Category: Information for Members

16+ Learning Choices is being implemented across Scotland as the Scottish Government’s mechanism for ensuring an offer of a place in post-16 learning for every young person who wants it.   The 16+ Learning Choices Policy and Practice Framework has been developed to support implementation and sustainable delivery.   It sets out the Scottish Government’s policy on 16+ Learning Choices; its expectations for implementation; and clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the wide range of partners involved in supporting young people in the Senior Phase of Curriculum for Excellence to progress into positive and sustained post-16 destinations.

The Framework is designed   to guide national agencies and local partnerships in their detailed strategic and operational planning; and to establish more formal agreements for local implementation and sustainable delivery.   You can access a copy of the Framework here.

2. The maximum class contact time of 22.5 hours per full teaching week remains and members are urged not to teach beyond this level.

3. Class contact time includes:

a. Registration (whatever name is used to describe it) b. Covering for absent teachers c. Time assigned for other duties as a replacement for teaching.

4. There should be no attempt to vary the school’s current Working Time Agreement. Discussion should already be taking place as to the content of the WTA for session 2010-11.

5. During the period of the SQA exam diet the SQA classes are still assigned classes and teachers must be available to teach the class at the normal time. The pupils have an entitlement to access to their teacher as provided by the timetable. If the headteacher wishes to prevent such an arrangement, this must be shown clearly in writing. The pupils who have previously been taught during this time are no longer the contractual responsibility of the teacher. It is helpful if the head teacher makes this clear to parents. It is not the responsibility of the class teacher. ”ƒ 6. It should be abundantly clear to all that the time freed during the exam diet is used by teachers for curriculum development and other preparatory work. It must be recognised that any premature introduction of a new table severely reduce the time available for such essential developments. The most obvious of those would be CfE

Members are reminded that the basic contractual 35 hour week remains in place.

Ann Ballinger General Secretary

As part of a campaign to reduce the excess workload imposed on teachers the SSTA is collecting evidence through a workload survey. Part 2 of the survey can be found here.

We would appreciate if members could complete the form and return it to the Association at our freepost address noted below. Alternatively, you can complete an online version of the form here on our website. (Please note that you will be required to login to the site to compete the survey. If you experiance any problems logging in to the website, please see this forum post for help). It should take no longer than five minutes to complete and will save on the cost of postage.

The results of both surveys will then be collated and made available to all members. The results will be used to inform a 2010 campaign related to workload and the 35 hour working week.

Freepost address:

Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association

RLYZ-JYHB-RLBZ

14 West End Place

Edinburgh

EH11 2ED

As you will know concerns relating to classroom temperatures/humidity are an annual problem. Some rooms are always too cold in winter and some are too hot in summer. It has become clear, given the current financial climate that some councils/schools have reduced the ambient temperatures as an efficiency saving.

To open the documents below you will require Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader it can be downloaded from http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/

How to use the DigiTech meter

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As part of a campaign to reduce the excess workload imposed on teachers the SSTA is collecting evidence through a workload survey.   Part 1 of the survey can be found here.

We would appreciate if members could complete the form and return it to the Association at our freepost address noted below.  Alternatively, you can complete an online version of the form here on our website. (Please note that you will be required to login to the site to compete the survey.   If you experiance any problems logging in to the website, please see this forum post for help). It should take no longer than five minutes to complete and will save on the cost of postage.

A second survey will be carried out for a week in February 2010.   The results of both surveys will then be collated and made available to all members. The results will be used to inform a 2010 campaign related to workload and the 35 hour working week.

Freepost address:

Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association

RLYZ-JYHB-RLBZ

14 West End Place

Edinburgh

EH11 2ED

The Association has created a new closed peer support network on Facebook which is open to all members who are in their first 10 years of their career.

The New to Teaching Network is:

• open to all teachers (in the first 10 years of their career irrespective of age), NQTs and student members

• a peer to peer web based community on Facebook for new teachers sharing, advice and help.

• a social grouping that can meet in various activities outwith the classroom and confines of school.

• whatever the participants decide it wants to be.

To join the N2T group Facebook click on the logo to the right.

The result of the ballot for the post of General Secretary is shown below. The ballot closed at noon on Friday 1 May.

Ann Ballinger will therefore serve as General Secretary until 2014. The full result as detailed in the balloting agent’s report will be sent to all members via a bulletin following Congress later this month.

JIM DOCHERTY

Acting General Secretary

Margaret Smith, District Secretary in Fife and member of Executive and Council will be the Association’s Vice-President for the period 2009-2011. She defeated Richard Goring, also a member of Executive and Council, in the recent ballot. We extend our congratulations to Margaret and commiserations to Richard.

The report of the balloting agent, Electoral Reform Services, is below.

ELECTION OF VICE PRESIDENT 2009-2011

Our report of voting for the above election which closed today at noon is as follows:

Result

Electoral Reform Services can confirm that, as far as reasonably practicable, every person whose name appeared on the electoral roll supplied to us for the purpose of the ballot:-

1. was sent the details of the ballot and

2. if they chose to participate in the ballot, had their vote fairly and accurately recorded.

All voting material will be stored for twelve months.

Alexander Lonie

Manager of Trade Union & Membership Organisations Sector

20 February 2009

The Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association is Scotland’s second largest teachers’ trade union, serving the needs of secondary teachers throughout Scotland.

The Association seeks to appoint its most senior official following the retirement of the current post holder. The post is based in Edinburgh.

Candidates should be able to display leadership and innovation and have a genuine interest in education and the welfare of its practitioners. A background in trade unionism is desirable but not essential.

The post of General Secretary is subject to current arrangements as provided by the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, and in particular s.46 whereby the holder of the post of General Secretary requires to be appointed only following (if necessary) a ballot of the membership. A ballot is not required where there is only one valid nomination. The post is subject to further balloting of members every 5 years under current legislation.

The new General Secretary would be asked to take up post as soon as possible in 2009 following the completion of this procedure. This is likely to be at the earliest in April 2009.

All applications must be made by post. An application pack, containing the application form, is available from Jim Docherty, Acting General Secretary, at the address below. Applications close at noon on 30 January 2009. Interviews will be held in Edinburgh in February 2009. The Acting General Secretary is also able to answer questions from candidates as to the nature of the post.

The salary for the post is £72,000 at 1 January 2009.