1. NUT Legal Action Victory
2. New Challenge: the Assessor
3. Performance Management
4. Workload action against PRP
5. Unacceptable Pupil Behaviour

Law helps us fight against PRP

The Union is continuing to oppose PRP. NUT policy is that all teachers should have the £2000 pay increase, without strings or a test of meeting threshold standards, particularly important for teachers below point 9 on the 1999 pay scales who simply were not able to apply. These are the forgotten ones in the Government's threshold scheme, let alone NQTs on a depressed starting salary. The Union's legal action stopped the Secretary of State exercising his whim to change our conditions of service without consultation or parliamentary approval and forced a new consultation on the threshold standards. It gave another chance for the STRB to strike out the requirement to include "Pupil Progress" (payment by results), the "unacceptable duty" of informing on colleagues for pay purposes and to introduce the right of appeal.

None of the other teacher organisations used the opportunity afforded by the NUT's action even to seek to secure the right of appeal! NUT victory: a first for the STRB In the event, the Government was forced to climb down: the STRB, for the first time, showed some independence from Government. They introduced the right of appeal and removed the duty of "ordinary" class teachers to take part in the appraisal of other teachers. Both were against the DfEE's wishes. Only the NUT secured these changes by their legal action (criticised by some others as shooting ourselves in the foot. Their feet are now in their mouths!).

Challenge continues

The NUT has also given notice that we will challenge the legality of any assessor overturning the opinion of the headteacher. The objective is to make it difficult for any NUT member to have their threshold application refused, and to throw doubt on the validity of the whole process, which we all know is an unfair, bureaucratic and unnecessary procedure to ration fair pay for teachers. The Union will investigate the situation for any member who has their application refused and will advise and represent members on areas of challenge, appeal or grievance.

Performance Management

After the threshold fiasco comes long-term chaos: Schools need to have an agreed scheme in place by December 2000 but the statutory start of "live" implementation is not until February 2001. Some schools are rushing into adopting a management-friendly scheme "off the shelf" and even trying to start the review cycle this term. Wise Heads are taking their time, and looking for the light-touch approach, taking on only the statutory minimum They need only look as far as the NUT's Model Policy, circulated to schools in September.

Some heads have been beguiled by the simple convenience of the NASUWT / SHA model. This is much less supportive, more costly in time and resources, and more heavy-handed than the NUT's. Their scheme commits staff to all the workload and stress of 3 hours teaching observation, plus all the preparation and follow-up. The NUT's model is for no more than one hour's observation (with the option of a second hour only if the appraisee requests it). Our scheme stresses the need to agree all aspects of the scheme, to ensure that it increases motivation and enhances morale, rather than just be another management tool to use against staff. The tone of our policy is altogether different from those schemes produced by the DfEE or Headteacher organisations.

Workload Action

The NUT includes Performance Management in its on-going workload campaign and action still in force from the 1998 ballot. NUT members are protected by that ballot for refusing to accept unreasonable workload demands as part of the Performance Management scheme. This will include:

• Imposing a shorter first review cycle than agreed by members
• Allocating an unreasonable number of reviews per team leader (normally 3 and no more than 4)
• Setting more than three objectives per reviewee Imposing more than one observation per year for PRP
• Imposing classroom observation lasting more than 60 minutes in total Increasing class size or taking non-teaching time to cover for appraisal purposes
• Imposing extra bureaucracy outside the NUT's recommended classroom observation checklist and assessment pro forma Classroom observations at times not agreed by the appraisee.

The NUT is approaching the NASUWT with a view to maintaining a common approach to these workload issues (although their policy agreed with SHA commits their members to agreeing to 3 hours of observations).

Other issues not covered by the existing ballot on workload can still be challenged by the Union, as casework. The Division Secretary or Regional Office should be contacted straight away if you experience any of these four situations:

• Governors monitoring the review of individual teachers or taking part in reviews;
• Refusal by the Headteacher to consult with and agree on the model policy with all staff;
• Attempts to impose PM meetings outside the school day
• Attempts to impose links between PM and pay as part of school PM policies (the DfEE model makes no statutory link).

Timetable: the latest DfEE position is that the Governing Body must establish a formal PM Policy before the end of December 2000. Teacher objectives should be set by 28th February 2001. The remaining timetable has now been extended. The first cycle can begin on the agreement by the Governing Body of a PMP (in December 2000) and need not end until July 2002. The Union's advice is that the full 18 months allowed should be adopted by Governing bodies to allow the scheme to stand the test of practicality and for there to be amendments in the light of experience and, perhaps, further developments from discussions between the NUT and DfEE.

The school's budget must allocate resources for the PM Policy to operate.

Other workload action:

Are you doing too much? - Then STOP!

Don't forget that the Union's workload action, covered by ballot, allows NUT members to refuse to:

• collect money
• chase absences
• do bulk photocopying
• copy type
• write standard letters
• analyse pupil attendance
• produce class lists
• collate reports
• process exam marks / results
• file records
• administer work experience
• administer or clerk exams/SATs
• ICT trouble-shooting
• order supplies or equipment
• stocktake or similar
• minute meetings
• in-put pupil data
• re-do classroom display too often.

- so don't do them!

Meetings and Reports

The school calendar should confine meetings to no more than 60 minutes, no more than one evening per week on average with a maximum of two meetings in any one week. There should be no more than one report on each pupil per academic year. These action guidelines, and more, are in the "Beating Back Bureaucracy" booklet circulated by Headquarters in September.

Pupil Behaviour and Physical Restraint.

Following the successful NUT defence of Marjorie Evans in South Wales, the Union has issued revised guidelines on "Unacceptable Pupil Behaviour", including advice on the physical restraint of pupils who are endangering themselves or others, or who are out of control. This booklet was distributed at the beginning of November.

And what do you think?

As well as attending local NUT meetings, you can have your say by using the Feedback page on this website.

Published by the Suffolk Division of the National Union of Teachers.

Secretary: Martin Goold, 1 Gainsborough Road BURY ST EDMUNDS, IP33 3RX (Tel & Fax 01284 763980) martingoold@suffolknut.org.uk