Notes for June 9th 2001

nutlogo Suffolk Division NUT
Executive Committee (17:30 - 18:45)
and DIVISION COUNCIL MEETING (18:45 - 21:00)
June 7th 2001 South Suffolk PDC, IPSWICH (map)

Part 1: Information and Reports.

Apologies already recorded: For EC/Both: . Peter Byatt, Roger Mackay, Glenys Shepherd.For Council: Roger Mackay (election), Ian Tatchell (inspection).

Section A:

National Reports and Correspondence: Glenys Shepherd to report.

  1. $ Executive News 80. (To be distributed at the meeting).
  2. $ NUT News 15, GTC: Say No to Voluntary Payment. Followed by a 6-page A4 leaflet (to all members?) giving advice on how to respond to the GTC pack with the registration form, payment form, and two consultation documents. The advice is the same: register but do not volunteer to pay and to read the NUT's comments before returning the consultation forms.
  3. NUT News 16: The NUT's manifesto for education, "What Future For Our Schools" has been sent to members in mailings to NUT school representatives in England and in Wales. The Union's manifesto focuses on the key issues of the crisis of teacher shortages and the future structures of education in England and Wales. NUT members are asked in the Manifesto to put these questions to candidates or their supporters: - If you were elected, would you do your best to make sure that teaching becomes an attractive, well-paid career to recruit and keep the highest qualified graduates? - If you were elected, would you give your support to an independent committee of enquiry into teachers' pay and conditions? - If you were elected, would you do your utmost to make sure that all children were entitled to free high-quality education, funded by government on an equitable basis? - If you were elected, would you do your best to ensure that schools were fully supported locally and enabled to co-operate and support each other? Also NUT Analysis of "Schools: Building on Success".
  4. NUT Survey on members' attitudes to Unacceptable Pupil Behaviour, gathering evidence (May). Sample of survey questionnaire.
  5. The NUT's Publication "Maternity Matters" has been re-published but only on the national NUT website!
  6. 68/01(H&S) FAIR FUNDING : COMMERCIAL INSURANCE SCHEMES FOR SUPPLY COVER
  7. *** 69/01(H&S) SCHOOL SECURITY : RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: Including a video, "Can You See What They See?", is designed to help schools to assess their security needs and arrangements by involving both staff and pupils. The film shows a schools security consultant conducting a security audit by identifying possible security risks and proposing measures to reduce these. It also interviews LEA officers and headteachers who have experience of organising training programmes aimed at raising security awareness amongst school governors, staff and pupils. The video is not being sent to all schools but is available free on request. It can be ordered from the DfEE Publications Centre, PO Box 505, Sherwood Park, Nottingham, NG15 0DL (Tel: 0845 602 2260, Ref: DfEE 0045/2001).
  8. *** 70/01(CoS) CLASS SIZES : KEY STAGE 1 CLASS SIZE LIMIT
  10. 71/01(O & A) ELECTIONS FOR OFFICERS OF THE UNION (INCLUDING TREASURER AND EXAMINERS OF ACCOUNTS) AND EXECUTIVE MEMBERS: 2002-2004
  11. 72/01(CCU) CAMPAIGNING DURING THE ELECTION PERIOD
  12. 73/01 (E/EO) NATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE & APPLICATION FORM:For action by Associations.
  13. $ 74/01 (D) TEACHERS' NATIONAL STAKEHOLDER PENSION SCHEME: Members of TPS whose salary is below £30,000 will be able to contribute towards a Stakeholder pension and will be able to pay contributions of up to £36,000 per annum, equivalent of 18% on £20,000pa. This is on top of the maximum additional contribution of 9% permitted under the TPS for such things as purchase of past added years or AVCs.
  14. 75/01(E/EO) SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS
  15. 76/01(H&S) MOBILE TELEPHONE SIGNAL MASTS ("BASE STATIONS")
  16. 77/01(E/EO) CEI/DFEE/WOMEN'S UNIT WORK EXPERIENCE GUIDANCE : "GO FOR IT!"
  17. 78/01(E/EO) FAWCETT SOCIETY CAMPAIGN : "MIND THE GAP"
  18. 79/01(CCU) NUT WALTER HINES PAGE SCHOLARSHIP 2002/2003
  19. 80/01(E/EO) REGIONAL PRIDE EVENTS : DATES CONFIRMED
  20. *** 81/01(E/EO) SEMINAR FOR EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS : THURSDAY, 19 JULY 2001-HAMILTON HOUSE. Secretary attempting to contact all Ed Psychs on this.
  21. 82/01(E/EO) EDUCATION REVIEW
  22. *** 83/01 DIVISIONAL SECRETARIES' BRIEFING, HAMILTON HOUSE - MONDAY, 18 JUNE 2001 Secretary may have a problem in attending.
  23. $ 85/01 OUTSIDE SPEAKERS TO CONFERENCE - FOR INFORMATION
  24. $ 86/01 REVIEW OF ANNUAL CONFERENCE WORKING PARTY
  25. *** 87/01(CoS) NJC CAR ALLOWANCE RATES FOR 2001-2002: New mileage for teachers ("essential") : 451-999cc @ 28.4p; 1000-1199 @ 31.6p; 1200+ @38.4p. Added to Division website.
  26. 88/01(E/EO) EXAMINATION COMMENT FORM
  27. *** 89/01(M&C) CAMPAIGN TO RECRUIT NEWLY-QUALIFIED TEACHERS
  28. 90/01(M&C) DIVISION SECRETARIES' BRIEFING : WEDNESDAY, 10 - FRIDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2001
  29. *** 91/01(M&C) NUT POCKET DIARY
  30. *** 92/01(CCU) NATIONAL EXECUTIVE TIMETABLE - 2002
  31. 93/01(E/EO) THE SEN TRIBUNAL REGULATIONS 2001
  32. $ 94/01(CoS) FAIR FUNDING : SCHOOL SPENDING FIGURES - 1998-99 AND 1999-2000
  33. 95/01(M&C) NATHE AND DATA
  34. 96/01(H&S) TEACHER STRESS : NUT GUIDANCE ON STRESS AUDITS AND RISK ASSESSMENTS Copied to Colin Exworth.
  35. 97/01(E/EO) RESPONSE OF THE NUT TO THE GOVERNMENT'S CODE OF PRACTICE ON LEA-SCHOOL RELATIONS
  36. 98/01(E/EO) OFSTED REPORT: RAISING ACHIEVEMENT OF CHILDREN IN PUBLIC CARE
  37. 99/01(E/EO) WITHIN REACH: AN EVALUATION OF THE SCHOOLS ACCESS INITIATIVE
  38. *** 100/01(E/EO) 'SYMPOSIUM - FOR TEACHERS, ADVISORY TEACHERS AND ADVISERS WITH EXPERIENCE OF TEACHING REFUGEE CHILDREN' : WEDNESDAY, 18 JULY 2001. Copied to Derek Merrill with request for any suggested representatives.
  39. $ 101/01(E/EO) 'BULLYING - DON'T SUFFER IN SILENCE' - AN ANTI-BULLYING PACK FOR SCHOOLS
  40. INDEX OF CIRCULARS : APRIL - MAY 01
  41. Various requests to nominate for Officer posts, etc., in National Elections. Only Associations can nominate.
  42. From CASE: Parents and Schools No 114: Education is still an election issues, diversity, City Academies, Human Rights, Questions to ask your candidates.
    SECTION B: REGIONAL John Dixon reporting
  43. *** Division is invited to make nominations for an Eastern Region delegate to the TUC Congress, September 2001. Needs to be in to RO for Regional Executive Meeting on 27th June.
  44. ERC Meeting held on 19th May. Secretary's report. Breakdown of membership trends for each of our Associations received. Also two pilot projects, regionally:
    NQ/NA recruitment project Buckinghamshire & Luton
    **** Training Project Division to identify potential candidates for training to focus on casework handling, basic employment law and associated skills training (i.e. to be able to help RO and Division with casework).
  45. *** The Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace for Suffolk: Re-constitution of the Suffolk Advisory Committee and Sub-Committees. Request for nominations of suitable persons (non-magistrates) on the West Suffolk and North East Suffolk Sub-Committees, which interview and appoint JPs.
    Section C:Division / County:Division Secretary, Martin Goold, to report, including items from the preceding Executive Committee meeting.
  46. $ SEN Audit: Consultation document published (received 11/5/1), entitled "Proposals for a new method of resourcing pupils with SEN in mainstream schools". Summary posted on website. Consultation timetable includes area roadshows and finishes on the last day of the Summer Term 2001. Division needs to prepare its response for final consideration at July Division Council, Leiston, with the assistance of EBD and SEN expertise. LEA has provided a response form with 11 questions (not the way we like to do things!) and an A4 folded resume. JNC had a short discussion with the project leader, Frank Stockley on 16th May and have arranged a special consultative meeting with LEA officers on 27th June. Also on our website is Conference policy on the inclusion of EBD pupils. Secretary attended a consultation "Road Show" on 5th June: clearly the amount of extra money put into SEN will make or break the new scheme. The Home Tuition and Out-County budgets are not included or affected. The role of Educational Psychologists and Advisory Teachers would have to evolve. There will be another meeting with Frank Stockley and the JNC Unions on 27th June.
  47. $ EOTAS (Education other than at School) Policy. Second and very significant consultation document (130 pages) and leaflets: 2 Policy framework, 3 Pupils out of School; 4 PRUs; 5 Pupils with long-term medical illness or other medical conditions; 6 School Age Parents; 7 Education Otherwise; 8,9 Management, Coordination and staffing/professional development and INSET; 10 Roles and Responsibilities; Evaluation and Monitoring. Deadline for this consultation: 29th June. Division needs to consider how best to coordinate and submit members' views..
  48. *** Inspection of Suffolk LEA: Secretary attended a briefing at HQ on 21st May, led by David Singleton, HMI. Suffolk's team will be led by Roger Shippam. Survey questionnaires will be in schools now but Head can fill this in without consultation: will be variations in practice. OFSTED expects Heads to consult staff. If a school is visited by the Inspection team, staff will need to know what has been said. We can expect a pre-meeting of Teacher Unions with the inspectors. Some discussion on the "accountability" of out-sourced functions of the LEA and whether the inspection can impose an action plan on top of a service level agreement with a 1-5 yr contract. DS said "it has not been thought through".
  49. Still no further developments from LEA re. Advisory Teacher Pay and PRU Heads. Secretary circulated copies of the letter to AA rejecting Soulbury solutions to relevant advisory members.
  50. Plans to set up a Secondary SCITT in Suffolk are well advanced. Likely to be launched for September 2001.
  51. Unattached staff and the threshold: the assessor visited Suffolk to assess threshold applications for unattached staff, including CMS staff, on May 21st.
  52. $ Conference on "Diversity in Suffolk" 8th March. Official Report now available (to be circulated at the meeting).
  53. $ Assaults on teachers: Prosecutions. Up-date. The DfEE finally acknowledged our letter, on 16th May, but only to say that we had raised an interesting question. Awaiting a response in writing.
  54. $Working party on "institutional racism": The first WP meeting has been called for Thursday June 14th at 18:30 at the Murrayside Community Centre, Nacton Road, Ipswich.
  55. *** County Music School: NUT forwarded advice re. threshold assessment to County Adviser, who is fulfilling the headteacher role for CMS threshold. Also pressure from NUT has resulted in a time allowance for necessary study time required as CMS adopts Guildhall examination procedures for its instrumental exams. The Suffolk Graded Tests are no longer accredited. This means re-training all music tutors to do the new assessment and Guildhall are insisting on two written studies to be completed.
  56. $ JNC Report: Full JNC, May 16th.
    Agenda items
    Stress Management: LEA has sent out a circular to schools inviting schools to buy in to 2 schemes, in partnership with the TBF. Did not give schools time and came out after setting of budgets. NUT has asked for some "pump priming" money to encourage a trial cohort of schools to take part. "Employee Assistance Programme" costs about £12 per employee p.a. and the full "Well-being development programme" will cost a Primary school £1400 and a Upper/High £1600 pa A meeting was held on 23rd May with Helen McAndrew of NTAS. Their real area of work is with children in Care and they are now changing from helping ex-Oakwood pupils to doing more for "looked after" children. We questioned HMcA on the details of support to schools with EBD pupils and it seems that this diminishes case by case as integration proceeds. Where this leaves new cases is unclear.
    **** Positive Behaviour Support Training: This is being funded 2:1 by LEA as "Schoolsafe" in partnership with the British Institution for Learning Disabilities. This will follow the pattern of the County Council's "Unisafe" training, already established. Advice on "restraint" is also being published as "positive handling strategies". Document circulated re "School Safe": JNC invited to nominate a representative "to oversee this development" Injuries and Assaults: developments: both NUT and LEA are awaiting developments from DfEE and Home Office. DfEE has acknowledged our letter but not committed itself to an opinion, let alone a written reply. Secretary wrote again 5/6/1 to chivvy them up. NAHT has taken the issue up, too.
    OFSTED inspection of Suffolk LEA: further details given. Schools have been sent a questionnaire and some will be visited in September. Education in Suffolk 2010: an SCC paper was discussed. It is the beginnings of thoughts for more distance learning and a community of learners, using modern technology.
    Scrutiny Commission on Pupil Attainment: this potentially anti-teacher SC enquiry turned out to be supportive and avoided any teacher-bashing. It did push the LEA towards some improvements and LEA intervention in "standards" that the NUT has also been promoting. Child Protection: the handling of allegations. Following NUT Conference, the DfEE has selected LEAs for a new approach to the personnel issues involved in abuse allegations. Suffolk and Norfolk together have been selected and will be appointing a "Child Protection Coordinator". This scheme was announced at NUT Conference by D Blunkett.
    Child Protection Conferences: expectations on schools: The LEA has now circulated heads explaining that staff cannot be expected to attend case conferences during the school holiday period. Also talks have been going on with Social Services on this. GTC: payment of fees: Suffolk LEA have declined an invitation from the NUT to pay the GTC fees for its teachers, as a recruitment and retention incentive.
    Teacher Shortages: The LEA in May says that Suffolk is not in crisis but it does have serious problems. Family Friendly Policies: The JNC is considering proposals from the NASUWT to table at the next JNC.
  57. New Suffolk guidelines on the administration of medicines: Makes it clear that schools do NOT have any duty or obligation to administer medicines to pupils. However, there is increasing evidence that it is a daily occurrence that teachers and assistants have to remember a number of dosages and are also handling class A drugs with a street value. The NUT is pressing for proper medical supervision of children with such daily needs, where parents are unable to administer the medicines themselves. The LEA's guidelines will be published on the Division's website shortly. Includes appendices for parental consent, with legal disclaimers. Problems will come when teachers forget a medical task: is this "negligence" if it is not their responsibility in the first place?
  58. Venues for Division Meetings: Leiston Middle on July 12th. Bookings for Stowmarket Learning Centre in the Autumn will be confirmed later.
  59. SCC Papers received: None (elections)
  60. *** From Central Suffolk & District Dyslexia Association: invitation to series of talks on SEN at BSE Library, cost £4 if reserved in advance.
    26th May 2-5pm SEN Tribunals: the changes
    23rd June 2-5 pm SEN and the Disability Act
    21st July 2-5pm The New Code of Practice
  61. Press contacts: Comment on Voluntary Controlled status for Holywells. Interest in election and on changes to the school year.
  62. Secretary has "live" casework at: Advisory Service, Ashley Downes, Benjamin Britten HS, Beccles MS, Chantry HS, *** Claydon P, Cookley & Walpole, County Music S, Copleston HS, County US, Deben HS, Grove P (Lowestoft), Exning, Halesworth MS, Handford Hall, Hollesley P, Holywells HS, Leiston HS, Sir J Leman High, Medlesham, Northgate HS, former Oakwood Spec., Priory Special, Ringsfield (RO dealing), St Benet's, St Pancras P, Stowmarket MS, Stowupland HS, Thurleston HS, *** Thurston CC, *** Trimley St Martin, Westbourne HS, Wetheringsett P. (RO dealing.
  63. The Division has received its Nominet Registration Certificate for www.suffolknut.org.uk which expires on 12th September 2001. Almost retrospective!
  64. AA has confirmed that the Division's allocation of facility time is 200 day's supply cover at £130 per day, of which 16 should be ear-marked for training.
  65. The Secretary has purchased a new four-drawer filing cabinet at £79.99 + VAT from S.T.O.P. which was both cheaper and easier for delivery, than via County Stores. This purchase needs to be included in the list of Division assets for the auditors and accounts. The cabinet is for filing casework files.
  66. $Teacher Representatives: No meetings, no new reports! Final report from Colin Stabler (hard copies only).
    Section D: Local Associations
  67. Ipswich Association held an election forum at the Suffolk College on 24th May.
  68. BSE Association has circulated its parliamentary candidates: Mark Ereira (Lab) has suggested that the NUT's publicity re. dissatisfaction with Blunkett will lose him votes.
    Section E: Other Reports:
  69. Annual Black Teachers' Conference: Hassiba Helali to report. Incidental expenses to be covered.

Part 2: Decision Making

A) Arising from National Matters

  1. Action arising from National Reports.
    B) Arising from Regional and Local Matters
  2. Financial Decisions:
    a) Questions of honoraria, taxation, subscriptions and affiliation fees have been referred to the Working Party meeting on June 21st, to report to Membership meeting on 3rd July, prior to confirmation by Division Council on July 12th at Leiston.
    b) Payment for Black Teachers' Conference £120 + travel
  3. Administration/Forward Planning:
    (1) Trainee Teacher Recruitment for year beginning Sept 2001. + Christine Lloyd, Student Recruitment Officer
    (2) Expenditure on affiliations, financial support, etc. Accumulative Summary for information only.:
    Date decided Organisation, etc Amount Cost to Category 2
    30/11/00 Stonewall donation £50.00 -
    30/11/00 ANL affiliation £25.00 -
    10/5/1 CASE affiliation £20.00 -
    10/5/1 Terence Higgins Trust £20.00 £20.00
    10/5/1 TBF £50.00 -
    10/5/1 Mechanics Centre Museum £20.00 £20.00
  4. Motion: Proposer: M Goold, Secretary; Seconder: Ray Frowd, Ex-President. As printed on agenda paper.

Date of next meeting: July 12th, Leiston Middle School.

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