Despite the National Agreement on ‘Raising Standards and Tackling Workload’, signed in 2003, a recent survey has shown that teachers’ workload is in fact still increasing.

Over 500 members completed a survey organised by Derbyshire Federation NASUWT about 3 years ago which gave us the necessary information to take to National Conference to try to urge the leadership to address the situation. Various strategies have subsequently been put in place, yet still the workload does not seem to reduce.

The ‘Government Teacher Diary’ survey has been carried out in a sample of schools annually since 2003 as well as 3 different occasions prior to that.

The 2008 survey concludes:

“Primary classroom teachers worked more hours than in 2006 (up from 50.1 hours then to 52.2 hours in 2008), in 1996 (50.8 hours), and in 1994 (48.8 hours).

Secondary school teachers of all teacher types worked broadly the same number of hours in 2008 as they did in 2000.”

Secondary heads and deputies are also working longer hours – in fact, the only real beneficiaries of the National Agreement are primary heads and deputies (down just over three hours and two hours per week respectively since 2003).

Only 22% of primary and 28% of secondary teachers felt that their “workload allowed them to pursue personal interests outside work” either “all of the time” or “most of the time”. Unsurprisingly, as well as being dissatisfied with their work-life balance, teachers were largely dissatisfied with their working lives, with nearly 60% of teachers not believing that they had “the time to do the job as it should be done.”

To counter this, the National NASUWT is also organising a “compliance campaign” – the purpose of this being to ensure that schools comply with the

National Agreement. If your school does not comply with the National Agreement and you are carrying out tasks which are not in the teachers’ contract, and you want to stop doing these, please ask your NASUWT school representative to contact your local branch secretary who will advise on appropriate action.

Remember, all the changes highlighted in the recent poster campaign are enshrined in our Pay and Conditions. They are not optional for management to ignore if they wish. However, it does require every one of us to ensure that we ourselves do not break the agreement by volunteering to undertake additional duties which should clearly be the remit of someone else. Learn to say ‘NO’ to unreasonable requests.

Negotiations with the Local Authority are currently at a standstill.

Normally, a meeting known as Schools’ Joint Consultative Committee (SJCC) meets on a monthly basis. This meeting comprises a representative of each of the recognised school based unions (NASUWT, NUT, ATL, SHA, NAHT, UNISON and GMB) along with 3 or 4 representatives of the Local Authority Personnel team. Agenda items usually consist of revisions to policies, budget, reorganisations, term dates and any other items of current interest.

However, recently the County Council seem to have imposed a view that if any union is involved in a national dispute which includes strike action, then the council will suspend all negotiating bodies on which that union is represented. You will recollect that since Easter, both NUT and UNISON have been involved in action which has included strike action, leading to some schools being closed. This has resulted in the SJCC only meeting on 3 occasions since the start of the year, and not at all yet in this new academic year.

The unions have written jointly to the leader of the council and other officers involved requesting that the decision be overturned, particularly as the current disputes are not specifically with Derbyshire, and outside their remit to resolve. Derbyshire seem to be unique in taking this stance. Derbyshire Federation NASUWT are currently considering what action we can take to try to reopen negotiations and ensure that the council comply with their obligation to formally consult and negotiate with all recognised trade unions.

We are concerned that in the absence of formal negotiations, the LA may choose simply to issue revisions of policies which have not been agreed with the unions. If you believe your school may be trying to bring in any new/revised policy because ‘they are being advised by the LA to do so’, please contact your local secretary for advice and to see if it is a policy we are in agreement with.

Talks are scheduled with the Council later this month to try to resolve the current situation.

Following a lengthy discussion with the Local Authority, NASUWT has now secured an agreement which will be written into a policy known as the Facilities Agreement, to ensure that use of school e-mail systems for union communications will remain confidential.

The Facilities Agreement provides for all the time and arrangements that should be in place to allow union work to take place both at County and school levels. We have been concerned that, with the planned reduction of paper based systems within the county and an increasing reliance on electronic communication, there is the potential for union communications to be monitored.

The agreement will ensure that all such communications remain confidential at school level, and should not be subject to monitoring by the school. They will however continue to be monitored, as all e-mail is at county level, but purely for misuse of the system.

It is worth reminding everyone that such monitoring takes place. This would cover personal use of the system during designated working time, and monitoring for key words that might suggest inappropriate usage (e.g. pornography, racism, abuse or bullying).

It is further worth reminding school reps in particular, that although the facilities agreement provides for meeting rooms to be made available in school, it is always good practice to inform the headteacher in advance that unions meetings are taking place. It is also good practice to inform the headteacher if an external representative (e.g. local secretary) has been invited in to attend a meeting.

By the time this edition reaches schools, the annual NASUWT East Midlands Regional Conference will have taken place at the Regional Centre, Nottingham.

As has been the case in recent years, District 10 (Derbyshire and DerbyCity) appear to be taking a leading role in the conference. Out of 10 motions submitted by local associations, 8 have come from the 4 District 10 branches on a range of topics including both internal union organisation issues as well as wider conditions of service matters.

All motions submitted have arisen from discussions at local branch meetings at which all members can have an input.

Over 30 activists from the Derbyshire branches will be attending the conference to contribute to the debate on each motion. Experience has shown that this provides valuable experience in preparing for National Conference where formal NASUWT policy is made.

We believe this opportunity to debate current topics of interest and importance to be vital, and the level of support shown from each of the Derbyshire branches reflects the current level of vitality within the NASUWT locally. This is clearly reflected in the later article on membership.

A full review of the motions debated, and their outcomes, will be included in the next issue.

An article normally included in this first term issue of The Banner is a warm welcome to all new members. It is vital that all members who have moved schools over the summer notify us of the change. To be represented by a school rep or local branch officer, we must be able to verify your membership on our database. If you are still registered as a member at your last school in Sheffield, Nottingham, DerbyCity or anywhere else outside the county, this causes problems and delays.

Please therefore let us know as soon as possible your new details. An e-mail to or a phone message left on 01629 585088 stating your name, membership number if you know it, old school, new school and anything else that may have changed, is all that is needed. We will see to the rest for you.

Alternatively, the new ‘live’ on-line membership system allows you to check your own details and amend them as necessary. You will need to know your membership number (this can be found on the mailing label of any NASUWT mailing to your home). Log on to the NASUWT home page – and go to the ‘members login’ area. On your first visit you will need to set up a password. Then just follow the links and you should be able to access and change your details – this will work wherever your previous school was, not just for Derbyshire.

Record Membership Figures

Last year I wrote that membership levels seemed to be stabilising – new members were simply replacing those leaving. However this now seems to have been overcome and yet again we have shown a marked increase in membership. For the first time ever, the membership figure for Derbyshire has gone over 3500. The figure in Sept 1998 was barely 2100. This represents a remarkable rise and reflects the dedication and work of local activists and the network of active school reps. Many thanks, and keep on asking those new teachers.

For information to new members (and a reminder to everyone else), problems arising in school should, in the first instance, be taken up with the school rep. If the rep is unable to help, because the situation is too complex, then you will be referred to the local secretary for your branch – details are on the back page. Members can ring the regional centre (details in diary) directly for information only. If the regional centre believes the matter to be potential casework, they will automatically refer back to the local secretary anyway.

Please remember that most local officers have a teaching commitment for some of the week, and may already be in meetings representing members at times when they are not teaching. It may therefore be that you need to leave an answerphone message with appropriate details. You will always be contacted at the earliest convenient opportunity. Your help and understanding in these matters ultimately helps us to provide a better service to you. Please respect our operating protocols.

Commenting on the recent Conservative Party proposal to train ex-servicemen as teachers, NASUWT General Secretary Chris Keates responded in support of all currently serving teachers:

"The idea of using ex-servicemen isn't new. After the Second World War when teachers were in short supply, large numbers were emergency trained.

"However, a military background doesn't automatically mean that someone will be agood or effective teacher or will out perform those already in the job. Some of the techniques used by the military to train recruits are questionable even in a military context. Pupils aren't squaddies.

"Good teachers can come from all walks of life including a service background.

"My concern is not the proposal to use ex- service personnel but the motivation behind it.

"If the implication is that schools are in chaos and pupils are out of control, itis a travesty of the true position.

"Maintaining high standards of pupil behaviour is a major challenge in schools but teachers and headteachers have risen to that challenge and the vast majority of schools are orderly and well disciplined.

"If the idea is driven by the concept that boys only respond to tough male role models then that is insulting to the thousands of women teachers who maintain high standards of behaviour in the classroom on a daily basis."

Contact details for local secretaries are as follows:

South Derbyshire Secretary:

John Crofts 07977 004820

North East Derbyshire Secretary:

Peter Baranek 01629 581878

Peak Association Secretary:

There is currently no elected secretary for the Peak District Association. During this period, members should in the first instance contact Dave Wilkinson (National Executive Member), who will either offer advice, or allocate an appropriate caseworker.

Dave Wilkinson07971 041577

CountySecretary:

Ian Brown07966 210248

e-mail:

Further information about the union locally can be found on the Derbyshire Federation website at