COMMUNITY SCHOOLS Assembly corner


“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a


beginning.” From Little Gidding by TS Eliot, 1888- 1965, American poet and playwright


“Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no


account.” Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900, Irish writer, poet and aesthetic


“One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little


role of schools in Northern Ireland


advantage of the initiative has been seeing the students benefit from enhanced learning opportunities. Ashfield has been an ICT specialist school for some time. The new building and facilities have enabled us to really expand on this, allowing us to bring technology to the forefront of almost every aspect of our students’ day.” Examples of this include study pods and wi-fi


throughout the school, as well as a cashless cafeteria where students pay by placing their finger over a scanner. For Ms Mungavin, another major benefit of the


project is the psychological impact the new building has had on the attitude of the students. She added: “The students are very proud to attend Ashfield and they take full advantage of the facilities available, which as a principal is extremely gratifying.” Adeline Dinsmore, the former principal of Ashfield


Girls’ School who played a fundamental role in the redevelopment of the school before retiring in 2009, agreed. She explained: “When I joined the school it was


in a severe state of disrepair. Water came through the windows and we had tin cans dotted around classrooms collecting water from leaks – it is no surprise that we were nicknamed by people outside of the school as Trash Field and Tin Town. Although the students enjoyed attending Ashfield, with this reputation it was very difficult for them to feel any sense of pride in their school building. “Since getting the new school building this has


changed dramatically. The students now have a world class school which speaks volumes in terms of letting them and local people know that they are valued and that education is really important.” For Mr Graham, another benefit of the partnership is


the inclusion opportunities it has created. He continued: “It is widely known that Northern Ireland has gone through a period of religious and political troubles. Although integration between different groups has improved dramatically, schools still have a role to play in encouraging integration. “Although BMSG is traditionally thought of as a


‘Protestant’ school, it is located in a predominantly Catholic area. This puts us in a relatively unique position in the city, so on Wednesday afternoons we now hold joint classes with two Catholic schools – it is fantastic to see students in three different uniforms working together. Without the new school we just wouldn’t have the facilities and space to carry out these integrated lessons. For me a huge benefit of the Belfast Schools Partnership is its potential to help break down barriers and encourage inclusion within the community.” Although the Belfast Strategic Partnership has


been received well by students and teachers at the schools involved, Mr Dornan points out that securing


SecEd • January 6 2011 Union address: UNISON Broken promises?


When exactly will low-income school staff get


Community focus: Belfast Model School for Girls (main image and above) and Ashfield Girls’ School (below, left) are two of those to have undergone a dramatic rebuild


support in the early stages of the initiative was not always straightforward. He said: “Initially, there was an understandable level of scepticism among some school leaders – there was a nervousness that they might lose their autonomy. However, through constant communication, and by providing clear details on how the project would be run, we were able to overcome these concerns.” Ms Dinsmore admitted: “Sometimes it did feel


strange knowing that someone else essentially owned the school,” but added, “having seen the rewards of working with the private sector I would recommend it to anyone. You have to be clear from the outset about what you want to achieve and agree how to move forward, but once you have set your objectives the potential gains are endless.” Mr Graham agreed: “I did have some concerns


early on, but these faded quickly once I understood how the initiative would run. The partnership has been set up so each school’s primary function is to provide students with a space for learning. The majority of the community use of the school takes place after school hours. For anything that takes place during the day, separate community entrances are used to ensure the students are not disturbed. “In my view the Belfast Strategic Partnership has


struck the perfect balance between meeting the needs of our students and maximising opportunities to work with the community.” It is clear that the partnership has been well received


so far, and it is hoped that it will continue to run and extend to other schools in the city over the next few years. The public and private sector working together in this way, especially in the current economic climate, has to be a positive step in the right direction.


SecEd


their £250 pay boost? asks Christina McAnea


BACK IN June in the coalition’s much-trailed Emergency Budget, chancellor George Osborne set out plans for a two-year public sector pay freeze. He grabbed headlines and tried to sound like he was on the side of low-income families by pledging to give those earning less than £21,000 a £250 pay boost. Not much, but at least a small increase for local paid public sector workers – many of whom are women. But, the devil is in the detail. Pinning the government down to how, and even if this will be delivered, has been far more difficult. Unions representing school support staff are


being told that the £250 pay rise cannot be guaranteed, because many support staff are paid under the local government pay settlement, and currently the local government employers are refusing to pay up. By contrast, education secretary Michael


Gove has asked the School Teachers’ Review Body to recommend how they can pay those teachers who qualify for the £250 boost. The irony is if School Support Staff Negotiating Body for England was up and running this would have been an effective delivery vehicle for the £250. Instead, this is being abolished, leaving the minister and his officials saying they have no control over implementing this policy. We are continuing to raise this matter with


Mr Gove and his officials. Our case is simple: school budgets are passported directly to them through local authorities, around one third of schools are self-governing and directly employ their own staff and the secretary of state has the power to require schools to implement agreed national policies.


Given all these factors we believe it is entirely


possible and right that he delivers the £250 for our lowest paid workers in schools. UNSION will shortly launch a letter writing campaign, asking our members to contact their MP and ask a simple question: “I work in the public sector and I earn less than £21,000. When and how will I get my £250?” There were no caveats to the statement made


in Parliament by George Osborne in June, and it wasn’t presented as an aspiration. Either he lied then, or made the claim for short-term political gain and had no real plans to follow through with his pledge. On behalf of our members in schools, we will be demanding an answer from this government. I’ve been tempted recently to write a leaflet


for our members – “What has the coalition government done for me?” But it quickly became obvious that the list of negative impacts including cuts in jobs, services, changes to housing benefits and tax credits would make it more of a book than leaflet. Sadly, this is not the last example of the lowest


paid bearing the burden for the financial crisis. Cutting the Education Maintenance Allowances (EMA) is a truly regressive policy that will have a massive impact on young people from low-income families. This was a means-tested, targeted allowance


linked to attendance and performance. Official figures estimate that at least 60,000 additional students stay in education after age 16 each year because of it. Its impact however is not evenly spread. In a


recent article, Polly Toynbee pointed out that in the boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets, 10,000 teenagers will lose EMA, while in Richmond and Chelsea fewer than 900 are affected. Perhaps this explains why it has not attracted


the same media coverage as student fees. If anything defines this coalition government’s education policy it is this – it is a direct attack on low-income students and will have enormous impact for many years to come.


• Christina McAnea UNISON’s head of education and childrens’ services. Visit www.unison.org.uk/education


Redefining the


things.” John Burroughs, 1837-1921, American naturalist and essayist


“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s


resolutions.” Joey Adams, 1911-1999, American comedian


“I think in terms of the day’s


resolutions, not the year’s.” Henry Moore, 1898-1986, English sculptor and artist


Submit your assembly quotes by emailing pete.h@markallengroup.com


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