ATL

ATL Conference 2010

Monday 29 March - morning session

First session of Conference: 9.00-12.30

During this session there was an address by David Laws MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

Resolutions

1 GTCE code of conduct - carried in all parts
2 Foundation and primary curriculum - carried
3 Rarely cover - carried
4 Presents for staff - moved to next business
5 Support staff conditions of employment - carried
6 Ofsted inspection schedule - carried in all parts
7 Ofsted and safeguarding - carried
8 Ofsted – lesson plans - moved to next business
9 Primary school lunches - carried in all parts
10 Education and food - not taken
11 Paternity pay - carried

1 GTCE code of conduct - carried in all parts

COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Rochdale branch

THAT Conference is concerned the GTCE code of conduct is ambiguous, open to abuse and inappropriate. Any such code is unnecessary. Conference calls on the Executive Committee to:
(i) Campaign nationally, working closely with other teacher unions, to have the code removed or revised particularly section 8 where it intrudes into teachers' personal lives;
(ii) re-examine ATL's relationship with the GTCE;
(iii) explore ways of protecting members from such unwarranted intrusion.

Proposer: Mark Baker, Redwood Secondary School, Rochdale
Seconder: Kevin Alderton, Copland: A Specialist Science College, Brent

2 Foundation and primary curriculum - carried

BRADFORD BRANCH

THAT Conference, acknowledging the professional tasks undertaken by colleagues to implement the foundation stage and primary curriculum, calls upon the Executive Committee to strongly urge the government to place a moratorium on all new initiatives and change to the foundation and primary curriculum for the foreseeable future.

Proposer: Alison Sherratt, Riddlesden St Mary's CE Primary School, Keighley
Seconder: Sue Ayres, Leeds City College, Keighley Campus

3 Rarely cover - carried

COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Berkshire and Inner London branches.

THAT Conference notes the success of the reduction in hours that teachers have been required to cover for absent colleagues since September 2009 but is concerned about the negative consequences of the implementation of rarely cover on both staff and pupils in some establishments. These include a reduction of CPD for teachers, a reduction of trips for students, an increase in the use of unqualified staff for covering lessons, and teachers being pressured to volunteer to teach lessons for colleagues. Conference calls on the Executive Committee to:
(i) continue working with the TDA and survey members to establish how widespread the problems are and research the effects they have on students, teachers and support staff;
(ii) monitor and assess the negative consequences of the implementation of rarely cover on both staff and pupils.
Conference also calls upon the government to make sure that all 'new initiatives' are fully funded for their lifetime or to identify what should not be done in order to finance them.

Proposer: Kim Knappett, Forest Hill School, Lewisham
Seconder: Helen Cook, Downe House, Newbury, Berkshire

4 Presents for staff - moved to next business

BERKSHIRE BRANCH

THAT Conference, whilst recognising the practice of pupils buying presents for staff as a way of saying thank you, requests that ATL raises awareness that this custom is becoming increasingly commercialised and competitive.

Proposer: Jenny Inglis, Unattached member, Berkshire
Seconder: Helen Porter, St Gabriel's, Newbury, Berkshire

5 Support staff conditions of employment - carried

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

THAT Conference, mindful that a growing number of support staff in independent schools are becoming members of ATL, asks the Executive Committee to examine the contractual conditions under which these members are employed and to produce guidelines of best practice where necessary in respect of contracts and terms and conditions of employment.

Proposer: Peter Walker, Executive Committee member
Seconder: Jenny Inglis, Executive Committee member

6 Ofsted inspection schedule - carried in all parts

DEVON BRANCH

THAT Conference recognises inconsistencies and faults in the new 2009 evaluation schedule for school inspections, which places too great an emphasis on unreliable measures of student progress together with the misuse of concepts such as 'above average' and 'below average'. Conference deplores the inconsistent establishment of benchmarks at KS2 and KS4, which are affected by a flawed and unreliable examination system, and the government's requirement that most schools should be above average, thereby condemning at least 25% of schools to judgments of 'unsatisfactory' performance regardless of how well they perform with all the children in their care whether academically gifted or not. Conference calls on the Executive Committee to:
(i) press Ofsted to seek more appropriate descriptors for school performance;
(ii) demand that the government takes account of the ability of pupils in its judgments on schools;
(iii) press the Government to ensure Ofsted judges schools as 'good' if there is clear evidence of improvement in standards year-on-year even if below the average for the country.

Proposer: Philip Smith, Unattached member, Devon
Seconder: Joyce Walters, Coombeshead College, Devon

7 Ofsted and safeguarding - carried

HERTFORDSHIRE BRANCH

THAT Conference, while supporting the aims of safeguarding, recognises members' concerns about some aspects of its implementation, notably the impact the safeguarding aspect of the new Ofsted inspection framework is having on the rating by Ofsted of some previously successful schools, and consequently urges the Executive Committee to:
(i) investigate members' experiences of Ofsted inspections during this academic year under the new framework, and monitor Ofsted inspection reports since September 2009;
(ii) enter into discussions with Ofsted on how it is interpreting its responsibilities for monitoring safeguarding in schools, with a view to ensuring that schools are not held accountable for matters beyond their control.

Proposer: David Clout, Unattached member, Hertfordshire
Seconder: Aneurin Hathway, The Heathcote School, Stevenage

8 Ofsted – lesson plans - moved to next business

BIRMINGHAM BRANCH

THAT Conference, mindful of the fact that Ofsted no longer requires to see detailed lesson plans for the purposes of school inspection, urges the Executive Committee to:
(i) advise members clearly to this effect;
(ii) put in place arrangements whereby when ATL becomes aware of a school where there is still an insistence on such planning, the general secretary, being a member of WAMG, shall write to the headteacher to seek an explanation for such practices.

Proposer: David Ambler, The International School & Community College, East Birmingham
Seconder: Christine Tanquee, Old Know Junior School, Birmingham

9 Primary school lunches - carried in all parts

KENT AND MEDWAY BRANCH

THAT Conference asks the Executive Committee to lobby the government to ensure that all primary schools have:
(i) the facilities to provide hot school lunches for pupils;
(ii) the space and equipment to learn about food hygiene, preparation and production.

Proposer: Meryl Harries, Barnsole Junior School, Medway
Seconder: Anne Spratt, Unattached member, Medway

10 Education and food - not taken

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

THAT Conference congratulates the increasing number of schools and colleges which grow food and where possible use the produce in their kitchens, and supports the work of the Food for Life Partnership, the Focus on Food Campaign, and FACE, for Farming and Countryside Education. Conference requests the Executive Committee to:
(i) publicise their work to ATL members;
(ii) encourage reciprocal visits between farms and education establishments.

Proposer: John Puckrin, Executive Committee member
Seconder: Alison Sherratt, Executive Committee member

11 Paternity pay - carried

WEST SUSSEX BRANCH

THAT Conference requests the Executive Committee to press for a national agreement on paternity pay for all staff in schools. Initially, as a minimum, staff should receive five days on full pay plus the option of a further five days on statutory paternity pay.

Proposer: John Apsey, Hazelwick School, West Sussex
Seconder: Malcolm Hawke, Executive Committee member