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NEWS • VIEWS • INFORMATION • ADVICE





Health and Safety



Case study



Sandra McInally became a Health and Safety Representative in 2008 following an inspiring speech at the NASUWT’s Annual Conference from Carole Hagedorn, a member suffering from mesothelioma.



Like Carole, Sandra’s school contained asbestos and she decided to become a Health and Safety Representative to support the Union’s work on protecting members from the deadly dust.



“I felt that members needed to be protected from asbestos and after going to Conference I wanted to do something about it, so I became a Health and Safety Representative” she explained.



“There were also quite high stress levels among colleagues at my school, so I wanted to improve the power of the NASUWT within my school.”



As the only current Health and Safety Representative on Guernsey, Sandra supports members in schools around the island undertaking risk assessments and supporting members. She believes that women have an important role in play in promoting good health and safety in the workplace.



“Women are more likely to recognise issues like the need for proper care for female staff going through the menopause or those who are pregnant. These are issues that can otherwise often get overlooked.”



She says that becoming a Health and Safety Representative has enabled her to help her colleagues and broadened her knowledge.



“It has given me a much better understanding of what to look for in terms of things that can be harmful in schools and the ability to try and do something about it to protect everyone.”



Interested in becoming a Health and Safety Representative?



Health and Safety Representatives are responsible for working with school managers and fellow NASUWT activists to ensure that their workplace is compliant with health and safety laws. They also support NASUWT members in their school to deal with any health and safety related issues they may be facing.



The role touches upon a wide range of issues, including stress, asbestos, mental health, accidents in the workplace, bullying, the menopause, disability access and workplace temperatures.



All members who volunteer to become NASUWT Workplace Representative receive full training and support from the Union.



A Facebook group for NASUWT health and safety activists has been set up where activists can discuss topical issues and share resources. Log on to www.facebook.com/nasuwt to find out more and join the group.



Visit www.nasuwt.org.uk/BecomingAHealthAndSafetyRep





UNIVERSITY TECHNICAL COLLEGES – tripartite system looms



Publicly owned state education is facing another threat from a push to entice more private providers into setting up their own schools.



The Coalition Government has stated that it intends to open dozens of university technical colleges (UTCs) and studio schools by 2014. Like academies, these schools will be run privately, independent of local authorities and able to determine their own curriculum.



The first UTC opened in 2010, with a total of 24 expected to be operational by 2014. They are designed to specialise in technical subjects such as engineering and construction and teach these disciplines alongside business skills and the use of ICT.



Each UTC is sponsored by a university and industry partner, and in all key respects is an academy operating through a funding agreement with the Department for Education (DfE).



Studio schools are a new model of 14- 19 provision. They are small schools of typically around 300 pupils that offer mainstream qualifications through project-based learning. Students will have access to a personal coach and schools will work with local employers to deliver the curriculum.



The first studio schools opened in 2010, with four more launched in September 2011 and a further 26 planned by September 2012.



In addition to the NASUWT’s longstanding concerns about the threat posed to state education by the hiving off of teaching and learning to private providers, there are additional issues posed by UTCs and studio schools.



These schools pose a direct threat to established secondary schools as they will be completely new schools, in addition to existing provision. Existing schools will not be able to convert to a UTC or studio school.



The nature of their curriculum and how this will be monitored is unclear. The NASUWT is concerned that the curriculum they offer will be narrow and limited to meeting the needs of sponsoring employers, rather than providing students with a broad and balanced education.



They also threaten a return to the highly divisive ‘tripartite’ system of education in which highly able students will be drawn away from existing schools, thereby fuelling division and inequality between neighbouring schools.



The NASUWT is monitoring developments and will be producing further advice and guidance for members on UTCs and studio schools.





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