P5: Upfront

Feeding the future

The NUT has joined forces with the Children’s Food Campaign and other unions including the NASUWT, Unison and Unite to support a campaign to ensure that more children receive free healthy school meals.

Eating a healthy meal each day at school has been shown to help children develop healthy eating habits, as well as improving concentration in afternoon lessons. But under the current criteria, most children from working families living in poverty are not entitled to free school meals.

The shake-up of the benefits system means new criteria for eligibility will be needed, as the benefits that entitle families to free school meals will no longer exist. The campaign is taking the opportunity to call for all children from low-income families to get free meals.

To find out more and sign-up for email updates, visit www.childrensfood.org.uk or follow @childrensfood on Twitter.

United in pride

NUT members and students took part in a fun day out alongside thousands of revellers marching for Gay Pride’s 40th anniversary in London on Saturday 2 July and in other Gay Pride events throughout the country.

Planning is underway for LGBT History Month in February, which celebrates the lives and achievements of the LGBT community. The pre-launch event Oval and Out! takes place on 21 November at the Oval cricket ground in London. For more information visit http://lgbthistorymonth.org.uk or www.schools-out.org.uk.

NUT meets Minister in Wales

NUT General Secretary Christine Blower and NUT Cymru staff are meeting Wales Education Minister Leighton Andrews in September to challenge some of his plans for schools in Wales.

The Minister’s 20-point proposals include a national grading system for schools, plans to introduce national reading and numeracy tests through key stages 2 and 3, and changing performance management provisions for teachers and head teachers.

NUT Wales Secretary David Evans said: “A national system for the grading of schools will prove divisive and does not address the support and funding schools need. The Minister’s plans will have a significant impact on workload, the working environment and the professional development of our members.

“We hope our meeting will be an opportunity to discuss our concerns constructively.”

Keep up to date with education and the NUT by following us on Twitter. Sign up now at http://twitter.com/NUTonline for all the latest news and views. You can also stay informed by visiting www.teachers.org.uk.