Striking Wembley primary school in forced takover demands DfE pause process during pre-election period

 

From Brent NEU

 

PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF NATIONAL EDUCATION UNION, PARENTS AND BARRY GARDINER TO PRESENT PETITION AT DfE

 

NEU members at Byron Court Primary School are continuing their strike in a fight to save their local community school which is threatened with a forced privatisation by the huge Harris Federation chain of academies. STRIKES CONTINUE TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY this week. On WEDNESDAY the campaign group will present their petition of nearly 2000 signatories to the DfE.

 

Staff at Byron Court Primary School in Wembley continue their strike action this week to save their local community school from a forced “academy order” following an intimidating Ofsted inspection which has left some staff fearing for their mental health and their futures. They are hoping for a reprieve and pause in the academy order process due to government guidelines on the pre-election “purdah” period.

 

NEU MEMBERS, PARENTS, COUNCILLORS AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN TURNING OUT TO SUPPORT THE PICKET LINES AND PROTESTS FOLLOWING A HIGH PROFILE PARENT CAMPAIGN WHICH IS ALSO SUPPPORTED BY BARRY GARDINER LABOUR PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE FOR BRENT WEST. 

 

Meanwhile a live complaint lodged with Ofsted is now with the external adjudicator following the internal complaints process in which Ofsted “mark their own work” and there is also a formal complaint lodged with the Chief of Operations of Ofsted. It is hoped this may halt the takeover.

Harris Federation told to keep their hands off Byron Park Primary School

 

 

Representatives of the Harris Federation of Academy Schools could not have failed to hear the chants and shouts of campaigners when they visited Byron Court Primary School to speak to staff after school today.

 The quiet suburban streets echoed to 'Hands Off Our School', 'Whose School? - Our School!', 'Kids not Quids'(a reference to the half-million salary of the Harris boss), and 'Byron Court - Can't be bought.'

The recent  LINK letter to the DfE by Gwen Grahl Brent Council Lead Member for Schools, was welcomed  by many parents I spoke to as a stepping up of the Council's support for the camapign against the Harris takeover. Several councillors sent apologies for not being able to attend, Cllr Jumbo Chan sent a solidarity statement and Cllr Daniel Kennelly (Preston ward) used the megaphone to pledge support for the campaign aim to keep Byron Park as an academy overseen by the local authority.

The campaign demands are basic:

1. Give the new leadership team, helped by the local authority, a chance to demonstrate that they have addressed the issues raised by Ofsted.

2. Suspend the academisation process while that happens and then arrange an Ofsted re-inspection that will hopefully record an improvement and make academisation no longer necessary.

Meanwhile the NEU is conducting a strike ballot on the basis that academisation would change and worsen their conditions of service. Presently many Federation school union branches are in dispute with Harris over wages and conditions.

Several speakers expressed pride in the way staff and parents were united in the battle to Save Byron Court - and the children deserve a mention too. They were passionate in their support for the school and not afraid to shout it out loud and clear.

The bright yellow shirts of the campaigners were symbolic of the upbeat mood of the protesters - they are clearly refusing to be downhearted and will fight on.

Lyon Park support staff approve a settlement after strikes and intensive negotiations

 

Following talks involving the school and Brent Council and a final round of discussions with ACAS, the conciliation service,  staff at Lyon Park have accepted a settlement of the dispute.

The settlement covers the issues at dispute after the school management proposed a restructuring that cut pay, hours and jobs and worsened conditions of service.

Jenny Cooper, co-secretary of Brent National Education Union said: 

98% voted to accept the new, much improved offer, which was offered purely because of members determined strike action

A victory for the union.

Picket lines at the school were joined by Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North, Daniel Kebede the new General Secretary of the NEU, Brent Trades Council representatives, retired teachers and many others.

Other Brent schools are faced with deficit budgets, and some have dug into reserves in order to balance their budgets. Restructures are taking place across the borough and this dispute has set a precedent for solidarity action that may be needed in other disputes,

Lyon Park Primary management coming to the table with new proposals tomorrow (Monday). Petition launched in support of strikers,

 

Lyon Park Primary School strikers appeared to be in good spirits and showing strong solidarity on the fifth day of their strike over worsening conditions of service as a result of a staff restructuring.

The school management is expected to come to the negotiating table with fresh proposals on Monday morning in an effort to reach a settlement.  

If these don't succeed I understand there will be an approach to ACAS on Wednesday.

When I spoke to parents outside the school last week during a leafleting session aimed at informing them of the impact of the restructure, they were keen to say how much they appreciated the work of support staff.  Many talked about the good relationship between staff and pupils, and between parents and the support staff. They told me about the support their children received and how important it was to children with special educational needs or those new to the country at an early stage of leaning English.  They acknowledged the impact of the strike on them and their children but also saw that short-term hurt was better than the long-term damage that would follow if the staff did not stand up against the changes.  Support staff were an important part of the local community.

Lyon Park staff took their struggle to Westminster on Wednesday, Autumn Statement day, when they spoke to an NEU Rally calling for an increase in school funding. Inadequate school funding in the face of rising costs is at the heart of the budget crisis in many London schools, including Lyon Park.

 

A petition has been launched calling on governors to not cut pay and change working conditions:

Dear Governors, 

We are signing this petition to ask you to value our experienced support staff at Lyon Park and to ask you NOT to cut their pay and not to force teaching assistants to cover  [teacher absence] if they are not paid as a higher level teaching assistant.

 

 SIGN HERE

Autumn Statement fail: 92% of mainstream schools will be unable to cope with cost increases in 2024/25. For 99% of secondary schools and 91% of primary schools, cuts to education provision are now inevitable.

 The Lyon Park Primary School strike is only the most visible sign of the funding crisis in our schools -  more problems will follow in other schools as governing bodies try to balance their budgets.

There was hope that the Autumn Statement might provide cash to help remedy the problem of underfunding  - but no!

Commenting on the Chancellor’s speech, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:   

“The economy is struggling to achieve growth, and the Government has downgraded its own growth forecasts in today’s statement. Investing properly in education is an urgent and overriding economic priority, yet what we have seen today is nothing of the sort.

“Just 3.9% of UK GDP is spent on education, compared to the OECD average of 5%. This was highlighted to Jeremy Hunt in a letter earlier this month from the leaders of four education unions, including the NEU. The Chancellor’s response is completely inadequate and makes a mockery of the Prime Minister’s repeated claim that education is at the heart of this Government’s priorities. 

“It should be of great concern to Jeremy Hunt that 92% of mainstream schools will be unable to cope with cost increases in 2024/25. For 99% of secondary schools and 91% of primary schools, cuts to education provision are now inevitable.

“These schools have already seen years of under-investment, and in far too many cases school buildings have drifted into serious disrepair. The Chancellor couldn’t even bring himself to fund urgent work on the school estate, following the RAAC scandal which has brought such embarrassment to this Government. This would require at least £4.4bn per year.

“With underfunded and understaffed schools and colleges, and school buildings crumbling, the Government must prioritise investment in schools and colleges and fund a fair pay rise for staff next year. Teachers and support staff have seen their living standards hammered since 2010. Our member surveys show that a majority are ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ worried about keeping up with household bills. They have been hit even harder by pay cuts against inflation than other workers, creating major recruitment and retention problems.  

“More of the same is not good enough – and it certainly fails parents and young people, too. In order to recruit and retain the teachers that we so clearly need, the Government must demonstrate they value them. That means an urgent, properly funded and major correction in pay, alongside the investment needed to reduce sky-high workload and to make school and college buildings fit for purpose. The Chancellor’s statement does nothing to repair the damage caused by 13 years of Conservative cuts. The Government will pay a heavy political price for continuing to ignore the problems it has created for educators, parents and young people.” 

Barry Gardiner joins picket line as Lyon Park Primary School closed by strike against pay cuts

 

Lyon Park Primary School was closed today as National Education Union members went on strike to oppose wage cuts that the management want to impose on some staff as part of a restructure.

Brent North MP, Barry Gardiner, visited the picket line and told the spirited strikers:

Thank God you've got a union that actually supports you! All support to you.

It's great that you have the NEU backing you in this dispute. I know it is tough but stick it out.

Actually, you see time and time again that you win because when the union backs you, you keep on going - build the solidarityand that will mean ultimately you can win this dispute.

 

Following talks failure Lyon Park Primary School strikes are back on - the first tomorrow and more next week

The concessions made by Lyon Park Primary School that led to the suspension of planned strikes over the staffing restructure have not been sufficient according to Brent NEU and so strikes are back on.

More talks took place during the suspension period but did not settle the issue in which at least five members of staff  expect to lose up to £4,500 pay a year as a result of the restructure.  The NEU say that in addition teaching assistants are being required to undertake unacceptable levels of cover.

NEU members at the school have voted to continue their action and will be on strike Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. There was an 83% turnout in the ballot of whom 100% voted to strike.

BREAKING: Lyon Park Primary strike suspended pending talks

 Lyon Park Primary strike action has been suspended because the cCuncil stepped in and agreed to fund all the voluntary redundancies applied for and has agreed to facilitate talks, starting tomorrow, to resolve all the other issues. 

 

The NEU will go ahead with the dates of strike action next week if these talks do not resolve the outstanding matters.

As funding crisis begins to hit Brent schools join Education Cuts Hurt - Fund Our Schools Rally November 22nd 6pm

 

 

Parents, students, governors, support staff, teachers and councillors are being urged to make their voices heard over school funding as long-term underfunding begins to hit local schools by attending the above rally tim ed to coincide with the Autumn Statement.

'Restructures' are taking place in many schools with support staff likely to be hit by redundancies. As Wembley Matters has pointed out before support staff have become vital to the achievement of higher quality education in Brent schools. They run special programmes of support in primary schools with a focus on maths and literacy, deliver 1:1 programmes on speech and language that may have previously been delivered by speech therapists, and provide behaviour and pastoral support. 

A long way from the 'washing paintpots' role of the 70s that readers may have experienced. 

Teaching support staff are so integrated into the classroom that many children see them as another teacher.

The differences are hidden and include low pay and for some term-time only contracts. In Brent they are overwhelmingly women and ethnic minority and if the main wage earner, often have to take on another job in order to make ends meet.

By far the biggest proportion of the  school budget is spent on salaries. Essential equipment and materials prices have increased with inflation. not to leave out soaring energy costs, so it is staffing costs that bear the brunt of budget cuts. Every class or subject has to have a teacher, so inevitably it is support staff, the often invisible backbone of the school, who face redundancy.

The situation is so bad that the National Education Union now runs training sessions for its school representatives in restructuring and redundancy - and resistance:

 

 

Local authority schools (as distinct from academies) that are unable to balance their budget can request a 'licensed deficit'. This means the LA will support them over a period of several years to bring their budget back into balance. They have to submit plans to reduce costs over that period to gain a licence and this can mean  more time to allow 'natural wastage' to take effect, as long as it includes a rationale that maintains the quality of education in the longer term. A difficult task. The LA's capacity to do this is limited by its own financial constraints so it is not the answer to widespread difficulties.

Falling pupil numbers also contribute to the budget crisis as schools are funded per pupil. If schools cannot fill their classes the staffing costs for a teacher (and a class teaching assistant) remain the same for a 24 pupil class as for a 30 pupil class. Smaller classes are welcome but need proper funding.   Brent Council is currently reviewing primary provision and will be proposing changes such as reducing some schools by a class per year with the possibility of mergers or closures in the longer term. They are currently consulting on the closure of the Brentfield Road site of Leopold Primary School.

There have been decades of under-investment in schools. This year was going to be difficult anyway but the situation has been made worse by the Government's mistake in the simple foecast of the number of  pupils in schools, so that schools have a lower budget than promised.

Leaders of the teaching unions wrote to the Secretary of State on October 15th:

On 17 July, Schools Minister Nick Gibb told the House of Commons:  

“Funding for mainstream schools through the schools National Funding Formula is increasing by 2.7 per cent per pupil compared to 2023-24.  

“The minimum per-pupil funding levels (MPPLs) will increase by 2.4 per cent compared to 2023-24. This will mean that, next year, every primary school will receive at least £4,655 per pupil, and every secondary school at least £6,050.  

“The core factors in the schools NFF (such as basic per-pupil funding, and the lump sum that all schools attract) will increase by 2.4 per cent.”  

On 6 October we were informed that there had been an error resulting in an underestimate in forecasting pupil numbers, and that the NFF tables issued in July were being revised and republished to stay within the already announced Core Schools Budget.  

Funding for mainstream schools through the schools NFF will now increase by just 1.9 per cent. The minimum per-pupil funding level for primary schools will be £4,610 (£45 less per pupil) and for secondary schools it will be £5,995 (£55 less per pupil). The core factors of the NFF will now only increase by 1.4 per cent.  

Government’s revisions to the NFF, in light of higher than forecast pupil numbers, effectively reduce the value of the NFF by £370 million. Schools are already having difficulty balancing their books; some will now face the very real prospect of cuts to provision.

Brent teachers and parents are already hearing about the difficulties and proposed cuts to provision. The November 22nd Rally organisers say:

After more than a decade of underfunding of education, we see the results in crumbling buildings, a profound teacher recruitment crisis and redundancies and restructures in schools across the city.

Cuts to Special Educational Needs provision are damaging the education and life chances of millions of children and young people.

Hear from those organising and fighting for the money we need, including trade unionists, parent campaigners and politicians.

Join the short demonstration beforehand as parliament meets to hear the Tories' Autumn Statement. Bring friends, colleagues and family to demand better. Save our schools, fund education.

Join the Resistance - book your place HERE

 

Six education unions ask urgent questions of Gillian Keegan about RAAC-affected schools

 The general secretaries of six unions representing school workers, including heads, teachers and support staff – GMB, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, UNISON and Unite – have written a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Education calling for an update on the extent of her Department’s research into RAAC-affected schools. They ask six urgent questions:

1. How many schools at risk of RAAC have not had an investigation?
2. How many schools suspect they could have RAAC?
3. How many schools with suspected RAAC have yet to be surveyed?
4. How long does the Government expect it to take for all at-risk schools to be investigated?
5. How long does the Government think it will take for all schools with suspected RAAC to be surveyed?
6. What deadline has been set to clear RAAC from every school?

 

The full text is below:

 

Dear Secretary of State,

 

Last week you published a small amount of information on the progress with the crisis in schools caused by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Your department told us:

• more than 90 per cent of schools are covered by responsible bodies that have completed the RAAC questionnaire (1);
• in 156 schools it was confirmed that RAAC was present (2); and
• 52 of 156 schools have mitigations in place to protect pupils and staff from RAAC. (3)

 

However, this does not appear to reflect the full extent of the problem. In May, the Department for Education (DfE) told the National Audit Office (NAO) (4):

• 86 per cent of schools are covered by responsible bodies that have completed the RAAC questionnaire;
• 14,900 schools are at risk of containing RAAC;
• 6,300 of 14,900 schools had been walked round to identify possible RAAC;
• 572 of 6,300 schools suspected they had RAAC
• 196 of 572 schools had been surveyed to determine if they had RAAC;
• 65 of 196 schools had confirmed RAAC was present; and
• 24 of 65 schools required mitigations to protect pupils and staff from RAAC.

 

We believe it is incumbent on the DfE to update the figures it has published in order to eliminate misunderstanding of the scale of the problem.

 

Using the data the DfE provided to the NAO, we estimate that hundreds more schools could have RAAC (5) and we presume this is why you told the Today programme there could be “hundreds“ more schools with RAAC (6). If the Government does not increase funding for the school rebuilding programme which is currently refurbishing 50 schools a year, then the RAAC problem will not be resolved until the 2030s.

 

Please could you answer the following urgent questions:

1. How many schools at risk of RAAC have not had an investigation?
2. How many schools suspect they could have RAAC?
3. How many schools with suspected RAAC have yet to be surveyed?
4. How long does the Government expect it to take for all at-risk schools to be investigated?
5. How long does the Government think it will take for all schools with suspected RAAC to be surveyed?
6. What deadline has been set to clear RAAC from every school?

 

We would be grateful if you could reply within the next week.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Daniel Kebede
General Secretary, National Education Union

Paul Whiteman
General Secretary, NAHT

Christina McAnea
General Secretary, UNISON

Dr Patrick Roach
General Secretary, NASUWT

Gary Smith
General Secretary, GMB

Sharon Graham
General Secretary, UNITE

Five NEU Executive members issue leaflet calling for rejection of the 6.5% partly-funded pay offer

Five Socialist Party members, who say they were some of the one third of NEU Executive members who voted against the Govenment's pay offer, have issued a leaflet setting out their case, 

Acceptance is being recommended by the four unions involved.

Teachers organise to reject 'half-funded' 6.5% pay offer - this is why

 Initial reaction in Brent appears to challenge yesterday's media assumptions that the teachers' dispute is over.  Claims that the government has funded the increase were challenged. Schools will have to find 3% of the 6.5% from their budgets and the assumption that they have the money to have budgeted for 3.5% already is doubtful, when many Brent schools are heading for a deficit budget.

Schools are already restructuring staff and negotiating redundancies, particularly among support staff.

The last round of strikes emphasised the need for the increase to be 'fully-funded' and there is disappointment that this is not the case. There are vague assurances that there will be a 'hardship fund' for schools that cannot afford to pay the increase but no firm details.

Furthermore, there is concern that the Government has not put forward any longer term plans on making up the loss, in real terms, of the loss in teachers' earnings. It is this loss that had led (along with workload and Ofsted pressures) to the recruitment and retention crisis in our schools.

An 'Educators Say No to 6.5%' campaign has been rapidly organised and has received support from many Brent NEU members.

Education unions to hold joint industrial action campaign meetings in every school in England

From the NAHT

Today (Tues 6^th June), the general secretaries of teacher and school leader unions, including NAHT, ASCL and NEU [and NASUWT], have written to their members in all schools in England encouraging them to hold joint-union staff meetings on industrial action.

The unions have previously announced their intention to co-ordinate industrial action going forward. Speaking at school leaders’ union NAHT’s Annual Conference last month, the general secretaries pointed out that their combined memberships would mean action if taken would affect nearly every school in England.

All the unions are currently balloting their members to take strike action in the Autumn term, with NEU and NAHT’s ballots currently running, and ASCL’s due to commence this month.

The letter sent today calls for staff meetings of all union members eligible to vote in any of the ballots to be held the week commencing 19 June, to discuss how to maximise turnout and encourage members to return their ballot papers.

The letter reads:

The education system has faced years of real-term pay erosion; a funding crisis; enormous recruitment and retention challenges; escalating workload and working hours; and an inspection system that is doing more harm than good.

As a result, the four largest teacher and leader unions are in the process of balloting members in order to secure a mandate for industrial action.

We have worked incredibly hard to engage with the government on these issues and to try to find satisfactory solutions, but it simply refuses to listen. We believe that a mandate for industrial action across all of our unions is the only way we can get your voice heard.

In an almost unprecedented show of solidarity, all four of our unions have agreed to work together on this campaign. This shows not just the sense of unity among the profession but also our determination to make sure this government starts to engage properly with us in order to address these crucial issues.

Regardless of which union you are in, it is absolutely essential we all work together to ensure everyone eligible casts their vote. This really is a time to stand together and stand up for the profession.

Whether you are in the same union or in different unions, these staff meetings will provide a perfect opportunity to come together and show your solidarity for one another in this ongoing campaign.

We are all clear that we are now in a battle for the very future of education – stand with your colleagues and join us as we strive to bring about real change.

The full letter can be read here: JOINT GS Letter - staffroom meetings - June 2023.pdf.

UPDATED: Harris Federation addressing Capital City Academy parents tonight about their takeover of the school. NEU ballot on action against the takeover goes out tomorrow.

 

 Capital City Academy to be handed over to Harris Federation?

 

Harris Federation have invited parents to two presentations about their planned forced takeover of the Willesden's Capital City Academy. The first tonight is in-person at 5pm and the second on zoom next Tuesday:

To give you a better understanding of the Harris Federation and what it means to join our group, we will be holding two information evenings for parents:

 
• Thursday 4th May at 5pm in person at Capital City Academy
• Tuesday 9th May at 6pm online. Please use the link Harris Federation Presentation or LINK

These meetings will give you a chance to learn more about us, our approach to running schools and the opportunities joining our Federation will create. Following a presentation from us, parents will be invited to ask any questions they might have.

Their intention is that Capital City Academy will join the Harris Federation in September but the move is meeting opposition despite the Federation's rather general assurance to parents that 'everything that is great about your school will remain the same'. 

There are concerns about the lack of consultation about the takeover, possible loss of staff due to proposed changes in pay and conditions, a reduced A Level offer as other schools leave the current consortium of schools that Capital City belongs to, and the reportedly high level of permanent exclusions, internal exlusions and use of isolation in Harris Schools.

The loss of a community school, albeit an academy, to be subsumed into a Federation of 50 schools, without any democratic process will be of concern in Brent beyond those of current pupils, parents and staff.

Joining a Federation where the boss earns £455,000 a year is not viewed favourably either.

A ballot of NEU members on action against the takeover goes out tomorrow.

UPDATE - this evening c50 parents attended the meeting along with some staff. Press and public were not allowed to attend.

This leaflet was given out to parents:

 

 

 

 

Call for support to keep Harris Federation's hands off Capital City

 

Today's NEU strike action and rally gave the NEU representative at Capital City Academy a chance to update members on what is happening  regarding the takeover of the school by the Harris Federation Multi-Academy Trust - founded by  a carpet millionaire.

The proposal was a shot out of the blue some time ago and came without any consultation with staff unions, governors, parents, the community or the local council. It is a sign of the increasing marketisation of education that there is no democratic involvement at all - schools can be traded as commodities.

There is resistance. 

People who are opposed to the takeover are asked to join others at the school at 4.30pm on Thursday 4th May where the Harris Federation will be trying to smooth-talk parents into supporting their bid.

Government policy is now to push all schools into multi-academny trusts (MATs). This leaves stand-alone academies, that often converted from local authority schools for financial reasons, in a vulnerable position. Brent already  has schools run by Ark and E-Act, and this would be the first Harris Federation incursion in the borough. Some stand-alone secondary academies (not in a multi-academy trust) such as Wembley and Preston Manor have also started primary departments.  They all lack the democratic accountability previously derived from local authority oversight.

Contribute to the independent 'Beyond Ofsted' inquiry into the future of school inspection

An independent inquiry, sponsored by the National Education Union, has been set up to look at an alternative system to Ofsted inspection.

“Everyone agrees that schools need to be accountable, and to ensure they are, there needs to be a robust system in place. However, what we currently have with Ofsted is an approach that stirs up stress amongst school leaders that trickles down to staff and pupils. Too often, it punishes rather than supports. The Beyond Ofsted inquiry will rigorously investigate the system and identify what is needed to make it fairer and more effective. A system that does not solely criticise but seeks to provide assistance, especially to those schools that need it most”.

Welcome From The Chair, Lord Jim Knight

 

Schools must be accountable to parents and taxpayers. They need to be safe and ambitious for their pupils. But they should also be happy and caring environments if they are to nurture the best in pupils and teachers. Our current inspection system creates the opposite.

 

Too many schools operate in a climate of fear and acute stress. More children are falling behind and dropping out of school, as more teachers are leaving the profession. Change is urgent.

 

I am delighted to be able to chair this inquiry into the future of school inspection. I am privileged to be supported by both academic experts and an exceptional expert advisory group.

 

We will carefully examine academic evidence, professional experience and international alternatives. We aim to gain a deeper understanding of the problems with the Ofsted system and then offer practical ways forward.

 

There is a growing appetite to change school inspections in England, and how their judgements are used in accountability. I am confident we can offer a fairer, more supportive, more consistent and more ambitious way to report on the achievements of our schools. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

Inquiry Board Members

 

Beyond Ofsted – An Inquiry into the Future of School Inspection

The need for the Inquiry:

 

Beyond Ofsted is a new inquiry established to develop a set of principles for underpinning a better school inspection system and proposals for an alternative approach.

Ofsted has lost trust as an agency, and there is a growing consensus that the full life of a school cannot be summed up accurately or fairly in a ‘one word’ judgement.

Increasing numbers of teachers, heads and MPs believe that the current inspection system is outdated and should be fundamentally changed in line with the needs of the 21st Century.

 

Education stakeholders are keen to see positive change around the way schools are inspected. Ofsted has become synonymous with being more punitive than supportive, driving untenable levels of stress for teachers and school heads, and detracting from what should otherwise be a rich and deep learning experience for children.

 

The composition and scope of the Inquiry:

 

Beyond Ofsted is chaired by Jim Knight, the Rt Hon Lord Knight of Weymouth and former schools’ minister. It will consider input from a wide range of well-informed voices, in order to set out a new framework for an inspection system fit for the increasingly complex needs of schools today.

 

The independent inquiry, sponsored by the National Education Union (NEU), will include members of the NEU, industry experts and academics and will provide the government and relevant stakeholders with a robust and carefully considered set of principles on which to build an alternative inspection system.

 

The inquiry will thoroughly examine evidence from schools across the country and will compare the current inspection system with those from other countries, taking lessons from the latter to build a set of proposals in the final report.

 

THE REPORT WILL BE PUBLISHED IN NOVEMBER 2023.

 

LINK TO INQUIRY WEBSITE AND SURVEY

 

98% of NEU Members Who Voted Reject Government Pay Offer

 

From National Education Union

The NEU consultative ballot on the Government's pay offer has been rejected by an overwhelming 98% of NEU teacher members in England on a turnout of 66%.

191,319 serving teachers in state schools in England have voted to reject Gillian Keegan's offer in less than six days.

It is not surprising that the offer has been rejected. The offer was not fully funded, would have meant teachers in England would see their pay fall even further behind their counterparts in Wales and Scotland and it would represent another two years of real-terms pay cuts.

It would do nothing to reverse the problems of recruitment and retention in our schools.

Commenting on the result, Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretaries of the National Education, said:

This resounding rejection of the Government's offer should leave Gillian Keegan in no doubt that she will need to come back to the negotiating table with a much better proposal.

The offer shows an astounding lack of judgement and understanding of the desperate situation in the education system.

We have today written to the education secretary informing her of the next two days of strike action on 27 April and 2 May that NEU teacher members in England will now be taking.

These strikes are more than three weeks away; Gillian Keegan can avoid them.

No teacher wants to be on strike. Nor can they accept this offer that does nothing to address the decades of below inflation pay increases making them the worst paid teachers in the UK. The offer will do nothing to stem the teacher recruitment and retention crisis which is so damaging to our children and young people's education.

The education secretary has united the profession in its outrage at this insulting pay offer. It is now for her to rectify that situation by starting to value education. The NEU is ready as we have stated all along to negotiate with ministers, but this time we hope a lesson has been learnt.  Gillian Keegan needs to start negotiations with respect for the profession she is supposedly representing in Government.

To parents we say that we have no wish to disrupt education, indeed our action is aimed at getting the Government to invest in the education of this generation of children and the people who teach them.

We are asking our school reps to plan with head teachers to ensure that year 11 and year 13 students have a full programme of education on the upcoming strike days.

Nearly 50 years on, time for a new 'Great Debate' on education? Ofsted, high stakes testing, narrowed curriculum and a devalued profession all features of the current crisis

 

I was in my first year of teaching, as a mature entrant, almost 50 years ago in 1976 when the Prime Minister James Callaghan launched the 'Great Debate' on education in a speech at Ruskin College. LINK

That speech was the launchpad for the many changes that followed implemented by both Labour and Conservative governments, some good, some bad and often with unexpected consequences.

Today government attitudes towards teachers exemplified by the derisory pay offer are clear and contribute to low morale, demotivation and a recruitment and retention crisis. The role of Ofsted is under scrutiny as never before following the tragic death of a headteacher in the wake of an expected poor Ofsted judgement on the school that she cherished. Ofsted itself, despite claims of its independence is linked to Government policies including the high stakes testing found in primary schools, which in turn contributes to a narrowing of the curriculum and the loss of arts  subjects.  This is compounded by a school funding crisis that means such subjects are a low priority when it comes to allocating the school budget.

It is worth quoting Callaghan:

Everyone is allowed to put his oar in on how to overcome our economic problems, how to put the balance of payments right, how to secure more exports and so on and so on. Very important too. But I venture to say not as important in the long run as preparing future generations for life. RH Tawney, from whom I derived a great deal of my thinking years ago, wrote that the endowment of our children is the most precious of the natural resources of this community. So I do not hesitate to discuss how these endowments should be nurtured.

 

Let me answer that question 'what do we want from the education of our children and young people?' with Tawney's words once more. He said: 'What a wise parent would wish for their children, so the state must wish for all its children.'

The campaign group 'More Than a Score' has undertaken research to see what parents wish for in terms of their children's education and their report concludes LINK:

It is wrong to use SATs results as shorthand for high standards in primary education. While test data may generate easy headlines, parents and school leaders understand that an 11-year-old’s tests results cannot provide an accurate picture of their overall academic abilities and should not be used as a blunt tool to measure standards.

These views — held by an overwhelming majority — are not reflected in current policy. Everyone who values children’s education believes in high standards, but it is time to change the language and shift the debate so that children’s learning, not data, is prioritised.

The report is extremely important at a time when government ministers justify their education policy, including Ofsted and SATs with the mantra 'we know this is what parents want' backed up with very little evidence. Callaghan called for a 'rational debate based on the facts' - More Than a Score's effort to intruduce some evidence into the discussion is very welcome.

Reacting to the report Rosamund McNeil, assistant general secretary off the National Education Union, said;  

The views of education staff and parents have been made clear in More Than a Score’s research – primary school SATs are not an indicator of educational standards, or whether a child is ready for secondary school.

Both parents and educators feel standards should be measured in better ways, such as engagement with a broad and rich curriculum, not limited to English and Maths. This is a standard our high-stakes system is failing to meet. Schools face incredible pressure from government to prioritise tested subjects which mean the arts, humanities, and sciences are being squeezed from the school week.

Children’s mental health should also be an indicator of standards. Engagement with, and excitement about learning is not well served by SATs preparation or the SATs pressure. Children deserve a fairer system which captures more of what they achieve and they contribute. Children should be looking forward to another day of primary school, where they feel inspired and happy to learn.

The NEU wants to see an assessment system that supports children's learning and gives meaningful information to parents and educators. The system needs to be redesigned to meet those standards, not the ones set by government to hold schools to account.

High Stakes Testing is just one aspect of the current crisis and the report (below) perhaps will start a process of evidence gathering that will contribute to a new debate.