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Campaign to defend education

Acting for education

Our joint union protest to protect teachers’ terms and conditions is well underway. Read on to find out what’s been happening.

Keep up to date with our campaign

• Ask your school rep for information.

• Attend any Union meetings called by your rep or local association/division.

• Follow us at www.twitter.com/NUTonline

• Tell us your email address so we can let you know the latest news. You can do this at www.teachers.org.uk/update

• Get involved by becoming an NUT rep. Read pages 26 and 27 to find out more and visit www.teachers.org.uk/getinvolved.

As we go to press, the NUT’s joint action with the NASUWT is in its third month and NUT members are reporting significant successes across the country. Members are taking action short of strike action while continuing to teach as normal, to allow teachers to concentrate on teaching and learning.

Strike action has been threatened in some schools. At Bishop Challoner in Tower Hamlets, London, notice of discontinuous action was issued after the head planned two days of inspections with no clear lesson observation framework. The NUT and NASUWT met the head and agreed a protocol consistent with the Union’s own policy, and strike action was averted.

NUT members at Highcrest Academy in Buckinghamshire refused to participate in appraisal because the scheme did not conform to the joint unions’ checklist. They were told they would lose pay. The unions gave notice of discontinuous strike action, which brought the academy to the negotiating table. The appraisal scheme was amended and pay deductions dropped. The academy and unions have now agreed to hold regular meetings.

Members at Ridgewood School, Doncaster, voted to strike against excessive observations and drop-ins. The school management agreed to limit observations to three with an agreed focus and notification, in line with NUT policy.

Read some other success stories on page 13 and let us know how your school is getting on. Ask your NUT rep to email a report to reps@nut.org.uk

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