Hand in Hand

Moving Forward Together

The Newsletter of the Harrow Teachers’ Association
Autumn Term 2010
Division Secretary:
Lynne Snowdon 020 8863 0877
Email: snowdon.lynne@nowerhill.harrow.sch.uk

Contents
Page 1 - PPA, school budget, entitlement, obligations
and breaks!
Page 1 - Ofsted: Academies 'performing worse than
other schools'
Page 1 - Parent power
Page 2 – CPD Opportunities
Page 2 - Protect YOUR pension
Page 3 - Issues with Asbestos in your school?
Page 3 - The more the merrier. More importantly, the
more, the STRONGER!
Page 3 – Special message to you all

Heena Modi
The Editor of the Hand in Hand
 PPA, school budget, entitlement, obligations and breaks!

Do you know what your school's directed time budget is, how much PPA time you are entitled to, what your cover
obligations are and what breaks you are entitled to during the school day?

It is important that NUT members know what can be asked of them and what workload demands can be made by
their employer. We have therefore published new workload guidelines for members, available at
http://www.teachers.org.uk/workload,

The document, 'Teachers' Workload and Working Time Policy - Summary Guidelines for Members' summarises:
entitlements under the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document; rights under regulation and legislation;
and the NUT's policy and advice on workload and working hours. You will also find advice on meetings, planning,
parents' evenings, report writing, Ofsted inspections, performance management, and many other issues.

The NUT wants these guidelines to be a reality for all members. Those experiencing problems, on an individual or
whole school basis, can use the guidelines to talk in their school groups about their priorities for improvement.
Ask your school representative to hold a meeting in school to discuss these. The NUT will back any efforts to
control your workload and improve your work-life balance.

Guidance on how to get involved in tackling workload issues is available from the NUT website at
www.teachers.org.uk/workload.

Further support in taking this forward is available from the relevant NUT division or association or regional/Wales
office. Contact details are available via the contact map on the NUT website at www.teachers.org.uk/contactus.

If there is not a school representative in your school, please get together with your colleagues to elect one, and
let your division/association know their contact details.

Yours sincerely

Ofsted: Academies 'performing worse than other schools'

You may have seen the headlines that claim that the recent Ofsted report shows are Academies doing better than
other schools. What Michael Gove missed out is this - 53 per cent of academies were rated no better than
satisfactory in the last 12 months. This compared with just 35 per cent of other state schools.
The Telegraph says“The conclusions will come as a blow to the Coalition which has pledged to convert thousands
of state primaries and secondaries into academies as part of an attempt to cut bureaucracy and raise standards.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8154853/Ofsted-academies-performing-worse-than-
other-schools.html

Parent power

Parents win battle against Kenmont Primary School academy plans

PARENT power has spoken at Kenmont Primary School after they won their battle to stop it being turned into an
academy.
The Academy would have been run by ARK.
After the fierce opposition to the academy plans, governors at Kenmont have decided to back down and have
outlined a new strategy plan for the school to aid improvements.
http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-and-hammersmith-news/local-fulham-and-hammersmith-
news/2010/11/22/parents-win-battle-against-kenmont-primary-school-academy-plans-82029-
27693616/#ixzz16O3y0g38
 CPD Opportunities

Please use the link below to tell your friends, colleagues and contacts about NUT CPD opportunities during the
spring term. As always these high quality courses and conferences are open to all teachers and school leaders
(NUT members and others) across England and Wales.

There are dedicated opportunities for school leaders, NQTs, teachers qualifying through employment-based
training (such as GRTP and Teach First routes) and supply teachers. We are also organising for both primary and
secondary teachers a 'Reading for Pleasure' conference and more 'Internationalising Learning' courses are starting
in Wrexham and Exeter.

Full details of these and other CPD opportunities are always available on our online calendar
www.teachers.org.uk/cpdcalendar

Thank you for your continuing help in ensuring that teachers are aware of the NUT CPD opportunities available to
them.

Best wishes
Richard

Richard Stainton
Coordinator NUT CPD Programme

Protect YOUR pension

As you may know, John Hutton reported on the future of public sector pensions. He believes that public sector
workers must pay more towards their pensions and that pension schemes should be "reformed" in other ways
which would significantly cut your pension entitlement at retirement.
At a time when public sector pay is being frozen, an extra 2% pension contribution would cost a newly qualified
teacher around £30 a month and an experienced classroom teacher on UPS3 almost twice that.
The Government is already proposing other pension cuts by linking your pension to CPI inflation rather than RPI
inflation. That will cut many thousands of pounds from your retirement income. A retired teacher on a £10,000
pension would lose over £35,000 over the course of the average retirement, while a serving teacher who retires
on a £20,000 pension would lose over £70,000.
In fact, teachers' pensions are both fair and affordable. Changes were made to the Teachers' Pension Scheme in
2007 that resulted in higher contributions from all teachers, a higher pension age of 65 for new entrants and a
limit on employer contributions. These changes restrict the scheme's long-term costs at or below the current
level.
I urge you, therefore, to contact your MP and ask them to oppose these proposed cuts to teachers' pensions. Visit
http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/11918 to send a letter to your MP simply by entering your postcode.

Your pension stands between you and poverty in retirement. Teachers' pensions are not "gold plated" - the
average teachers' pension in payment at present is only £10,000. But they are your recompense, paid for by you
and your employer, for a lifetime of service as a teacher. Cutting public sector pensions won't help private sector
employees in retirement. It will just shift the burden of supporting even more pensioners to the state. We need
decent pensions for all.

Please help us to protect your pension and that of your colleagues.

With best wishes

NUT GENERAL SECRETARY

 Issues with Asbestos in your school?

If so visit this site - www.teachers.org.uk/node/12030

If you are a health and safety representative, of if you are an NUT school representative and there is no union
health and safety representative at your school, please complete the survey by visiting -
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GNPPRTP

The more the merrier

More importantly, the more, the STRONGER!

Get a colleague to join the NUT and make us stronger.

Haven’t got the time?
Don’t know what to say?
How about sharing this info: -

Qualified teachers We stand up for teachers’ professional status and we campaign for a qualified teacher in every
classroom.
Unity in the profession We’re the only teachers’ union campaigning consistently for one union for all teachers.
Advice and support We provide unparalleled legal and professional support, including solicitors in every regional
office in England and NUT Cymru in Wales.
Largest and most effective Our membership strength makes us the most effective teachers’ union.
Internationally connected We campaign for education for the 72 million children in the world who currently
don’t go to school.
Fairness for all children We fight for a good local school for every child and for every community.
It’s your union We encourage all members to get involved in deciding and promoting union policy.
Equality of opportunity We lead the way with our groundbreaking equality work.
Decisive campaigning We’re proud to have defeated the licence to practise.

Joining hotlines 0845 300 1669/020 7380 6369

Join online at www.teachers.org.uk

Merry Christmas & All the

best for the New Year