacher pay should not be linked to our children’s performance. That is not fair and not morally right.

“I took my children out of school on 3 May after gaining tacit support from my child’s school and trying to convince as many other parents as possible to join me. About 50 children spent the day outside of the school, learning about subjects such as engineering and democracy.

“But some parents simply don’t know what their children are doing in school.

They assume school is like it was when we were children. While teachers are, in the main, doing a good job of managing under difficult circumstances, I do worry about the future of schools. I wish those making policy decisions would consider their part in the mental health issues facing our children. I want to see not only SATs stopped, but a complete review of primary assessment.“ Parent, Darlington

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July / August 16 I the Teacher

Not for my child

Parents should support teachers “I took my child out of school because the constant testing, imposed by current education policy, has created a narrowed curriculum that is causing our children to become stressed and demotivated.

“Primary children need to be inspired, to learn to love learning and be encouraged to learn throughout their lives. I see children taught to answer exam questions, with little real understanding of content and context. I took my son out of school as parents are the ones who have the power to support teachers in changing things.

“We know that the education system we have at the moment is wrong. Teachers feel trapped in the system and I want parents to unite with them to challenge this Government.“ Parent, Northumberland

Our children are not clones “The difficulty of SATs has changed disproportionately this year, with guidance issued only 12 weeks before the tests and with an effective ‘pass or fail’ at the end.

This kind of education policy is destroying our children’s love of learning and creating a test-driven, uninspiring curriculum. It detrimentally affects our children and the passionate teachers trying to engage them.

“I wanted to show my children that it is ok to stand up for something you believe in, to try and change things for the better, by demonstrating in a constructive way.

“The Government needs to address the whole SATS process from beginning to end, to allow teachers to encourage children to express themselves whilst learning and not to have prescribed and rote learning with ultimately ‘un-passable’ tests at the end of their primary education. Our children are not clones.”

Parent, Lichfield

An enriched curriculum

Narrow, limiting tests

“My child and I took part in the SATs protest in May to show Nicky Morgan, the Government and teachers that I disagree with the new restricted curriculum, which is age-inappropriate and forces schools to teach to the test. I wanted teachers to feel empowered to work with their unions to exact a change, to not be complicit in a curriculum and workload that are proven to be harming the mental health of a generation.

“I am concerned about the way in which creativity, inventiveness and imagination are sidelined in schools in favour of training our children to pass a series of narrow and limiting tests. I do not want my children to have their capacity for learning damaged by an obsessive focus on measuring how well they perform in unnatural test situations.

“I would love to see an enriched curriculum, with a focus on outdoor, play-based learning for children up to 7 years old. I believe in teacherled assessments to measure progress and allow teachers to nurture learning in the ‘3 Rs’ as well as in science, DT, sport and humanities. I beg the Government to listen to parents and teachers in demanding a review of primary curriculum and assessment procedures.“ Parent, Sussex

“My children are only at Year 1 and Year 4 and have already been subjected to SATs-style progress tests on several occasions this year. Their entire school life looks set to be regularly punctuated by unnecessary testing. Many head teachers, including our own, have reassured parents that whatever the outcomes, our children should be proud of the way they have conducted themselves. But this is not the point.

He makes no apology for the way in which our children have spent hours of their young lives preparing for tests to put his school in a more favourable position in the Government’s eyes.

“I would like to see this unnecessary testing ended. Children do not need to know the things they are being trained to regurgitate for the purpose of these tests. The Government needs to invest in education, not in statutory testing or academy conversions, but in reducing mainstream class sizes and designing a curriculum that will produce creative, inventive, resilient adults, not mentally insecure and emotionally unstable ones.”

Parent, Chesterfield

July / August 16 I the Teacher

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Primary Assessment Teachers give their verdict In just a few days at the end of May, more than 6,000 members, including 900 heads and senior leaders, responded to a Union survey on their experiences of the new primary assessment system. Their verdict is clear and near-unanimous.

retain the knowledge they are ‘filled with’ and thus their learning is “constructed on sand”. Above all, the new system filled the classroom with a sense of discouragement: “even bright kids feel like failures” and children with SEN “are being cut adrift”.

Some 97% believe that assessment arrangements have been badly managed by the DfE. “It has been farcical from start to finish,” writes one teacher. “The level of incompetency at the top only matched by the arrogant disregard of our profession’s concerns.”

One Year 6 teacher sums it all up so eloquently:

‘Shambolic’ ‘chaos’ and ‘fiasco’ are words frequently used to summarise the experience of the SATs and the interim assessment frameworks.

Curriculum But teachers’ concerns do not stop at mismanagement, and the new burdens of work that it has added. 97% think that preparations for the SATs have had a negative impact on children’s access to a broad and balanced curriculum.

90% think that primary assessment has affected pupils’ experience for the worse.

“Since Christmas, I have only taught literacy and numeracy,” writes one teacher. “When asked their favourite subject,” writes another, “my children say English or maths because they don’t know anything else”.

The children Others report on their efforts to “capture and maintain their children’s interest” – and on their sad recognition that they “are not miracle workers, and all their efforts can only go so far”. A narrow curriculum, with its obsessive focus on spelling, punctuation and grammar, at the expense of a broader approach, “is in danger of damaging the children’s creativity and belief in themselves as writers”.

In response to the Government’s claims that changes to curriculum and assessment will raise standards, teachers are equally scornful. Unrealistic standards have been forced on children. Teachers can always train pupils to demonstrate that they have reached the standards, but children will not

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July / August 16 I the Teacher

“I have to be careful to constantly remind myself that my writing group have succeeded greatly this year because when I engage with the current system of assessment it makes me feel they are failing and that I am failing. Neither of these things have any truth in them. This is a system which has no place in an inclusive and successful education system.”

Validity At the time of going to print, teachers are grimly looking forward to the outcomes of this desperately flawed process.

They have “no faith in the validity of these results”, but know that ministers want to convert primary schools to academies and will have no scruples in using the results to reach their goal.

What next?

The message that this survey sends to ministers is ‘never again’. Teachers will not put up with a system that exhausts their energies and does not help their pupils. They want a system that supports learning, and does not restrict it. If the Government takes a ‘same again’ approach, then they are ready to reject it.

The National Union of Teachers fully supports the arguments for change. We are working to build a movement in schools that can make it a reality. We are building alliances with other organisations, including the ATL and parents’ organisations, to ensure that it wins backing across the world of education. In response to the powerful and wellinformed statements in this survey, we can do no less.

You can read a full account of the survey findings and the Union’s next steps at: teachers.org.uk/educationpolicies/primary

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n o i n U Your National Education Conference

Becoming our own experts Assessment culture in schools is mismanaged, badly designed, and so narrow as to make it impossible to offer a broad and balanced curriculum.

These were the grave issues discussed at the National Education Conference (NEC) in July, amid sun and showers at the NUT training headquarters at Stoke Rochford, Lincolnshire.

The NEC did not limit itself to the Government’s education agenda. An alternative agenda was discussed, a much brighter one that went beyond exam factory thinking to explore ways in which teachers can develop other approaches to teaching and learning.

Analysis of assessment policy from Professor Gemma Moss, President of the British Educational Research Association, was complemented by workshops on writing, professional ethics, creativity, outdoor education and school democracy. Members took the lead in these discussions, with teachers sharing examples of how schools can develop an education that sparks children’s enthusiasm.

As NUT President Anne Swift stressed in her closing address, teachers are their own experts. If they can create a space free from DfE diktats, they can work with educationalists and parents to develop a new curriculum and new assessment system that meets the needs of pupils.

The conference certainly sparked the enthusiasm of delegates, including newly qualified teachers James McAsh and Lois Wilson.

For more information about future conferences, seminars and events please go to our webpage: teachers.org.uk/news-events/events

34

July / August 16 I the Teacher

Your Union I am a newly qualified teacher, ready to start work in September. My PGCE has been tiring but rewarding and I expect my NQT year to be the same. Both before and during my course I have been warned endlessly of the increasing pressure and bureaucracy that teachers now face. I am starting my career with my eyes wide open, fully aware of the issues but totally committed to the profession and the children I will teach.

The NEC was a fantastic opportunity to discuss the challenges we face as a sector, but more importantly to forge a path forwards. I am reassured to know that I have the support of my union as I embark on my new career. Over the weekend I have met countless talented and interesting people with exciting ideas and the will to implement them.

The past few years have been difficult for educators and on the horizon there is much to concern us. But I am confident that we can work with parents and other education workers to build a coalition to mobilise public support to defend education. Frankly, we don’t have a choice.

James McAsh

What a way to kickstart my career! The NEC provided me with a realistic and inspiring insight to the profession I am entering. Despite current changes across education, it was comforting to be united with like-minded professionals sharing the same passion and desire to put children first.

Messages from keynote speakers captured principles that have recently been blurred.

Acting NUT General Secretary Kevin Courtney noted that although teaching is a public sector service there is too much competition fuelled by testing and league tables, which does not provide children with the best educational opportunities. Likewise, Professor Gemma Moss spoke about the sheer volume, complexity and uncertainty surrounding assessment, meaning children are no longer allowed to be children but are rather being pushed along a conveyor belt in the exam factory, sitting tests that have poor foundations and so little legitimacy in many teachers' eyes. Dr Tania de St Croix provided a valuable opportunity for us to reflect on the emotional strain that we live under in this profession and reminded us that the energy and passion of teachers must not be quashed.

The whole weekend was extremely thoughtprovoking and it was invaluable to engage in forums with experienced professionals. The passion, energy and drive of NUT members to stand up for what is right in education was admirable and refreshing for new teachers embarking on their journey.

Lois Wilson

July / August 16 I the Teacher 35

Photo: Steve Debenport

n o i n U e h t k As

I’ve heard that the DfE has published recommendations on reducing workload burdens around planning, marking and data management. Was there NUT input into these reports and do they have any practical use in schools?

Q

Yes, there was representation from the NUT and other teacher unions across the three independent working groups that drew up these reports. Each one contains powerful recommendations about what needs to change in schools to

A

reduce workload and are endorsed

by Nicky Morgan.

These reports are the result of sustained NUT pressure. Although welcome, the reports do not address all the drivers of excessive workload or accountability and as such the NUT will continue to hold the Government to account over its promises.

The important point now is to make sure that the findings are actually taken on board in schools, rather than sitting on a shelf gathering dust. If they are to have the desired impact, their findings must be discussed in schools and the recommendations followed.

Copies of the reports and detailed guidance on how to ensure that the recommendations are implemented in schools are now available at: teachers.org.uk/ campaigns/stand-up-foreducation/workload NUT members have a key role to play in this process, so please read the reports and arrange to discuss them with senior management in your school. We would expect school leaders to be prepared to challenge and review current practice wherever necessary.

These issues will be explored in more depth in the September issue of the Teacher.

Contact the NUT AdviceLine on 020 3006 6266 or email nutadviceline@nut.org.uk. Members in Wales should contact NUT Cymru on 029 2049 1818 or email cymru.wales@nut.org.uk

36

July / August 16 I the Teacher

Ask the Union Our head teacher is piling on the pressure because she says our school is in danger of ‘coasting’. What does this mean and what are the consequences likely to be?

Q

The Education and Adoption Act 2016 is now in force and it has introduced a new category of socalled ‘coasting’ schools.

A

The ‘coasting standard’ is a new accountability measure that applies to both primary and secondary maintained schools and academies. For the time being, it will not apply to special schools or pupil referral units.

The standard is based on pupil attainment and progress over a three-year period beginning in 2014. A school could only be defined as ‘coasting’ this year if it fell below the coasting level for all three of the years 2014, 2015 and 2016.

No school can be formally notified that it is ‘coasting’ until after the performance tables containing the revised 2016 results for Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 tests and examinations have been published in December 2016 for primary schools and January 2017 for secondary schools.

The NUT has been told that some Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) have suggested to some maintained schools that they are likely to be ‘coasting’ and should consider becoming an academy.

This is premature and presumptive. While the new legislation does give RSCs powers to take formal action in a ‘coasting’ school, the action they take will depend upon an assessment of the school and its circumstances. RSCs have a range of options at their disposal, including taking no action at all. Becoming an academy is not inevitable for a ‘coasting’ maintained school.

The Union has published guidance on the Education and Adoption Act 2016 which explains its implications for ‘failing’, ‘coasting’ and ‘underperforming’ schools and the extent and limitations of the powers of intervention it gives to RSCs. You can read the briefing at: teachers.org.uk/ campaigns/edbill

As a supply teacher, I’ve been told that I should set up a limited company for my work. What is the Union’s stance on this?

Q

Many supply teachers are contacting us about this issue. Under recent tax changes, agency supply teachers working under ‘umbrella company’ arrangements cannot access tax relief on travel and subsistence spending.

A

Some agencies have told them that working via a ‘limited company’ arrangement instead allows access to tax relief. You cannot and should not be compelled to set up a limited

company. In fact, the Union advises against setting up limited companies for supply teaching.

HMRC can decide that the normal tax rules for agency workers apply to you because you are “working under the direction, supervision and control” of the school. Setting up a limited company won’t prevent HMRC from determining (even retrospectively) that you are liable to pay tax on travel and subsistence. Furthermore, from April 2017 public bodies such as schools and local authorities will be required to ensure that everyone working for them pays the correct tax. HMRC’s tax rules are complex and we would advise you to seek advice from HMRC’s confidential IR35 Helpline on your individual circumstances.

Of course the NUT believes that supply teachers should never have to seek work through intermediaries such as agencies and limited companies. The Union’s stance is that every supply teacher should be directly engaged by schools and have access to national teachers’ pay rates and the Teachers Pension Scheme. Read more about the NUT’s work and advice for supply teachers at teachers.org.uk/supply

Send your questions to: Ask the Union, the Teacher, NUT, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD or email: teacher@nut.org.uk

July / August 16 I the Teacher

37

Reviews

s w e i Rev For pupils

The Binding Jenny Alexander creates a thrilling and gripping story and through her characters shows how important it is for children not to follow the crowd and stand up for themselves. The story feels realistic, full of believable characters and situations, funny, scary and well worth a read.

Lee Ryder The Binding by Jenny Alexander. A & C Black.

Paperback. £5.99.

The Light That Gets Lost A quest to destroy the man who killed his parents sees Trey sent to a work camp.

Challenging at times, it draws on a mixture of emotions in a world where damaged children, criminals, and religious zealots are thrown together in a dangerous mix. The use of language and dialect is intriguing.

Dr Len Parkyn The Light That Gets Lost by Natasha Carthew.

Bloomsbury. £12.08.

Tom’s Sunflower Hana doesn’t want to join in with anything in school. She’s sad and worried and has a bit of a tummy ache. The reason she is so sad is because her parents are splitting up.

Thankfully she has Mr Davis as her teacher, who has just the right story to help her deal with her worries about a little boy called Tom and his sunflower. This book subtly helps children deal with difficult situations and is one of a series, covering issues such as bereavement and adoption. Perfect to help little minds cope in a safe, relatable way.

Sian Collinson Tom’s Sunflower by Hilary Robinson and Mandy Stanley.

Strauss House Productions. Paperback. £6.99.

s For teacher

Visual Note-Taking for Educators This is a practical guide, rich with ideas for helping children learn through visual note-taking. Wendi Pillars reveals how scientific research has found people retain more information through images and she offers tips for implementing this approach in school. There are practical exercises for readers to try out and plenty of sketches at the back for teachers to use to help them adopt this in the classroom to help pupils remember what they have learned. The ideas in this book can be used with any age group.

Cindy Shanks Visual Note-Taking for Educators by Wendi Pillars. W.W. Norton and Company.

Paperback. £11.99.

38

July / August 16 I the Teacher

Take Control of the Noisy Class: From chaos to calm in 15 seconds

Rethinking Education: Whose knowledge is it anyway?

Behaviour management trainer, Rob Plevin, uses his own experience with challenging classes to provide practical tips for behaviour management.

Using a conversational tone and comedic illustrations, the author recognises that the three basic needs children have are: to feel empowered, have fun and a sense of belonging. He explains how to establish routines, use stepping consequences and positive reinforcement to encourage children to work hard in class. There are bite sized hot tips interspersed throughout the book. He also has a website where useful resources can be downloaded.

A small, deceptively unassuming volume which packs a huge punch and should be recommended reading on all teachertraining routes. Tackling much of what the NUT is currently campaigning on, the authors cover the curriculum and who controls it, how and why children are assessed, PISA and international comparisons, over-emphasis on technology, schooling and inequality, and finally how it could all be so much better.

Whether you’ve lost sight of what education can be amidst the testing and academisation, want to gather some background research, or simply want an engaging, well written and thought-provoking read, this book is for you.

Cindy Shanks

Elli Rhodes

Take Control of the Noisy Class: From chaos to calm in 15 seconds by Rob Plevin. Crown House Publishing. Paperback. £18.99.

Rethinking Education: Whose knowledge is it anyway?

by Adam Unwin and John Yandell. New Internationalist.

Paperback. £7.99.

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DO WE NEED TO SPELL IT OUT? Saving a life can be as easy as ABC. You can make sure your pupils know what to do in a crisis.

Sign up now to keep first aid on the national curriculum at redcross.org.uk/pupilcitizenlifesaver

Noticeboard

d r a o b e c i t o N ources s e r d n a s d Awar Who are your diversity heroes?

The FE Sector Diversity Awards are a celebration of the inspirational equality, diversity and inclusion work done by the amazing individuals and organisations within the sector.

Anyone involved in the FE sector is encouraged to nominate staff, students and board members who are inspiring and leading the way in equality, diversity and inclusion, and who deserve to have their achievements recognised. The awards ceremony will be held in Birmingham on 15 November 2016.

Nominations are open until 31 July and can be emailed directly to events@iiduk.org.

For more information go to: nationalcentrefordiversity.com/ home/award-ceremonies/

Global Teacher Prize 2017 The Global Teacher Prize is a $1 million award given to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession. The Varkey Foundation established the Prize to raise the stature of the teaching profession and celebrate the best teachers. NUT member Richard Spencer reached the final stage of the competition in 2015 and as one of the top ten finalists was invited to attend the awards ceremony held in Dubai. He said of the experience: “One of the best things was meeting the other finalists, learning from each other and sharing innovative ideas for the classroom.”

Keeping children safe The NSPCC’s Speak Out Stay Safe programme was created by the protection charity to deliver safeguarding messages to primary school children across the country.

Specially trained staff and volunteers are hosting assemblies and workshops where they address a number of sensitive issues in an age-appropriate way. Visits to schools are free. For more information visit: nspcc.org.uk/services-andresources/working-with-schools/ speak-out-stay-safe-service/

Applications and nominations for the Global Teacher Prize are open until 14 October 2016. For more information and to apply go to: www.globalteacherprize.org

Events Retired Teachers’ Convention The 2016 NUT Retired Teachers’ Convention will be held on 11 October at Hamilton House, London. This event gives retired members an opportunity to meet and discuss a range of topics including how to continue to participate in Union campaigns. For more details go to: teachers.org.uk/news-events/ events/nut-retired-teachersconvention

Black Teachers’ Conference This year the NUT Black Teachers’ Conference celebrates its 25th anniversary. You will have the opportunity to meet and network with other Black teachers from across England and Wales. It aims to support Black teachers already active in the NUT and to encourage other Black teachers to get involved. The conference is taking place from 11-13 November at Stoke Rochford Hall. Information about how to apply is on the website at: teachers.org.uk/news-events/ events/black-teachers-conference or inquiries can be sent to equality@nut.org.uk

International Solidarity course This training course is for NUT members who want to be more active and engaged in global issues. By the end of the course, participants will have begun to plan and organise international solidarity projects and campaigns; have enhanced knowledge and skills related to teaching and learning about global issues; and have the skills and confidence to take on or to develop the role of the International Solidarity Officer. The training will take place from 2-6 November at Stoke Rochford and is free for members. To book a place go to: teachers.org.uk/courses

July / August 16 I the Teacher

41

There’s nothing ‘cute’ about the puppy trade.

Help FOUR PAWS end this cruel and ruthless trade by giving just £3 today.

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For a long time the NUT has supported fresh approaches to behavioural issues in schools through its Continuing Professional Development programme, with a particular focus on reframing and rebuilding relationships and pedagogy.

In April the Union held its Conflict Resolution seminar, aimed at improving best practice and exploring how NUT research, undertaken by Professor John MacBeath, could lead to development in the field.

Behaviour specialist Giles Barrow opened the event with a session that focussed on the psychology of conflict resolution. Giles introduced the idea that conflicts tend to be associated with a disconnection either between oneself and others, between one’s values and one’s actions or between oneself and the professional landscape. You will be able to read more about Giles’ work in conflict in his guest column in the next issue of the Teacher.

Teachers then workshopped these challenges and developed solutions. They then committed to important next steps such as creating a framework and resources for common conflict resolution issues.

This is just the start of the conflict resolution project, so keep your eyes on the Teacher for more information about upcoming events. If you are interested in contributing to the conflict resolution discussion then please contact Tajinder Gill t.gill@nut.org.uk Meanwhile details of the Introductory Certificate in Transactional Analysis can be found at: teachers.org.uk/courses/introductory-certificatetransactional-analysis-15-16-november-2016 All other NUT courses can be found at: teachers.org.uk/courses

Illustration: Dane Mark

Education professionals attending the seminar later took part in two roundtable discussions,

looking at the challenges of conflict within school.

Participants broadly found that such challenges fell into the four areas of cultural, organisational, interpersonal and personal issues.

Learning with the NUT

Conflict Resolution

July / August 16 I the Teacher

43

Staffroom confidential

m o o r f f l a i t n e d Sta i f n o c s p i t ’ s r e h c a Te We asked you what are the best ways to relax and unwind over the summer break…

When was the last time you read a book? A real book made of paper, not one on your Kindle? There’s nothing like it for de-stressing. I try to read at least four books every summer. Don’t even buy them – go to the library! Yes, they still exist and they have the same selection as the shops. I challenge anyone to tell me that it isn’t pure indulgence and you can shut yourself away from the world. Enjoy!

Most of us have 6 weeks off, right? Plan something special every week. It doesn’t have to be expensive: a trip to a free art gallery and a picnic lunch, a day at a favourite beach and a game of cricket, a film at the cinema, lunch with an old friend, etc. It’s good to have lots to talk about when you go back to school in September, especially if you are having a ‘staycation’ like me this summer!

Name supplied Three words. DVD box sets. Or take up a valuable course such as car maintenance one or teach yourself something which interests you.

Throw your thoughts and energies into specialising in a skill such as cake decorating, flower arranging, knitting, sewing, braid hairstyles.

Who knows, you might get so good you could start a popular YouTube channel!

Name supplied You’ve worked hard so treating yourself is one of the best ways to relax. Whatever you like to do, do it.

Being outdoors is an excellent way to relax over the summer break whether it is a detoxing long walk or sitting in the garden. Exercise will give you a feelgood factor. Some gyms have a summer discount as well.

If you are driven by lists, then write one so that you feel a sense of achievement when you cross off the things to do and reward yourself.

Spending quality time with your family and friends can work wonders and keep you occupied and help you to forget you are going back to school.

Name supplied We are looking for tips for getting back into the swing of the new term.

Send your advice by 15 August 2016 to teacher@nut.org.uk

Reader’s rant Scandalous screen test!

As I write this, the phonics screening check looms like a predator waiting to pounce. I can’t bear it. Having read and watched examples of how to administer the tests, most of the participants in the training videos look terrified. I am left questioning, like many other teachers, what are we doing to our children?

We are: • creating unnecessary pressure • subconsciously sending a terrible message that if you can’t pass exams you are doomed to fail in life • wasting time teaching them to read a selection of nonsense words when we have a rich variety of vocabulary they could be exploring.

How can this be moral? I can’t even remember how I learned to read but I’m grateful to all my primary school teachers who read entertaining stories without polluting the experience with worksheets and projects. They taught me to love reading, but had I been subjected to phonics and SATs tests, then I am sure the magic of words and books would have been lost before I even found a love of them.

Name supplied

Get your school in jeans.

WIN! Every school that holds a Jeans for Genes Day this year has the chance of winning a visit from SpongeBob SquarePants and the actor Warwick Davis, who starred in the Harry Potter and Star Wars films.

Bring your school together at the beginning of the new academic year in aid of a wonderful cause for children.

On Friday 23rd September, thousands of pupils and teachers will be wearing their jeans to school in exchange for a small donation.

1 child in 25 is affected by a genetic disorder. The money schools raise on Jeans for Genes Day makes a real difference to their lives.

WEAR JEANS, CHANGE LIVES SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE FUNDRAISING PACK TODAY JEANSFORGENES.ORG Jeans for Genes ® and ™, © 2016 Genetic Disorders UK. Registered Charity Number 1141583.

Hannah and Katie Twins Hannah and Katie are seven years old. They both have a very rare genetic condition, Alstrom syndrome, which can affect every organ in the body.

To watch videos and read stories about children with genetic disorders, visit jeansforgenes.org/ educationalresources. Here you will also find ready-made assemblies and classroom resources.

Star letter Grammatically incorrect After the fiasco of the Year 2 SPAG tests, there has been an influx of quizzes allowing adults to test their knowledge. Out of curiosity, I couldn’t resist trying a grammar one. I was appalled at my result.

Almost twenty years ago I completed an English degree and gained a 2:1, but unfortunately wasn’t up to scratch in a Year 6 SPAG test. My English degree taught me to love the beauty of language and literature without analysing dry, grammatical terms that drain the fun out of learning.

We need to save reading and writing before it becomes a monotonous chore.

Name supplied

Head of Department, 34, seeks affordable housing in London I guess searching for a property is a little bit like looking for the perfect partner: the first date, awkward phone calls, meeting the parents, the game-playing with ever-changing rules and, just when you think you may have found something worth investing in, you are pipped at the post by someone with a £100,000 deposit.

I’ve been living with a friend for almost a year and a half now – she was my ‘knight in shining armour’ after life took an unexpected turn in 2013 and, although I have a roof over my head and bread on the table, I feel like a failure! I’ve been teaching for four years and recently promoted to Head of Department in a large secondary school yet I still can’t afford my own place.

The media has highlighted the impact of the housing crisis over the last few weeks and I’ve been having some very interesting conversations with my colleagues, fellow NUT members and local reps, as well as my head teacher about the housing crisis. It seems that until the Government realises that young teachers are not necessarily interested in golden ‘handcuffs’ but rather keen to be able to live within a reasonable distance to their school, have financial schemes that support them to invest in property or indeed a system in place that enforces rent control, then people will start to move north of the Watford gap for work.

Last month, I decided to hand in my resignation and will be leaving at the end of the year. I will be moving back in with my mum, who has already started clearing the wardrobes for all my books, and I will be considering ‘starting again’ up North. It’s a shame because I was kind of falling in love with the Big Smoke.

Name supplied

Please write The editor welcomes your letters but reserves the right to edit them. Write to: Your letters, the Teacher, NUT, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD or email: teacher@nut.org.uk Letters for the September/October issue should reach us no later than 15 August 2016.

Please note we cannot print letters sent in without name and postal address (or NUT membership number), though we can withhold details from publication if you wish.

A proud day I would like to say a huge well done for the organisation and turnout for July’s strike action. I have never swelled with such pride or felt more inspired to be a member of a union that is making a real difference in children’s futures and teachers’ lives.

Picketing my school was excellent, with children and parents really receptive to the messages we were giving. It’s just a shame the children were told to remove and throw away the stickers and badges once they were in school.

I am not an emotional man but I swelled with pride and had tears in my eyes as we marched through Canterbury.

Well done! We are making a difference. I felt this needed to be said as so often we, particularly me, can reflect on the negatives of our day instead of the positives.

Many thanks again for an excellent day.

Name supplied

46

July / August 16 I the Teacher

Poetry corner 24 hours away from school On 3 May many parents protested against primary school SATs by taking their children out of school for the day. Here’s what Jonah did instead of attending class…

“Keeping children home, even for a day is harmful to their education” Education Secretary Nicky Morgan Today at the park, Jonah, 5, achieved his goal Of climbing to the top of the bendy ladder.

(The secret is to stay upright and move sideways.)

Today at the park, Jonah learned how to climb The bendy ladder by watching his friend Frank.

He learned that you can learn from your friends.

Today Jonah learned that he doesn’t like sausages In the park café (but the chips are perfect cuboids And you can make letters and maths signs with them).

Today Jonah learned that if you yell at your friends too much They don’t want to play with you. Later, at home, He made a card. He can spell ‘sorry’ and ‘shouting’ now.

Last night Jonah asked Google, “How high is the sky?”

And Google said, “It depends.” “How fast does a rocket go?”

“4.9 miles per second.” Like getting to grandad’s this fast – boom!

Yesterday evening Jonah sorted the pencils in the tin.

“Round and smooth…here.” “Crayola ones…here.”

He asked for more boxes and we discussed how big.

At bedtime Jonah learned that some stories have More than one chapter. And you can use the titles To work out how scary the next one is going to be.

This morning Jonah evidenced significant progress towards his Personal target to build better Lego models than his brother.

His spaceship was beautifully streamlined and perfectly symmetrical.

This afternoon Jonah learned that if your scooter is too chunky And has a ball for a front wheel, it won’t go as fast As other scooters. “I need smaller wheels!” he wailed.

Today Jonah learned that his parents think there are too many tests In schools. He learned that if you have your photo taken at a protest Your dad will see it at work on Twitter within the hour.

Today Jonah learned that when your best friend and your brother Scoot off and leave you behind, it makes you hit and shout and cry And nothing will ever seem right again.

Today Jonah learned this if you fall off a rock (or a scooter), It hurts and you get muddy, that’s ok, Because you can get back on again.

That’s what Jonah learned today.

Name supplied

Dear editor

No NUT rep in your workplace?

Please elect one!

Once a rep has been elected, notify your division/association secretary, whose details are on your membership credential and at: teachers.org.uk/contactus

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

A change in your circumstances?

Please let us know if you: • change your home or school address • change your employment contract (to part-time, fixed-term or supply), where a range of reduced subscriptions apply • are about to retire, take maternity leave, or leave the profession, where differing subscription rates apply • are appointed to a new post such as deputy or head teacher or SENCO. Ring 0845 300 1666, visit teachers.org.uk/update, or write to: Records and Subscription Services, NUT, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD. By providing your email address and mobile number you help the Union to keep you informed of important campaigns and to contact you about professional development courses and events.

Need help or advice?

If you have a problem at work or want to know more about NUT services, you can contact: • your school representative • the NUT AdviceLine • NUT Cymru.

For advice and guidance in England contact:

NUT AdviceLine Tel: 020 3006 6266 Email: nutadviceline@nut.org.uk In Wales contact:

In view of the recent right-wing politics/scaremongering, it might help to raise the awareness of British colonial history, without which it is very difficult to establish that the people from the ‘third world’ are here because of a definite context!

NUT Cymru

British colonial history should be included in the history curriculum taught in our schools so we can answer the key question “why are these people (immigrants) here?”

Find full contact details at:

Regards

Tel: 029 2049 1818 Email: cymru.wales@nut.org.uk

teachers.org.uk/contactus

Husain Akhtar, Former inspector of schools Retired Harrow councillor

July / August 16 I the Teacher

47

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49

Backbeat

Putting teachers in their ‘place’

By Kathryn Riley, Professor of Urban Education, UCL, Institute of Education In the wake of the Second World War, British scholar Arnold McNair was asked to look at the recruitment and training of teachers. How should future generations of young people be taught?

Who should teach them and how? He concluded that, if Britain was to create a ‘wise democracy’, people of the highest calibre needed to be recruited into teaching.

In the current post-EU referendum gloom, the UK feels like a nation divided. Now is the time to ask how we can equip our future teachers to encourage young people to become joyful and reflective learners, who approach the world critically and with wonder.

Illustration: askinkamberoglu

In this uncertain world, schools are one of the few social institutions that can create that sense of belonging.

Children need an environment in which they can be confident and feel safe in their identity.

50

Unfortunately these ideas are not at the heart of current education policy. The Government’s Educational Excellence Everywhere campaign is at best a mish-mash of ideas. On face value the notion of accrediting teachers based on their ‘effectiveness in the classroom’ sounds plausible. In reality it’s a downgrading of expectations. What we know across the globe is that a partnership between schools and Higher Education is the best way to prepare our teachers.

For a start, fledgling teachers need to be given the best start possible. There is mounting evidence that young people are drifting away from the profession, particularly within the first few years of their career. To halt this, new

July / August 16 I the Teacher

teachers need support and encouragement from skilled practitioners and academic institutions alike. Imagine the outcry if we tried to train our doctors on the job or trained them only in university and then left them to it.

Teachers need to be set on a professional pathway that links academic knowledge and theory to practice and decision-making. They have a sense of social purpose and obligation, underpinned by a strong ethical foundation. They strive to see the wider picture. In this sense we must harness the creativity and energy of teachers and allow them to continually develop.

I’ve worked with partnerships between schools and HE institutions, helping NQTs engage in academic research around their profession. This process has developed their intellectual curiosity and helped them recognise they are a part of their school – part of a place – and that through their own personal and professional actions, they can shape the nature of what that place means to others.

When teachers engage in critical inquiry they develop a sense of agency and become better equipped to help young people develop critically. Only then, as Brazilian educator Paulo Friere describes, can we help young people to read the world, not just the word.

You can learn more about Kathryn’s work, including her books Leadership of Place and Place, Belonging and School Leadership, at: ucl.ac.uk/ioe/about/ ioe-life/academics/kathryn-riley

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