Executive Committee (17:30 - 18:45)
and DIVISION COUNCIL MEETING (18:45 - 21:00)
Notes for Meeting: November 1st 2001
Previous Meeting (September)
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Suffolk Division
NUT Executive Committee (17:30 - 18:45) and DIVISION COUNCIL MEETING (18:45 - 21:00) |
| November 1st 2001 Room 3 South Suffolk PDC, Ipswich | |
Registration: Please sign the attendance register and record any apologies for absence. The meeting will be begin at 19:00, giving a period of reading and informal discussion. Motions arising from anything on this agenda should be sent to the Secretary to arrive before the Executive Committee meeting.
Apologies already recorded: For EC / Both: Peter Byatt (OFSTED imminent), Jackie Marks, Glenys Shepherd (Parents' meeting), Graham White (ditto); .For Council: Jenny Leeke.
*** $ Proposed Amendment to minutes: 72.01 (c): Add "Jenny Leeke was nominated and agreed to attend."
Section A:
National Reports and Correspondence: EXECUTIVE REPORT: GLENYS SHEPHERD
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| SCC Policy | LEA version for LMS? |
| Code of Conduct for Local Government (excluding LMS) Employees | No |
| Part-Time, Temporary and Casual Employment, Management Guide | No |
| Whistle blowing Procedure (Disclosure of Malpractice) | Applies to LMS also |
| Secondment Code for Employees | No |
| Dealing with Racial Discrimination in Service Delivery: Policy for Elected Members, Employees, Volunteers, Contractors, Sub-Contractors, Service Users and Visitors. | No (not made clear if applies to LMS employees) |
| Age Discrimination | No |
| Sexuality Discrimination: A guide for Managers | No |
| Employment and Disability | Yes |
| Harassment / Bullying Complaints Procedures (2nd Edition) | Yes, but not up-dated |
| Disability Harassment | No |
| Sexual Harassment | No |
| Racial Harassment | No |
| Sexual Orientation Harassment | No |
| Flexible Working Arrangements | No |
| Disciplinary Procedures, Grievance Procedures | Yes |
| Capability Procedures (In with 5th edition of Disciplinary/Grievance above) | Yes |
| Employee Induction Information | No |
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| Learning for Life Panel Forward Work Programme | |
| L01/30 | Schools Achieving Success: Council paper on White Paper |
| L01/31 | Roll forward of Education Development Plan. (JNC invited to take part) |
| L01/32 | Gifted and Talented Learnings in Suffolk Schools. |
| L01/33 | L for L items considered by other bodies (including Exec Committee) |
| E01/122 | Suffolk CC Programme of Meetings |
| E01/125 | Provision of additional Primary School places in Hadleigh |
| E01/126 | Modernising Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents 2001-2004 (Appears not to be joined up with behaviour / restraint / mental health DfES circular.) |
| The Conference began with Carol Adams of the GTC telling us what the GTC had been advising the DfES. There was much talk about professionalism and the need to support teachers. Two major areas highlighted were (1) the need to make more of ICT and provide personal access for teachers and (2) that we have to attract and retain the best people. She talked about teachers being refreshed and developed, and the need for a balance between home and school life. The government needed to invest financially to give teachers an entitlement, a high quality investment in our development. They (GTC) had advised the government of the need to support teachers in their second and third year of teaching, hence the few pilots this year (£5m.)! They were also advancing the idea of sabbaticals to enthuse older teachers, instead of them taking early retirement. There is a draft, apparently, on their website for a CPD framework for all teachers. |
| Next up was Richard Harris of the DfES. He told
us the aims of the strategy. We were given a pack, which included a video of 90
minutes of leading CPD practice in 9 schools across England. The strategy is:
· Designed to support what teachers want to do, their aspirations. · Build on existing excellent practice (stunning in some schools) · Underpin, integrate, reinforce existing practice · Funding to allow individuals to decide · Maximise potential of performance management · Increase quality, impact on teaching and learning for pupils · Support dialogue between teachers · Raise quality and scope for provision. |
| Then he went in to what they were actually doing and funding 2001-2004. Sabbaticals were being trialled, in schools that had over 50% free school meals. There were pilots in 6 LEAs for teachers in their second and third years. There were professional bursaries of £500-£700 in 7 areas and some best practice research scholarships worth £9 million. Finally, there were 2,500-3000 learning accounts, especially for ICT. He admitted it was a start, but was meant to be a strong signal by government. Teachers need to gather evidence to support finance, to make relevant, focused, effective CPD a reality for every teacher. |
| We then attended two workshops. I was not very clear about the purpose of these. The first was about LEA's role in CPD. Pete Dudley of Essex led this. It was titled a Research Approach. We were asked to define why teachers consider themselves to be professionals and then were told about three case studies, dating back to 1995. The second workshop was about Networks and collaborative learning. The main task was to define how you tell the ethos of a school and how you can change it. This session was led by a psychologist and teacher who had been working with 18 schools to help them improve themselves (action zone?) and had just been appointed as a head to a failing school. He was an enthusiastic speaker. The main point that I learnt was that an audit of teachers will tell you where a school is and most will agree about where they want to move to, hence the need for CPD! |
| Next task was coming together as a table (32 tables there) and writing down our action plans. At last I could address my agenda and left what I considered important points about CPD on my form and then quizzed Roger Fern who was on my table. One suggestion he seemed interested in was spreading news about research, scholarships, Beacon Schools, Advanced Skills Teachers and sabbaticals through Slamnet. |
| David Jackson of NCSL, a former headteacher, rounded off the afternoon. Besides praising teachers, his main point seemed to be that all the pupils of a school came before those in your classes. |
| I didn't quite make it to the end, excusing myself at the dreaded video part in order to make my train. I'd like to thank the NUT for sponsoring me. It was not what I expected, but I feel it was worthwhile having one person there who wasn't a deputy, head or adviser. |
Part 2: Decision Making
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Date of next meeting: November 29th 2001 South Suffolk PDC, Ipswich.