P22: Ask the Union

Q Our head teacher has told us that she and the governors are considering academy status for the school. She says nothing will change for staff – we’ll get the same pay and conditions and the school will be run in the same way as it is now. Should we trust what she says?

A No doubt your head is acting in good faith but in practice no-one can give such guarantees. Your current head and governors won’t be there forever and experience shows that teachers can come under pressure to agree to changes.

The pay and conditions of existing teachers are protected under TUPE (transfer of undertaking) regulations. However, if you subsequently decide to return to work in a maintained school, even in the same borough or county as the academy, you will have to build up your service again, from scratch, to qualify for protection from unfair dismissal or statutory maternity pay. Your academy service may not be counted for benefits such as sick leave.

An academy can introduce a different contract for new teachers. Usually this means worse terms and conditions. Academy contracts frequently involve a longer working day/week and inferior sickness and maternity arrangements.

The best way to defend pay and conditions is for schools not to become academies. For more details visit www.teachers.org.uk/academies.

Q I work for the central SEN support service and have heard that the Government is suggesting that some services such as speech and language therapy, educational psychology, and mental health provision and support to schools, could be run by the voluntary or community sector in the future. Is this true?

A There is a real danger that the expertise of staff currently working in central SEN support services will be lost to the voluntary and community sector. Staff working in these services may face changes to their terms and conditions if the proposals in the SEN Green Paper come to fruition.

The Government is also reviewing the training of educational psychologists (EPs) as part of its consultation on special educational needs. The NUT has stressed its concern that any dilution of EP training may reduce their professionalism.

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Any member who is worried about threats to their job or terms and conditions should contact their NUT division or association for advice. You can see the NUT’s response to the SEN Green Paper on www.teachers.org.uk/ taxonomy/term/1608.