Notes for Division Meeting: March 18th 2004

Notes for Previous Meeting: February 5th 2004

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Suffolk Division NUT
Executive Committee (17:30 - 18:30)
and DIVISION COUNCIL MEETING (19:00 - 21:00)

March 18th (AGM) 2004 Venue: Flixton Buck, Nr Beccles

Apologies already recorded: For EC / Both: Peter Dunnett will be late. For Council: Christine Lloyd

u =Items for Executive Committee

¤ =Items for Division Council

Section A: National with National Executive Report

  1. ¤ Report from Glenys Shepherd.
  2. NUT News 3: GTC Elections.
  3. NUT News 4: Good Teachers are able to teach very large classes.
  4. NUT News 5: Making a Difference (by making this worse for teachers)
  5. NUT News 6: Betrayal of a profession.
  6. Executive News No 105
  7. ¤ The Betrayal documents as send to individual members and Reps.
  8. Poster and letter from DGG to School Reps promoting NUT H&S Representatives.
  9. NUT H&S Leaflet: Voice Care
  10. Report of the 14-19 conference, 14th November
  11. u NUT Courses (CPD Programme): (1) "Sticks and Stones, Effective Therapeutic Approaches to Dealing with Bullying" Wed 10th march, Hamilton House and (2) "Maths and Citizenship", Wed 24th March, Hamilton House
  12. ¤ What should happen to teachers' pay: Survey of members.
  13. Returning to work after taking ill-health pension: The Education (Health Standards (England) Regulations 2993 mean that teachers who retired on ill health grounds after 1st April 1997 will now (since January 1st 2004) be able to be employed outside teaching in any capacity, including jobs that bring them into contact with those under nineteen; while those who retired before that date will be able to return to teaching on a part-time basis of not more that 2.5 days a week, without affecting pension. This means that both categories will be able to undertake non-teaching employment up to and including full-time posts, without automatic loss of retirement pension. However, the Union advises that working more than half-time in a school environment is likely to attract a "review" of pension.
    Circulars from HQ, etc:
  14. 04-038-CCU - DECLARATION FOR EDUCATION IN LONDON
  15. 04-036-OA - EXECUTIVE ELECTION: DISTRICT 10
  16. u 04-035-SUPN - QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES: QUALITY PUBLIC SERVANTS AND QUALITY PENSIONS
    20 public sector unions have had joint discussions on opposition to the Government's proposals to raise the normal pension age to age 65 in all public sector schemes and have agreed to mount a joint campaign against, to start with a joint lobby in their constituencies of all MPs in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Those lobbying the MPs will be the Division, Federation, and Branch secretaries of the unions concerned and the aim is for these meetings with MPs to take place around the middle of March but no later than the end of March.
    To facilitate the required local organisation, a number of measures have been agreed. The participating unions have agreed that the local representatives of the NUT, EIS and UTU should act as 'lobby coordinators' and will send the model letter on behalf of all the participating organisations to the MP seeking the meeting. A copy of this letter will be included in the pack.
    Secretary has asked each Local Association to take on one constituency for coordination, as per previous lobbies, etc. and has FAXed all Middle and Upper/High Schools, plus a selection of primary schools, seeking participants.
  17. u 04-034-H&S - NUT HEALTH AND SAFETY WORKING GROUP: 2004-2006 (Divisions invited to nominate)
  18. 04-033-O&A - VACANCY - NATIONAL DISCIPLINARY PANEL - REGIONAL AREA 6
  19. u 04-032-O&A - UNION DEMOCRACY WORKING PARTY: We can nominate. (REPLACEMENT)
  20. ¤ 04-031-EEO - LOCAL NEGOTIATIONS ON COVER: The Executive decided to withdraw and redraft Circular 04-024/E&EO in order to emphasise that any local agreement should seek to ensure (i) that every effort is made to employ qualified supply teachers to provide cover in all circumstances and (ii) that any requirement on teachers to prepare banks of materials to be used by cover supervisors will impose additional workload and will not be acceptable. Secretary sent out an (amended) circular to Secondary and Middle Reps on the employment of Cover Supervisors.
  21. 04-030-E&EO - NUT SURVEY OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS CO-ORDINATORS AND THE REVISED CODE OF PRACTICE: findings.
  22. u 04-029-M&C - UNION LEARNING - A CELEBRATION CONFERENCE - TUESDAY, 22 JUNE 2004: Forwarded to Learning Rep, TW.
  23. u 04-028-E&EO - BLACK TEACHERS CONFERENCE: Friday, 5 May - Sunday, 7 May 2004 Stoke Rochford Hall
  24. 04-026-E&EO - COMMERCIALISATION
  25. 4-025-L&PS - SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND RELIGION OR BELIEF DISCRIMINATION: Separate guidance for Divisions on (1) Sexual Orientation Discrimination and (2) Religion/Belief Discrimination.
  26. 04-024-EEO - LOCAL NEGOTIATION ON COVER: Later withdrawn and replaced with Circular 04-031 above.
  27. 04-023-SUPN - PENSIONS INCREASE PAYABLE WITH EFFECT FROM 12 APRIL 2004. Published in The Teacher.
  28. u 04-016-M&C - ANNUAL CONFERENCE: 9-13 APRIL 2004-HARROGATE-PERSONAL ACCIDENT,LUGGAGE AND CANCELLATION INSURANCE: forwarded to Treasurer
  29. TEACHER SUPPORT NETWORK - ANNUAL CONFERENCE RAFFLE
  30. GS Election material from John Bangs, , Ian Murch, Martin Powell-Davis. Steve Sinnott.
  31. u From The Anti-SATs Alliance. Conference Saturday May 29th, London.
  32. From CASE: Case Notes Issue 1 March 2004 (new look newsletter).
  33. From Disability Rights Commission: Eight point 6; Issue 2.
    Section B: Regional: Hilary Bucky to Report
    Section C: Division / Executive Committee:Division Secretary, Martin Goold, to report, including items from the preceding Executive Committee meeting.
  34. ¤ Annual Report 2003-04 available separately.
  35. u Form 120 and Form 423 prepared and ready to send off with Annual Report, to HQ after AGM.
  36. ¤ Circulars to NUT School Reps: (1) Policy on Cover Supervisors and (2) Policy on Performance Management of support workers. It appears that SHA is advising its members (both Heads and Deputy or Assistant Heads) not to do PM of non-teaching staff.
  37. ¤ Education Budget Cuts. Suffolk LEA has passported all the "Schools Block" allocation to school budgets (total £297 in 2003-4) as per government instructions, but the "LEA Block" is subject to the 2% savings required by the County Council (£33m of which £14m is for school transport). Savings identified are:
    School Support £k
    * discontinuing the work of the 3 Area Coordinators within the Education Business Partnership
    		 137
    * increased income targets for Area Services
    		 28
    * other staffing reductions
    		16
    Pupil Support  
    * reduction (approx 30%) in budget for clothing grants
    		 50
    Community Education  
    * youth service - premises related budgets
    		 36
    * youth service - reduced grants to voluntary organisations
    		 25
    * LEA direct use - budget restrictions
    		 74
    * community education centres - reduced overheads / closures
    		 30
    * reduced contributions to joint use sports centres and other organisations
    		 110
    Home to school and college transport
    * charging for travel to voluntary aided (Roman Catholic) schools 195
    * ceasing late bus subsidy to high/upper schools 65
    Staff Travel
    * fundamental restriction on staff travel arrangements 58
    About £1m of these savings will be fed back into Education to develop the new Behaviour Support Service (previously not budgeted for). Secretary is seeking clarification of the proposed cuts in staff travel arrangements. Was raised in JNC but appeared not to affect teachers, apart from those consultants / advisory teachers paid on Soulbury rates and conditions.
  38. LMS suspended for crisis measures: the effect of the Government's "guaranteed" funding increases for all schools is that the LMS formula has been suspended for the coming financial year (and perhaps beyond?). The much heralded principle of "Fair Funding" has been overtaken by the Government's desperation to avoid another fuss over schools losing out. The effect is that the budget for 2004-5 will be an indexed-linked repetition of this year's budget, with a (presumably one-off) transitional grant which Suffolk is using to bale out schools with low or negative balances as of April 2004. The whole basis of LMS has been abolished overnight! We always said it wouldn't work. But, we are now back to a blind reliance on historical funding and writing off debts.
  39. ¤ New §188 situations: Cliff Lane P; Exning; Gazeley (Closure, 3/3); Handford Hall, Haughley Crawfords; Great Finborough, Hollesley, Horringer Court MS; Lakenheath; Morland P, Riverside MS (3/33), Stanton P, Stoke High. Progress report on Benhall, Glade, Ringsfield, Tollgate, and Wood Ley.
  40. Workforce Reform: Implementing the National Agreement. The LEA has sent out guidance to schools on the employment of HLTAs. It reminds heads that HLTAs can only be used if:
      the work is carried out in order to assist or support a qualified teacher
      they are subject to the direction and supervision of a qualified teacher in accordance with arrangements made by the headteacher
      the headteacher is satisfied that each individual has the skills, expertise and experience required to carry out specified work, having regard for published standards for HLTAs and LEA guidance on contractual matters relating to school support staff.
    The letter gives details of training available and invites schools to nominate trainees from existing Learning Assistants.
  41. u Paper E04/15: Suffolk Primary Strategy (for EC 26th Feb 2004) proposes to set up, after Easter, a Suffolk Primary Strategy Task Group whose key objective will be to steer delivery of the key dimensions of Excellence and Enjoyment and to authorise the design of a communications / participation strategy for schools on the government's Green Paper, Every Child Matters.
  42. u Paper E04/16: Endeavour House Travel plan and Car Park Management proposes a £3 per day parking fee at Endeavour House, with a transitional refund for lower paid staff. Also incentives for staff to use public transport or pool cars. Not much mention of visitor parking!
  43. Changes in the Advisory Service: As the KS3 Strategy comes to an end and is likely to emerge as a "Secondary" strategy, the roles of KS3 consultants are likely to change, and Primary consultants have already seen changes to their duties, become less targeted on literacy and numeracy, and more concerned with teaching and learning, assessment for learning, etc. Some job descriptions may need to be altered, to include perhaps more "bought in" service, rather like Adivsory Teachers. We are assured that there are no contractual or conditions issues involved for our members.
  44. Taxation and Working from home: After actually lodging a grievance against the LEA, the member who had had to pay Business Rate as a consequence of being "required" to work from home has had the sum repaid. We now await another Rate demand for the coming year! The County Council say they have worked it all out, but requests for information have been met with silence.
  45. ¤ Employment of headteacher's spouse: LEA has replied saying that it would be illegal to refuse to appoint a headteacher's spouse to a post in the same school. However, they suggest that the declaration of pecuniary interest means that "spouses should declare an interest in employment decisions affecting their partner and take no part in how those decision are arrived at".
  46. SCC EC Papers: E04/31 on the plan to establish a new 3-11 primary school from 1/9/4 by closing Chantry Infants and Chantry Junior schools (Ipswich Association dealing) and E04/30 on the closure of Gazeley school (which also describes the failure of attempts to create a federated solution.
  47. Term Dates: Easter 2006. Secretary wrote to LEA advising against starting term on the day after Bank Holiday Easter Monday in 2006. Acknowledged.
  48. In-Service membership totals forwarded to LEA for facilities purposes (membership figures for 2003):
    BSE 748
    Ipswich 769
    Lowestoft 252
    SE Suffolk 434
    Sudbury 265
    Waveney & Yoxford 391
    Which totals 2859. The full break-down (full/part time, etc.) has been forwarded to L Assocs as will be basis of calculation of Division subscription for 2004.
  49. Facilities used as of 5th March 183/200.
  50. Treasurer:
  51. Teacher Reps:
  52. Courses and Conferences:
  53. Student Recruitment:
  54. Health & Safety: John Osborne unable to attend County Safety Committee meetings on 3rd March, substituted by Alan Wright of BSE Assoc. Major paper presented by Phil Parham, new H&S Manager entitled "Health and Safety Management in Suffolk CC".
  55. From SCC: Minutes of the CC H&S Committee 10th October 2003.
    Section E: Local Associations, etc
  56. Ipswich Association: Consultation on proposal to amalgamate Chantry Infants and Chantry Junior schools.
  57. Annual Reports received from Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich Associations.

Date of next meeting: May 13th. EC at 17:30 AGM at 19:00 Venue to be announced

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