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Early years

Early years – don’t teach extra hours

The NUT welcomes the extra hours of free nursery care the Government is funding for all three and four year olds from this September, but some teachers’ working hours and conditions may be compromised. Read on to make sure you don’t lose out.

From September 2010, all three and four year olds are entitled to 15 hours a week early learning and care, up from 12½ hours. Many areas are also piloting the Early Years Single Funding Formula, which could lead to budget cuts. These two developments could affect your working conditions. Problems highlighted by NUT members who have been piloting them include:

• increased contact hours

 • a longer working day, shorter lunchtime and reduced breaks

• heavier workload due to more, or larger, groups

• inappropriate deployment of support staff

• less time for discussion with colleagues and/or parents.

One London NUT member said her nursery colleagues had no idea how they could fit in an extra half an hour a day. “We know now! They are starting their day 15 minutes earlier, their lunchtime is 30 minutes shorter, and they finish five minutes after the rest of us.”

Don’t let this happen in your setting. Extending early learning and care must not be done at the expense of teachers’ conditions of employment. Children will not have the best learning experience if their teacher is overburdened with additional work.

Finding solutions

 You don’t have to accept this situation.

Karen Robinson, NUT primary and early years specialist, says: “Additional funding has been made available to implement the increase in hours. This should be spent protecting teachers’ working conditions and maintaining the quality of early years education and care. Your NUT division can help you find out how this money has been allocated.”

Karen explains there are many ways settings can implement the additional hours so staff don’t suffer.

For example:

• Parents don’t have to be offered the precise pattern of hours they wish – there’s no expectation that schools should please everyone.

• Imaginative and flexible solutions are possible. For example the three-hours-a-day provision can include breakfast clubs, lunch and after-school clubs, with which teachers do not need to be involved. These can, in some cases, involve working with children’s centres or private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers.

• Part-time teaching staff may wish to work more hours. If so, this is an obvious way of making up the shortfall, provided these teachers are offered more pay.

Right to consultation

You have the right to be consulted about any changes that affect your working conditions. If you are unhappy about any proposals, the NUT is here to help.

If your head instructs you to teach additional hours, say you do not accept this and will seek advice from the NUT. Contact your NUT school rep or division/association secretary. They will support you in challenging any unreasonable requests.

The NUT has already successfully defended members’ working conditions around the country, including in Bradford, Dudley, Croydon and Tower Hamlets. Find the contact details of your NUT division/association on your membership credentials or at www.teachers.org.uk/contactus.

For further information go to www.teachers.org.uk and look in Campaigns > Early Years.