Yesterday I gave evidence to the Children, Young People, and Education Committee (CYPE) at the Senedd about peer on peer sexual harassment among learners. You can view the session here

https://www.facebook.com/profile/565912098/search/?q=cype

After taking 4 days of strike action, NEU teacher members employed at Howell’s School in Llandaff, one of the 23 independent schools run by the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), have voted to accept the offer made by the employer after last week’s talks with the National Education Union at ACAS.

Following their unprecedented strike action, teachers have won the right to stay in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme; the threat of fire and rehire has been withdrawn; and an enhanced pay offer has been made for all staff, teachers, and support staff.

Sadly, the NEU and GDST were unable to reach an agreed negotiated settlement. A significant concern for the union remains the proposal to close the scheme to new teachers. The union and its members at the GDST trust schools believe this decision by the trust is short sighted and will lead to a two-tier system and recruitment difficulties in the future.

NEU members are relieved to be returning to the classroom. However, there is now significant work to be done to try and rebuild the staff’s trust and confidence in the GDST which has been so diminished by this dispute.

David Evans, Wales Secretary for the National Education Union Cymru, said: “NEU members working at Howell’s School should be proud of their solidarity, resolution and spirit, shown throughout this dispute. In standing up for their rights they were forced to take unprecedented and historic strike action to defend their pensions. Our members at GDST, 80% of them women, gave a lesson in the values that they seek to instil in the girls they educate: being principled, knowing your worth, and standing up for what is right – values we in Wales all hold dear. NEU members will continue to be supported by their union.”

Committee Meeting Reports

Union Strength Committee- Liz McLean

1. Motions for Conference:

39- Representation of support staff- agreed to amend because of TUC recognition

• Working Party for VEVE

Nominations for the working party for the Pay Campaign – three members taken from US. Discussion about ensuring that as much of the country represented on the group as is possible.

Liz was elected to the group to ensure that Wales has a voice.

• National Training Programme

Aligning training with VEVE                   New Activists                                 Overreaching

• New Secs                                      Organising for Power                   Staff training
• Rep members                              Women’s dev. (Durham)             Sharpening org
• H&S                                               Summer school (London)                               
• Equalities
• Organising bitesize
• Supply Officer
• Review of reps training
• Review of officer “     “

• Feedback / key differences between other strike actions:
• Size of workplaces/ number of workplaces.  Educational establishments more fragmented. Discussed the importance of social media during campaigning.
• REPS- were the successful Districts ones where there are more active & engaged reps, where reps are given the power i.e., enabled to do casework
• Marginal wins- sending positive messages back to reps & members

Member Defence Committee- Mairead Canavan

1. Motions for Conference

Motion 38- Defending reps in the workplace- agreed to amend.

Asked the Conference Committee to consider the figures for accuracy.

Black Educators Motion- amendment suggested would have added some material on the work carried out by the union on equality casework issue. The amendment was considered but rejected.

• Equal Pay Claim

Discussed an Equal Pay Claim against Birmingham City Council, looked at setting a date in which members could receive advice and support with regards to their compensation claim. The date decided entitles 113 members to receive advice and support.

Bargaining & Negotiations Committee- Hannah O’Neill

Hannah was unable to attend this meeting, so no update given.

Joint General Secretaries Report

Mary Bousted reported on the following:

Pay

• In England there will be real outrage from members about the two-tier nature of the Government’s proposed pay award with the potential to drive a wedge between ECTs and more experienced teachers
• Scant recognition for the unstinting work of leaders and experienced teachers under the pandemic in keeping schools open and supporting all pupils – a sense of unfairness will be acutely felt
• Maximise member engagement – district and branches to organise meetings before Conference to discuss their survey results
• The TUC demonstration called for 19 March (Conservative Spring Conference) in Blackpool will provide a mobilisation for members in the Northwest

Feedback from Strategy Committees

• Consensus from members on key points:

EIS benefit from their coverage/PU in Scotland and their focus on pay over 2-year period

Organising activity key – building and equipping reps/teams of reps in our schools; skilling up members and reps; mapping of workplaces and data cleansing

Branches need to devise their own plans – no ‘one size fits all’ – priority activity before Conference

Girls’ Day School Trust – TPS dispute

• Into the third week of strike action and the strike is solid across 22 schools; JGS zoom calls last week attracting 800/1000 members.
• Now pivoting to parents to counter inaccurate propaganda from the Trust management with JGSs and DGSs all due to attend parents’ meetings over the next week.
• Have coalesced around 8 key demands (agreed with reps and members) and the Trust management has agreed to talks with ACAS – action suspended for w/c 7 March

Full Executive Meeting

The Executive agreed all Strategy Committee reports from the meetings on 20 January and agreed the following urgent decisions:

• Executive amendments to the following prioritised motions; Building back better demands an inclusive curriculum for all; Save vocational education; value vocational educators; Defending Reps in the workplace; A National Contract for Education; and Representation of Support Staff (39)
• ratified our submissions to the STRB and Wales PRB and had a preliminary discussion about our response to the government’s STRB evidence
• the Year End Accounts and the AR21; main difference from previous draft was a deferred tax liability of £3.896 million; a significantly higher figure than last year due to gains in assets including investments.
• amended Local Finance Regulations
• Staffing changes to HR and the Finance team; these changes will see only a small increase in the staff costs but will ensure the Finance Team can provide a comprehensive service to all parts of the Union including local treasurers.
• revised offer to the staff unions to settle the pay dispute
• Conference Committee had concluded that Annual Conference 2022 should be in-person and with people only able to attend virtually in very limited circumstances, to avoid a two-tier Conference.  The recommendation to hold the 2022 Annual Conference in-person was approved by Executive on 21 July 2021.
• Funding decisions; £75,000 to SUTR (£25,000 from the Political Fund); £5,000 to the People’s Assembly rallies against cost of living crisis and £76,000 to Hope not Hate (from the Political Fund).
• the introduction of the ‘application for branch status pro forma’ to be used for all future submissions to become a branch. 
• Composition of the delegation to Labor (sic) Notes Conference, Chicago with funding from the International Budget up to £12,000;
• Bilateral Engagement with AFT with costs of up to £25,000 to be met fromInternational budget
• Denise Henry was elected as a delegate to the TUC LGBT+ Conference
• A Resolution on Solidarity with the people of Ukraine

Throughout January and February, Wales executive members held a series of briefings for secretaries and reps to disseminate information on our Value Educators Value Education orientation and to get the message out about how important it is to get as many members as possible to respond to the survey on Pay and changes to the school day & year sent out by NEU Cymru. This was important not only to ensure that we got as large a sample as possible but also to begin to cleanse our member data in readiness for a probable ballot in the Autumn. We asked secretaries to roll out briefings to their reps and to ask reps to then roll out briefings to their members in their workplaces. Executive members also held an all wales reps briefing which was well attended.

Results of the survey

AN overwhelming majority – over 90 per cent – of members taking part in the NEU Cymru survey said they were dissatisfied at the current pay rates offered to teachers in Wales. More than 2,200 educators responded to the survey in which the union focussed on pay issues ahead of its submission to the Independent Wales Pay Review Body. Many members highlighted how salaries have been impacted as a result of austerity measures introduced in 2010. In England, the NEU is calling for an eight per cent pay rise this year and next. Nearly all those surveyed by NEU Cymru (99 per cent) gave a clear indication that teachers in Wales must retain parity, at least, with pay structures in England. They also largely agreed (96 per cent) that any pay awards must apply to teachers across all pay scales. NEU Cymru has also carried out a detailed analysis of teachers’ pay in comparison with other graduate professions. The union analysed detailed submissions by other stakeholders before offering a supplementary statement and attending an
oral evidence session in April.

The NEU Cymru survey also considered recent proposals outlined by the Welsh Government to change both the school year and school day. Eighty three per cent of respondents expressed concern at the proposals, with many questioning the rationale behind the ideas which they said
appear to have no true educational benefit. The information will be used to inform the consultation exercise on the proposals and during meetings with Welsh Government officials and Education Minister Jeremy Miles.

The first part of this report relates to the minutes from the three Strategy Committees which the three Executive members from Wales attend prior to the full Executive meeting. Mairead Chairs the Member Defence Committee, Liz McLean attends the Union Strength Committee and Hannah O’Neill attends the Bargaining and Negotiation Committee.

The final part of the report summarizes the statement by the Joint General secretaries to the Executive and the minutes of the full Executive meeting.

Union Strength Strategy Committee: Attended by LM

Chaired by Dawn Taylor

Apologies -none

Matters arising from the minutes:

• Full report on survey -paper delayed
• MH- staffing restructure so won’t be attending all meetings
• Best practice when organising – AK speaking to meeting at 9.20

Membership Report (Sian Bassett)

• Density of membership rather than counting heads
• Joining activity not as high as last year and leavers higher
• Issue around ULRs- very few across the country (155) so there will be a specific focus and training linked to the role, lots of H &S reps in comparison
• Getting to NQTs – needs to be looked at, maybe need to focus on this issue at DSB and have a coordinated approach across office staff, exec, and secs.
• Key strategic indicators- what has happened to COVID interim reps? Some have converted to either school or H& S reps – 477, of those contacted under half are continuing in the role.
• Discussion around good practice- reps and officers shadowing when new to role and conference delegations being opened to as many delegates as possible.

Organising (Alex Kenny)

• How Tower Hamlets organised in Jan 2020 to build to beat the strike threshold
• Several years of conscious work to ensure reps at the heart of the union
• All work done by reps- key that reps are given the confidence to do casework at school level
• Motion to AGM- review of branch with reps at heart, survey of reps to be repeated every few years, challenging response, turnover of reps, away day for committee to draft survey and development plan
• AGM- Produce data- where members are, where reps are, what percentage of members have no reps.
• Newsletter- weekly ebulletin and regular newsletter to members including success stories
• Assistant Secs – contact specific reps and build links with them, HR policies shared and discussed at meetings, cluster reps into working groups- e.g. Early Years, Primary, Secondary, ALN
• Reps to do casework in schools wherever possible- walk through procedures before if necessary and Secretaries only getting involved when necessary.
• Reps replace themselves.
• Strike ballot of 1200 members – beat the thresholds for strike ballot and the reps did all the work in schools.

Pay Campaign

• Strategy paper being developed to look at survey and learn lessons.
• Develop a plan for where we go after the survey- work with officers to move forward.
• Lack of engagement form some District/ Branch Secretaries which will then negatively impact on reps and members participation.
• Disgruntled support staff- need a unified union response.

Regional Levies:

• Yorkshire / Humberside – motion brought to change Standing Orders to Constitution – need to come back to this item for further discussion.
• All levies democratic and accountable therefore agreed.

Channel Islands

• Survey previously considered and agreed for it to go ahead

NEU Strategy Committee: Bargaining and Negotiation, attended by HO

Pay Campaign:

Discussion focused on the progress report of stage 2 of the campaign and agreeing recommendations with Executive members supporting branches and school-based rep.

• Arranging reps’ briefings and support them organising workplace meetings.
• Support the organisation of non rep schools
• Analyse turnout data to target support where survey response is low.
• Executive to consider a report on survey outcomes to consider proceeding to stage 3 of the campaign, looking at medium and long term VEVE orientation.

Wales

• Wales pay campaign and changes to the school term time survey to be sent out on Thursday 27^th January.
• Executive members have arranged and delivered two briefings to district and branch secretaries, highlighting the pay campaign and the consultation to the changes to term times.
• A Wales based PowerPoint to be shared to all secretaries and reps in engaging members in preparation to the survey being sent out.

STRB and the Wales IWRPB

• The committee discussed and considered the NEU written evidence to the STRB on teacher pay in England in light of cost of living, performance related pay, recruitment, and retention, TLRs, wider workload and wellbeing
•  8% increase in pay this academic year and the following across all pay scales.

Wales

• The committee also recommended that the pay submission for Wales IWRPB also claim for an 8% increase across all pay scales this and next academic year.

FE Strategy

The Committee DISCUSSED a strategy paper on opportunities to build NEU influence in the General FE sector by working with existing reps to build bargaining capacity and college recognition, seeking reps wherever we have members and undertaking workplace member surveys to identify their issues of concern, most especially to address the disparity between pay in FE and pay in other education settings.

Sixth Form Colleges

The Committee NOTED that the Joint Statement on Academisation previously agreed by NUT, ATL and Unison with the SFCA employer body which sets out joint expectations on maintenance or existing arrangements on pay, conditions, trade union recognition and associated matters in the event of a sixth form college taking on academy status. The Committee was assured that the NEU would be seeking more explicit wording which makes clear that the unions remain opposed in principle to academization and may oppose individual proposals to move to academy status may be opposed even if guarantees are offered on the matters covered in the joint statement.

Member defence committee – chaired by vice chair Dominic Coughlin

1. The Committee welcomed the Report Supply Teachers and the Agency Workers Regulations MD6a 20/1/22. The Committee supports the strategy sets out in the Report and as set out in 2021 Reports to the Bargaining and Negotiations Committee. Strategies include: a review of the present guidance; the development of a further toolkit, the development of an “AWR Assessor tool” or “calculator” of entitlements and proceeding to pilot projects in selected regions with participating local activists using the AWR Assessor tool and updated material and precedent letters to identify and support supply members in their claims for their entitlements. Such projects will inform how the Union supports its supply members. Members of the Committee are asked to go out to their local officers including supply member officers to encourage the work on this strategy. Staff are encouraged to continue co-operation with the Supply OF on this strategy. The Supply OF is requested to provide Member Defence with appropriate feedback on its work to aid the work of Member Defence going forward.

• The Committee welcomed the Report Long Covid-Supporting Members MD7 20/01/22. The Committee supports the proposed strategy including splitting guidance into aspects of supporting individual long covid casework and collectivizing long covid work; updating to Adviceline, Branch and Districts information on the range of issues and questions they are likely to be asked and the appropriate responses; and the use of a questionnaire for members to aid the receipt of relevant information from members. Also supported are office aims to promote a Long Covid Protocol in England similar to the Protocol now agreed by the Welsh Government. Specific case issues raised by the Committee will be passed on to relevant staff.

• The Committee welcomed the Report on the Black Educators Resolution and Equality Casework Project MD8a20/01/22 which updated the Committee on work on implementation of the Annual Conference Black Educators Resolution.
• The Committee welcomed the Report on the Maternity Rights Resolution MD8b 20/1/22 which updated the Committee on work on implementation of the Maternity Rights Resolution.

JGS Report

Covid

• Whilst situation differs from January 2021, schools and colleges face the challenge of disruption because of high levels of staff and pupil absence
• Members concerned about SATs, GCSEs, and A levels (for a cohort that has never faced a public exam), with little confidence in the exam boards/Ofqual/Government; exacerbated by the change in grade boundaries
• DfE survey of school leaders highlighted their two top issues for long term recovery were exams/accountability (first for secondary/second for primary) and the physical/mental effect on pupils and staff (inverse)

Pay Survey and working towards a national ballot

• Good discussions at SC:US and SC:BN; very positive reports of pay briefings; clear correlation between engagement with members and higher survey turnout
• Survey a key organising opportunity – using pioneering tech to capture real time data and direct respondents to Facebook messaging; 500 members pledging social sharing and/or volunteering as reps.
• Preliminary paper on working towards a national ballot; analysis of comparable disputes across the movement and key factors in engaging and persuading members that a ballot would be successful; further discussion to be held at Strategy Committees and Executive on 5 March.

Union relations

• Fortnightly meetings with Patrick Roach and Jill Peckham of NASUWT; two intra-union staff working parties established on pay and workload
• NASUWT stance on STRB changing – this pay round being last chance to demonstrate their independence from Government; also moving towards our opposition to the threshold as an obstacle to pay progression and supported our call for delay of OFSTED inspections.
• Agreement to produce joint pay checklists and model policies – powerful coverage across schools and MATs
• Planning a joint letter to the Times (as a paper of record) with ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT calling for significant pay rise for the profession to address the recruitment and retention crisis
• The Joint Union Statement to the STRB will include the NASUWT for the first time (with the usual separate union statements)
• Contemplating joint research project with NASUWT to land in September as first of two-year staged pay increase takes effect

VE:VE

• Early ideas to address workload issues; call for all employers to agree annual working hours/work life balance policy; backed by indicative ballot; focus on those employers who refuse to adopt the policy; if demands not met – move to formal ballots where thresholds met.

GDST ballot to protect TPS

• National in scale – 23 schools – with wide implications for defending TPS across the sector
• Overwhelming support at indicative ballot stage (93% turnout and yes vote); obviously more challenges for postal, statutory ballot closes 26 January.
• Both JGSs have held zoom calls with members and reps (before Christmas and last week)

Equalities data – staff

• Positive trends with staff gender pay gap reducing from 16% to 8.4% over the year; staff race pay gap reducing from 6.6% to 3.75%
• Extensive action plans in place; mentoring programmes; rolling out training for managers on sex discrimination and updated Dignity at Work policy; casework monitored for equality characteristics

The Executive agreed to hold a Special Executive on 10 February from 4.30pm to 6pm to discuss the Pay Survey results.  It was agreed to plan for an in-person meeting of the Executive on 5 March.

The Executive agreed the following urgent recommendations from the Strategy Committees:

• Noted the draft final accounts and delegated the National Treasurer and Chair of GPC to sign off the final version for submission of the AR21 by the end of the month
• Revised Local Expense Regulations
• Districts identified as having significant travel costs – Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, and Northern Ireland – to have the opportunity, after Annual Conference, to claim additional funding to a maximum of £250 for each delegate attending Conference
• Funding decisions: £1,000 donation to the Hillsborough Law Campaign; £5,000 to the Nina Franklin Fund; £3,000 for subscription and donation to Hazards magazine/campaign; £5,000 to PSC AGM.
• Motions to the TUC Black Workers’ Conference on disadvantage and discrimination facing face Black children in education and the TUC LGBT+ Workers Conference calling for a TUC Alliance for Trans and Non-Binary Rights; Nicky Downes and Sarah Carter elected as Executive delegates to TUC DWC
• Professors Wyse & Bradbury be commissioned to co-chair a Commission on Primary Assessment
• Endorsed the framework for the written evidence to the STRB on teacher pay in England – 8% increase across all pay scales this year – and next pay submission to the Wales PRB should also include the claim for 8% increase across all pay scales this year and next.
• FE Strategy paper – to build bargaining capacity and recognition in colleges
• Sixth Form Colleges – seeking revisions to the Joint Statement on Academisation previously agreed by NUT, ATL and Unison with the SFCA employer body making clear that the unions remain opposed in principle to academization
• A survey of Channel Island members about reallocating their local districts from the Southwest to Southeast NEU region
• Supply Teachers strategy
• Support plan for members with long covid
• Update on implementation of the 2021 Black Educators and the Maternity Rights resolutions
• Elections: Emma Parker elected as SEND OF chair; Simon Clarkson to Independent NC; Allison Barnes to Post-16 NC; Charles Thomas to Retired Members OF and Shirley Perry to International Committee.
• Helen Reeder (D11) was welcomed to her first Executive.

JGS Report

The Executive received a narrative report on the VE:VE campaign:

• Building member agency and transforming the lives of members
• Backed by evidence – TALIS, Skills and Employment Survey, OECD
• Winning small but important successes in schools and across MATs and LAs
• Publicise successes and build member confidence that they can effect change
• Autonomy for reps and school groups on their demands – no prescription
• Supported by campaigning at national level – on economics and pedagogy
• Strategic campaigning on child poverty; funding; assessment and accountability
• Focused national campaigning – demonstrating that we can win; that we build allies and that our wins are visible to members

Notice of a White Paper on education to be published early in the New Year with the JGSs anticipating that it will be underpinned by the Government’s aspiration for a fully-academised/MAT education system. The Union will continue to oppose academisation – currently pursing disputes at St Matthews School, Preston and with the Birmingham Diocese. We will use the opportunity of the White Paper to counter the false rhetoric around academies – such as better performance. The Union has also responded to the consultation on the removal of National School Improvement Grants.

OFSTED

• Spring term launch of campaign to coincide with 30 years of OFSTED
• Linked campaign in Wales around ESTYN
• School leaders demonstrating widespread opposition to the commencement of inspections – Spielman facing criticism at the Academy Show earlier this month; ASCL now saying that headteacher requests for delayed inspections must be honoured
• No evidence that inspectors inspect the right things or make reliable judgements – the NAO report in 2018 concluded that there was no evidence that OFSTED inspections raised school standards
• 75% of parents don’t even bother to read the reports
• Underpinned by the overall message to members – ‘it doesn’t need to be like this’ and it isn’t in other high performing nations in OECD

Pay Campaign

• Framework strategy on Pay Campaign outlined by BNC; publication of STRB remit delayed until 13 December;
• Fine-tuning communications with members, reps and branches
• On-going talks with NASUWT to inform strategy
• Pressure on Government to set remit to fulfil their commitment that starting salary for teachers be £30k within two years; and to maintain differentials for Main Scale and Upper Pay Scale accordingly.
• Member survey following publication of the STRB remit.

Wales

• The Executive welcomed elements of the WAG statement particularly on free school meals and the removal of profit from the supply system but flagged concerns about mention of changes to school day and year about which we await detailed proposals. Kevin Courtney pointed out in his reply to Liz’s question on Wales that an Industrial response may be appropriate depending on members feelings.

The Executive also agreed/noted:

• Elections to remaining vacancies on Executive Committees, OF/NCs, awards panels and delegates to TUC Women’s Conference
• To meet ‘in person’ from January 2022 with facility for members to attend virtually by choice; risk assessment of venue (TUC) to be made available
• Finances – Variance Report reported surplus of £1,731,188; the overall variance for the period (£792,619) was favourable due to expenditure being lower than budgeted. Local Accounts – considerable progress in obtaining local district accounts; Executive members encouraged to chase up outstanding accounts; agreed to begin tender exercise to provide internal audit services.
• Senior Staff Restructure – agreed proposals to create six directorates headed by AGSs; some changes effected following the consultation exercise
• amended Conference Standing Orders
• Implementation of 2021 Conference Resolutions – Autonomy for Districts RWS to provide a report on ways to reinvigorate moribund districts; guidance on payment of honoraria for Channel Islands and Isle of Man; Discussion and Debate in the Union – a proposed Rule Change to the Code of Professional Conduct with the addition of an express provision to protect expressions of opinion;
• Proposed Rule Change – Appendix A to permit an investigation stage for complaints brought by the Officers;  
• Proposed Rule Changes – Conference Delegations and Executive Composition and level of voluntary contribution to NEU Trust Fund
• Regional/Wales Council Levies – average £1.70; supported by activity plans;
• Motions to Annual Conference – on Value Education; Value Educators & OFSTED
• Following consultation, to proceed to establish two districts – Hertfordshire General and North Hertfordshire wef September 2022.
• Judging panel for the national Rep and Officer of the Year Awards and the Nikki Simpson Award
• Supply Members – continue workplan to implement Conference resolution and
• that the online assessor tool in development and the area-based AWR claim pilot(s) should be launched as soon as possible.
• Motions to TUC Equality Conferences – Remove unfair Fitness to Work regulations (to TUC Disabled Workers’ Conferences) and Keep Learning Alive for Women and Girls in Afghanistan and Mothers in prison – the impact on children and young people to TUC Women’s Conference; delegates to TUC Women’s Conference
• Reject acceptance of the LGA pay offers to Soulbury officers and Youth & Community workers, given the rejection of and ongoing negotiations on a similar offer in the NJC for Local Government Services.
• Emergency Motion on Refugees – following the tragic death of at least 27 people in the channel and the condemnation of the coup in Sudan
• Indicative ballot in GDST schools to defend TPS membership – important dispute for members both in fee-paying and maintained sector
• confirmed the existing guidance on Honoraria compliant with the Conference decision

Please note that the decisions from the October Strategy Committees are not included.

Report from Liz McLean – Union Strength strategy Meeting

Chaired by Chris Denson

Membership data (Sian Bassett)– looked at data and trends, including the fact that 83% standard membership (standard plus NQ), 13% support and 4% leadership. Stronger than before the pandemic.

Students- recruitment events getting back to normal with more face to face. Looked at retention of student teachers NQ2- 82% and NQ3-86%. QR codes have been a success and it was queried whether the national account could pay for them to and whether they could be used to promote campaigns.

Organising Forum updates-role descriptions ratified and circulated. Survey of O.F. members disseminated last week so returns still coming in so reviewed in the next meeting.

Equalities review: DSB session led by Karen Carberry and Louise Regan, points, suggestions, and case studies to be put into protocols, re -under representation to further best practice. These will then be referred to the Equalities Committee to ensure that it is right.

Regional & National Awards: Executive members serve on panels by default and the deadline for rep, officer of the year 3rd December. Union Strength elected seven members to form the judging panel for the National Rep and Officer of the Year Awards and the Nikki Simpson Award: Louise Atkinson, Chris Denson, Trish Fay, Louise Lewis, Liz McLean, Dawn Taylor, and Ian Watkinson

Motion to Annual Conference: US proposed that the VE:VE motion is submitted to Conference 2022. It was passed unanimously, and this led to discussion around the importance of reps / officers engaging in the process, the work of reps in Tower Hamlets which is the only district to win a postal ballot for strike action. Invite Alex Kenny to next meeting to talk about organising.

Discussion around Districts / Branches having a strategic plan where it is kept a key prominence and plans shared with regions and should it become an integral part of Reps training in the future.

Moribund districts / branches or those struggling with engagement working with nearby regions e.g., North Wales / Northwest and both Dawn and Ian have offered support.

KS Indicators Reps with multiple roles: more women doing multiple roles, older (56-65 years) and higher proportion ethnic origin provided. It was asked for a further breakdown on density of reps for future meetings.

Training: Data provided with regards to the training programmes that were offered during the pandemic and mainly online. A few were not available in Wales (Building the union during the pandemic, Being a Workplace rep in times of Crisis) and so it was asked if this could be rectified moving forward. It was explained that some of the training was not always replicated in Wales and that some of the data for Wales might not have been provided. Discussion around training being online, hybrid or face to face in the future. Rep’s training events (face to face) over a weekend to develop concrete plans, better engagement, and networking opportunities with other reps.

Pay campaign Key Strategy Indicators: Low level engagement throughout Wales as a whole – 2.7% (ranging from 7.9% to below 1%). Discussions around how to build on low engagement.

Honoraria: Common ground not found between the two committees (US & GPC)-referred to the main Executive meeting where both chairs will put their position to be voted on.

Hertfordshire: Recommendation that it needs to be two Districts was consulted on and there was low level engagement, which it was felt reinforced the need for the split. This will be taking effect from Sept. 2022.

Regional Levies: US proposed that the Executive ratifies the Regional Levies agreed by Regional Councils and supported by the regional costing plans. Wales the only region to put up the levy and US wants to revisit the strategic plans as there wasn’t enough time in the meeting to do this. It was clarified that Executive members from the Regions are involved at all stages of strategic plan and not just in reviewing it once it is drawn up.

Report from Mairead – Union Strength strategy Meeting

Chaired by Mairead Canavan

Following discussion on Report MDA6a on implementation of Annual Conference Resolution “Discussion and Debate in the Union and in Schools” the Committee approves the proposed rules changes to the Code of Professional Conduct as set out in the Report MDA6a.  The Committee recommended to the Executive that the Disciplinary Procedures Working Group continue its work to consider other steps necessary to give effect to the Conference Resolution and to achieve consistency and conformity. The Committee further recommends that the Working Group provide guidance with lists of examples to assist members on definitions of, for example: the difference between “fact” and opinion” and what is meant by “disrepute” or “discredit” to the Union.

Following discussion on Report MDA6b “Disciplinary Rules Appendix A on NDC Rules Changes” the Committee approved the proposed rules changes to Appendix A of Union Rules relating to 3.1 on the National Disciplinary Committee and recommends that the Executive propose them as rule changes to Annual Conference 2022.

The Committee welcomed the Report on TikTok and noted the present unacceptable abuse suffered by many of our members.  Proposals were made to improve guidance to our members including our senior leaders, including on how best to approach the police, situations when our members should not have to teach pupils who have abused them, and action by members collectively to improve school policies on  IT and social media.

The Committee welcomed the Report on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and encouraged proposals to update our guidance on the CICA, and to seek possible improvements to our Member Benefits Personal Accident Policy when it is due for renewal in spring 2022, and to publicise CICA issues and the Accident Policy more widely to our members.

Question for the JGS from Liz McLean

I would like to thank the JGS for their updates and state that I wanted to bring to their attention an urgent situation that has arisen in Wales, out of a mainly positive announcement by the WG.

Earlier this week, there was a significant announcement when Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru made a Cooperation agreement in which there were numerous massive wins in Education, social care, and health, including:

 • Extending free school meals to all primary school pupils.

 • Expanding free childcare to all two year olds.

 • Focusing on experiences and wellbeing when reforming qualifications, in line with the new curriculum in Wales, and expanding the introduction of made-in-Wales vocational qualifications.

• Working with partners towards a more sustainable system of supply teaching in Wales, which will be a local authority and school led alternative to the current private system.

We obviously welcome all of the afore mentioned proposals and many of the other proposals that were made in social care and health. However, hidden away in all these reforms was a really worrying statement which mentioned that the WG

“aim to reform school term dates to bring them more in line with pattens of family life and employment.”

I would therefore like to ask the JGS, if the WG continue to refuse to negotiate with all of the education unions on the possible changes to school term dates and the school day, how will we be able to protect our members terms and conditions and could this be central to engaging members in the VEVE orientation, in Wales.

JGS response:

KC confirmed that he had been in a meeting with NEU Cymru officials yesterday in which the new cooperation agreement was welcomed and discussed. He agrees that there were some really positives outcomes to come out of the meeting including the extension of free school meals.

KC wanted to focus on the statement linking to changes to Supply educators in Wales and removing profit. He talked about the excellent work of Supply Organisers and Teachers in Wales and emphasized that we need to take this opportunity to push for LA / school-based supply pools and end the exploitation of agencies.

KC finished by focusing on the threat to term times/ holidays and the school day. He emphasized that the unions were in discussions with the W.G. but he wasn’t sure that unions are being listened to. At this stage, W.G. aren’t being clear about what the changes might look like and that this issue will be a useful tool to engage and enrage members in Wales and it might potentially lead to an industrial response.

JGS Report

Value Education: Value Educators

• Re-named and developed from the collective discussions on ‘bargaining for professionalism’
• The Union must adapt to the changing and challenging circumstances and demonstrate our relevance to members
• Continuing atomisation of pay & conditions, workplaces, ITT, members’ access to information (google or twitter)
• Media reports that the Government will attack 1265 and reintroduce KS3 SATs will anger and concern members
• We have no natural right to high membership and strong density; trends pre-covid slowly were downwards
• Build on the strategies we developed during the pandemic that worked well – relevant guidance operating at workplace level; members supported by branch and region; promotion nationally and regionally; engagement with members via national and local zoom calls
• VE:VE is not a campaign but an orientation over time to embed effective ways of working across the Union
• The orientation is supported by national campaigns which will continue, both pedagogical and economic/industrial (noted diagrammatic exposition)
• Robust evidential base and dataset collated by the Union from TALIS and the British Skills and Employment Survey – to be available for reps to support their discussions with their headteachers
• Compelling reasons to listen to the profession and to demonstrate to members that things can and should change
• VE:VE to be launched on World Teachers’ Day (5 October); promoted by national advertising campaign and video; all member mailing; discussion at District & Branch Secretaries’ Briefing (14/15 October) and zoom calls with reps and members on 1 November.
• We all need to work together on this, and Executive members’ leadership role will be a crucial part of the VE:VE delivery

On other matters, Kevin reported that OFSTED’s 30^th birthday, will provide the opportunity to refocus our demands for a thorough overhaul of the assessment and accountability regime – with Estyn, too.  In discussions with independent SAGE, the data from Scotland, where mitigations remain in place, that infections amongst secondary pupils are now falling/plateauing vindicates the Union’s call for mitigating measures (ventilation, mask wearing, siblings of infected pupils don’t return to school until negative PCR test results).   Helpful discussions taking place in Leicestershire (where infections are high but not the highest) to introduce these additional measures.  The issue of violence against women and girls has been horrifyingly highlighted by the murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa. The Government has no plans on prevention, no training programme for education staff and the scale of change we need is significant.  Finally, the Union will be participating in the demonstrations at COP26 in both Glasgow (where Kevin will be speaking) and London.

Questions to JGS- Welsh issues (HO)

Started by thanking KC for mentioning Wales in his update and asking if Wales is going to be included in the new pay campaign.

Move on to mentioning that his week the education minister for Wales, Jeremy Miles wrote a letter to the Directors of Education and Headteachers in which he suggested that a solution to staff shortages could be to “double up classes!”

Members across Wales will be disappointed with suggestion as some directors and heads may see this as a reasonable solution.

We currently have a major shortage of supply teachers in Wales. The shortage is specifically affecting Welsh speaking schools, and, in some schools, pupils are being taught in English, instead of Welsh.

Wales currently feels like a postcode lottery – with some authorities imposing extra safety precautions and others imposing the bear minimum. Track and trace issues are also adding to concerns.

We need a strategy not just for England but for Wales as well.

Questions by other exec included issues around Black Lives Matter, Assessments and violence against women.

KC response– vital that Wales is including in this pay campaign.

He absolutely rejected JM idea that classes can be “doubled up”.

Full Executive Meeting

Membership Data- LR

Disability -Issues around self-identification in Wales (less than 2%) and nobody from Wales on the Disabitiy OF.

Executives have been in contact with CJ who has offered to lead a zoom meeting in Wales on self-identification and the social model of disability.

The Executive agreed the following decisions from the five Strategy Committees:

• role descriptions for NC and OF Chairs and the establishment of the SEND OF as per the Conference decision
• that best practice guidance on at least 50% of speaking time for women at local district and branch meetings (circulated in September) being allocated to women be extended to regional/Wales council meetings
• Acceptance of the Sixth Form College Association pay offer as endorsed by 81% of members in the consultative ballot
• The framework pay campaign (final recommendations set out in full at appendix 1)
• The finance/variance report on 31 August which shows a net surplus of actual income over expenditure of £7,794,645
• District Survey questions and a timetable as part of the consultation process in respect of the proposal to implement a rule change requiring at least 50% of Annual Conference delegates be women; with initial results to OSG and final results to November Executive
• To be combined with a District Survey as part of the consultation process in respect of the proposal to implement a rule change on the size of the Executive (questions agreed)
• Funding requests: £1,000 to the Education Media Centre; £10k to the Campaign to stop Fire and Rehire; endorsement of £5k to COP26 Coalition Group; £1k to the Children’s safety Education Foundation; £3k towards the H&S Conference – Invisible Killers at Wembley on 16 March 2022; £1k to Trentham Publishing in their work to publish books on Lifelong Learning and £10k to Women’s Aid to support the work aimed at ending violence against women
• that the by-election in District 11 is combined with any necessary by-election arising from the DGS elections; and the elections to fill vacancies in the NDC/NAC with nominations opening on 1 November, closing on 29 November and any elections from 12 December to 12 January 2022
• that the former ATL HQ building, 7 Northumberland Street, to be sold for £9.5 million
• Elected Mairead Canavan, Gordon White and Wendy Hardy to the Disciplinary Procedures review group which would meet during November to report to the next Executive
• Agreed to sign the declaration ‘make polluters pay’
• Agreed to affiliate to the COP26 coalition
• The Annual Conference timetable:  
• Deadline for districts to submit motions                                      3 December 2021
• Motions sent to districts for priority voting                                7 January 2022
• Deadline for Conference Committee nominations                    14 February 2022
• Deadline for submission of district delegates & observers       14 February 2022
• Deadline for priority voting                                                            14 February 2022
• Deadline for amendments                                                               14 March 2022
• Accounts, Executive Report, Conference Report, and
• motions available for delegates                                                    14 March 2022
• Deadline for amendments to Executive Report                          14 March 2022
• Deadline for changes to delegate and observer lists                 28 March 2022
• Printed agenda posted to delegates                                            28 March 2022
• Deadline for questions to the Treasurer                                         4 April 2022

Appendix I

PAY CAMPAIGN

• Mount a national pay campaign for a 2022 pay increase for schoolteachers in England which reverses the impact of the 2021 pay freeze policy and begins the process of restoring previous pay losses  
• Mount a parallel wider campaign for better pay for teachers in other sectors, teachers in Wales and support staff, seeking to involve those members in activity alongside schoolteacher members in England as far as possible  
• Include reference to supply members’ pay and the exploitative role of agencies in pay campaign materials, and develop a strategic leverage campaign to take on agencies over pay, with the aim of forcing them to pay to scale and changing pay across the sector  
• Focus members’ attention also on the Union’s calls for pay structure changes and the restoration of collective bargaining for teachers and the need for a national contract for all education workers  
• Undertake the activities set out in the attached paper in order to engage & organize members & school groups so as to build campaign momentum & pressure decision makers  
• Seek to build support within the Union among lay officers, reps and members via national and regional briefings for officers, regional and branch briefings for reps, and national Zoom calls for members and reps  
• Conduct this campaigning work in parallel to the workplace-focused pay implementation and pay progression work already planned  
• Survey all members’ views on pay and willingness to support the campaign and take other actions including potentially industrial action  
• Survey support members’ views on pay in order to consider next steps after NJC unions have completed their own consultations of members  
• Review participation at each stage as a ‘structure test’ and consider at each stage what course of escalating action is possible, including an indicative ballot for national action if they indicate a reasonable chance of meeting thresholds  
• Make appropriate preparations in order that membership data and processes are ready for such a ballot when required  
• Continue to work jointly with other teacher unions, education unions and public sector unions as far as possible on pay claims and all other activities  
• Seek also to work jointly with unions in other sectors, in particular the health sector. 

Unity Strength Committee (LM)

Elections: Wales– Ian Watkinson              

Minutes- agreed with an update that IW the Chair not convener of H&S committee

Matters arising- National Training Officer- J. Heggerty left and replaced by Ed Lewis. Focus on digital training until Jan. 2022.

District/ Branch Secretaries meeting- online on 14^th and 15^th October 2021.

Herefordshire District– consulting with members about changes.

Membership Reports– confidential as sensitive data shared, linked to falling numbers and loosing reps, especially Workplace Learning reps.

Wales– Employed Total– 16, 020

              Left the profession–

              Associate – 202

              Fellow – 0

              Honorary – 0

              Retired – 2,119

              Legacy Life – 41

Left the Profession Total – 2, 362

Total Membership- 19, 314

Student recruitment- face to face and online, majority joining online at events and getting an instant membership number and then 70% go to Action NEU.

More and more regions and districts asking for materials for events that are yet to happen.

Reps- Concern that we are losing reps especially workplace union reps across the UK. Specific training going to be put in place, but members of the committee asked if can request info from regions including what plans do regions have to tackle losses, do some regions need support and the fact that local districts will play a vital role in the pay campaign.

Rep losses in Wales- equate to -14% (which is much lower than other regions and districts report)

New Workplace reps- 4

Reps resigning position– 18

Workplace rep- 16

Workplace Learning- 0

Health and Safety- 1

COVID 19 Interim Rep- 1

Discussion around why reps down and it was thought that many have left the profession, some have moved schools and have not taken up role in new school.

Need to look at building teams of reps in schools- joint reps, reps for teachers/ support staff, H & S reps etc, support each other and strategic planning.

Bespoke training for Membership reps and officers with a focus on membership system, going to be piloted in December.

Support staff– issue of support staff not being in a union and how they can be encouraged to join without actively recruiting.

EDAPT- advertising and hijacking google searches on NEU

Honoraria-GPC amendment.

Discussion around whether the amendment was in line with or went significantly beyond what proposed by National Conference.

Conference voted on three issues and amendments to Honoraria already been made and process has changed as a result.

Fight for facilities time could be damaged.

Moribund or districts at risk of becoming moribund discussed and agreed that the current system allows for exceptional circumstances.

Union Strength committee voted against the amendment.

Organising Forums- Background to remit, developing around the role descriptions. Emphasis on organising in OF and request that reports be sent to this committee. Query about who nominates for OFs – should black educators nominate for Black OF?

SEND OF – supported unanimously.

Equalities – reviewunder representation of women- 50 % of attendance to Conference should be women, turnover of exec members more likely to be female, women speakers – encourage in district/ branch and regional meetings.

Activity grants– small number of requests for grants starting to come through.

Member Defence Committee (MD)

The Member defence Committee discussed Reports on 2 conference resolutions:

1. There was a paper on the Black Educators Resolution and Equality Casework Project; The paper set out a long list of concerns from Black NEU members at the November 2020 conference and the paper is about beginning to create solutions for those concerns, It was emphasized how important it is for us all to encourage members to update their equality data (via My NEU) and the fact that there is a new case work system (Seneca) which will be a lot better at collating equalities data in the future.

Discrimination training will be delivered to staff at the Adviceline and regions/Wales on a more consistent basis.

· Level one training has been delivered to all Adviceline and regional/Wales staff.

· Level two training, which will involve the drafting of representations, requests of medical information, subject access and freedom of information act requests and non-statutory discrimination questionnaires for employers, will be rolled out to all regional/Wales caseworkers as soon as training materials have been drafted. The regional/Wales caseworkers continue, in the meantime, to receive training and support from their solicitor colleagues. Going forward, LRW will agree a yearly discrimination training schedule with the Adviceline and regional/Wales offices to ensure that staff are kept constantly up to date with the law and with good practice.

I requested that more regular training around discrimination be provided to reps and secretaries and not just as part of secretaries and reps training as it tends to be now.

2. The second paper was based around the Maternity Rights Resolution and talks about the ongoing review of the Burgundy book which is being updated with changes in the law.

The following actions have been carried out and anticipated in implementation of the resolution.

a. Survey women members on their experiences of being pregnant at work and their subsequent return.

b. Review guidance for women members on pregnancy/maternity rights, including clear advice on health and safety, flexible working, and job shares.

c. Work with Maternity Action to produce guidance specific to the Education sector.

d. Ensure that training of caseworkers, officers and reps specifically includes pregnancy/maternity rights.

e. [Work with districts/branches to] look for opportunities to campaign for improved maternity rights and to ensure that members’ statutory and negotiated rights are upheld.

We have also recommended some enhancements, including:

a. A right not to be made redundant during pregnancy or maternity leave or during the 6 months following the end of maternity leave.

b. A right to return to work on reduced hours or other flexible arrangement after maternity leave or adoption leave.

c. Remove the discretionary element of Adoption leave and pay under paragraph 12 of the BBMS. Statutory adoption leave and pay rights have evolved since the current iteration of the Burgundy Book.

d. Improve the qualifying criteria to take account of service with employers listed in the Modification Order (to reflect the redundancy entitlements). Qualifying for the maternity scheme is more onerous than qualifying for contractual sick pay or redundancy pay.

e. Provide for reciprocal arrangements with Scotland and Northern Ireland so that teachers who move jurisdiction during the qualifying period are able to carry with them their accrued service.

f. To enhance rights for teachers and support staff: Enhance the qualifying criteria to count service as an HLTA etc on Green Book terms & conditions so that women who move roles are able to carry with them their accrued service.

g. Remove the requirement on teachers under paragraph 5 to return to work for 13 weeks in order to retain their full OMP. The requirement is particularly onerous for women who are struggling to secure adequate childcare.

h. Provide for reasonable contact and a contractual right to paid KIT days.

i. Additional contractual maternity leave and pay for mothers of babies born prematurely.

The ERU has also recommended the following improvements to the Burgundy Book that will directly or indirectly support pregnant women and women on maternity leave and parents and carers:

Paternity Leave and Pay – include a contractual entitlement to paid paternity leave at the time of the birth or adoption

Parental Leave and Pay – include a contractual entitlement to paid parental leave for the mother or adopter and their partner for the purposes of caring for the child. The statutory shared parental leave scheme is not working so we should consider developing an alternative contractual scheme. We must be careful not to reduce teachers’ contractual rights.

Bargaining and Negotiations (HO)

Bargaining and Negotiation Committee National Campaign-Value Education, Value Educators PAY CAMPAIGN

The committee discussed: ·

• The NEU national pay campaign for a 2022 – pay increase for school teachers in England which reverses the impact of the 2021 pay freeze policy and begins the process of restoring previous pay losses.
•  Mount a parallel wider campaign for better pay for teachers in other sectors, teachers in Wales and support staff ·
• It was also discussed that members in Wales sometimes feel disillusioned by national campaigns and that campaign materials and zoom events need to include Wales at the start of any National Campaign.
• It was also agreed that Supply staff members also needed to be included in the campaign.
• The national strategy for how to move forward with the pay campaign was discussed to Seek to build support within the Union among lay officers, reps and members via national and regional briefings for officers, regional and branch briefings for reps, and national Zoom calls for members and reps as a starting point with a serious of structure tests to review membership engagement.
• Continue to work with other teacher unions, education unions and public sector unions for pay claims.

Sixth Form College Teachers Pay

The Committee agreed to recommend that the NEU should accept the SFCA pay offer as endorsed by 81% of members in the consultative ballot.

Burgundy Book

Discussions took place -about the Burgundy book regarding terminology and legislation.

ELECTIONS

The Committee elected the following:

       Wales Committee – Dominic Byrne

JGS report

Kevin began with a summary of what NEU members had achieved during the pandemic and how our collective strength was winning for members and allowing our voice to prevail. Rep and school group confidence was demonstrated by a series of collective dispute successes including (but not exclusively) the following since the last Executive:

· 11 June Stonyhurst College, the college Tolkien attended, first strike action in 500 years – agreement reached on teacher pension scheme following strike action.

· 11 June City and Islington College – agreement reached over observations and workload following industrial action.

· 1 July Parkwood Primary, Hackney – settled on alternative proposals that avoided compulsory redundancy and reduction in hours

· 2 July Tring Park, Hertfordshire – threats to TPS and ‘Fire and Rehire’ have been withdrawn following strike action.

· 3 July Coventry School Foundation – successes over workload

· 7 July six primary schools in Brent – agreement reached on pay

· The derailing of the initial Westminster Diocese plan to convert to academies across 6 Boroughs

Recognition that we do have on-going disputes and that not all will be successfully resolved but our workplace representatives are instigating many more discussions with management – this term over 1265, directed hours, pay progression and much else – which never become a ‘dispute’ but which means union members are asserting their rights to be properly part of school discussions.

Whilst doing this the NEU has also been making a political impact – in the interest of education staff and those they teach and support. We have:

Ø Launched the Help a Child to Learn campaign with the Daily Mirror – delivering much needed educational resources for the most disadvantaged children.

Ø Developed a Child Poverty website, which maps disadvantaged by constituency – as part of our growing campaign No Child Left Behind

Ø we supported a Private Members Bill making school uniforms more affordable

Ø we were part of the coalition that forced the government to extend school meal provision during holidays

Ø Initiated the Independent Assessment Commission – getting big write ups in the Times – and working to build a new consensus

Ø Continued to support ‘More Than A Score’ in campaigning for reform of primary assessments – garnering new support from many headteachers and politicians of all parties

Ø Worked with the Lewis Hamilton Commission, whose report on Black people and Motor Sports has endorsed the NEU Anti-Racist Framework for schools

Ø Engaged with the DfE and Ofsted following the “Everyone’s invited” campaign against sexual harassment in schools/colleges- using the insights from our 2018 “Sexism: It’s Everywhere” report.

Ø Engaged and supported Teach the Future – on climate emergency education

The Executive noted:

· variance report to the end of May with a net surplus of actual income over expenditure of £9,029,574. Total income variance is £1,336,214 and total expenditure variance £4,137,607, which creates an overall positive variance of £5,473,821.

· The improvement in the number of district budget returns for 2019 and 2020 since last reported to GPC with missing legacy funds still being an issue with work on-going in tracing those funds; tribute paid to staff, Executive and lay officers in their efforts to resolve these issues.

The Executive agreed:

· to endorse the NEU’s participation in the proposed updating of the Burgundy Book with LGA and other signatory unions, initially to make necessary changes to reflect changes in terminology and legislation, and once updated to seek improvements where possible and secure a longer-term negotiating framework.

· The final budget with a revised surplus and a further reduction following agreement that the 1% subvention should be reinstated to the International Fund. The budgeted surplus to change from £407,385 to £171,242.

· that unless Covid restrictions prevented full physical attendance, all delegates should attend Annual Conference 2022 in person and the introduction of the use of an electronic speakers’ cards system

· that as the only provider who can provide all the exhibition stands for use at Conference/TUC and Party Conferences (and generating significant savings of about £92,000) that Solu4ions are engaged to provide these services to NEU without a formal tender process being undertaken

· the refurbishment of the toilet facilities at Hamilton House and refurbishment of the fire doors are approved

· that following the loss of the sale of 7 Northumberland Street, it is remarketed in September.

· that the purchase of a new property in the South-East Region is allocated a provisional budget of £235/sq ft

· that the D902 Service Children’s Education (Germany & Cyprus) district changes name to D902 MOD Schools with a corresponding Branch for members employed by the MOD. The change to be formally ratified at Annual Conference 2022.

· The proposal to form two districts in Hertfordshire – Hertfordshire General and North Hertfordshire. The outcome of the members consultation and information process will be reported to the Union Strength Committee and GPC on 25th November 2021. If agreed the new districts would take effect from September 2022.

· the adoption of the following timetable for the Officers’ election: –

1 September – timetable to be published by this date (circulated to local officers)

o 1 November – nominations open

o 15 December – close of nominations

o 22 December – deadline for withdrawals and election materials

o 1 February 2022 – election opens

o 1 March (midday) – election closes

· Sustentation payments – to re-visit a Rule change at the next Annual Conference and agreeing a temporary solution enabling the Finance Team to rely on Rule 2 of Appendix E (Sustentation Rules) to override the net-to-net comparison when it is equitable to do so. In relation to NEU reps, the Executive agreed to exercise their power under Rule 18.6.3 which enables Executive to make grants to members who have suffered pecuniary loss which “arises from any action taken on the advice of the Union in the defence of professional rights or from any cause which in the opinion of the Executive renders the member worthy of support” with decisions on such payments to sit with the Action Committee with a review after three months

· to engage with ‘Changelab’ on the development of a bulk email system after Mail Chimp has proved an unsuitable option

· Funding donations of £20,000 to assist in the establishment of a National Education Museum and £10,000 to support Signalise, a multi-stakeholder co-operative providing BSL interpreters, as a donation to fund the final stage of their digital platform development.

· a series of principles to underpin local district and branch meetings and decision-meeting during the Autumn Term, to promulgate to local officers before the summer break; these principles and any associated guidance and protocols to remain transitional and will be reviewed no later than December 2021

· a ‘Lessons Learned inquiry’ into the COVID-19 pandemic (similar to BMA call)

· that the pilot for the shared branch mailbox project is now rolled out to all branches

· acknowledging that the “covid exception” in relation to representation or legal representation be withdrawn.

· to adopt the two strap lines recommended by the PU Committee to be used by the Union in professional unity work; ‘Together we are stronger’ and ‘Standing together for education’

· The Executive agreed the text for two motions to TUC Congress on Palestine and Sexual Harassment: Time to stop sexual harassment in schools and congratulated Heather McKenzie on her election to the General Council. Tribute was paid to Louise Atkinson on her service on the GC for the past year.

Finally, the JGS paid moving tribute to the 23 members leaving the Executive and thanked them for their collective and individual contributions to the NEU and its legacy unions.

Liz McLean and I co-hosted a hustings for the candidates for the NEU DGS elections which members can vote on in October. Click the link below to watch the meeting.

https://neu-org-uk.zoom.us/rec/play/TzdoLxowvwUILa6e_-sfhPGRksI8jrKqGGRklWIX8EfJQ0iWsxMLlhz3sXe0tbHa_EK9hsmI0vuq00cY.20b4XmcekmU9LZ3j?autoplay=tru&fbclid=IwAR1eYUB5hcfiv3fUNrIn-9lMP5RAJq_O9OXp369yhfqOaj96O-d1mwXA7dU

The Joint General Secretaries reported on the following items:

Bargaining for Professionalism (working title)

Building on the outline of the B4P campaign at the May meeting, the Executive received a report on a draft multi-year programme of activities to support the campaign and discussed the following issues:

· Developing the model of rep and branch-based campaigning that had operated so successfully during the pandemic

· Evidence based approach – citing international comparators such as TALIS to highlight the excessive scrutiny and lack of professional autonomy under which educational professionals operate

· Celebrate successes such as recent dispute resolutions including at Leaways School (Hackney), North Huddersfield Trust (Kirklees), Nottingham Academy (Nottingham), Victoria Education Centre (Poole), Rye College (East Sussex), Harris Academy (Haringey), Beal (Redbridge), John Roan (Greenwich), City and Islington 6th form college (Islington). This is not an exhaustive list

The Union’s open letter to councillors on Kevan Collins’ resignation over the Government’s wholly inadequate response to his proposals on education recovery had so far attracted over 200 signatures and reflected widespread condemnation on the £1.4bn offer – a stark contrast to Collins’ call for £15bn expenditure over 5 years. The Union’s independent Commission for Assessment had been launched earlier in the week with partners including the CBI and the Edge Foundation. The Commission’s findings will position the Union in the emerging split amongst members of the Government between those calling for the abolition of GCSEs and the introduction of a baccalaureate-style qualification at 18 (Halpern) and Gibb’s knowledge-rich curriculum.

The ‘no child left behind’ pledge had launched successfully on 19 May with helpful coverage from the Daily Mirror – Executive members were asked to encourage members to sign the pledge.

The Executive noted:

· Two decisions of the Officers of the Sub Committee of SC: MD in relation to legal support;

· The variance report with an estimated positive variance over the whole year of around £2million in terms of membership income, with much of the surplus driven by under-spend as a result of the pandemic.

· Draft budget – some revisions to be made, in particular, the levy payment to the Certification Officer recently announced and there will be some adjustments down in relation to the Campaigns and Region/Wales budgets. GPC asked for more detailed narrative in relation to

various budget heads for the final budget that will be presented at the July meeting for final sign off.

· the report about outstanding annual returns from local structures with a slow improvement to the previous position (12 returns are missing from 2019, compared to 13 reported in May 2021; 15 returns are missing from 2020, compared to 16 reported in May 2021); agreed that letters of instruction sent by the President/ Joint General Secretaries are appropriate in some circumstances and agreed to review the protocol at the July meeting.

The Executive agreed:

· that Excalibur are selected as preferred supplier for providing mobile phones to local officers wishing to take advantage of the offer (which was not mandatory in anyway);

· the CARE scheme rules for the NEU Staff Pension Scheme

· agreement is reached with Regus in relation to the third and fourth floors of Hamilton House in accordance with the Heads of Terms (circulated under confidential cover)

· Funding – donations of £20,000 to LM:HR for the float at Notting Hill carnival and the marquee at the Barking & Dagenham Beaconsfield 100 festival and £7,500 to IER for their post-pandemic projects;

The Executive received an updated Equalities Analysis and welcomed those findings where the activists mirrored the member demographic (LGBT+) and where more engagement with equality strands was needed. Executive comments were noted and would be reconsidered by OSG before returning to the Executive.

SUPPLY MEMBERS (BNC) – the Executive agreed to develop advice & support for branches on seeking to negotiate with agencies, including on the roles of supply member officers and cross-branch working; agreed that the Union should review progress with the Alternatives to Agencies toolkit and with the programme of training for lay officers on AWR rights; and noted progress in developing an online tool for members on AWR rights (in accordance with the Conference resolution).

The Executive agreed the following topics be submitted as motions or amendments to TUC Congress with final text to be signed off at the July meeting:

· Palestine

· Assessment and Qualifications (to be rewritten to include high stakes statutory assessment in early years and primary)

· Education Recovery and Restructuring

· Sexism in Schools as a further possible motion or amendment.

Conflict in the Middle East – In the light of the recent letter from Gavin Williamson to heads and school leaders ‘Antisemitic incidents within schools’ (28 May 2021) the Executive agreed that the Union should issue a public response to the letter and to responses by schools to expressions of solidarity with Palestine by pupils. The framework for the response was agreed. Following the Executive, the International Committee met and agreed that two recent EI statements on the conflict be circulated to the Executive – here and https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/24921:palestine-and-israel-education-international-condemns-all-acts-of-violence-against-children-and-civilians

Following the damning OFSTED report on sexism in schools, the President reminded the Executive of the Union’s excellent 2019 joint publication with UK feminista ‘It’s everywhere’ – one of the NEU’s first publications pre-empting OFSTED by several years and highlighting the importance of the issue