Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association

Category: Information for Members

  • SSTA Survey on 2017 Pay Award

    SSTA Survey on 2017 Pay Award

    In 2016 the SSTA Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee determined to conduct a consultation of members in response to the 2017 Pay Award. The Committee is keen to get members views on the Pay Award prior to the SNCT meeting on 18 December and to assist in future pay negotiations. In early December the SSTA circulated information to members on the 2017 Pay Award (see below).

    The SSTA is well aware of the demands of teachers at this time of year but hopes you would appreciate the importance of your views through this short survey on such an important matter.

    An email has been sent out to members’ ‘Preferred’ email address with a unique link to complete the survey.  If any member hasn’t received the email they are advised to check the spam/junk folder of their email account.  If the email isn’t there, please contact the SSTA office on 0131 313 7300 or email info@ssta.org.uk with an alternative email address for the survey link to be sent to.

    2017 Pay Award

    When the Scottish Budget was announced in December 2016 it made a provision for a 1% pay increase for all public sector workers in the 2017-2018 pay round. This was in line with the pay restraint measures determined by the Westminster Government. Discussions with the employers and government were delayed as a consequence of both the General and Council elections held earlier in the year. The first meeting of the SNCT to discuss the teacher side pay claim took place at the end of June prior to the summer break.

    In the SNCT discussions a number of suggestions were considered but were rejected by the teachers’ side as the employers were attempting to make an offer in keeping with other public sector workers. Despite the commitments by government to address the teacher shortages, new teacher career pathways and lifting the public sector pay cap, the employers were held to the funding allocated within the Scottish 2016 Budget.

    The Teachers’ Side sought a closure of the 2017 pay claim, a separate claim for 2018 with a promise of additional money, and a separate discussion on teacher career pathways. As a consequence further discussions have taken place between the employers and the government to prepare a pay offer.

    It is anticipated that the offer will be a 1% increase backdated to cover April to end of December 2017, and a further 1% from January until the end of March, across all grades and scale points. We are advising that there will be an SNCT on 18 December and that we hope the offer to be made and accepted at that meeting.

     

  • SSTA Newsletter – November 2017

    SSTA Newsletter – November 2017

    The November 2017 SSTA Newsletter is now available for members to download.

    The Newsletter contains articles on

    • Teacher Workload
    • Benchmarks
    • The Right to Flexible Working
    • Working Week/Year for Part-Time staff
    • Pupil Behaviour

    and much more

     

  • SSTA Member Briefing – November 2017

    SSTA Member Briefing – November 2017

    Teachers Pay Claim for April 2017
    Protracted discussions have taken place at the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT). It is hoped a final offer will be presented in the coming weeks.

    Industrial Action – Members continue to be protected by the lawful ballot and are being advised to work within the SNCT contracted 35 hour working week and the school’s Working Time Agreement (WTA). Any work requested outside the WTA should be declined and reinforce the message that tasks can only be completed if time is made available. All guidance issued regarding the Industrial Action can be found at www.ssta.org.uk/asos. ‘Put pupils first – give teachers time to teach!’

    Do you work in Pastoral Support or Guidance? The SSTA wants to hear from you!

    The Association has been hearing reports that Principal Teachers of Pastoral Support/Guidance are supporting caseload numbers which are no longer compatible with a healthy work/life balance.

    There have also been a number of comments that the job of a PT Pastoral Support/Guidance has developed significantly with GIRFEC.  It has been argued that  the job-sizing toolkit, introduced many years ago, is no longer able to encapsulate role responsibilities and reward PTs appropriately.

    The Association plans to collect data in relation to the above via a short survey.  If the data supports the claims above then it will enable the Association to campaign for improved conditions and pay for those involved in offering valuable pastoral support to young people in schools.

    If you are a PT Pastoral Support or Guidance and would like to be involved in this important survey, please sign-up to the survey mailing list at http://eepurl.com/c9WKWn

    SSTA Website
    A new SSTA website has been launched to allow easier access for news and information. You can access the website at www.ssta.org.uk

  • General Secretary Report – October 2017

    General Secretary Report – October 2017

    Industrial Action – Members are being advised to work within the SNCT contracted 35 hour working week and Working Time Agreement. Guidance available at www.ssta.org.uk

     

    Teachers Pay Claim for April 2017

    The pay claim is being discussed at the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT). The SNCT claim includes:

    • an uplift to meet the decline in ‘real’ value in teacher salaries since 2003 and bring Scottish Teachers into line with average teachers’ salaries across the OECD
    • the restoration of pay of short-term supply teachers

    Education Governance

    ‘Next Steps – Empowering Our Teachers, Parents and Communities to Deliver Excellence and Equity for Our Children’ (June 2017). Includes:

    1. Consult on new funding model – not a national funding formula
    2. Establish 7 new “regional improvement collaboratives” (see COSLA below)
    3. Develop a Headteacher Charter
    4. Talks on new career pathways (Autumn 2017)

    1. Consult on Education Workforce Council – include GTCS and other education professionals (Autumn 2017)
    2. Introduce Education Bill (2018)
    3. Launch fast-track route to Headship (2018)
    4. Develop new “executive consultant head” and “cluster leaders” (2018)

    http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0052/00521038.pdf

     

    Fair Funding Consultation closes on 13 October 2017

    • The consultation invites views on the way education is currently funded in Scotland
    • As set out in Next Steps, the Scottish Government does not intend to develop a fixed national funding formula.
    • The consultation seeks views on two possible approaches to achieving that aim.
    • http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0052/00521081.pdf

    COSLA: Regional Improvement Collaboratives (ICs) for Education (September 2017)

    A response to the Governments Next Steps Document includes:

    • Six collaborative regions with a ‘Regional Improvement Lead’ appointed by the IC and employed by a local authority (October 2017)
    • Regional Improvement Plan following consultation (January 2018)
    • Enhance and improve professional learning
    • Identify, promote and share good practice – develop networks of teachers
    • Subject-specific and sector-specific support and advice
    • Regional approach to staffing – recruitment and retention, build capacity
    • Support wider collaborative working across LA services
    • Each IC to develop a ‘workforce plan’ and decide their ‘model of staff deployment’

    International Council of Education Advisers – Initial Findings July 2017

    Improve pedagogy for specific subjects:

    • Establish and fund a network of proven and well-trained teaching professionals
    • Identify a systematic, sequenced and selective plan for literacy and numeracy
    • Expanding the role of universities to work more closely with schools

    To develop effective leadership:

    • Provide a greater financial incentive to encourage leadership roles and, in particular, headships.
    • Establish clear, broad and multiple career pathways for teaching professionals, and look at ways for teachers to progress while remaining in the classroom (e.g. as a teacher mentor employing leadership skills within a classroom environment, or by leading change in pedagogy in a certain subject area) other than the more administrative route to headteacher.
    • Bringing together leaders from teaching, local authorities, business, etc

    Ensure a culture of collaboration:

    • Incentivise collaboration by making it a required criteria for any financial programme
    • Establish a national training programme on how to collaborate fully
    • Look at creating federations of schools

    The issue of governance (advised against too focussed on changing the structure):

    • Learn from existing attempts to formally share education services
    • Create learning hubs to learn about different elements of educational practice.

     

    General Teaching Council for Scotland

    The revised ‘The General Teaching Council for Scotland Fitness to Teach Rules 2017’ came into force on 21 August 2017

    http://www.gtcs.org.uk/web/FILES/FormUploads/Fitness-to-Teach-Rules-2017357770_3259.pdf

     

    Strategic Board for Teacher Education (SBTE)

        Coherence in Professional Learning

    • To be led by Education Scotland (a reorganised body and operating role)
    • Teaching Unions have an important role (as identified at the ISTP in March)
    • Working Group to scope the direction and structure

        Initial Teacher Education Intakes 2017/18 & New Routes into Teaching

    • Secondary PGDE 1750 places below target at present
    • 10 new routes expecting up to 200 places
    • Entry requirements essential to maintain standards
    • Positive changes needed to make teaching attractive

    Alternative Routes into Teaching

    Learn to Teach Programme

    • Intended for LA employees released for Teaching Practice
    • An 18 months programme (120 places)

    STEM + HE subjects (a pilot with 40 places)

    • 4 days a week in school
    • 1 day at University and Summer School
    • January to January
    • Not placed in departments that have vacancies
    • Paid at Unpromoted Teacher point 0 during the course

     

    Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC)

    Strategy and Operating Plan

    The following priorities:

    • public services / public sector pay;
    • industrial strategy / key sectors; and
    • the changing nature of the economy / labour market (including precarious work / gig economy / automation)

    Public services Campaign

    The campaign will have the following political objectives:

    • policy change at Westminster and Holyrood to increase investment in public services; through redistributive tax measures and local government autonomy;
    • pressurise local government budgets to ensure maximum investment in democratically delivered public services.

    The campaign with have the following industrial objectives:

    • the progressive restoration of pay levels driven by affiliates’ bargaining and industrial strategies; extending public service collective bargaining
    • achieving Fair Work objectives through affiliates bargaining power with an emphasis on influencing public service re-organisation;

    To achieve these objectives the General Council will:

    • launch and brand a rolling three year campaign promoting the value of public service and the economic and social benefits of higher public service investment;
    • provide a space and create leverage with Government to enable public service affiliates to co-ordinate on pay:

     

    New SSTA Website to be launched – 16 October

     

    Forthcoming Events

     

    STUC Women’s Conference 2017

    30 – 31 October in the Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, Fife.

    STUC Annual Congress 2018

    STUC Annual 121st Congress in Macdonald Aviemore 16 -18 April 2018

     

    ST ANDREW’S DAY ANTI RACISM EVENT 

    Annual St Andrew’s Day March and Rally, “No Racism: Educate, Agitate, Organise” which will take place on Saturday 25 November 2017.

    SSTA School Representative Training – to be delivered locally details to be circulated

     

    SSTA 2018 Congress 18 – 19 May, Crieff

    Scottish Union Learning  

    A programme of professional events for teachers to take place across Scotland dates and venues to be announced shortly

     

    Dementia Awareness short course will equip learners with:

    • a greater understanding of dementia,
    • how to recognise the effects of dementia
    • an understanding of coping strategies
    • where further support can be found

     

    Mental Health Awareness short course will equip learners with a greater understanding of Mental Health issues. Learners will be given an understanding of:

    • What are Mental health issues
    • Perceptions of mental health
    • Experiencing mental health problems
    • Different Types of mental health problems:
      • Anxiety
      • Depression
      • Suicide and self-harm
      • Bipolar disorder
      • Schizophrenia
      • Personality disorders
      • Eating disorders
    • Legal considerations
    • What can individuals do
    • Medication and treatment
    • Useful organisations and signposting

     

    Tackling Homophobia short course will equip learners with a greater understanding of homophobia and how to tackle it.

    • Understanding homophobia
    • Confidence to identify and challenge homophobia
    • Know how to develop strategies in how to Tackle homophobia
    • Understand how to support LGBT+ colleagues and young people

     

    Understanding Disability short course will equip learners with:

    • A greater awareness of the range of disabilities
    • How to support people with identified disabilities
    • Understand why some people with disabilities may not self-identify with their additional support needs
    • How having a disability affects people and their ability to be valued at work

     

    Use of Social Media – Personal Security

    • Computers, phones, and tablets are filled with personal information – but how can we keep that sensitive information out of the wrong hands?
    • In this workshop you’ll learn about the most common cyber security attacks, but more importantly how to take steps to protect yourself.
    • You’ll see live demonstrations of attacks and learn how to spot them.
    • These tips will help you feel more confident about using a computer safely. No technical knowledge is required.
  • General Secretary Report -September 2017

    General Secretary Report -September 2017

    Members are being advised to work within the contracted 35 hour working week and focus on teaching and learning. Additional guidance issued on

    • School Improvement Plans;
    • Working Time Agreements;
    • National 5 Changes;
    • Standardised Assessments and
    • Bench Marks
    • Current guidance and presentations are available at ssta.org.uk/asos

    Teachers Pay Claim 2017

    The teachers side of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) submitted a pay claim for 2017 and discussions are to continue with the Government and Employers.

    The SNCT claim includes

    • an uplift to meet the decline in ‘real’ value in teacher salaries since 2003 and bring Scottish Teachers into line with average teachers’ salaries across the OECD
    • the importance of reward at the top point of the main grade scale in the retention and recruitment of teachers particularly following the removal of the Chartered Teachers scale and the decline in career opportunities
    • the restoration of pay of short-term supply teachers
    • a reduction of class contact time and a reduction in class sizes to control teacher workload.

     Education Governance: Next Steps – Empowering Our Teachers, Parents and Communities to Deliver Excellence and Equity for Our Children – June 2017

    • Consultation focussed on supporting decision making in schools, empowering teachers, parents and communities, strengthening ‘the middle’ (clusters, education regions, fair funding and accountability
    • Next steps – a system where teachers are the leaders of learning in our schools, with the responsibility for delivering excellence and equity
    1. Consult on new funding model – not a national funding formula
    2. Establish 7 new “regional improvement collaboratives”
    3. Incorporate SCEL into Education Scotland
    4. Develop a Headteacher Charter
    5. Talks on new career pathways (Autumn 2017)
    6. Consult on changes to strengthen parental involvement (Autumn 2017)
    7. Consult on Education Workforce Council – include GTCS and other education professionals (Autumn 2017)
    8. Introduce Education Bill (2018)
    9. Launch fast-track route to Headship (2018)
    10. Develop new “executive consultant head” and “cluster leaders” (2018)
    11. Every school access to a home-school link worker (2019)

    http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0052/00521038.pdf

     Fair Funding Consultation closes on 13 October 2017

    • The consultation invites views on the way education is currently funded in Scotland, the purpose of developing a new, more consistent approach to school funding, and the principles that should underpin any changes.
    • As set out in Next Steps, the Scottish Government does not intend to develop a fixed national funding formula.
    • The consultation seeks views on two possible approaches to achieving that aim.
    • http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0052/00521081.pdf

    7th International Summit on Teacher Professionalism 2017 – Scotland Priorities

    • To jointly develop a programme for professional association led equity related CPD including impact and evaluation
    • To jointly consider ways of facilitating and incentivising deep professional learning
    • To jointly consider career pathways that reflects a range of options for teachers including increased collaboration, leadership development and strengthening the centre

    International Council of Education Advisers – Initial Findings July 2017

    Improve pedagogy for specific subjects:

    • Establish and fund a network of proven and well-trained teaching
    • Identify a systematic, sequenced and selective plan for literacy and numeracy
    • Expanding the role of universities to work more closely with schools

    To develop effective leadership:

    • Provide a greater financial incentive to encourage leadership roles and, in particular, headships.
    • Establish clear, broad and multiple career pathways for teaching professionals, and look at ways for teachers to progress while remaining in the classroom (e.g. as a teacher mentor employing leadership skills within a classroom environment, or by leading change in pedagogy in a certain subject area) other than the more administrative route to headteacher.
    • Bringing together leaders from teaching, local authorities, business, etc

    Ensure a culture of collaboration:

    • Incentivise collaboration by making it a required criteria for any financial programme
    • Establish a national training programme on how to collaborate fully
    • Look at creating federations of schools

    The issue of governance (advised against too focussed on changing the structure):

    • Learn from existing attempts to formally share education services
    • Create learning hubs to learn about different elements of educational practice.

     Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA)

    • Timetable for change set by DFM and Assessment National Qualifications Group
    • Nat 5 course specifications and course support materials due in September
    • Higher changes for 2018-2019 session – timeline not determined yet
    • Advanced Higher for 2019-2020 session
    • Unit Materials (aligned with SQS5) still stand but not aligned to Nat 5 courses

     Education Scotland

    a) Bench Marks

    • All curriculum areas published on 23 March in Word and PDF formats
    • Numeracy and Literacy including in 2016 NIF. Not required for other subjects
    • Dissemination events to be arranged through Local Authorities (including NIF)
    • Teachers are NOT required to use them but are for awareness raising
    • Inspectors will NOT be looking for Bench Mark evidence during Inspections
    • Highlighted teacher workload and needs to be included in 2017-2018 WTA

     

    b) Standardised Assessments

    • To be introduced for S3 in 2017-2018
    • Scholar for training (administration and using the data)– materials for teachers by August 2017, online, webinars, face to face
    • TWIG develop a video and fitting in with teacher judgment and a help desk
    • Highlighted teacher workload and needs to be included in 2017-2018 WTA

     

    General Teaching Council for Scotland

    a) Innovative Routes to Teaching (10 routes with less than 300 places)

    • GTCS are working at accrediting the various routes but are only prepared to accredit courses that meet the standard.

     b) GTCS Registration

    • Secondary teachers in Scotland are normally registered to teach a particular subject. This registration ensures that only these teacher deliver National Qualifications
    • Local Authority/Headteacher are responsible for any other arrangements (not the teacher)
    • Teachers can seek an additional subject should they hold a relevant degree.
    • Teachers can seek recognition through additional study

     c) MyProfessionalLearning (MPL)

    • Teachers looking to retire should consider bringing forward MPL before they leave their post as this would allow further teaching for a further 5 year period.

    d) GTCS Elections

    • Closing date for nominations Monday 25 September – 5.00pm

     Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC)

    a) STUC Women’s Conference 2017

    • 30 – 31 October in the Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, Fife.

    b) STUC Annual Congress 2018

    • STUC Annual 121st Congress in Macdonald Aviemore 16 -18 April 2018

    c) ST ANDREW’S DAY ANTI RACISM EVENT

    • Annual St Andrew’s Day March and Rally, “No Racism: Educate, Agitate, Organise” which will take place on Saturday 25 November 2017.

    d) STUC/First Minister Biannual Meeting

    • Next meeting Wednesday 8 November

     Scottish Union Learning  

    • Further funding for Scottish Union Learning in 2017/2018 has now been received. This funding will support SUL core costs, the Development Fund, the Learning Fund and training delivered through TUC Education in Scotland.
    • SSTA allocated £10,000 over two years to assist with education and training.
    • Program to include:
    • use of Social Media,
    • understanding Mental Health
    • tackling Homophobia,
    • understanding Disability and
    • Dementia Awareness

     

    SSTA Forthcoming Events

    • District Secretaries Training Friday 29 September 2017
    • School Representative Training – to be delivered locally details to be circulated
    • SSTA 2018 Congress Friday 18 and Saturday 19 May, Crieff (tbc)
    • New SSTA Website to be launched – date tbc
    • A programme of professional events for teachers to take place across Scotland to be announced shortly (see SUL above)
  • SSTA Members’ Briefing 2017

    SSTA Members’ Briefing 2017

    Seamus Searson the General Secretary would like to meet with SSTA members to discuss the issues that face secondary teachers (pay, workload, SQA etc.) and how we protect and improve conditions for members. This is your opportunity to have your say. A list of upcoming dates and venues are shown below.

    Stuart McCullough, Independent Financial Advisor from Llife Ltd will also be giving a presentation on “How to Control your Pension and Retirement Date?”.

    Agenda

    1. General Secretary – Members’ Update,
      • Teachers’ Pay 2017-2018
      • Proposed Teachers’ Career Structure
      • National Qualifications
      • Teacher Workload and Industrial Action
      • Governance Review
    2. How to Control your Pension and Retirement Date? (Stuart McCullough, Independent Financial Advisor, Llife Ltd)
    3. Members Questions

    The briefing will start at either 5.00pm and be repeated at 7.00pm

    Places for the briefing’s can be booked on this page

    [table id=9 /]

    Places for the briefing’s can be booked on this page

  • SSTA meets Deputy First Minister

    Printable Version – Members Bulletin – SSTA Meets DFM- June 17

    SSTA meets Deputy First Minister

    The SSTA met with John Swinney, Deputy First Minister on Wednesday 21 June and discussed a number of the Association’s motions from our Annual Congress in May. The SSTA delegation was led by Kevin Campbell (President), John Guidi (Vice-President), Euan Duncan (Immediate Past President) and Seamus Searson, General Secretary. The following issues were discussed:

    Teachers’ Pay and Career Structure

    One element of the recent publication of ‘Education Governance: Next Steps’ by the Scottish Government was welcomed in relation to teachers’ career structure as it reaffirmed the SSTA position that the current system needs to change. The lack of career opportunities in schools at present is a matter of serious concern. The Minister was reminded that the SSTA represents members in all positions in secondary schools and should be fully involved in strategic planning. The SSTA highlighted the disparity of classroom teachers’ pay: in other jurisdictions some are receiving more than £2,000 a year more than similar colleagues in Scotland. The Minister affirmed that the current restraint on public sector pay (1%) is not sustainable in the future. The SSTA sought additional funding for the current pay claim; members are becoming frustrated by the fact that recent pay settlements have not kept pace with rising costs.

    Subject Specialists

    The SSTA focused on the lack of recognition for subject specialists in secondary schools and the important role they play in developing the school curriculum and raising attainment through effective teaching and learning. The lack of time given to members in management positions to undertake such duties was becoming severely reduced. The SSTA reaffirmed its position that only registered and properly qualified subject specialists should be teaching in Scottish secondary schools.

    National Qualifications

    The SSTA asked for the suspension of the changes to National 5 in Biology, Computing Science and other subjects as time and resources have not been available to members in schools. Teachers need realistic timelines for changes and these problems may occur in the future with Higher and Advanced Higher without relevant and realistic support from outside agencies such as SQA and Education Scotland. Discussion took place on giving schools an alternative to continue with the existing courses but the Minister had difficulties with this option. The issue of Insight and pressures it can create in prioritising statistical data over teaching and learning in some schools was discussed.

    Teacher Workload

    The SSTA sought a moratorium of changes as rushed alterations are increasing teacher workload and further revisions being introduced in some subjects are adding yet more to the burden. The Minister was aware of our concerns but indicated the need for changes to close the attainment gap. The SSTA’s view was that many of the measures introduced by the Minister over the last year (removal of units, the Chief Inspector’s Statement and the introduction of Benchmarks) had not reduced teacher workload but in many cases had increased teacher workload. The SSTA asked for clear statements from the Chief Inspector giving examples of what secondary teachers should not be doing. Time is teachers’ most valuable commodity, and there is very little of it for teachers in our schools.

    New Teachers

    The SSTA highlighted that new teachers needed to be protected from the excesses of workload in many schools as result of the teacher shortages. They were not getting support from a mentor or being restricted to teaching within their own subject. It is not a surprise that many are looking for careers outside of teaching.

    Additional Support Needs (ASN)

    The SSTA asked for a review of ASN and pupil support provision. The reduction of staff is leading to more disillusioned young people whose needs are not being met and consequently causing problems in schools. There was an urgent need to support these young people.

     

    We would like to congratulate Yvonne Stewart (Professional Officer) on her appointment as the Assistant General Secretary (Operations and Equalities)at the STUC. Yvonne will take up her post at the end of September. I would like to thank Yvonne for her excellent service with the SSTA and wish her well in her new position with the STUC.

    The SSTA will begin the process of finding a replacement at the start of the next session.

    Seamus Searson
    General Secretary

     

  • Education Governance: Next Steps – Empowering Our Teachers, Parents and Communities to Deliver Excellence and Equity for Our Children

    The SSTA supports the Government’s determination to bring about improvements in Education by ‘closing the attainment gap’ and giving all young people the opportunity to fulfil their potential. However, the SSTA has argued for a process of review followed by improvements rather than major structural change.

    The Government has chosen to use its ‘Governance Review’ as the vehicle to look at the agencies and structures involved in education, but not the structures inside the school that support teaching and learning. Structure is only important insofar as it supports and nurtures teaching and learning in the pupil/teacher relationship.

    Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said “The SSTA expected the review to identify the following:

    • A national body to develop teaching materials, resources and strategies to support teachers develop learning in secondary schools. This would prevent the duplication that takes place in every secondary school in Scotland.
    • A review of school management structures that recognises and values the importance of subject specialism and focuses management on teaching and learning.
    • Support systems provided by the Local Authority to remove tasks that do not require the skills and expertise of leaders of teaching and learning.
    • Address the deepening crisis in retaining and recruiting teachers and headteachers in its schools. The Scottish Government needs to acknowledge that teachers working conditions and remuneration have failed to keep pace with the rapidly changing education environment. An urgent need for investment.
    • Reject further delegation of responsibilities and funding to headteachers in schools as this will only worsen the headteacher recruitment crisis. Headteachers want to focus on leading learning and do not need to be forced into spending more time on bureaucracy and administration.
    • The importance of Local Authority in managing the education system. The Local Authorities have the ability to bring together all local services to support pupils and their families in their journey through school. The Local Authority should play an important part in removing burdens and obstacles from teachers and headteachers and allow them to exert all their energies on learning.
    • The need for Local Authorities to collaborate across Authority boundaries to ensure there are a sufficient number of teachers, headteachers and supply teachers in our schools. Good examples of collaboration would be a national supply teacher register, a joint recruitment strategy, developing leadership programmes, and a national professional development network for all education staff.
    • The Inspectorate to focus its efforts upon Local Authorities. The Local Authorities should be the driving force for excellence in schools for all young people. The Inspectorate should seek naturally occurring evidence in the schools to support the work of the Local Authorities”.

    “The SSTA accepts that ‘Education Governance: Next Steps’ has addressed many of these expectations but there are a number of areas that may have unintended consequences. Initial concerns are

    • Further delegation to schools and headteachers may lead to a worsening of the headteacher recruitment crisis.
    • The devolving of powers to schools should lead to a different dynamic in the running of the schools. The involvement of the school staff in the direction and decision making of the school will need to be developed.
    • The measures to reduce the leadership role of local authorities in delivering education could remove the schools safety blanket and vital support systems.
    • The introduction of regional bodies will assist some strategic issues but underestimates the difficulty in bringing together very different schools and local authorities. This may lead to another layer of bureaucracy and potential conflict.
    • The proposals to involve parents in the managing of the schools assumes that this is a role to which they aspire. It is currently difficult to get parents involved in schools whereas the focus must be on parents being in partnership with the school to support their children’s learning.

    Seamus Searson added “The SSTA will be looking thoroughly at the document in the coming months to ensure the proposals meet the test of improving education. But one important ingredient missing from the proposals is the large Government investment needed to bring about this change. This next step will fall on hard ground as this cannot be delivered by moving the existing education resource around.”

    Further Information from

    Seamus Searson
    General Secretary

    0131 313 7300

    16 June 2017

  • SSTA 73rd Annual Congress

    The Association’s 73rd Annual Congress will take place on Friday 19th & Saturday 20th May 2017 at Crieff Hydro.  You can find the Congress Agenda with includes the motions to be debated at https://ssta.org.uk/congress-2017/

    Updates from Congress will be posted on the SSTA website and via social media using hashtag #SSTA17.  Video of the Presidential Address, Report of the General Secretary, Key Note Speech and debates will be posted on the SSTA website when they become available.

  • SSTA Guidance ‘Action Short of Strike Action’ – Phase 4

    SSTA Guidance – Action Short of Strike Action Phase 4 – March 2017

    SSTA members are continuing to take industrial action to reduce teacher workload and two new initiatives are being introduced into Secondary Schools alongside the SQA changes at National 5. These initiatives have not been included in School Improvement Plans or Working Time Agreements for 2016–2017 sessions.

    SSTA is reminding members that new initiatives must have time assigned for the tasks to be undertaken.

    SQA changes to National 5 were announced on 31 January following the removal of units. These changes included the extension of the existing question paper, new question paper and a new item of coursework.

    The course materials are to be published in April 2017 with specimen papers and coursework in August 2017. The SSTA published a survey of members that highlighted increased workload for pupils and teachers.

    SSTA Advice

    • Members need to ensure that time to review the changes and prepare for the new courses is allocated within this years Working Time Agreement and other duties are set aside
    • Any teacher asked to prepare materials or consult with staff should decline the request until adequate time is given by the Headteacher

    Benchmarks are being prepared by Education Scotland for publication by the end of March. The Benchmarks will have opening text on their effective use in promoting more holistic assessment (and will set out some do’s and don’ts).

    Education Scotland are to produce exemplification to support the dissemination and introduction of the Benchmarks. The exemplification will highlight how some teachers have streamlined and simplified planning and assessment though using Es and Os and Benchmarks, and how this has impacted on improving learning and helping to reduce workload.

    Education Scotland is looking to the possibility of providing guidance and support to local authorities and schools through ‘Understanding Standards’ approaches to help local authorities and their schools look at how best to introduce curriculum area Benchmarks.

    SSTA Advice

    • No work should be undertaken on Benchmarks until all the materials have been produced by Education Scotland and suitable training events have been arranged.
    • Any teacher asked to prepare materials or consult with staff should decline the request until adequate time is given by the Headteacher.

    National Standardised Assessments (NSA) are to be statutory in school year 2017-2018 in P1, P4, P7 and S3. The Australian Council for Education Research (ACER) has been awarded the contract for the computerised assessments that are to be available for all pupils.

    Scholar and TWIG have been assigned for the training of teachers in the administration of the assessments and making using of the data in supporting teacher’s professional judgement. Materials for teachers are to be produced by August 2017, online, webinars, face to face, etc.

    SSTA Advice

    • No work should be undertaken on National Standardised Assessments until all the materials have been produced and suitable training events have been arranged
    • Any teacher asked to prepare materials or consult with staff should decline the request until adequate time is given by the Headteacher.
    • S3 Teachers given responsibility for the assessments need to ensure that additional time is allocated to carry-out the tasks in the 2017-2018 session

    Guidance to School Representatives

    School Improvement Plans and Working Time Agreements

    1. Schools must review the existing Working Time Agreement to allocate time to review the changes and prepare for the new National 5 courses. This must be a priority for all Secondary Schools in the short term.
    2. Schools are developing their School Improvement Plan (SIP) for 2017-2018 at the moment and then will be engaging on the schools Working Time Agreements. It is vitally important that the following are included and sufficient time allocated
    • SQA National 5 changes
    • Bench Marks
    • National Standardised Assessments

    It is the SSTA view that these items are more than enough for any SIP and any other items should be deferred to the following year. The SSTA will be engaging with the Education Minister and HMIe to ensure that schools are not penalised for controlling teacher workload.

    SSTA Guidance – Action Short of Strike Action Phase 4 – March 2017