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Campaign to defend education

What’s happening in your school?

We asked NUT reps in schools across the country what was happening where they are. This is what they told us.

Primary school rep

A new appraisal policy had been drafted for our school, but we decided not to agree to it, as it did not specifi cally defi ne the three-hour limit on observations. We are now reverting back to the previous performance management policy.

Those teachers in our school who have been given responsibilities for some areas of the curriculum without a Teaching and Learning Responsibility payment are now getting time off to develop that area.

Thanks for the action short of strike action. It worked in our school!

Primary school rep

I wanted to let you know that our very small NUT group (four of us!) met today to discuss the action short of strike action document. Most of the instructions are already being followed with the exception of the instruction about meetings. I will be drafting a letter from our members to the school’s leadership team to request that we do not attend additional meetings to those already set in the calendar.

Secondary school rep

As a result of negotiations with the head teacher and working with NASUWT members, it was announced that there would be no more than three objectives in the performance management procedures.

We held a union meeting run by the NUT division secretary. There was a high turnout. As a direct result of this meeting, all proposed ‘pupil pursuits’ were removed and the nature of three observations clarified – there was going to be one for performance management, one for school baseline, and one for supportive CPD.

While we didn’t get everything we asked for, it was a huge improvement from last year. Staff are feeling more empowered, freer to express their opinion and that they have some weight in what happens at the school.”

Secondary school rep

Despite joint union instructions, management was insisting on countless observations by line managers. Any teacher who refused would be given two days’ notice of an observation by a member of the leadership team. Furthermore, governors would be informed and they would consider how much pay may be docked!

I was assured by the NUT local association that the Union would back members who were willing to stand fi rm and support a strike if management didn’t climb down. I held a meeting with members, who were unanimous in asking for support for strike action. I went to see the head immediately to let him know our views. In spite of the likelihood of a strike, however, he was completely intransigent – they would be sticking to their original position.

But then I was called to the head teacher’s offi ce to be told that there will be just three observations in total this year.

This is a great victory and I am so pleased for our members. Never has the adage ‘Unity is Strength’ been so true. Sixty NUT members united and won a great victory and now have the confi dence to take on the management.