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Hello,
Welcome to the new UNISON Schools’ Update – an e-newsletter for UNISON
members and organisers
who work in, or support those who work in, schools.
You have been sent this update because you’ve shown an interest in
hearing about issues facing school support staff. The aim of the update
is to provide you with a short summary of the latest trade union news in
schools. If you find this information helpful, you may want to encourage
your fellow UNISON members to sign-up to receive future UNISON Schools’
Updates. Details on how others can subscribe (or unsubscribe) to the
update are included at the end of this email.
Regards,
UNISON Education and Children’s Services
UNISON SCHOOLS’ UPDATE
This update
aims to provide UNISON members and organisers with a brief summary of
the latest trade union news in schools.
If you have
any comments or questions regarding this update please email
education@unison.co.uk
Managing medical conditions in schools – request for information
UNISON and fellow trade unions have been invited to meet with the
Department for Education to discuss managing medical conditions in
schools. UNISON is particularly keen to draw attention to our concerns
regarding school staff responsibilities. It would be very helpful if we
could provide relevant background information to back up our arguments –
for example, job descriptions, the
precise nature of any voluntary roles, and specific examples of practice
(i.e. where managing medical conditions has worked well, as well as
where there have been concerns). If you are able to provide any
documents or case studies which we can use in our discussions with the
DfE, please send them to Sarah Peters, National Officer, Education and
Children’s Services –
s.peters@unison.co.uk
UNISON Schools Newsletter – Spring 2012
The latest edition of the UNISON Schools Newsletter is now available.
You can order the newsletter via UNISON Communications, quoting stock
number 2166. Alternatively, download a copy of the newsletter here:
http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/20538.pdf
Academies – defend your school: UNISON update
At 1 February 2012 there were 1580 academy schools in England, with the
government showing no sign of slowing down in its enthusiasm for them.
The Education Act 2011 has cemented the relationship between academies
and central government while driving the wedge even further between
academy schools and local authorities. UNISON has published an update
which highlights some of the hot topics which have arisen as a
consequence. You can download the update here:
Academies – defend your school, update
Feb 2012
Free Schools - new applications in the pipeline
So far 24 schools in England have
been awarded Free School status. Five were set up by teachers, nine were
set up by parent or community groups, five were set up by existing
education providers, and one by an existing academy. Five existing
schools also became free schools. A further 72 schools Free Schools will
be introduced in September 2012. Like Academies, Free Schools are
independent, state-funded schools given
more choice over their curriculum
and more say over how money is spent in the school.
National Awards for School Support Staff 2012
UNISON is encouraging branches and members to help nominate valued
colleagues for the National Awards for School Support Staff 2012. These
awards, led by the National Association of School Business Management,
are UK-wide and aim to recognise the important contribution that
support staff make within schools. There are several award categories
covering a range of different support staff roles.
Information and nomination forms are available
here. The closing date for
entries is the 8 June 2012.
New drug advice for schools
The Department for Education and the Association of Chief Police
Officers (ACPO) have issued revised Drug Advice for Schools. The Advice
is non-statutory and aims to help answer some of the most common
questions raised by school staff. You can download the advice here:
http://www.education.gov.uk/b00202357/drugadviceforschools
Public Sector Equality Duties: employers required to publish equality
info
The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies, including local
authorities and schools, to take action over equality issues in the
workplace. In England, Scotland and Wales, schools will be required to
publish information to demonstrate that they are complying with the
public sector equality duty by 6 April 2012. The Equality and Human
Rights Commission has set out the t information that it recommends
public bodies need to publish, for example: the race, disability, gender
and age distribution of the workforce at different grades, and whether
they are full or part time; any evidence of pay gaps or occupational
segregation and evidence that the employer has had due regard to the
need to eliminate gender pay discrimination. UNISON is encouraging all
branches to check their employer’s website and to report any failure to
publish this information to the Commission. More information and advice
has been send to Local Government branches in circular LG/9/2012.
Local Authority funding protected for SEN services
Following lobbying by
the
Special Educational Consortium (SEC), the Government
has announced that local authorities will retain their central funding
for SEN services no matter how many academies they have in their area. LAs
are now being urged
to consider any decision about funding SEN specialist services in light
of this new information. You can read more
here
Academies - defend your school
UNISON North West steps up
Campaign Against Academies
Following the
Academy Act 2010 making it easier for schools to convert UNISON is
stepping up its campaign with bargaining advice and materials for
branches and looking to coordinate a regional response and linking
branch campaigns together.
Not many people are aware but under the 2010 Act a school no longer
requires the ‘approval’ of the local authority – or indeed anybody
except the Secretary of State – to gain Academy status. |
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They are free to determine themselves who to consult and how to
do it. Increasingly we are seeing schools submit their applications to Michael
Gove before they announce this to staff, parents or the LEA. Consultation is
then often rushed through without involving the wider community or other schools
and without giving out balanced information or publishing the Business Plan,
Academy School Improvement Plan or any risk assessments. It can be as little as
2 months from making the application to getting approval to convert. This puts
incredible pressure on branches and the Region to respond effectively and mount
a community based campaign, which is highly resource intensive.
The Academy programme is
a major threat to democratic accountability and the provision of coordinated
education across a local authority area. At particular risk are the centrally
provided support services through which councils and schools can best provide a
consistent and high level of service to those with most need. If more and more
schools opt to go it alone as Academies these area-wide services will fracture
and disappear.
In many cases Governors
are taking these decisions without full knowledge of the implications for
themselves or the school, based on confused messages, misinformation and a
misguided view that in a time of funding cutbacks sitting on an island Academy
will somehow provide a flood defence. The reality is actually quite the opposite
and leaving the family of local authority community schools removes the safety
net when things go wrong, as they so often do.
The most common
misconceptions are about increased freedom away from council ‘control’, and
increased funding that’s being ‘withheld’ from the school presently.
Claim - Academies have more freedom away from
Council ‘control’.
Truth – Local authorities have very little control
over what schools do. But they do provide a safety net when things go wrong -
such as giving schools longer to balance their budget than they would get as an
Academy when the school gets into financial difficulties (Academies can’t
operate a deficit). The Council also provides services that are not easy to
obtain anywhere else.
Claim – Academies will get more money away from
the Council.
Truth – the Government is clear that Academies do
not get any financial gain. Academy funding is based on the level of
maintained school funding in the area and any ‘gains’ will see the Academy
settlement adjusted. Government cuts to school or local authority budgets affect
Academies just the same as Community Schools. Academies get a funding element to
reflect local authority central spending – but from that an Academy becomes
responsible for funding, sourcing, purchasing, organising, maintaining and
monitoring a wide range of services, statutory requirements and liabilities that
are currently provided to the school directly or centrally by the Council. These
include, but are not limited to;
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Employer liability insurance, risk and insurance
management
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Licence fees for ICT and management information systems
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Employer costs of pensions, maternity, occupational
health, redundancy, etc
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Health and Safety, building regulations, certification
compliance and all legal costs
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Financial management, audits, VAT, returns
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All building maintenance, refurbishment, equipment
costs and capital costs
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Library, music, interfaith and outdoor education
services
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Education Welfare, admissions, curriculum support,
governor support
The threats posed by the
Academy Model are similar to those from the NHS reform agenda – loss of public
accountability, loss of democratic governance, splintered services, commercial
considerations overriding the true purpose of the service and market creep. But
as Academy conversion is down to the school, and the process is far from
transparent, this is going on largely under the public radar.
In the North West we are
now seeing accelerating numbers of schools applying. UNISON policy is to oppose
Academies because of their threat to local services and because the ‘freedoms’
that Academies do gain include the ability to rip up national agreements. We are
even seeing the start of schools issuing ‘Measures’ letters signalling the end
of recognition for collective bargaining purposes.
In May we saw the first
UNISON members in the country taking part in Academy related industrial action,
with teacher union colleagues, in Lancashire. Joint union campaigning is well
established at national level and this has to be replicated locally. Ultimately
it is only through working closely with our teacher union colleagues AND the
whole community that we can persuade schools to abandon proposals.
But as well as opposing
schools converting we must also look at ensuring strong school membership
organisation, increased density, more stewards, real links to the branch and a
sound understanding of the bargaining agenda. If we are not able to stop a
school converting then we still have an ongoing duty to our members in that
school.
There is a lot of useful
material and background on the national website at http://www.unison.org.uk/education/defendyourschool.
If you go to the link
below you can download a detailed letter sent by the joint unions representing
members at Hazel Grove High School in Stockport.
HGHS Joint Trade Union Letter
to VC Governors 26 May.doc 
HGHS Joint Trade Union Letter
to VC Governors 26 May.pdf 
Here the consultation
has been very limited, the information scarce and the Governors have actively
promoted an Academy without offering any balanced view of the pros and cons or
publishing its Business Plan. This letter is a useful template for branches
faced with similar situations and includes requests for information and comment
that covers all the key aspects that need to be considered.
We will be building up
our library of materials to supplement the national website so please check back
here.
Further information and
support is available from Keith Bradley, Regional Lead for Schools at
k.bradley@unison.co.uk and John Lewis, Regional Lead for Local Government at
john.lewis@unison.co.uk
