Member Bulletin - 23 August 2024

1 August Pay Settlement Date – Missed The SNCT Teachers’ Side met today to discuss the next steps in resolving this year’s pay settlement. A pay settlement was due on 1 August 2024 and COSLA, after 6 months of reminders from the Teachers’ Side, made an unacceptable initial offer in June. With the summer break arriving, there was no offer tabled for the due date of 1 August.  An improved pay offer for this year has failed to materialise and the…
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Members Bulletin - 14 December 2023

SSTA meeting with Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills The SSTA led by President Stuart Hunter met Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth in November to discuss Teacher Retention, Pupil Behaviour and Education Reform. The President was accompanied by Vice-President Monique Dreon-Gould, National Executive member Lynn Myles, and General Secretary Seamus Searson. The focus of the meeting was the retention of teachers, education reform and pupil behaviour. The SSTA highlighted the impact of excessive workload demands together with poor…
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Member Bulletin - November 2023

Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research The Scottish Centre for Social Research published the latest ‘Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR’) following a seven-year gap due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The research in 2023 explored the headteachers’, teachers’ and support staff members’ views of relationships and behaviour in publicly funded mainstream schools, as well as the views of key local authority representatives across Scotland. The research project can be found here.   The SSTA believes that Covid-19 highlighted the increased difficulties that teachers were…
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SSTA Newsletter - July 2023

The July 2023 Newsletter is now available for members to download. The newsletter contains information from the 78th Annual Congress of the SSTA, including the Presidential Address, Report of the General Secretary, motions passed at Congress and the Financial Statement.

Members Update -  June 2023

Education Reform – “the views of teachers will be key to Scotland’s education reform journey”. With the publication of the ‘All Learners in Scotland Matter’ and ‘It’s Our Future’ reports, Jenny Gilruth MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills said, “the views of teachers will be key to Scotland’s education reform journey”. The Cabinet Secretary has asked all schools to provide opportunities to engage teachers at the in-service days in August as most secondary school teachers have only had a limited, if any, involvement in…

Members' Bulletin - 22 September 2021

Safety First – We must keep all in schools safe Covid-19 is still with us and it continues to cause disruption to schools. Teaching and learning is being challenged every day and unfortunately we are looking at a further period of strict adherence to mitigations. The latest government guidance has been enhanced and will continue until at least the October break. The increasing number of teacher and pupil absences due to Covid will again have an impact upon national qualifications…
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Members' Bulletin - 23 August 2021

Download PDF Version Return to SchoolThe latest version of the revised school guidance and update to vaccination section has been issued.https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-reducing-the-risks-in-schools/ The revised guidance includes: Risk assessments to be continuedEnvironmental cleaning, hand and respiratory hygiene to continueVentilation - strengthened guidance for LAs on CO2 monitoringFace coverings in communal areas and secondary classrooms to continuePhysical distancing for adults at least 1m but 2m distancing expected to remain for logistical purposesOne way systems to be continuedStaggered start and stop times/ break and…
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SSTA Members’ Bulletin - 17 June 2021

SSTA Members’ Bulletin - 17 June 2021£400 Alternative Certification Model PaymentThe SSTA welcomes the one-off exceptional £400 payment for teachers supporting the delivery of the Alternative Certification Model for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications in 2020/2021.Key pointsPayment Teachers in education authority schools, independent schools and grant aided schools, involved in delivery of the ACM, will receive a maximum taxable payment of £400.Funded by a Scottish Government grant to employers, schools must claim on behalf of relevant staff.Payment will…

SSTA Members Bulletin – 11 June 2021

Printable PDF School Teacher Pay 2021The SNCT Extended Joint Chairs met on Monday 7 June but COSLA were not prepared to make an improved offer.  COSLA said the reason for the lack of progress was that it is awaiting discussion on local government funding with Cabinet Secretary Kate Forbes and Shona Robison. The further discussions on finance between COSLA and Scottish Government are deemed necessary before there can be any reconsideration of the terms of the pay offer. The Teachers’ Side…
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Members Update - 19 February 2021

 First Minister Statement – Reopening of Schools 22 February 2021 The First Minister made a statement to the Scottish Parliament on 16 February to confirm the intention to reopen schools to some pupils on 22 February. Following this announcement the government also published their related guidance: The updated reducing risks and mitigating risk guidance, together with the Education Scotland technical guidance regarding the limited senior phase return for practical activities, that was published on 12 February and which is available here The guidance includes Strengthened requirement for pupils and…