ATL

ATL Conference 2008

Wednesday 19 March 2008 - sessions four and five

Read a round-up of the day's events at Conference

Fourth session of conference

During this session there was an address by Jim Knight MP, minister of state for schools and learners.

Directed time and reports - CARRIED (ALL PARTS)

38. STOKE ON TRENT BRANCH

THAT Conference, asks the Executive Committee to:

(i) investigate the number of teachers completing reports outside the 1265 hours of directed time;

(ii) seek to prescribe the management of teachers' reporting workloads to fall within the 1265 hours of directed time;

(iii) investigate the quality of automated report generating software and offer guidance to teaching professionals on its usage;

(iv) re-emphasise the need to report on our pupils, not just on our schemes of work.

Proposer: Peter Lane, Etruria Industrial Museum, Stoke on Trent; seconder: Ken Hickin, Unattached member, Stoke on Trent

E-marking - CARRIED

39. BRADFORD BRANCH

THAT Conference, believing that e-marking can be harmful to examination markers on the grounds of health and safety and that its use should be reviewed for some subjects, asks the Executive Committee to press the examination boards to review their practices in the marking of examination scripts.
Proposer: Alison Sherratt, Riddlesden St Mary's C of E Primary and Nursery School, Keighley
Seconder: Ann Nash, Bradford Education Authority, Bradford

Access to teachers using ICT - CARRIED

40. NORTHERN IRELAND BRANCH

THAT Conference, noting with grave concern the risk posed to the privacy, safety and work-life balance of teachers and lecturers by government proposals for pupil online access to teaching staff, requests the Executive Committee to urge the Government to ensure that teachers and lecturers are not put in danger or under increased pressure with the emergence of 'e-teaching', 'e-learning' or 'e-reporting'.

Proposer: Eddie Ferguson, Unattached member, Northern Ireland; seconder: Andy Brown, Ballymena Academy, Northern Ireland.

Increasing data requirements - CARRIED 

41. COMPOSITE From resolutions submitted by Essex, Southend and Thurrock and Norfolk branches.

THAT Conference, acknowledging the unrelenting demands on schools to provide ever increasing quantities of data for official monitoring and accountability, and:

(a) recognising the insufficiencies of the MIS software because the data submission requirements change so rapidly;

(b) noting the substantial cost to each school in providing and maintaining these data systems;

(c) deploring the associated diversion of resources intended for the classroom; urges the Executive Committee to press the Government to consult meaningfully with classroom practitioners to enable teachers time to teach and children time to learn.

Proposer: Robin Bevan, Southend High School for Boys, Southend; seconder: Geoff Pye, Essex, Southend and Thurrock.

Equitable terms and conditions - CARRIED 

42. COMPOSITE From resolutions submitted by Essex, Southend and Thurrock and Devon branches.

THAT Conference, urges the Executive Committee to mount a public campaign for more equitable terms and conditions of employment in education, which is based upon the premise that:

(i) senior employees should earn no more than 10 times the annual income of the least well paid employee in their service;

(ii) conditions of employment for senior employees should be no more favourable than those afforded to the least advantaged member of staff, bearing in mind the importance of part-time teachers in ensuring full diversity in the workforce.

Conference calls on the Executive Committee to commission research on the actual hours worked by part-time teachers, and to press for a change to the STPCD, which allows for all time, including 'gap' periods of an hour during the school day, to be included in the pro-rata calculations for salary purposes.

Proposer: Mike Everett, Honywood School, Essex; seconder: Philip Smith, Ridgeway School, Devon.

Performance management and pay progression - CARRIED 

43. COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Stoke on Trent and Berkshire branches.
THAT Conference, requests the Executive Committee to:

(i) urge the Government to put mechanisms in place that ensure LAs or local WAMGs oversee and moderate the implementation of the new performance management statutory guidance in their schools;

(ii) investigate the increasing use of pupils' results in determining pay progression of teachers and the increasing linkage between performance management targets, pupils' results and pay progression;

(iii) work to eliminate performance-related pay decisions which depend on pupil performance, not teaching performance.

Proposer: Peter Lane, Etruria Industrial Museum, Stoke on Trent; seconder: Theresa Dawes, Park House School, Berkshire.

FE fair pay - CARRIED (ALL PARTS)

44. COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and Northern Ireland branches.

THAT Conference, noting the increasing pressure by government on public sector pay, and further noting the increasing risk of regionalisation of education across the UK, calls upon the Executive Committee to work collaboratively with public and private sector TUC affiliates and others to defend the pay and conditions of all our members, and in particular, to support next year's pay round through:

(i) joint campaigns in the FE sector to achieve appropriate pay parity, such a campaign should, if necessary, include joint and co-ordinated industrial action;

(ii) joint campaigns with TUC affiliates and others within the sixth form college sector to ensure continuing progress on pay;

(iii) joint campaigns with TUC affiliates and others, to challenge any STRB report that represents a pay cut for members working in schools;

(iv) parity across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in relation to pay and terms and conditions.

Proposer: Andy Brown, Ballymena Academy, Northern Ireland; seconder: Niamh Sweeney, Cambridge Regional College, Cambridge.

Pay in independent schools - CARRIED

45. HUMBERSIDE BRANCH

THAT Conference, believing that all school teachers, including those working in independent schools, should be paid, as a minimum, on the standard national salary scales, urges the Executive Committee to review the actual salary scales paid to teachers by independent schools.

Proposer: Mary Grady, East Riding Central Staff, Humberside; seconder: Colin Cramner, Humberside.

Trust schools and academies - CARRIED

46. HERTFORDSHIRE BRANCH

THAT Conference, recognising that an increasing number of members face the transfer of their employment to either a Trust school or academy, urges the Executive Committee to:

(i) make available factsheets for members on the implications of transfer of employment to either a Trust school or academy;

(ii) continue to press the Government to protect members from a worsening in conditions of service following such a change of status and a loss of union recognition in these schools.

Proposer: Michael Catty, Unattached member, Hertfordshire; seconder: Adrian Petty, St Edmund's College, Ware.

Decline of LA democracy

47. COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Brent and Inner London branches

THAT Conference, noting with concern:

(a) the decline and erosion of LA democracy and democratic procedures as a result of central directives from government;

(b) the promotion of academies and Trust schools, leading to the fragmentation and privatisation of education; calls upon the Executive Committee to initiate a campaign with other education and public sector unions and parent and governor organisations to reassert the role of LAs and to reinstate or revive local democratic procedures and accountability.

Proposer: Jean Roberts, Old Oak Primary School, Inner London; seconder: Hank Roberts, Copland Specialist Science Community College, Brent.

Fifth session of Conference

Lowering the school leaving age - LOST

48 BRADFORD BRANCH

THAT Conference, believes that the school leaving age should be lowered to age-14.

Proposer: Stuart Herdson, Bradford Education Authority, Bradford; seconder: Sue Ayres, Keighley Park Lane College, Bradford.

Diplomas - CARRIED (ALL PARTS)

49. COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and Devon branches.
THAT Conference, whilst considering the introduction of diplomas, calls upon the Executive Committee to:

(i) establish a mechanism to review the impact of the introduction of the 'new' diploma and report back to Conference in 2009;

(ii) work with government to ensure that:

(a) the introduction of new assessment methods is closely monitored through local WAMG, or an equivalent group;

(b) the funding basis for all aspects of the diploma is clearly stated so that leaders can plan effectively;

(c) the status of the diploma as a progression route to HE and employment is nationally recognised.

Proposer: Philip Smith, Ridgeway School, Devon; seconder: Niamh Sweeney, Cambridge Regional College, Cambridge.

Work experience for 14-19 year-olds - CARRIED

50. DEVON BRANCH

THAT Conference calls on the Executive Committee to make the Government aware of the difficulties in arranging increasing numbers of work experience placements due to issues concerning employer liability insurance.

Proposer: Philip Smith, Ridgeway School, Devon; seconder: Joyce Walters, Coombeshead College, Devon.

Social cohesion in colleges - WITHDRAWN

51. INDIVIDUAL

THAT Conference, noting the importance of social cohesion for the furtherance of tolerance, respect and equality, calls upon the Executive Committee to seek clarification from the Government on the mechanisms whereby FE institutions are bound to exercise this duty.

Proposer: Val Ross, Cambridge Regional College, Cambridge; seconder: Niamh Sweeney, Cambridge Regional College, Cambridge.

Emergency resolution - CARRIED

THAT Conference condemns the recent murder of Gildardo Antonio Gomez and Carmen Cecilia Carvajal Ramirez both of the Colombia teachers' trade union Fecode.

Conference welcomes the support offered by ATL, the NASUWT and NUT, for a Fecode recruitment programme and condemns the murder of many other teachers in Colombia which makes this necessary.

Conference further condemns Foreign Officer Minister Kim Howells for his mistaken statements that most Colombian trade unionists killed have been murdered by the guerilla organisation Farc and condemns the allegation that the charity Justice for Colombia supports Farc. Conference fears that these statements place in even greater danger Colombia teachers and other trade unionists who associate with Justice for Colombia.

Proposer: Julia Neal, President; seconder: Shelagh Hirst, Honorary Secretary. 

Funding for HE - CARRIED

52. BRADFORD BRANCH

THAT Conference, believing that HE is developing into a two-tier system regarding the funding of studies beyond the first degree, urges the Executive Committee to press the Government to fund HE students adequately so that they can continue their studies and ultimately benefit the country.

Proposer: Philip Shackleton, Bradford Education Authority, Bradford; seconder: Stuart Herdson, Bradford.

Hidden cost of teacher training - CARRIED

53. INDIVIDUAL

THAT Conference, calls upon the Executive Committee to investigate the hidden costs, both financial and emotional, associated with training for teachers.

Proposer: Ruth Hanson, Elmore Green Primary School, Walsall; seconder: Jovan Trkulja, Deptford Green School, Inner London.

Safeguarding of pensions - CARRIED

54. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

THAT Conference, recognising ATL's commitment to a decent standard of living for retired teachers, requests that the Executive Committee press the Government to safeguard the income of pensioners under age-65 as a result of the change to income tax bandings from April 2008.

Proposer: Malcolm St John-Smith, Executive Committee; seconder: Les Ridings, Unattached member, Lancashire.

Voice care training provision - CARRIED

55. ESSEX, SOUTHEND AND THURROCK BRANCH

THAT Conference, requests the Executive Committee to press all providers of ITT to incorporate Voice Care techniques into their QTS provision.

Proposer: Geoff Pye, Brentwood School, Essex; seconder: Mike Everett, Honywood School, Essex.

Classroom observation - CARRIED

56. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

THAT Conference, deplores the widespread continuation of lesson observations by school managers, which are in addition to those required under the new performance management regulations and guidance. Conference regards additional observations, often carried out for the purpose of completing the Self-Assessment Form, as 'mindless monitoring' and calls upon the Executive Committee to lobby the Government to end this practice.

Proposer: Eric Stroud, Executive Committee; seconder: Hank Roberts, Executive Committee.

ITT placements for student teachers - CARRIED

57. KENT BRANCH

THAT Conference, requests the Executive Committee to lobby the Government to improve the reward and incentive package offered to schools that enter into partnership with ITT providers, encouraging more schools to offer placements for student teachers.

Proposer: Zoë Fail, St Mary's RC School, East Sussex; seconder: Julie Huckstep, Hartsdown Technology College, Kent.

NQT registration - CARRIED

58 CHESHIRE BRANCH

THAT Conference, calls on the Executive Committee to press the Government to:

(i) establish formal sanctions on school management or LAs that do not register NQTs and consequently delay the start of their induction period;

(ii) enable retrospective registration of NQTs where the delay or omission is the fault of the school or LA.

Proposer: Stuart Hart, Fallibroome High School, Cheshire; seconder: Ian Bonner, Unattached member, Cheshire.

Toilet training - CARRIED

59. COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Bradford and Oxfordshire branches.

THAT Conference believes parents have a duty to ensure that their children are toilet trained before school age and that schools should not be required to toilet train pupils. Conference also believes that, with the exception of special needs children, toilet training should not be in the job description of staff in schools and nurseries. Conference requests that the Executive Committee campaigns for:

(i) sufficient fully-funded, well-trained support staff in all schools to deal with the increasing health, welfare and personal hygiene needs of children;

(ii) suitable and accessible special provision where students' needs cannot be met in mainstream establishments, in-line with Every Child Matters.

Proposer: Bob Martyn, Unattached member, Oxfordshire; seconder: Ann Nash, Bradford Education Authority, Bradford.

Lead professional role in multi-agency responsibilities - CARRIED

60. COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Gloucestershire and Wakefield branches.

THAT Conference, whilst welcoming the collaborative work which supports individual children under the Every Child Matters agenda, expresses concern regarding the inclusion of the education service within Children and Young People Departments.

A consequence of this is the expectation that teachers and teaching assistants will take on the role of 'Lead Professional,' to support vulnerable children whose needs are no longer met by Social Services, in advance of a clear agreement regarding:

(a) the allocation of paid time to complete the work;

(b) adequate training to enable effective multi-agency delivery;

(c) guidelines on the legal aspects of the 'Lead Professional' role.

Conference therefore asks the Executive Committee to:

(i) examine these issues and establish guidelines for teachers and teaching assistants involved in delivering the Common Assessment Framework;

(ii) lobby the Government to ensure that a proper balance of priorities is maintained across all LA directorates.

Proposer: Paul Barns, Whitminster PRU Centre, Gloucestershire; seconder: Julia Owen-Smith, Kirkham Gate Junior & Infants School, Wakefield.