Annual Report — February 2003

Secretary's Report for the Annual General Meeting 2003

Officers and Committee

Last year we filled all the officer posts but we still looking for someone to run a Retired Teachers' section and become the Learning Representative. Grateful thanks go to all the officers and committee of the association for all their hard work this year. These people serve the members so well and give me continuous support and guidance.

Meetings

We held 8 Association and 10 Committee meetings during the year, covering a wide range of subjects including dealing with disruptive pupils, inclusion, Public Service, Upper pay Scale and Performance Management and Remodelling the Profession. We did not have so many outside speakers as last year but did welcome Brian Carter — Regional Secretary, Tom Neale — FBU, Josie Nicholls — UNISON, Nic Gavin — Executive Member and Steve Sinnott — Deputy General Secretary to meetings throughout the year. Officers held meetings with Cllr Brian Roberts — Cabinet Lead on Education, Cllr Ross Willmott — Leader of the Council, Cllr Andy Vincent — Lib Dem spokesperson for Education to raise issues of concern.

Student and Newly Qualified Recruitment

Unfortunately the University had not informed students that the Freshers' Fair was taking place this year and we did not make contact with as many students as usual. We made sure that all schools had student recruitment forms as we were fearful that there would be students on teaching practice in schools who were not members of a union. Our NQT function was the best for a few years. A very convivial evening was spent at the Rum Runner and we are very pleased that some of the people we entertained have continued to attend meetings. I attended the LEA's welcome function and gave NUT packs to every NQT there and sent packs to the rest of the NQTs.

Annual Conference 2002

Our delegates at Bournemouth were Jane Rolfe, Nic Gavin, Sally Morrison, Pete Flack, Steve Boyce, Norman Machin, Neil Alexander and Esther Casson. A full report was available after Conference.

The Proposed City Academy

The proposal came in the summer of 2002 and has taken up much officer time and effort. We have done everything we can think of to oppose a City Academy (now just called an Academy) including:

Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant

I am a representative on the Joint Management Group that discusses the EMAG service. We have been extremely concerned because, yet again, because the funding is remaining the same and inflation and the pay rise means that costs have increased. Before Christmas we surveyed all staff working in the traded service to try to find their views on the future of the traded service. Results show that half of them felt that the traded service should cease and people be taken into the staffing establishment of the schools they are currently in, and the other half felt that the service should continue. There will be a Section 188 Notice this year and the threat of redundancies is very real. I think that the traded service will cease in the next year or so as it may be argued that it is getting so small and fragmented that it no longer is able to respond to the ever changing needs. The people working in the service have suffered tremendously year on year because of the uncertainty of the funding. We have endeavoured to support them in every way we can.

Education Action Zone

the Leicester EAZ will cease on 31st August 2003 and an exit strategy is in action. The staff are on a variety of contracts but the teachers' redundancy procedure will be used. NUT members have been contacted and support is being given. It is hoped that there will be redeployment opportunities within Leicester City Council and that the specialisms of these people are not lost. A charity called the Leicester Learning Zone has been set up that has taken over the money that was raised by the zone. This may well employ staff but it will not be within the LEA and may in fact prove to be a trading competitor for the LEA.

Revitalising Neighbourhoods

Leicester City Council has moved ahead with its plans for Revitalising Neighbourhoods in spite of opposition from some quarters (namely the teaching unions) and extreme apathy from other quarters (namely virtually everybody else in the city!). Neighbourhoods have been defined, neighbourhood co-ordinators have been appointed and will start revitalising neighbourhoods soon.

Learning and Skills Council

We have now got into a pattern of termly meetings with the LSC and have union representation on a discussion forum. We are awaiting the outcome of an Area Wide Inspection that may well shape the provision of post-16 education for some years to come.

Recruitment and Retention

The R&R of teachers continues to be of great concern particularly as there are schools that are increasingly employing unqualified teachers. We attended the Recruitment Fair organised by the LEA which proved to be successful and new teachers were employed.

Working Parties

I have attended many meetings of various working parties including SEN, CPD Primary and Teachers' Negotiating Committee Personnel Working Party. Personnel WP negotiates policies and procedures prior to them going to Teachers' Negotiating Committee. This year they include; ·

We continue to work on updating our Insurance Guidance. The School Terms and Holidays working party has reconvened and has supported the status quo not wanting to move to a six-term year. Through TCC we have ensured TCC representation on just about every working party or body we have heard about — perhaps most important are the SEN Modelling Group (discussing inclusion), the School Organisation Committee (new schools and major changes) and most recently the Schools' Forum (dealing with budgets).

Miscellaneous — Here are a few other things that I have done on behalf of the union;

There have been national and local issues that have taken up a lot of officer time this year. The payment of Upper Pay Spine has been a big issue and now, of course, the remodelling agenda is of serious concern. The feedback I have received from members has been totally supportive of the NUT's stance that we should resist the use of unqualified people to teacher classes. Locally the proposed Academy has been the biggest issue but we also are extremely concerned about the level of violence in some of the city schools. At the moment we are raising this issue very strongly with the LEA as staff are being subjected to abuse and violence that can not be tolerated. Our vigorous support for our members has, at times, challenged the relationship between ourselves and the LEA but the bottom line for us is to support our members.

The amount of individual casework grows year on year and as always we try our best to support our members through difficult times. We are always most appreciative of the help, support and guidance that we received from our excellent Regional Office. They really do a wonderful job.

My personal thanks go, once again, to the officers and committee members who do so much good work for the union, most of which is 'behind the scenes' and helps the smooth running of the union. Their work helps to ensure that we can continue to be proud of the service we provide members.

Jane Rolfe 18.2.03

Report of the Assistant Secretary, City of Leicester NUT, 2002-3

a) Campaigns

The union has been actively involved in a series of campaigns this year. These have included the campaign against having a City Academy, the campaign against SAT's, support for the Firefighters, support for schools in difficulties and over the 're-modelling of the teaching profession.

City Academy — a variety of materials was produced opposing the Academy, including a detailed NUT response to the 'debate'. Stalls were mounted in Gallowtree Gate and on Victoria Park for the Caribbean Carnival. This included getting signatures on a petition and balloons. I spoke at a meeting at the Linwood Centre and officers also attended a variety of meetings in schools. All LEA meetings were leafleted. SAT's campaign —

although nationally the campaign was in its infancy, we continued to promote materials, collected signatures against SAT's at the stalls we organised and supported national proposals for a ballot.

Firefighters — we had the FBU secretary to an association meeting. I spoke at the local Support Committee Rally and took the banner on the national TUC demonstration.

Remodelling — A wide range of materials has been produced for schools, including in City Teacher. This is continuing.

b) SEN

I have continued to attend the SEN delegation group. Following representations from a Headteacher, supported by NUT, we were able to establish that the LEA funds long term sickness cover for centrally retained statement staff. We are now revisiting the SEN criteria.

I have also attended a series of meetings of the SEN Modelling Group looking at inclusion and the creation of SAR's.

I have supported colleagues in SNTS, on conditions of service issues, and in various SEN settings.

Treasurers report for CITY OF LEICESTER TEACHERS'S ASSOCIATION NUT 1104 As of December 2002

Detailed copies of the accounts will be available at the A. G. M.. We have replaced the Office Hardware this year, but due to both a rise in numbers and a drop in the Office insurance we are still showing a surplus of income over outgoings. In the light of the carry forward of over £10,000 I feel that we are well set to be able to survive when Hamilton House decides to withdraw their grant funding. This funding is an anachronism and should more realistically reflect activity in associations, as the present grants are not targeted with any rigour. I will be able to answer detailed questions on the accounts at the A. G. M.

Nic Gavin Hon treasurer

Communications Officer — Report for AGM, 19th February 2003

City Teacher has attempted to inform members of issues affecting them both locally and nationally and, where necessary, spur them to action. As usual, perhaps the greatest challenge is persuading members that City Teacher is deserving of their precious time; workload is a real issue and teachers have minute and ever-shrinking reserves of time to read whatever appears in pigeonholes. City Teacher will be read if it is;

This is a lot to ask! Thanks to other officers who have been able to make valuable contributions to City Teacher.

Neil Alexander

President's Address

Although I didn't begin teaching until well into my 30s, I joined the NUT as a student and never looked back. Now, some 23 years later I wouldn't be with any other union.

Over the past 18 years or so we have seen teachers lose their negotiating rights, the imposition of the National Curriculum and SATs and the gradual eroding of teachers' autonomy. We are now faced with the prospect of unqualified staff teaching children. In many ways, then, teaching is not the profession it once was.

The NUT is however, in many ways, stronger than ever. Although we have not always been successful in turning back what many have seen as retrograde moves by subsequent governments, associations like City of Leicester have become stronger. Not only has our membership grown but, because of our many struggles, the members have become more conscious.

Throughout these changes the NUT, nationally, has taken stands against these government-inspired moves. NUT members have not only been protected against the worst ravages of this legislation but have also been able to shape policy of the union through participation at conference and involvement in regular surveys.

My real feeling of pride has been in being a member of City of Leicester Association. From the time of our 1985 action, when I first began to come to meetings, I've been proud to be part of City of Leicester.

Thinking back, a few particular campaigns stand out in my mind. The class size action in the 80s was an early high point. My head at the time, Stuart Ball, announced at a staff meeting that because of the NUT action he would be giving all the NUT staff classes of 24 and sharing out the rest of the children amongst the other staff. "I may not be in the NUT," shouted the lone PAT member, "but I am not a door mat!" We always had a strong and committed NUT group at Mellor.

One of the high points of my professional career was the principled stand we took as an association against the SATs. On a more personal level, this position enabled me to become involved in the national anti-SATs campaign and to help lead a very effective campaign at Mellor where we convinced some 27 parents to apply to withdraw their children from the KS1 SATs in 1992. Our position then is completely vindicated by the current moves to finally get rid of the SATs and the divisive league tables forever. Without associations like ours we would be hung, drawn and quartered by now.

More recently we've been instrumental in fighting moves by the LEA to set up a privately funded City Academy in the south of the city. I feel very proud that we have been at the forefront of the struggle to try to stop not only the City Academy but also to fight for the rights of all children and teachers in Leicester. It is not always easy to stand by what you believe; Jane and Pete need all our support as they move into confrontation with the director.

This is the kind of association that really defends its members, taking difficult and principled stands when necessary. Nationally it is only the NUT that has taken a stand against the government plans to use unqualified staff to teach classes in a move to allow teachers non-contact time. The overwhelming feeling of our members was that no pay back could justify the use of untrained teachers.

I'm an NUT member because I believe in the defence of education for all and City of Leicester has never let me down. Therefore, I'm exceedingly pleased to be able to serve the association as president this year. May we continue to build on our strengths!

Polly Henderson

19th February 2003