Category: Information for Members

The SSTA December 2017 Newsletter now available for members to download.

The Newsletter includes articles on

• Initial Findings of the SSTA Pay Survey
• 2018 Subscriptions Fees
• 2018 Pre-retirement Seminars
• What is your New Year’s Resolution going to be?

Pre-Retirement Seminars 2018

In conjunction with Stuart McCullough from Llife Ltd, the SSTA is holding a number of Pre-Retirement seminars at the beginning of 2018.

These seminars are designed to give guidance to members who are considering retiring in the next few years. Members are advised to gain information that will assist in planning the next step in their future. A list of dates and venues of the seminars is shown below.

Additional Date Added – Tuesday 27th February at Mercure City Centre Hotel, Glasgow

Date	Timing	City	Location
Wednesday 10th January	17:00-19:30	Dundee	Best Western Queens Hotel
Tuesday 23rd January	17:00-19:30	Edinburgh	SSTA Head Office
Thursday 25th January	17:30-20:00	Glasgow	Mercure City Centre Hotel (Fully Booked)
Tuesday 6th February	17:00-19:30	Aberdeen	Aberdeen Northern Hotel
Wednesday 7th February	17:00-19:30	Inverness	Jury’s Inn
Tuesday 27th February	17:30-20:00	Glasgow	Mercure City Centre Hotel

 

Members interested in attending a seminar can book a place via the SSTA website at www.ssta.org.uk/retirementseminars

Teachers Pay – April 2017

• 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.

National Improvement Framework

a) Governance Arrangements – reorganisation of existing bodies

• Scottish Education Council –1 teacher union rep (but 7 ADES)
• Curriculum and Assessment Board
• Education Leaders Forum – 70 representatives meet twice a year

b) International Council of Education Advisers (ICEA) – next visit March 2018

c) BGE Improvement Tool Dashboard

• Comparator Tool for Improvement available early in 2018
• Not intended for tracking and monitoring
• Bench mark performance of schools
• Does not impact on teacher workload (from existing information)
• No access for parents and pupils
• Secondary section to include link to ‘Insight’

d) BGE Public facing dashboard (parentzone)

• All school information including: pupils, teachers, PTR, average class size, exclusion rate, condition of school, etc. Plus achievement levels and improvement

e) Scottish National Standardised Assessment

• 240,000 by the end of academic year – 20,000 taken place by November
• Phase B training – What to do with the data? From November (1 hour 30 mins)
• ‘Norming study’ – 8,800 pupils (2,200 per key stage) to take place in November 2017 and March 2018.

Education Governance

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

1. Establish 7 new “regional improvement collaboratives” (now 6 see COSLA below)
2. Develop a Headteacher Charter
3. Talks on new career pathways (Autumn 2017)
4. Consult on Education Workforce Council – include GTCS and other education professionals (Autumn 2017)
5. Launch fast-track route to Headship (2018)
6. Develop new “executive consultant head” and “cluster leaders” (2018) http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0052/00521038.pdf

 

Deputy First Minister/Cabinet Secretary (SLS Conference) has said

• Regional Improvement Collaboratives – allows high performing local authorities support poor performing local authorities
• Headteacher Charter – curriculum, selection of staff, greater discretion. Informed by practitioners. Leaders of learning – not the leaders of bureaucracy.
• Need to invest in professional learning and leadership

 

‘Put pupils first – give teachers time to teach!’

 Education Scotland has stated

“School Improvement Plans should focus on a small number of priorities, aware of WTA and cutting bureaucracy – some schools producing their own bureaucracy in case of Inspections – not needed”

 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

 

 

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’

Education Bill 2018 – consultation closes 30 January 2018

To create a school and teacher-led education system

• Headteachers’ Charter – right and responsibilities, to be the leaders of learning
• Improve parental and community engagement
• Strengthen the voice of children and young people
• Regional Improvement Collaboratives which will provide professional learning and leadership, support in both curriculum and specific sectors, sharing of good practice, and peer to peer collaboration, among other responsibilities.
• Education Workforce Council – registration of other educational professionals, taking the responsibilities of the GTCS and Community Learning and Development Standards Council
  https://consult.gov.scot/learning-directorate/education-scotland-bill/

 

Attainment Challenge (AC), Closing the Gap and Pupil Equity Fund (PEF)

• Attainment Challenge (9 local authorities) – seen major improvements in literacy but small improvements in numeracy
• Focus – Attainment, attendance, inclusion/exclusion, participation and engagement
• PEF more flexibility and creativity. Imaginative approaches to empower schools to focus on the needs of the young people. Progress may include experiences rather than evidence at this stage
• PEF needs to be targeted at pupils living in poverty (particularly when part of a wider provision)
• Needs to be additional, but not being used for substitution (e.g. health services)
• Summary – define attainment gaps, identify and review progress of children living in poverty, plan additional activities to raise literacy and numeracy, moderate and clear judgements, simplify and clarify the curriculum and assessment model

Strategic Board for Teacher Education (SBTE)

ITE Intakes 2017/18 (including new routes into teaching)

• Secondary PGDE 1750 places 30% below target but meeting primary target
• 5% increase in intake since last year
• Teacher vacancy rate increased by 100 since last year
• New routes expecting 200+ places
• Announcement of 100 bursaries of £20,000 for career changers

  Use of Online Distance Learning to respond to teacher shortages

• Further research into the progress of the Western Isles e-Sgoil (e-school)
• To consider information on a EU project Erasmus in a number of countries

Speaking Engagements at Fee-Charging Conferences

• Resistance to participation in private organised events
• Need to provide an alternative to meet the demand for CPD events

Student Placement System

• SPMG manages the system – questions over the capacity in the system
• 18,000 placements, 6,000 students and 170 courses
• Schools data is out of date – LA and schools delay in confirming places

 

British Irish Group of Teachers’ Unions

a) ETUCE

• Campaign ‘Europe Needs a Pay Rise’
• ETUCE mid-term conference 26-28 November 2018, Athens
• ETUCE Statement on BREXIT – identifying the different jurisdictions (UK and Ireland)
• ETUCE is not a ‘creature’ of the EU and membership not dependent upon EU.

b) BIGTU Elections and Voting Arrangements

• To confirm arrangements and positions of individual unions for a BIGTU ‘slate’ at the next BIGTU meeting in May 2018

c) Pay, Conditions of Service – survey

• Updated comparison sheet (across the four jurisdictions) attached

 

Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC)

a) Public Service Campaign

• Co-ordinating on bargaining and industrial action
• Winning the case for public service investment and public sector pay

b) Media and Social Media Activity

To expand its media, social media and website operation.  Key outputs will include:

• More up to date, better structured and more attractive website
• Creation and support for an STUC media and communications group
• A planned approach towards a much greater use of social media
• A shorter, but much earlier, press brief carrying stories of key interest
• Monitoring of social and traditional media

c) Black Workers’ Conference 7-8 October

Motions included:

• Tools to challenge Racist Behaviour,
• Equalities Training for Schools,
• Hate Crime: Recoding of Racist and Islamophobic Incidents in Educational Establishments
• Discrimination in Higher Education Institutions

d) Dumfries House Trust’s meeting with HRH Prince of Wales 23 October 2017

 

 STUC meeting First Minister 22 November

a) Budget 2018

• UK Budget – settlement & block grant 50% of Scottish Budget – expecting a in ‘real’ terms reduction in 2018 – Scottish Budget 14 December 2017
• Scottish Government will lift the public sector pay cap, but a phased approach over a number of years – Teachers expecting a significant pay increase

b) Brexit

• Little clarity at present (following meeting with Prime Minister)
• No deal – worst outcome. Opposition to Withdrawal Bill

c) Economy

• Scottish economy has remained resilient.
• 20% of those employed are below the Living Wage
• 880,000 living in poverty with 60% women

d) Childcare and Early Years

• By 2020 provide 1140 hours for all 3 and 4 years (and eligible 2 year olds)
• £840m investment by 2022 – need for 11,000 more early years workers
• Need for a public sector provision to enable highly qualified, higher waged workforce and a consistent provision (opposition to private provision)

 

Forthcoming Events

STUC Budget Day Rally, Scottish Parliament, 14 December 2017

SSTA meeting Deputy First Minister, Scottish Parliament, 19 December 2017

STUC Women’s Weekend School, Glasgow, 17-18 March 2018

STUC Annual Congress, Aviemore, 16 -18 April 2018

SSTA Congress, Crieff 18 – 19 May 2018

STUC LGBT+ Workers Conference, Glasgow 9-10 June 2018

STUC Women’s Conference, Dundee 29-30 October 2018

 

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

 

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

 

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 121^st 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.

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

7^th 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 121^st 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)