Campaigns
The NUT is working with PCS and Unite on the 68 is too late campaign to oppose the increase in the state pension age to 68, and the threat that the Government will move it even higher.
Please go here to email the Prime Minister now, where you can also view the campaign video and resources.
See the NUT press release here.
From April 2012 you start paying more in pension contributions, while your pay is being frozen and you're also being asked to work longer to get less when you finally do retire. The vast majority of teachers' unions have rejected the Government's pension proposals and the NUT stands willing to work with any and all of those unions. Click here.
London strike action photos - March 28 2012
Don’t steal our pensions say thousands
Over six thousand teachers and lecturers showed their support for fair pensions for all by marching through Central London today (28 March).
Read more here.
For information about international campaigns that the NUT supports please visit http://www.teachers.org.uk/international/campaigns
No Forced Academies
David Lammy MP has tabled an Early Day Motion that raises important concerns about forced academies. We hope many MPs will sign the Motion. Please can you help us publicise the problems with forced academies by emailing your MP about the EDM?
Click here to email your MP via our quick and easy to use electronic facility.
1,000 campaigners and supporters showed their determination and solidarity to resist Government attempts to force four Haringey primary schools to become sponsored academies in a magnificent march and rally through the borough on Saturday 28 January.
Children and parents from the affected schools – Downhills, Noel Park, Coleraine Park and Nightingale – led the demonstration, sending a clear message to Education Secretary Michael Gove that the community is committed to preventing its schools being privatised. Children carried home-made placards with messages such as “I learn a lot from my teacher” along with brightly coloured balloons and placards with the message “I love my community school”. Chants of: “No forced Academy – Save our School” were repeated in some of the 40 languages spoken in the schools.
NUT supporters came from all over London with banners from Barking and Dagenham, Camden, Ealing, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Lambeth and Redbridge
NUT branches and local Highgate Wood School NUT group. There were also banners from UNISON branches and Anti Academies Alliance groups.
NUT Deputy General Secretary Kevin Courtney and Haringey Division Secretary Julie Davies addressed the closing rally along with NUT reps and parents from the four schools. The event ended with a rousing rendition of the campaign song, “Save Our School”, written by Downhills campaigners.
Click here for a campaign video by the Downhills children.
More information about the campaign is available on the Haringey Against Academies Campaign website at: www.hcaa.org.uk
FORCED CONVERSION UNDER THE ACADEMIES ACT 2010
The Secretary of State for Education can now 'force' a maintained school to convert into an academy due to perceived poor performance at the school. This power of 'forced conversion' is the subject of this paper.
Click here for academies toolkits 1 & 2, and other information on how to get involved.
The impact of free schools on neighbouring schools
NUT research shows that many of the open free schools and those due to open later this year, will have a negative impact on existing local schools. Read more here.
NUT/YouGov Opinion Poll On Free Schools - Summary Analysis
The NUT commissioned a YouGov survey, a summary of which was released on 3 January 2011. It shows a clear rejection of Free Schools by parents. Here is the press release.
Beyond the Spin of Government policy
This document sets out the NUT’s case against Free Schools and argues instead for a good local school for every child and every community. It is a companion booklet to our extensive range of publications about academies in general.
Free Schools Beyond the Spin
The Government plans to set up a new type of school called "Free Schools". These schools, although state funded, are completely independent and do not even have to employ qualified teachers. The NUT opposes Free Schools because they will undermine the quality of education for children and teachers' pay and conditions.
What are Free Schools?
Free schools are a new type of school. The Government legislated for them in the Academies Act 2010 and hopes that the first Free Schools will open in September 2011. Free Schools will be independent schools with state funding. Any "suitable sponsor" can make an application to establish a Free School, including parents, teachers, charities, academy sponsors; universities, independent schools, community and faith groups, or businesses. The sponsor must be able to show some evidence of parental demand, such as a petition or declaration from interested parents.
Free Schools' "Freedoms"
Free schools can:
set their own pay and conditions for staff;
employ teachers without qualified teacher status;
determine their own admissions arrangements;
decide upon their own curriculum;
set the length of terms and school days; and
operate independently of the local authority and outside the local family of schools.
The NUT & Free Schools
The NUT opposes Free schools. We believe it is wrong that state funding should be given to small groups of individuals to run schools that are unaccountable to their local communities. In Sweden, where the Free Schools policy originated, three quarters of Free Schools are run by profit-making companies and there is clear evidence that they have resulted in segregation. The evidence on US charter schools is no better.
We believe that Free Schools:
are an attack on teachers' professional status;
will undermine national pay and conditions for teachers;
will undermine local authorities;
will break up common admission arrangements
will damage local democratic planning of school places;
will redirect hundreds of millions of pounds that would be better spent on supporting existing schools.
The NUT's case against Free Schools is set out in the following document: http://www.teachers.org.uk/files/Free-schools-7003_0.pdf
FAQs on free Schools
This is a collection of frequently asked questions and the answers on the topic of Free Schools.
Is a Free School Planned for Your Area?
So far the Government has approved 35 Free School applications to business case stage. Click here to see if an application has been approved in your area. However we know that many more groups are planning to apply to set up a Free School. Keep an eye on developments locally and if you hear of any plans for a Free School, send information to your Regional Office and copy in Head Office at academies@nut.org.uk
The NUT is proud to be a member of the End Child Poverty campaign. We are:
Speaking up for the one in five children in Britain living in poverty today; and
Reminding all political parties of their promise to eradicate child poverty by 2020.
The Campaign to End Child Poverty has published new figures that provide a child poverty map of the whole of the UK. The figures are broken down by parliamentary constituency, local authority and ward and paint a stark picture of a socially segregated Britain where the life chances of millions of children are damaged by poverty and inequality.
Read more:
Child Poverty Map of the UK (full report)
Child Poverty Map of the UK (press release)
Ofsted has recently launched a consultation on its new school inspection framework, which is due to come into force in January 2012. Ofsted’s proposals include:
Much more inspector time will be spent in the classroom observing teaching and learning and speaking to pupils, although inspection visits will be of the same length as now.
There will be a special focus on the teaching of reading in primary schools. Inspectors may ask to hear some pupils read.
More emphasis will be placed on pupil attainment and rates of progress when evaluating achievement.
CVA will no longer be used; instead inspection data will be based on the progress pupils have made since joining the school. Inspectors will look at contextual information but this will not form part of the mathematical formulae used for Raiseonline.
Schools which have previously been judged to be “outstanding” will no longer be routinely inspected. Their performance will be monitored via data.
The circumstances in which “satisfactory” schools will be subject to interim monitoring visits will be extended considerably to include test/exam results which are “volatile” or below floor standards; three consecutive “satisfactory” inspection judgements; and a “worrying level” of parental complaints.
The time scales for monitoring inspections/full re-inspection for schools in special measures and with a notice to improve have been shortened by almost half.
The NUT has serious concerns about some of these proposals. The reduction of areas for inspection, from 27 to just four, will make it even harder for schools in challenging circumstances to do well, if their test and examination results do not match up to the expected norms. Observation is the most contested area of inspection judgement for members currently, as inspectors may spend less than 10 minutes observing. These problems will almost certainly increase under the new arrangements.
Most importantly, inspection will still be punitive and high-stakes for schools, teachers and head teachers, rather than developmental and supportive. While teachers understand the need for accountability, school evaluation is at its most effective when school communities understand its purpose and relevance. Sadly, the new inspection arrangements are likely to increase the perception that schools need to put on a performance for the inspectors.
All members are encouraged to respond to the Ofsted consultation, which can be viewed here. The consultation ends on Friday 20 May 2011.
Members can also give their views on Ofsted’s proposals directly to the NUT by emailing inspections@nut.org.uk
A summary of the NUT’s policy on school evaluation and its proposals for an alternative system is available here.
Further information, advice and guidance on Ofsted inspections is available in the Education and Equalities section of this website.
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