www.sec-ed.com News
More strikes promised
In brief
Recipes for success
A recipe book aimed at children
and families has been launched
by education secretary Ed Balls.
Simple Cooking: Cold Food
in battle with council
That Tastes Great, the second
in a series of government cook
books for youngsters, contains
more than 20 recipes for healthy
meals and snacks that are easy to
prepare, including salads, deli-
wraps, and muffins.
by Dorothy Lepkowska
result in more than 70 job losses classroom unions, though not at all council had so far been “obdu- “I have only just announced the Visit: www.teachernet.gov.
and reduce post-16 choice for five schools. rate and intransigent” in refusing to new Cabinet and in time will carry uk/wholeschool/healthyliving/
students. Lynn Collins, regional secretary heed the concerns of teaching staff, out a review of the council’s posi- schoolfoodanddrink/realmeals
Union representatives have called The plans include turning for the National Union of Teachers, parents and local communities. tion on BSF,” he said.
for urgent talks with newly elected Woodhouse Business and Enterprise said: “The council has passed to the This month’s strikes have been “Any subsequent policy deci-
council chiefs in Staffordshire in an College into an academy and build- Conservatives and we are very con- part of continuous industrial action, sions will be based on what we
Beat the bullies
attempt to stave off further strike ing a post-16 centre for the whole scious of the fact that their election which has been taking place since all wish for, achieving the best The Anti-Bullying Alliance
action by teachers. of Tamworth on the site of Queen manifesto outlined ambivalence to April, when teachers began a future educational and career out- has launched an online local
Staff at five secondary schools Elizabeth Mercian School, both of academies. “working to defined limits” protest, comes for the young people of authority Anti-Bullying Toolkit,
in Tamworth have been staging a which would be run by the Landau “We want to see an early com- which involved refusing to provide Tamworth. designed to meet the demand
series of one-day stoppages over the Forte trust. mitment on the part of councillors cover, attend meetings, or support “I am dismayed that the unions from local authorities for
past two weeks in protest at county As SecEd was going to press, to hold talks on this important issue. extra-curricular activities. are taking this strike action which is support in developing strategic
council plans to re-organise educa- union leaders said they had lobbied In the light of a new council being Staffordshire’s new council potentially damaging to the educa- approaches to tackling bullying
tion in the area. councillors attending the first full elected, we would at least expect a leader, Philip Atkins, said BSF and tion of today’s students.” in schools and other educational
They fear that proposals out- council meeting to try to secure review of the proposals to be car- the industrial action had not been Meanwhile, the trade unions settings. The toolkit includes
lined in the council’s £100 mil- a commitment to review the pro- ried out.” discussed at the first full council have served notice that they information on standards for
lion Building Schools for the posals. The stoppages have been Chris Keates, general secretary meeting last week, despite a lobby are planning to strike again on monitoring and measuring
Future (BSF) programme will supported by members of all three of the NASUWT union, said the by staff and parents outside. Tuesday (June 30). performance, and case studies
offering practical examples of
Curriculum packs a
how to devise an effective anti-
bullying strategy. Visit: www.
anti-bullyingalliancetoolkit.org.uk
‘waste’ of £717,624
special ingredients
Guidance that aims to help
teachers in special schools
The Scottish government has been They detail the tools and guide- to promote healthier eating
criticised for “wasting” almost three lines for Curriculum for Excellence, among students has been made
quarters of a million pounds by which is due to be implemented available. Eat Better, Do Better:
sending every teacher in the country next year and has been described by A Practical Guide to Adopting a
information on the new curriculum education secretary Fiona Hyslop as Whole School Approach to Food
that is already available online. “the most radical education reform in Special Schools comprises
Labour’s education spokeswom- in a generation”. written advice and a CD offering
an, Rhona Brankin, told the Scottish Hugh O’Donnell, Liberal examples of best practice from
parliament: “Sending out these packs Democrat education spokesman, schools and health professionals.
is a feeble attempt to gloss over the said: “This has to be one of the It aims to help special schools in
fact that schools are in the midst of a most profligate wastes of public achieving and maintaining their
major funding squeeze.” money that this government has National Healthy School Status.
Earlier this month a total of delivered. Almost every teacher Visit: www.healthyschools.gov.uk
89,703 folders were distributed to in Scotland has access to Glow
schools, early years centres, teacher (the Scottish schools intranet).
education institutes and local edu- Resources could have been posted
Out and about
cation authorities, according to gov- there.” Schools are being encouraged to
ernment figures. Printed on high However, the Scottish govern- enter the 2009 Learning Outside
quality paper, each one cost £8 to ment defended the expenditure, the Classroom Awards, which
produce and distribute, making an saying teaching unions had request- recognise innovative use of
overall bill of £717,624. ed individual packs. outside space, and the benefits of
getting children out and about.
Tributes flood in for
The awards are organised by the
Council for Learning Outside
the Classroom, and give schools
former union president
the chance to showcase activities
taking place in the school
grounds, local environment or
Teachers have been mourning the Speaking on Monday (June 22), further afield. The deadline for
loss to the profession of a staunch Ejiro Ughwujabo, headteacher of St entries is Friday, July 17. Visit:
“advocate and supporter” after the Mary’s, told SecEd: “We are abso- www.lotc.org.uk
sudden death of Amanda Haehner lutely shocked. She had been on a
(pictured below). sabbatical with the union, but we
The former president of were very much looking forward to Festive spirit: Frances
swine flu update
the National Association of welcoming her back next year. Crossley, Eve Niker, and A secondary school in Slough
Schoolmasters Union of Women “Everyone at the school is dev- Lizzy Coote (pictured left was due to re-open this week
Teachers (NASUWT) died recently astated, from the pupils who knew to right) are all hoping to after a closure sparked by a 13-
of septicaemia at the age of 48. her to the staff, and members of find success at this year’s year-old student being diagnosed
An English and citizenship the wider community have been in Edinburgh Fringe Festival with swine flu. Wexham School
teacher at St Mary’s High School touch too. distributed anti-viral medication
in Croydon, Amanda qualified as “She created a great atmosphere to all parents, teachers and
a teacher in 1982. She was a local in the school, and was always the
NASUWT activist since 1983, and first person I went to for advice on
became a member of the union’s my school policies.
Pupils take play to Edinburgh
students. Meanwhile, Ripon
Grammar School in Yorkshire,
which closed on June 10 after
National Executive in 1994, rep- “Her death is a huge loss, and a year 7 girl was diagnosed
resenting South London boroughs every one of our teaching staff will Bill Bailey, Emma Thompson, ment at finding a country gripped and 18, and the lead role is taken by with the virus, re-opened last
from Bexley to Richmond. be at her funeral,” he added. Steve Coogan, Rowan Atkinson, by recession. Chris Scott, who is also head boy at Thursday (June 18). Visit: www.
In 2006, Amanda was elected Chris Keates, general secretary and Stephen Fry have all trodden Drama teacher Julia Crossley the school. teachernet.gov.uk/emergencies/
junior vice president, and became of the NASUWT, said: “Amanda’s the boards at the Edinburgh Fringe has worked closely with the students He told SecEd: “Devising the planning/flupandemic
president of the union in 2008, friendly and approachable personal- Festival on their way to national throughout the creative process. play was more exciting than taking
during which time she focused on ity won her many friends and col- and international fame. She told us: “We took a play to an existing work up to Edinburgh,
promoting the National Agreement leagues in the teaching profession Now, a group of budding thes- the Fringe last year – Messiah by and it will be fascinating to get
Clarification
and highlighting the realities of life and she will be deeply missed. pians from a Berkshire school are Stephen Berkoff – and it went down some feedback and opinion from Last week, SecEd reported on
for the classroom practitioner. “In all her work for us, she hoping to emulate their success by really well. However, this year we the audience. the first school award to be
championed the cause of the class- taking their own production, called wanted to take something original. “However, we know it’s going given under the new Parental
room teacher. She was proud to be Home, north of the border for a “Earlier in the year, we pro- to be very tough – we’ll be compet- Engagement Quality Standards,
one and always wanted to make week-long run. duced a version of Kinderchildren ing against so many other shows, which were recently rolled out
sure that teachers were treated with Devised and performed entire- – a play about the children evacuat- and it will be a challenge to get by the Specialist Schools and
dignity and respect. The NASUWT ly by pupils at Bradfield College, ed from Europe during the Second people through the doors. We have Academies Trust. The Gold
and teachers have lost a staunch Home combines dance, drama and World War. At one performance, faith in the piece though, and we are Award was given to Bradley
advocate and supporter.” comedy in a tale that details the cen- the students had the chance to talk just looking forward to the opening Stoke Community School in
Amanda was also a great friend turies of immigration to Britain, and to a holocaust survivor, and this night.” Gloucestershire, and not Stoke
and supporter of SecEd, and our asks what it means to be British. gave us the idea of looking at iden- Home will be performed from Community School as was
heartfelt sympathy is extended to The story follows a Greek immi- tity and immigration as a theme for August 7 to 15 at 12:25pm, at The reported. We are happy to rectify
her family, friends and colleagues. grant who arrives in modern Britain our play.” Pleasance Theatre in Edinburgh. this oversight. Visit: www.
Her funeral took place in Cambridge in search of a better standard of The cast comprises 14 pupils For ticket information, call 0131 ssatrust.org.uk
yesterday (Wednesday, June 24). living, describing his disappoint- from the college, aged between 14 226000.
SecEd • June 25 2009 
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24