Dear Members
As we come to the end of this half term, we wanted to provide you with an update. We appreciate how hard you have worked this half term and we thank you for everything you have done and continue to do.
Health and Safety
COVID-19 advice and guidance
As case rates in our community are rising, this is having an impact on our schools. We are raising this with employers including the Local Authority and it is important that schools continue to review their risk assessments including individual risk assessments on a regular basis in light of the local data. Schools should also consider safety mitigations that may be required and/or safety protocols that may need to be reviewed.
Our latest advice and guidance for members on Covid safety and the arrangements which should be in place in schools and colleges can be found at our Coronavirus Hub.
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions section for answers to common work-related questions during the pandemic.
The NASUWT will continue to work with employers at local, regional, and national level to represent and protect the interests of our members. If you have any concerns, please raise them with the school leadership or contact the NASUWT for further support at advice@mail.nasuwt.org.uk.
Supply Teachers Checklist
The NASUWT has updated its Health and Safety Checklist for Supply Teachers
Education Recovery
The NASUWT has published a policy statement on education recovery. The statement sets out the principles that the NASUWT expects all governments, administrations and employers to incorporate into their education recovery plans, including on the curriculum, addressing workforce wellbeing and workload and supporting schools and their staff.
Teachers’ Pay 2021/22
Further to the information we shared with you in September, we have produced some further guidance (please see link in the email) now the STPCD 2021 has been published. The STPCD is the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document and is updated each year to reflect changes that are being made to Teachers’ pay and conditions.
Please read the guidance as it includes information on the pay freeze, pay progression (particularly UPS), uplift to the unqualified teacher range, Supply Teachers, the Queen’s Jubilee Bank Holiday arrangements, ECTs and TLR3 payments. This information will be particularly useful for our workplace reps. The guidance has been shared with employers in Coventry and we expect employers to be consulting on updates to their pay policies with all staff and Unions over the coming weeks.
Local Association Meeting
Further to our email notification earlier in the week, our next Local Association Meeting will be taking place on Tuesday 2nd November 2021 starting at 5pm. It will be a virtual meeting hosted on Zoom. We will be covering a range of issues including Pay and Finance. Please refer to the email for the link to register for the meeting and the final agenda.
Click here for dates and details of our local meetings taking place this academic year.
Reps Update
We would like to encourage more members to become Workplace Representatives, Workplace Contacts, Health & Safety Reps and Union Learning Representatives. All Reps are entitled to reasonable time off to carry out their duties and the NASUWT offers full training. Our Reps play an invaluable role in supporting members in workplaces and working with our employers.
If you would like to become a Rep or Contact, please contact Nigel Buckler, Local Officer at office@nasuwtcoventry.org for further details.
If you are no longer a Rep/Contact or are newly elected, could you email us at the Office email address above so we can update our contact lists.
Annual Conference
You will have received an email from our General Secretary, Dr. Patrick Roach on 13th September 2021 about being a delegate at the Annual Conference in Birmingham which is being held from Friday 15th April to Monday 18th April 2022. Please follow the instructions in the email if you would like to attend.
Equalities
TUC Midlands Equality Week
Monday 25th October 2021 – Friday 29th October 2021 – 12.00pm every day on Zoom
The inaugural TUC Midlands Equality Week is nearly here. This will be a week of lunchtime webinars, run by our various equality strands, designed to discuss and debate equality issues facing workers in the workplace. Please make sure you register for each event:
- 25/10: Winning equality for LGBT+ workers and protecting what we have – Register
- 26/10: Women and poverty – Register
- 27/10: Dignity for disabled workers – Register
- 28/10: Older workers and the future of pensions – Register
- 29/10: Securing equality for black workers – Register
Training and CPD
Supply Teacher training course – Thursday 28th October 2021 – 10am to 12.30am
‘Full’ safeguarding course with certificate
This course is aimed at Supply Teachers. The NASUWT is concerned that Supply Teachers are vulnerable as they do not get the same support as staff in schools.
This training will incorporate:
- developing areas such as the dangers of Facebook and how to keep yourself safe from false allegations
- Updated safeguarding information from a national context
- Understanding the Safeguarding agenda in schools
- Revisiting your knowledge of the four main categories of abuse
- Different levels of harm and what action to take
- Reaffirm the importance of sharing and recording your concerns
- Keeping yourself safe – risks identified and discussed and
- What you need to know if you are worried about putting yourself at risk of complaints
The session will be interactive with lots of case discussions within school settings.
Please contact rc-westmids@mail.nasuwt.org.uk to register for this course.
Training events from West Midlands Regional Centre
Several training events are being run by the West Midlands Regional Centre next term for Workplace Reps, Health and Safety Reps and Mental Health First Aid. If you would like to sign up, please contact rc-westmids@mail.nasuwt.org.uk for details.
Victor Agüera
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Victor Agüera, National Negotiating Official for NASUWT. Victor was a Teacher at Sidney Stringer Academy and was also Local Association Secretary here in the Coventry for a number of years before becoming National Executive Member for our District and then moving on to become a National Negotiating Official.
Victor will always be remembered for his commitment, loyalty, hard work and support for our members and the NASUWT. Victor will be missed by all. A delegation from our Local Association will in attendance at the funeral next week and we will be honouring the memory of Victor and his legacy.
Please send any messages to office@nasuwtcoventry.org.
School Budgets and Teacher Pay
Members will have received an email last week requesting you to email your MP in advance of the Autumn Budget.
Please make your voice heard on this crucial issue by emailing your Member of Parliament using the online tool shared in the email.
Membership Records
It is particularly important that all members keep their membership record up to date including workplace details, address, phone number, email address and equalities information. This can be done by logging in to the e-membership section of the NASUWT website or by contacting the Membership Department at:
membership@mail.nasuwt.org.uk.
We will be away from the office over the half term break, but we wanted to assure you that NASUWT is still operational through Headquarters and the Regional Centre throughout the holidays and the following information should help you:
- In order to ensure you continue to have the most up to date information, we would ask that look at the website in the first instance. If a general query relating to schools is not answered on the website, then please contact the Member Support Advice Team at advice@mail.nasuwt.org.uk and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
- If you require urgent support, we would ask that you email rc-westmids@mail.nasuwt.org.uk with the necessary details.
- Criminal Support – Throughout the holiday period NASUWT members requiring urgent legal assistance because of a criminal allegation being made against them which is related to their teaching employment should contact Thompsons Solicitors on the following freephone number 0800 587 7530.
The Union will keep you informed of developments, and you are requested to please continue to monitor your emails and the NASUWT Coventry (www.nasuwtcoventry.org) and NASUWT websites (www.nasuwt.org.uk) for updates.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for help, advice, and support by emailing:
advice@mail.nasuwt.org.uk.
We wish you a safe and restful half term break.
NASUWT Coventry 