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 in 2022.

The SSTA has constantly said, at all engagements with Government and employers since schools returned in August, that we are not back to ‘normal’ and our only focus must be on teaching and learning as the central part of education recovery.

There is a feeling that Covid is over and we are all back to normal. This is due to the lack of a national message to adhere to the mitigations to keep people in school safe. Each local authority is interpreting the government message differently and this is again different at school level. Headteachers are trying to keep schools open and keep pupils in schools but the mitigations and the tracing are slipping. Failure to adhere to the mitigations will lead to schools being closed due to the lack of teachers in the coming months.

The SSTA has pushed for the need for a clear consistent message from Government and an enforcement of mitigations in schools (including face coverings for all in secondary schools and clear definition of a ‘close contact’) if we are to keep schools open. The Government wants to reopen the economy and society but this can only happen if children are in school. Therefore, enhanced mitigations in schools that are different to elsewhere in society must be in place if keeping schools open is a priority.

The latest Government guidance ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on reducing the risks in schools’ to ensure a low-risk environment for learning and teaching was released on the 15 September 2021.

The key changes that will apply:

• updated information on vaccinations for 12-15 year olds
• updated guidance on contact tracing in schools
• a more targeted approach to the issuing of information
• further advice/good practice on asymptomatic testing
• inclusion of a link to additional UK-wide guidance on pregnancy

This together with the existing guidance that still applies. This includes:

• Risk assessments to be continued
• Environmental cleaning, hand and respiratory hygiene to continue
• Ventilation - strengthened guidance for local authorities on CO2 monitoring
• Face coverings in communal areas and secondary classrooms to continue
• Physical distancing for adults at least 1m but 2m distancing expected to remain for logistical purposes
• One way systems to be continued
• Staggered start and stop times/ break and lunch times
• Restrictions on assemblies
• Support for people in the highest risk groups/pregnant staff
• Restrictions on school visitors to continue

Mitigations are to be kept under constant review and, if data and evidence suggest that any specific mitigations can be removed at an earlier stage, advice will be provided to that effect

Teacher Pay Negotiations 2021 – No Developments

Since the meeting of the SNCT Extended Joint Chairs on 2 September on the 2021 pay claim there have been further developments. The Employers’ Side confirmed at the meeting that they were unable to make an improved offer but hoped to be in a position to do so soon. The current offer of 1.22% across all SNCT pay grades, backdated to April 2021, has already been rejected by the Teachers’ Side.

The Teachers’ Side (SSTA and EIS) made clear the frustration of members over the continued failure of their employers to make a reasonable pay offer and indicated that failure to make a substantially improved offer before the next SNCT meeting on 30 September would lead to declaration of a dispute.

The next meeting of the Extended Joint Chairs will be held in advance of the SNCT and members will be advised of progress following that meeting. Hopefully there will be some positive developments in the last week of September,

£400 Alternative Certification Model Payment

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 has been paid in some authorities. Unfortunately the ACM payment is still causing difficulties in some local authorities and this has been raised by the SSTA with the Scottish Government.

The SSTA reminds those members who believe that they have not received the correct payment should discuss

the matter with their Headteacher in the first instance.

For full details and SSTA advice please see the 17 June 2021 Members’ Bulletin.

Assessment of National Qualifications in 2021-22

The SQA has recently stated in the event of the SQA exams in 2022 being cancelled that teachers and lecturers would determine provisional results. https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/99158.html

The SQA added that

“Under this approach there is no requirement for schools, colleges and training providers to run additional assessments. Doing so would place excess workload on teachers, lecturers and learners. Provisional results would be based on in-year assessments that normally take place during the school year such as prelims, practical activities, performances and class tests”.

Unfortunately, returning to the exam diet with an alternative of assessment in the event of further disruption to schools as a consequence of the pandemic has the potential for increased numbers of exams and assessment tasks in schools. This will only add to teacher workload and pressure on pupils during this school year. The SSTA was not consulted on the arrangements for 2021-2022 and has been excluded from the National Qualifications Group by the SQA. The SSTA has met with Cabinet Secretary to push for the voice of the secondary school teacher to be heard.

The SSTA advises all members to take the SQA at its word and not alter their normal arrangements for national qualifications by discouraging the use of valuable time for both teachers and pupils on additional and unnecessary assessment processes.

Education Reform

The Scottish Government has appointed Professor Ken Muir as an independent advisor on education reform.

The reform includes the work of the Scottish Qualifications Authority and Education Scotland.

The SSTA is represented on the Practitioner and Stakeholder Advisory Group (PSAG) and has had initial discussions with Professor Muir. At this stage SSTA is still considering its position on the way forward and will be engaging with members in the coming weeks. In addition SSTA will be holding a policy congress on the Saturday 2 October (further details to follow).

Please find a link to a presentation from Professor Muir that outlines the remit and timescales for the review. A consultation process is due to begin at the end of September.

Webinars have been arranged on the reform of the Scottish Qualifications Authority and Education Scotland as an opportunity to hear first-hand about this work.

Each session will take place from 4.30 pm till 6.00pm and follow the same format. The selection being offered

is in order to provide options for dates, and to allow as many people to attend one of the sessions as possible:

• Webinar Option 1 - Monday 27th September 2021
• Webinar Option 2 - Thursday 30th September 2021
• Webinar Option 3 - Wednesday 6th October 2021
• Webinar Option 4 - Thursday 28th October 2021

SSTA Membership – A must for all Secondary School Teachers

The pandemic has made the recruitment of student and newly qualified members extremely difficult and we welcome your support in encouraging new colleagues in to the Association. Students in training and new entrants to the profession pay no subscription for sixteen months from the date of their teaching post. So please help to recruit your new colleagues to the only secondary specialist teachers’ union in Scotland.

All new members to the Association can benefit from our new special offer of 50% off the normal subscription for the first 12 months of paid membership when completing a direct debit with their application. This represents a saving of up to £95.00 a year based on the current 2021 subscription paying by monthly direct debit. Terms & Conditions apply

Click here to complete the online enrolment form and join the SSTA

SSTA says ‘Put Teachers at the Centre’

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Return to School

The 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 continued
• Environmental cleaning, hand and respiratory hygiene to continue
• Ventilation - strengthened guidance for LAs on CO2 monitoring
• Face coverings in communal areas and secondary classrooms to continue
• Physical distancing for adults at least 1m but 2m distancing expected to remain for logistical purposes
• One way systems to be continued
• Staggered start and stop times/ break and lunch times
• Restrictions on assemblies
• Support for people in the highest risk groups/pregnant staff
• Restrictions on school visitors to continue

Mitigations are to be kept under constant review and, if data and evidence suggest that any specific mitigations can be removed at an earlier stage, advice will be provided to that effect

Teacher Pay Negotiations 2021

The SNCT Extended Joint Chairs met again on 19 August to discuss the 2021 pay claim.  The Employers’ Side confirmed an undifferentiated offer of 1.22% across all SNCT pay grades, backdated to April 2021. Whilst the acceptance of the principle of a universal pay offer is progress, the offer of 1.22% is not - it being simply a redistribution of the cost of the previous offer.

The Teachers’ Side (SSTA and EIS) made clear that the offer of 1.22% is unreasonable, sub-inflationary and fundamentally misjudges the value of the profession. 

The delay in reaching a negotiated settlement was highlighted and it was indicated that the possibility of a multi-year deal, suggested by COSLA, would only be considered if full details are provided with regard to the proposed percentage increase for each year. 

The next meeting of the Extended Joint Chairs will take place in the week commencing 30 August 2021.

Pension Changes in 2022

The recent changes announced to pensions will take effect for all members of previous pension schemes from 1 April 2022.  Those who joined the scheme from April 2015 will not be impacted as they are already in the reformed scheme. 

However, those who were in either the Normal Pension Age (NPA) 60 Scheme or NPA 65 scheme will have all future contributions made to the Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) scheme from that date.  This means that any future contributions will go into the reformed scheme which puts aside a proportion of annual salary each year, uprated in line with inflation rather than being based on final salary and the retirement date is in line with the state retirement age. 

The pension pot in the CARE scheme will therefore not be available until state retirement age without a reduction being applied but any pot in the previous schemes will be available at either 60 or 65 without any deduction. 

The SSTA will be arranging pension briefing sessions for members and dates will be circulated once confirmed.

Pay and Pension Contributions

In order to keep track of pay and pensions it is good practice to:

• Download your payslips and save them to a file you can access from home
• Check your pay regularly to ensure it is correct to avoid over or underpayments
• Check your pension contributions are in line with your salary
• Access your annual pensions statement to ensure that your service is correct

It is very difficult to rectify mistakes later. Local Authorities are only obliged to keep records for five years so it is better to keep your own records.  Any underpayments are always recovered as they are public funds so, if you notice any mistake, it is best to contact Payroll immediately.

If we can help in clarifying payslips or any query regarding pay or pension please contact: info@ssta.org.uk

£400 Alternative Certification Model Payment

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 has been paid in some authorities. The SSTA is disappointed that the remaining authorities have not seen this as priority and a recognition of all the extra work created for teachers associated with the ACM.

The SSTA expected headteachers to approach this in an open-handed way, taking into account individual teachers’ varied workloads. Members who believe that they have not received the correct payment should discuss the matter with their Headteacher in the first instance.

For full details and SSTA advice can be found in the Members’ Bulletin of 17 June 2021.

Assessment of National Qualifications in 2021-22

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills has confirmed that exams will be held for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses in 2022. The SQA has set out the key detail on plans for assessment of National Qualifications in 2021-22. Please follow link to see the details provided by the SQA.

Unfortunately, returning to the exam diet with an alternative of assessment in the event of further disruption to schools as a consequence of the pandemic has the potential for increased numbers of exams and assessment tasks in schools. This will only add to teacher workload and pressure on pupils during this school year. The SSTA was not consulted on the arrangements for 2021-2022 and has been excluded from the National Qualifications Group by the SQA. SSTA will be meeting the Cabinet Secretary shortly and will push for the voice of the secondary school teacher to be heard.

SSTA Membership

The pandemic has made the recruitment of student and newly qualified members extremely difficult and we welcome your support in encouraging new colleagues in to the Association. Students in training and new entrants to the profession pay no subscription for sixteen months from the date of their teaching post.

All new members to the Association can benefit from our new special offer of 50% off the normal subscription for the first 12 months of paid membership when completing a direct debit with their application.   This represents a saving of up to £95.00 a year based on current 2021 subscription paying by monthly direct debit. Terms & Conditions apply

Those interested in joining the SSTA can do so via our website at www.ssta.org.uk/join

Membership fees and income tax relief

It is worth remembering that two-thirds of the annual subscription payable to the Association is allowable for income tax relief. Section 343, Part 5, Chapter 2 of the Income tax (earning and Pensions) Act 2003. A Proforma letter “Tax Relief on Subscriptions – Jan 2021” that shows subscription rates for Association membership over the past few years. Further information on how to claim the tax back can be found on the HMRC website. Tax Relief for professional fees and subscriptions.

There are specialist firms that can assist you in doing this and at the same time, check if you have been missing out on any other tax allowances or been given the wrong tax code by HMRC meaning you are owed a tax refund.

The Tax Refund Company is one such firm and has helped over 140,000 teachers. They can quickly find out if it worth having your tax codes checked by visiting www.thetaxrefundcompany.co.uk

Membership Details

Have any of your personal details changed over the summer holidays? Moved House, Change of contract or moved to a new school?  You can inform the SSTA of these changes by completing a form on our website at www.ssta.org.uk/updatedetails. 

SSTA says ‘Put Teachers at the Centre’

SSTA Members’ Bulletin - 17 June 2021

£400 Alternative Certification Model Payment

The 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 points

Payment

• 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 be made to teachers through normal payroll arrangements.

Timing

• Schools can start processing details immediately.  The final deadline for submission of forms is 30 September 2021.
• Staff with concerns about receiving the payment (e.g. because of a possible impact on benefits such as Universal Credit, Tax Credits, Legacy Benefits, Council Tax Reduction, Pension credit, Carer’s Allowance) should speak to their employer as soon as possible.

Eligibility criteria

• Teachers must have:
  • supported the delivery of one or more of the following functions: assessing, marking or quality assuring National 5, Higher or Advanced Higher courses in academic session 2020/2021.
  • been employed between 1 January 2021 and 25 June 2021 for the initial window and, where relevant, between the start of the new school year in August and 3 September 2021.
• Teachers who work full-time or part-time and are subject to a permanent or temporary contract are eligible.
• Those who were shielding; on sick leave; on maternity, paternity, adoption leave; or furloughed are not precluded from qualifying for this payment if they have had a role in supporting the delivery of the ACM.
• Those who have since left or retired are also eligible and should contact their former employer.

Calculation of payment

• For eligible staff, the payment will be based on average contracted hours and reflect the degree to which the employee’s individual work has supported the delivery of the ACM. This will require a judgement on the part of the headteacher.  The SSTA expects headteachers to approach this in an open-handed way, taking account of individual teachers’ varied workloads.
• Teachers with multiple employers should ensure that each of their employers is aware of the proportion of their pro-rata payment to ensure that the maximum they receive is £400.

Complaints

• Teachers who believe that they have not received the correct payment should discuss the matter with their Headteacher in the first instance.  They may contact info@ssta.org.uk for advice before doing so.

More information

• Please see '£400 Payment Guidance'  for more detailed information.