Key Dates for your diary
11th June 2022 – LGBTI Consultation Conference
18th June 2022 – TUC National Rally, London
21st June 2022 – Coventry Local Association Meeting
25th June 2022 – West Midlands Black* Teachers Network Event
8th July 2022 – Reps Training Day, Birmingham
4th/5th November 2022 – West Midlands Regional Conference, Stratford-upon-Avon
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.
COVID-19 advice and guidance
As we previously shared, despite the removal of restrictions, Government advice is still to observe self-isolation when infected and/or symptomatic, and it is important that that schools are still following this guidance to protect members. The Union is concerned that some schools and employers may be opting to defy Government guidance and encourage staff and pupils to attend the workplace, even when infected with COVID-19.
It is therefore important that NASUWT Workplace Representatives and members continue to engage with schools/employers in order to obtain the following assurances:
- The school/employer will continue to require that anyone who is symptomatic and/or has had a positive test does not attend school and remains in self-isolation for the recommended period.
- Where staff members are self-isolating, they will receive full pay and the period of absence will not be counted towards sick-pay entitlements or absence-management review points.
- Individual risk assessments (i.e. VERAs) for clinically vulnerable people, including pregnant women, continue to be updated.
To assist in your engagement, a model letter for schools/employers was produced, which colleagues may use if they wish to. This can be downloaded from the NASUWT website here.
Our latest advice and guidance for members on Covid safety can be found at our Coronavirus Hub. Also, visit our Frequently Asked Questions section for answers to common work-related questions.
The NASUWT will continue to work with employers at local, regional, and national level to represent and protect the interests of our members.
Long Covid
It is a sad fact that some people who contract Covid-19 go on to have long-lasting symptoms, termed Long Covid. The symptoms and their severity can vary enormously from person to person, ranging from slight to debilitating. Office for National Statistics figures also show that teachers are one of the occupations hit hardest by Long Covid.
It is important that all members that are suffering with Long Covid are treated fairly by their employer, and the NASUWT has worked with the other education unions to develop a Joint Protocol on the Management of Long Covid to ensure this is the case.
We have written to employers including the Local Authority in Coventry and shared the protocol to encourage adoption and we would request that Reps and members please use this in discussions with employers to ensure those with Long Covid are treated fairly.
Teachers’ Pay 2021 and TPS Indexation
We previously shared with you and with employers the issues around the pay freeze and the indexation of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. We are aware that employers were awaiting guidance from the DfE and other stakeholders which has now been received. The Local Authority in Coventry has considered all the advice and has put out an advice note to maintained schools which we have shared with other employers including Trusts.
Not all teachers will be impacted by this and it may only affect those:
- who first joined the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) prior to 1 April 2015 (Those who joined after this date only have membership in the Career Average Scheme which is not impacted); and,
- who have not received any pay increase this year (If a teacher received an incremental rise or additional allowance or moved to a promoted post will have had a change of pay and their pension will therefore be revalued NB a change of hours would not count as a pay change if the FTE pay rate is the same); and,
- who are within 10 years of retirement (as the exact date of retirement is likely to be unknown, this should be deemed to be age 55 – the first point at which a teacher may access their pension benefits i.e. any teacher aged 45 and one day on 1 September 2021).
If you are personally impacted by this your employer should make contact with you to provide remedial action. If you do not hear on this, then we are requesting members raise this with Senior Leaders. The deadline for the remedial action is 31st August 2022 which is fast approaching and there will be no retrospective fix. It is also crucial that any payment is backdated to 1st September 2021, so the correct level of indexation is applied across the year.
We are requesting confirmation that employers will be making recruitment and retention payments to ensure that this detrimental impact on teachers’ pension benefits is avoided.
More information
Queen’s Jubilee Bank Holiday
We have previously shared with you and with employers guidance on the additional bank holiday planned for this June to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. We now share further guidance on what it means for contractual rights on working days for both full and part-time teachers. We are asking all members (school based and centrally attached) to check they have received their entitlement to the additional Bank Holiday this academic year.
Read the advice
Local Association Meetings
The next meeting of our Local Association will be held on Tuesday 21st June 2022 starting at 5pm. Please add this date to your diary – we hope that you can attend. All Coventry Local Association NASUWT members are welcome. Further details will be shared after the half term break. We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.
West Midlands Regional Conference – 4th/5th November 2022
The West Midlands Regional Conference is being held on Friday 4th & Saturday 5th November 2022 at the Crowne Plaza, Bridgefoot, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6YR. If you would like to attend or if you would like further information, then please email us at office@nasuwtcoventry.org before Thursday 7th July 2022.
Annual Conference 2022 and Campaign Plan 2022
Our first in-person Annual Conference since 2019 was a great success and a delegation from the Local Association was in attendance.
On our website you can find attached the Annual Report 2021, which was adopted at Conference and our Campaign Plan 2022, which sets out our objectives for the year ahead and reflects the Conference resolutions.
We will take forward our Campaign Plan into workplaces, regionally and nationally – to secure a Better Deal for Teachers – fair pay, respect for rights at work, better support for teachers and headteachers, and action to tackle the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
Our fight for education and for the rights of teachers is determined by the priorities set at our Annual Conference – on workload, pay, the wellbeing of teachers and pupils, and on equalities – and the fight against racism and misogyny.
Events and Training
TUC Rally – Saturday 18th June 2022
A key moment for our campaign to secure a Better Deal for Teachers will be the Union’s involvement in the TUC National Demonstration on Saturday 18th June 2022. As well as action on workload and wellbeing, teachers and working people from all over the country will be demanding the Government take action on:
- a pay rise for all workers;
- the cost of living; and
- a new deal for working people.
Members wanting to attend can sign-up via our website.
For colleagues in England and Wales the TUC will also run a series of town hall meetings to:
- Highlight policy asks on wages, employment rights and organising
- Create local noise and attention on the campaign
- Mobilise people to attend the London demo
These will be high-energy mobilising moments for the campaign as a whole and specifically for the national demo. The current details of these meetings can be found here. Please do your best to attend an event near you and to encourage other members to do the same, particularly those at which our general secretary, Dr. Patrick Roach will be speaking.
Inspections in primary schools webinar
Due to demand, Ofsted is running a repeat webinar on inspections in primary schools on Monday 20th June at 4pm. This event is likely to be oversubscribed so interested members should register now. The webinar will offer guidance and clarification on the inspection framework for primary schools.
Ofsted is also making its webinars available to watch again on its YouTube channel.
Reps Training Day – Friday 8th July 2022
We are inviting all current Reps, workplace contacts and aspiring Reps to a Reps Training Day being held at the Cranmore Park Conference Centre, Cranmore Avenue, Shirley, Birmingham, B90 4LE on Friday 8th July 2022 starting at 9am and finishing at 4pm. The focus of the day will be wellbeing and tackling workload and will include a session on mental health issues in schools from various perspectives, opportunities for networking, a self-care session and getting up to date support for your role.
There will also be opportunities throughout the day to share experiences informally in a welcoming and non-judgemental space.
Lunch and refreshments will be provided and reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.
Please see the email for details on how to register.
We look forward to seeing you.
Health and Safety
Sickness absence and sick pay
We’ve updated our guidance for members in England and Wales on your rights on sickness absence and sick pay.
Make sure you know your rights.
Wellbeing and Mental Health
Mental Health Awareness Week was held from the 9th to the 13th May 2022. Nationally, the NASUWT has warned that teachers across the country are showing signs of clinical depression as a result of the failure to tackle workload, bullying and stress. We have also been raising this locally with employers including the Local Authority in Coventry and there is a range of support, tools and training that is available to employees which we have requested is communicated to our members on a regular basis. The NASUWT also offers a range of wellbeing tools and training designed to help support you to manage your mental health and wellbeing.
Equalities
LGBTI Teachers’ Consultation Conference – Saturday 11th June 2022
We’ll be exploring ways at this year’s conference to make all schools and colleges LGBTI inclusive for you and your pupils on Saturday 11th June 2022 in Birmingham. There will be an energising programme of guest speakers and practical CPD. Please join us.
Register now
West Midlands Black* Teachers’ Network Event – Saturday 25th June 2022
We hope those who attended the Black* Teachers’ Consultation Conference last weekend enjoyed it. The West Midlands Black* Teachers’ Organising Group will be running another event in June – the date is above – please note the change of venue to the West Midlands Regional Centre, 57 Water Street, Birmingham, B3 1EP.
A full agenda is being developed by the team presently and will be circulated soon – we will be having a wellbeing session; a workshop on motions (what they are, how to draft one, and its journey to Annual Conference); lunch; and a short briefing on the upcoming South Asian Heritage Month.
At this stage please save the above date and please
email westmidlands@mail.nasuwt.org.uk to confirm your attendance.
*The NASUWT uses the term Black in a political and inclusive sense to describe those who self-identify as African, Caribbean and Asian identities and those with a common and direct history of racism, racist oppression and diminished opportunities in today’s society.
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 continue to keep you informed of developments and you are requested to please continue to monitor your emails and the NASUWT website for updates. Our local website at www.nasuwtcoventry.org will also have the latest updates for Coventry members.
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.
Stay Safe.
NASUWT Coventry 