From Suffolk NUT:
(Faxed and mailed to Headteachers in Suffolk March 2000)
The NUT is concerned that some schools in Suffolk are intending to use one of the extra closure days for PRP training this term. Heads who are NUT members will have received this advice from HQ in Headway:
"The two non-pupil days are additional to the five during each school year required by the STP&C Document. They should be deducted from the 190 days set aside for the teaching year. They are intended by the Secretary of State to allow training around the Government's proposals for performance review and pay.
These proposals are not finalised yet and the Secretary of State has written (January 6th) to all Chief Education Officers in England with the following advice:
It would be premature to run performance management training for schools before the perforamance management framework has been finalised and draft regulations and model policy have been produced. Therefore, the intention is to launch this training with regional conferences for school representatives later in the summer term.
To avoid confusion, we have stipulated that the Standards Fund support available to schools for performance management and threshold assessment related training should only be used for DfEE accredited training..... We would discourage LEAs from developing their own training materials or model policies, which might not be compatible with the statutory requirements of performance management.
In the light of this, there should be no training of teachers in the Spring Term concerning the Government's performance management proposals. Any headteacher member who has arranged one of the Secretary of State's additional non-pupil days during the Spring Term 2000 are advised to announce its postponement."
The Suffolk NUT has pointed this out to the Suffolk LEA and to members in its Special PRP Briefing distributed at the end of February, beginning of March.
The NUT therefore believes that it is not the DfEE's intention that these training session be held until "later in the summer term" and we believe that there is still a lot of reflection and information gathering to be undertaken before the process can begin. We are aware that the application forms have been distributed and that there is, currently, a deadline for receipt of applications, of June 5th. Those deadlines were announced before the policy statement on when the two PD Days should be taken was issued and it may be that some new deadlines will be agreed. Furthermore, the Union is still seeking changes to the scheme, as well as an injunction and judicial review on related aspects.
The Union does not believe that it is right to rush into arrangements which, as the DfEE say, "might no be compatible with the statutory requirements for performance management". and which could inconvenience members or provide them with false information, should they wish to apply for the threshold assessment. Advice to members on threshold assessment applications will be provided shortly to members wishing to apply.
From Martin Goold, Secretary, Suffolk NUT