Category: education

Labour commit to restore School Support Staff Negotiating Body

Earlier this week, the Labour Party pledged to restore the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) if they win the next general election.

Under a Labour government, the reconstituted SSSNB would become the negotiating body covering terms and conditions for teaching assistants, caretakers, office staff, technicians, catering staff, cleaners and all other support staff working in schools.

As the three recognised support staff trade unions UNISON, GMB and Unite would be responsible for negotiating on the SSSNB.

UNISON previously worked with the last Labour government to create and introduce the SSSNB before it was scrapped shortly after the Conservatives took power in 2010 by then education secretary, Michael Gove.

The union has been campaigning for the reintroduction of the SSSNB since it was scrapped and the announcement on Tuesday, from the shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, marks a key step toward achieving that goal.

In her speech, Ms Phillipson said: “School leaders, especially in our best schools, rightly tell me about the vital role of their support staff and they will be crucial to delivering the high and rising standards Labour wants to see in all our schools.

“Teachers get their voice heard in the national conversation but too often support staff don’t. That’s why the last Labour government was right to create a negotiating body to look at their terms and conditions across our country, and that is why the next Labour government will do the same.

She announced the measure as part of Labour’s wider education policy saying they will “reset the relationship between schools, families and the government.”

UNISON believes the SSSNB is key to providing professional recognition for a group of staff which has been overlooked by the government for too long.

The body would work toward a number of goals for support staff including: giving them a proper voice in the national education conversation; achieving fair pay and helping move towards a synchronised package of terms and conditions across the country; and ensuring that they are properly rewarded for their work and granted opportunities for professional development.

Commenting on the announcement Mike Short, UNISON’s national secretary for education and local government, said: “School support staff play essential roles in supporting pupils in a wide variety of ways.

“However, too often, they are taken for granted and lack clear career progression. A dedicated pay and reward system would ensure they are fairly paid for what they do, as well as provide a career structure and opportunities for professional development.”

The article Labour commit to restore School Support Staff Negotiating Body first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Labour commit to restore School Support Staff Negotiating Body

Earlier this week, the Labour Party pledged to restore the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) if they win the next general election.

Under a Labour government, the reconstituted SSSNB would become the negotiating body covering terms and conditions for teaching assistants, caretakers, office staff, technicians, catering staff, cleaners and all other support staff working in schools.

As the three recognised support staff trade unions UNISON, GMB and Unite would be responsible for negotiating on the SSSNB.

UNISON previously worked with the last Labour government to create and introduce the SSSNB before it was scrapped shortly after the Conservatives took power in 2010 by then education secretary, Michael Gove.

The union has been campaigning for the reintroduction of the SSSNB since it was scrapped and the announcement on Tuesday, from the shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, marks a key step toward achieving that goal.

In her speech, Ms Phillipson said: “School leaders, especially in our best schools, rightly tell me about the vital role of their support staff and they will be crucial to delivering the high and rising standards Labour wants to see in all our schools.

“Teachers get their voice heard in the national conversation but too often support staff don’t. That’s why the last Labour government was right to create a negotiating body to look at their terms and conditions across our country, and that is why the next Labour government will do the same.

She announced the measure as part of Labour’s wider education policy saying they will “reset the relationship between schools, families and the government.”

UNISON believes the SSSNB is key to providing professional recognition for a group of staff which has been overlooked by the government for too long.

The body would work toward a number of goals for support staff including: giving them a proper voice in the national education conversation; achieving fair pay and helping move towards a synchronised package of terms and conditions across the country; and ensuring that they are properly rewarded for their work and granted opportunities for professional development.

Commenting on the announcement Mike Short, UNISON’s national secretary for education and local government, said: “School support staff play essential roles in supporting pupils in a wide variety of ways.

“However, too often, they are taken for granted and lack clear career progression. A dedicated pay and reward system would ensure they are fairly paid for what they do, as well as provide a career structure and opportunities for professional development.”

The article Labour commit to restore School Support Staff Negotiating Body first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Labour commit to restore School Support Staff Negotiating Body in England

Earlier this week, the Labour Party pledged to restore the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) in England if they win the next general election.

Under a Labour government, the reconstituted SSSNB would become the negotiating body covering terms and conditions for teaching assistants, caretakers, office staff, technicians, catering staff, cleaners and all other support staff working in schools.

As the three recognised support staff trade unions UNISON, GMB and Unite would be responsible for negotiating on the SSSNB.

UNISON previously worked with the last Labour government to create and introduce the SSSNB before it was scrapped shortly after the Conservatives took power in 2010 by then education secretary, Michael Gove.

The union has been campaigning for the reintroduction of the SSSNB since it was scrapped and the announcement on Tuesday, from the shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, marks a key step toward achieving that goal.

In her speech, Ms Phillipson said: “Teachers get their voice heard in the national conversation but too often support staff don’t. That’s why the last Labour government was right to create a negotiating body to look at their terms and conditions across our country, and that is why the next Labour government will do the same.

She announced the measure as part of Labour’s wider education policy saying they will “reset the relationship between schools, families and the government.”

Commenting afterwards, she added: “School support staff play a vital role in all our schools and they will be crucial to delivering the better future for all our children that Labour is determined to deliver.

“I look forward to working with Unison, GMB and Unite to deliver a better deal for everyone in our schools, in a Britain where background is no barrier to opportunity.”

UNISON believes the SSSNB is key to providing professional recognition for a group of staff which has been overlooked by the government for too long.

The body would work toward a number of goals for support staff including: giving them a proper voice in the national education conversation; achieving fair pay and helping move towards a synchronised package of terms and conditions across the country; and ensuring that they are properly rewarded for their work and granted opportunities for professional development.

Commenting on the announcement Mike Short, UNISON’s national secretary for education and local government, said: “School support staff play essential roles in supporting pupils in a wide variety of ways.

“However, too often, they are taken for granted and lack clear career progression. A dedicated pay and reward system would ensure they are fairly paid for what they do, as well as provide a career structure and opportunities for professional development.”

The article Labour commit to restore School Support Staff Negotiating Body in England first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON urges government to make schools safe now

Scores of schools that could be at risk of collapse have been warned to be ready for the possibility that they could have to close part or all of their buildings within days, according to reports in the Mirror.

The affected schools were built with “crumbly” reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from the 1960s to 1990s, with a life expectancy of around 30 years.

According to an internal government document seen by the media, the Department for Education have been hastily calling schools over the bank holiday weekend warning them to have plans in place to close school buildings at short notice, despite unions and other organisations calling for urgent action to make schools safe for many months.

UNISON head of education Mike Short said: “Since January this year the DfE and ministers have done all they can to avoid the repeated requests made to provide parents and staff with information on the true conditions of our schools.

“Instead they have found every possible loop hole to avoid publishing the information, with the minister even failing to meet his promise to parliament to publish the data before the summer break.

“We now have the absurd situation of government departments ringing schools days before term begins, telling them to prepare for potential building closures.

“It’s time for the government to get to grips with the issue and ensure our schools are safe – now and for generations to come.”

The article UNISON urges government to make schools safe now first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON urges government to make schools safe now

Scores of schools that could be at risk of collapse have been warned to be ready for the possibility that they could have to close part or all of their buildings within days, according to reports in the Mirror.

The affected schools were built with “crumbly” reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from the 1960s to 1990s, with a life expectancy of around 30 years.

According to an internal government document seen by the media, the Department for Education have been hastily calling schools over the bank holiday weekend warning them to have plans in place to close school buildings at short notice, despite unions and other organisations calling for urgent action to make schools safe for many months.

UNISON head of education Mike Short said: “Since January this year the DfE and ministers have done all they can to avoid the repeated requests made to provide parents and staff with information on the true conditions of our schools.

“Instead they have found every possible loop hole to avoid publishing the information, with the minister even failing to meet his promise to parliament to publish the data before the summer break.

“We now have the absurd situation of government departments ringing schools days before term begins, telling them to prepare for potential building closures.

“It’s time for the government to get to grips with the issue and ensure our schools are safe – now and for generations to come.”

The article UNISON urges government to make schools safe now first appeared on the UNISON National site.

School budgets reach breaking point, so UNISON members are taking action

Schools are grappling with insufficient funding. As school budgets reach breaking point, there are inevitable consequences for the quality of education being provided to young people, as well as the working conditions of school staff.

New research from UNISON has shown that funding remains significantly below 2010 levels, and a pupil who started school in 2010 will have lost out on an average of £5,384 of funding as a result of budget cuts. 

On a daily basis, this means larger class sizes, reduced access to student support services, cuts in extra-curricular activities provision like after-school clubs and trips, and reduced specialist support for SEND pupils.

It also means pupils and staff are learning and working in unsafe buildings, many of which contain asbestos and materials that were never intended to still be in use. 

This is why UNISON members are emailing their local councillors, asking them to write to the Secretary for Education and ask for more money for schools.

Write to your councillor here

UNISON wants Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan to consider the impact that chronic underfunding has had on our schools and on the life-chances of children and young people, and is calling for her to:

  • increase per pupil funding so that schools can continue to deliver excellent education;
  • reverse the cuts to schools capital funding, and ensure sufficient funding is available for schools to repair or replace all defective elements;
  • ensure SEND pupils don’t miss out by investing in specialist provision and support staff in schools. 

Thanks to UNISON members taking action, over 150 councillors have added their name so far, including councillors and council leaders from Labour, Green, Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “The government can’t seriously believe that cutting school funding is a route to better education and improved outcomes for children and young people.

“In every community, cash-strapped schools and schools staff are in crisis. And although they continue to go above and beyond to support pupils, this isn’t sustainable.

“Thirteen years of dwindling school budgets has taken its toll on the life chances of children and young people, and on staff morale.

“Local councillors can join UNISON’s action by forcing the government to take a serious look at the impact of its failures and to deliver fair school funding.”  

Write to your councillor

The article School budgets reach breaking point, so UNISON members are taking action first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Cuts since 2010 have cost pupils £5,000 each in lost education

Government cuts to schooling mean a pupil who started school in England in 2010 has lost out on £5,384 of education funding by the time they graduate sixth form this year, according to new research published by UNISON.

Independent analysis, commissioned by the union from economic experts Landman Economics, shows the cumulative effect of Conservative cuts. It shows that, even with the increased money promised for each pupil in the 2022 Autumn Statement, funding remains significantly below 2010 levels.

Between 2010/11 and 2022/23, spending per pupil fell from £7,274 to £6,982 – a drop of 4%. This means many hundreds of pounds less spent on each student every year relative to 2010 funding levels.

The chart below tracks spending on a pupil who started reception in 2009/10 and reached year 13 in 2022/23.

Analysis from Landman Economics – Source: IFS (2022), Figure 5.1 Note: spending for 2020/21 estimated by interpolation between 2019/20 and 2021/22 because actual figures for 2020/21 were distorted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pressure on school budgets inevitably has consequences for the quality of education being provided. It means larger class sizes, fewer support staff, reduced access to student support services, cuts to the curriculum, cuts to extra-curricular provision and reduced support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) – all of which jeopardise the learning outcomes of millions of children.

In addition to significant cuts to funding per pupil, schools have seen capital spending on school buildings decline by 37% in cash terms and 50% in real terms*. Many buildings contain asbestos as well as materials that were never intended to still be in use, such as the concrete RAAC, leaving children at risk.

UNISON head of education, Mike Short, said: “These figures show the heavy price that young people are paying for a Conservative government.

“It is deeply unfair that today’s cohort of young people will leave school this summer after losing out on thousands of pounds worth of education. They have studied in buildings long past their best before date, with fewer resources to help them learn and less support from staff.

“It’s time for this government to invest in Britain’s future by restoring school funding. The secretary of state for education and the chancellor need to find the money to ensure young people get the best start in life.”

* Cuts in capital funding are from the House of Commons Library report School Buildings and Capital Funding (England), published in January 2023.

The article Cuts since 2010 have cost pupils £5,000 each in lost education first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Joint UNISON, GMB and Unite statement on the outcome of their complaint against the NEU

In late 2022, having failed to reach an agreement informally, UNISON, along with the GMB and Unite unions submitted a formal complaint to the TUC about the NEU’s organising activities and recruitment of school support staff.

The complaint alleged that the NEU had actively sought to recruit school support staff and had intervened in pay negotiations (known as the NJC) between the three recognised unions and the local government employers.

This undermined a previous agreement between all four unions around two fundamental TUC principles that require unions not to recruit nor organise in areas already covered by other recognised TUC unions.

Following a TUC disputes panel hearing the TUC issued its judgement the end of March 2023, which has now been presented to the TUC General Council. This upheld all the complaints against the NEU.

The judgement reaffirmed that the NJC unions (GMB, UNISON and Unite) have exclusive bargaining rights for school support staff. It also explicitly stated that, in future, the NEU should take no action that could be regarded as organising activity among these workers.

Please see the full joint statement from UNISON, GMB and Unite for more details.

The article Joint UNISON, GMB and Unite statement on the outcome of their complaint against the NEU first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON welcomes return of further education to public sector

UNISON has welcomed the announcement from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that further education institutions are to be reclassified as public sector rather than private.

Among other ramifications, this means that colleges and their subsidiaries in England will need to adhere to Treasury guidance on senior pay.

Colleges that want to appoint to posts paying £150,000 or more and/or performance related pay of over £17,500 will have to obtain clearance before such roles can be advertised advertised.

Leigh Powell, UNISON national officer for education and children’s services, welcomed this news.

“Those who spend public money should be accountable for how they spend that money and this decision will strengthen this,” she said.

“The further education sector has been subjected to market conditions for too long. This has led to a deterioration in the quality of education that learners of all ages receive.

“Many colleges will not be happy with the decision – particularly highly-paid principals who will now have to justify their large pay packets”.

Ms Powell added: “The next step is to re-establish proper national pay bargaining in the sector to address the years of low pay that has seen pay in further education colleges fall by approximately 35% since 2010, leading to the current recruitment crisis”.

The article UNISON welcomes return of further education to public sector first appeared on the UNISON National site.

MPs celebrate Stars in our Schools at parliamentary drop-in

Above L-R, Sarah Sammons (UNISON teaching assistant), Catherine McKinnell (MP for Newcastle North) and Lynne Wade (UNISON teaching assistant)

Ahead of today’s Stars in our Schools Day, MPs attended a UNISON-run drop-in session at Westminster, to celebrate school support staff and learn more about the issues they face.

UNISON’s annual celebration highlights the amazing work that school support staff do, every day, around the country. They are the caterers, the admin staff, the finance officers, the teaching assistants, the librarians, the ICT technicians, the parent support advisers, and more.

Stars in our Schools is all about recognising their wonderful contributions. And, until 30 November, anyone can nominate a Star – with one winner from each of the 12 regions across the UK being announced in December.

Nominate your Star

Kim Leadbetter (MP for Batley and Spen) talks to Lynne Wade (UNISON teaching assistant) and Nahuel Durante

Kim Leadbetter, MP for Batley and Spen, talks to UNISON members and staff

The event gave MPs, including Liz Twist, co-chair of the UNISON group of Labour MPs, an opportunity to show their support for the celebration, through photo-ops and meetings with UNISON members.

The members, Lynne Wade and Sarah Sammons, who are teaching assistants at a special school in Upminster, and Peter Liddle, who is the schools convenor for UNISON Havering branch, raised concerns to the MPs around schools funding and the financial struggle faced by schools, parents and staff following last week’s budget statement.

Education is still facing cuts

Tam Dhesi (MP for Slough) speaks to Lynne Wade (UNISON teaching assistant), Sarah Sammons (UNISON teaching assistant) and Peter Liddle (schools convenor UNISON Havering branch)

Tam Dhesi, MP for Slough, speaks to UNISON schools members

Support staff are vital to children’s learning and the smooth running of schools. The members highlighted some of the issues that they currently face, as well as talking about the initiatives they have introduced to help colleagues who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, such as signposting to sources of support and well-being events.

UNISON’s national officer for schools, Jo Parry, said: “It was great that the MPs were able to join us and listen first-hand to the challenges support staff in schools are facing.

“But now is the time for action, and for the government to invest in our education workforce for the benefit of all.”

Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle Central, in Westminster Hall holding a stars in our schools placard

Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle Central

About Stars in our Schools

The article MPs celebrate Stars in our Schools at parliamentary drop-in first appeared on the UNISON National site.