LEICESTERSHIRE NUT

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ACADEMIES FOR ALL?

The recent letter from Mr Gove to schools did include some comments which we can all agree upon, but the NUT remains opposed to any extension of the Academies programme and is very worried about the proposals to make it 'easier' for schools to become Academies. 'Easier' will mean no public consultation about whether a community school should become an Academy, and less opportunity to oppose those proposals. The decision about what happens to our schools will be with a very small group of people indeed, which is profoundly undemocratic. While this is being proposed in the name of'parental choice', where will the choice be when all schools are Academies?

The Academies programme represents a significant attack on state education, local authorities, national pay, terms and conditions for teachers, and is a sustained attack on the democratic accountability of schools.

The following Leicestershire schools have registered an interest with the DFE:

Ashby School;  Martin High School; Rawlins Community College; Manor High School; Welland Park Community College; Hastings High School; Garendon HIgh School; Limehurst High School; Humphrey Perkins High School; Leysland High School; Hind Leys Specialist College.

The Principal of Rawlins has gone on public record as stating that the Registration was an attempt to get more information and that 'Rawlins has not considered becoming an Academy'.

Find out more on the Academies Page.

ADDITIONAL BANK HOLIDAY

2012 will see an additional Bank Holiday on Tuesday 5 June as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Leicestershire NUT will be discussing what this means for teachers with the LA. Much is uncertain at the moment, but it looks as if the regulations on the length of the school year for 2011-12 may well be revised so that children and teachers can benefit from the extra holiday. Further information will be circulated as and when it becomes available.

CUTS AND SAVINGS

The coalition has made it clear that the public sector will bear the brunt of tackling the deficit, and that all options are being considered. In reality this means that cuts will be severe and wide-ranging. Even though the origins of this economic chaos lies firmly with the financial sector, public sector employees and public services will be the ones to pay for the recovery. And this will certainly mean cuts which affect education. The NUT is committed to working with other trade unions to try to oppose what will be a very rocky road ahead.

GTC

While the news of the end of the GTCE is to be welcomed, we are cautious about whether the Coalition will replace this with any other mechanism for disciplining and controlling the profession. An announcement is due in the Autumn, and this will certainly be interesting. Watch this space!

GENERAL ELECTION

General Election Results for Leicestershire are here

NUT CONFERENCE April 2010

Read the full Resolutions carried at Conference, Conference Reports, the General Secretary's Speech, and the Secretary's Conference Diary about events in Liverpool here.

SATs BOYCOTT

Congratulations on all those NUT and NAHT Heads who supported the boycott. While the campaign will most certainly continue, the boycott will have helped further that campaign and hopefully bring about a speedy end to both SATs and League Tables. We know that this was a difficult decision, and we also know that some Heads faced a great deal of pressure not to boycott. 

BSF FUNDING 

All Leicestershire teachers should know by now that the LA failed in its attempt to secure BSF funding. The bid, which would have seen the closure of Burleigh Community College, Limehurst High School, and The Garendon High School, along with other changes incorporating transfer at 11yrs rather than 14yrs, including a new Academy and a University Technical College, was based in the Loughborough, Quorn and Barrow area.

The LA was due to resubmit a new set of proposals to Cabinet in May 2010, but this has now been deferred.

Leicestershire NUT is extremely concerned at the proposals and their impact on jobs and employment conditions for staff. We submitted a formal response and are expressing our continuing concerns at every opportunity.

We are also very concerned about the BSF system itself, which has been roundly criticised from many quarters for its 25 year construction/maintenance contracts, its PFI basis, and its dovetailing with an agenda designed to undermine the principle of democratically accountable comprehensive schooling.

The future of BSF under the new coalition seems uncertain.

KEVII MELTON MOWBRAY

The situation in Melton is a disaster. KEVII is to be closed, and a Joint Committee is being established to manage the Post-16 Centre which will open on it's site.Leicestershire NUTis angry and concerned about the proposed arrangements for the possible future employment of existing KEVII staff and is, along with parents and pupils, also concerned about the impact on young people of this situation.

It is hard to describe the stress and anxiety caused by this situation for staff, pupils and parents, which has resulted in all kinds of changes to the original consultations carried out two years ago about the future of Secondary education in the area.

Leicestershire NUT is the largest teachers' union in the County. We have more than 2700 members in primary, secondary and special schools across the County, as well as members employed centrally by the Authority and working as Supply teachers. We also recruit student teachers.

QUALIFYING in 2010?

See further down page for how to get 4 terms membership for just a quid

WHAT WE DO

Our job is to represent and protect the interests of NUT members in the County. We do this by being part of the biggest teachers' union in Europe, and by representing individual members when required. We also negotiate agreements and policies at County Hall with the Local Authority, and try to agree documents which reflect national and local NUT policies. We then support our Reps in Schools.

HOW WE DO IT

The day to day work of the union is the responsibility of the Secretary, along with a number of voluntary union officers drawn from the Committee. The Secretary has the lead role in negotiations with Local Authority Officers, and is sometimes supported by Committee members who can act as delegates on various consultative bodies.

The Committee meets monthly to decide policy, formulate responses and discuss issues.

Leicestershire NUT is also supported by an invaluable network of School Representatives and Correspondents, all busily acting on behalf of members. Leicestershire NUT functions well because of the work done by these Reps and correspondents in schools.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

There are many ways in which you can get involved in Leicestershire NUT.

• You're involved by looking at this website!
• Read The Leicestershire Teacher and other NUT material
• Talk to your School Rep and other members
• Attend school NUT meetings
• Attend a General Meeting - times and agendas published on this site
• Contact the Secretary and attend Committee meetings
• Become more involved, get training and support members as an Officer, Rep, Correspondent, webpage author or Organiser.