ATL

ATL Conference 2009

Monday 6 April

First session of the Conference - 2pm-7pm

During this session there was an address by Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

1 MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

2 APPOINTMENT OF TELLERS

3 REPORT OF ELECTIONS TO NATIONAL OFFICE

4 APPOINTMENT OF APPEALS COMMITTEE

THAT the following be appointed to the Appeals Committee:
Felicity Bunker, Coventry; Geoff Coggins, Lewisham; Diana Manville, Bromley; Richard Martin, Leeds; Jean Roberts, Hammersmith and Fulham; Niamh Sweeney, Cambridgeshire and Pam Smith, Hillingdon.

Proposer: Chris Wilson, Executive Committee
Seconder: Shelagh Hirst, Executive Committee

5 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Presented by Julia Neal, Immediate Past President

6 ANNUAL STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS
Presented by Angie Rutter, Honorary Treasurer

7 DATE AND LOCATION OF THE NEXT ANNUAL MEETING OF THE
CONFERENCE

Monday 29 - Wednesday 31 March 2010, Manchester

RESOLUTIONS

1 Fragmentation and privatisation of education in England - carried in all parts
2 Maintaining positive relationships in schools - carried
3 Daily act of worship - lost
4 Teacher training - carried
5 Union learning project - carried
6 Trade union support for learning - carried in all parts
7 Change to the Constitution and Rules: membership of Conference - carried
8 Membership of Conference - carried
9 AMiE - carried
9 Amendment to resolution 9 - AMiE - lost
10 ATL's name - lost
11 Modern communication at Conference - lost
12 Supporting new teachers - carried
13 Branch welfare and equalities officers - carried
14 Credit Union - not taken

1 Fragmentation and privatisation of education in England - carried in all parts

COMPOSITE - from resolutions submitted by Brent, Coventry and Oldham branches

THAT Conference continues to oppose current government policy in England leading to the fragmentation and disintegration of the education system, and, in particular, the academies and trust schools programmes where unaccountable private sponsors spend public monies, as in the case of companies such as Edison who manage state schools for profit.

Conference opposes the consequential centralisation of power to Whitehall and the erosion of local democratic accountability of schools.

Conference calls upon the Executive Committee to regard saving locally accountable state education as the top priority of ATL, and in particular to:

(i) campaign for all publicly-funded schools to be accountable to the local communities they serve and for the only sponsor of public education to be public authorities;

(ii) explore urgently the setting up of an umbrella organisation incorporating trade unions, the TUC, Governors and parents' organisations and other relevant education and campaigning organisations such as the Anti-Academies Alliance to coordinate action;

(iii) work with other unions and the TUC on the campaign;

(iv) campaign for a reduction in the roles of the DCSF and OfSTED, with powers
transferred to LAs including responsibility for strategic direction of schools in their areas;

(v) form an Academies team to establish a dedicated person as a first point of contact for members regarding academies and to advise and negotiate on:

(a) effective strategies relating to objecting to academies;
(b) the time line and process of consultation;
(c) vetting of sponsors;
(d) negotiating the best deal for members if and when the academy/sponsors are selected;
(e) implications and weakness of TUPE;
(f) negotiating local recognition agreements and facilities time.

Proposer: Hank Roberts, Copland Specialist Science Community College, Brent
Seconder: David Kinnen, President Kennedy School and Community College, Coventry

2 Maintaining positive relationships in schools - carried

HERTFORDSHIRE BRANCH

THAT Conference recognises not only the progress made in eradicating a range of discrimination in schools, but also the new challenges to social harmony inside and outside schools posed by the current adverse economic situation.
Conference urges the Executive Committee to consider the perceived issues and then, as appropriate, enter into discussions with others on how to address them sensitively.

Proposer: Michael Catty, Unattached member
Seconder: Adrian Petty, St Edmund's College, Hertfordshire

3 Daily act of worship - lost

NORTH WALES BRANCH

THAT Conference believes that a daily act of worship should not be a statutory requirement in a secular school.

Proposer: Gareth Lewis, Ysgol Clywedog, Wrexham
Seconder: David Healey, Ysgol Friars, Bangor

4 Teacher training - carried

COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Kent and Medway branch and individual members.

THAT Conference recognises that inadequate support from a training institution and the in-school mentor leads to negative teaching practice experiences and results in drop-out from PGCE courses.

Conference asks the Executive Committee to lobby the TDA to enforce guidelines for training providers and host schools, including the training of mentors and annual checks of the suitability of host schools.

Proposer: Anne Spratt, Unattached member
Seconder: Richard Marshall, St. Josephs Primary, Sunderland

5 Union learning project - carried

COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Stoke-on-Trent branch and individual members.

THAT Conference congratulates ATL's Learning and Development team on the effective promotion of union learning and its integration into the work of ATL, and requests the Executive Committee to ensure funding for local events organised by ATL's ULRs, especially where facilities funding is unavailable, and to ensure that its effectiveness and aid to organising is not diminished.

Proposer: Peter Lane, Eturia Industrial Museum, Stoke-on-Trent
Seconder: Diana Manville, Unattached member

6 Trade union support for learning - carried in all parts

COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough branch and the Executive Committee.

THAT Conference welcomes the Executive Committee's efforts to promote a model of trade unionism, which seeks to raise aspirations, encourage and support members as they develop their careers. Conference therefore calls upon the Executive Committee to:

(i) enhance the provision of ATL's partnership with Edge Hill University so that it is relevant to all membership groups within ATL;

(ii) celebrate the establishment of AMiE, and the consequent opportunity for ATL's membership to become portable with career progression;

(iii) campaign for strengthened member involvement within the GTCs and the IfL, including the on-going identification and support of ATL candidates for the IfL Council.

Proposer: Chris Wilson, Executive Committee
Seconder: Niamh Sweeney, Cambridge Regional College, Cambridge

7 Change to the Constitution and Rules: membership of Conference - carried

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

THAT Conference amends the Constitution and Rules of the Association as follows:

In Rule 41.3 delete 'Up to 10 student members' and insert 'Up to 20 student members';

In Rule 41.4 delete 'Up to 10 standard members' and insert 'Up to 20 standard members';

In Rule 41.5 delete 'Up to 10 standard members' and insert 'Up to 20 standard members';

In Rule 41.5 after 'members of Conference' insert 'or who belong to a moribund branch'.

Proposer: Lesley Ward, Executive Committee
Seconder: John Puckrin, Executive Committee

8 Membership of Conference - carried

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

THAT Conference grants full status as members of Conference for the remainder of Conference 2009 to those members attending as observers who would otherwise have been attending under Rules 41.3, 41.4 or 41.5.

Proposer: Lesley Ward, Executive Committee
Seconder: John Puckrin, Executive Committee

9 AMiE - carried

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

THAT Conference welcomes the establishment of AMiE, ATL's partnership with the ACM, and the addition of approximately 4,000 members who have already joined ATL as a consequence.

Conference recognises that even greater benefit can be achieved by the two unions formally joining together and authorises the Executive Committee make any necessary amendments to the Constitution and Rules that are required to enable a full transfer of engagements from ACM at the earliest opportunity.

Proposer: Lesley Ward, Executive Committee
Seconder: Chris Wilson, Executive Committee

9 Amendment to resolution 9 - AMiE - lost

HAMPSHIRE BRANCH

In the second paragraph, after 'Executive Committee", to change "make any" to consider.

After ACM, insert "and recommend them to conference for approval" then continue as printed.

Proposer: Proposer: Pippa Hake, Robert Mays School, Odiham
Seconder: Seconder: Liz McPherson, Hatch Warren Junior School, Basingstoke

10 ATL's name - lost

COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Dorset and Lancashire branches

THAT Conference, in the light of the current diverse and inclusive membership of ATL, calls upon the Executive Committee to explore the appropriateness of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers current name and the cost implications of altering it and to initiate procedures to change the name to one that is more representative, if appropriate.

Proposer: Andrew Rowden, St Mary's School, Dorset
Seconder: Carvel Lonsdale, Walter Street County Primary School, Lancashire

11 Modern communication at Conference - lost

LANCASHIRE BRANCH

THAT Conference seeks to amend the current rules regarding the requirement for branch members, who have been formally nominated by their branch as delegates and who wish to propose or second a resolution, to attend Conference in person to instead be allowed to do so using modern communication techniques.

Proposer: Alice Robinson, School of our Lady's Catholic College, Lancaster
Seconder: Andrew Shipley, St Ninian's High School, Isle of Man

12 Supporting new teachers - carried

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

THAT Conference requests the Executive Committee to investigate the degree of support and advice that new teachers receive from ATL in terms of career progression in the initial years after induction.

Proposer: Carla Powell, Burnside Business and Enterprise College, North Tyneside
Seconder: Ruth Hanson, Elmore Green Primary, Walsall

13 Branch welfare and equalities officers - carried

CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH BRANCH

THAT Conference calls upon the Executive Committee to review existing
Model Branch Rules to make provision for emerging and new active member roles, including:

(i) a Welfare Officer and/or;

(ii) an Equalities Officer;

(iii) Learning Officer and/or;

(iv) Health and Safety Officer and/or;

(v) Casework Officer.

with such powers and responsibilities as are deemed useful and appropriate.

Proposer: Niamh Sweeney, Cambridge Regional College, Cambridge
Seconder: Alan Shinn, Cambridge Regional College, Cambridge

14 Credit Union - not taken

CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH BRANCH

THAT Conference, calls upon the Executive Committee to:

(i) explore the possibility of establishing or formally linking with a Credit Union as a way of enhancing ATL's membership offer;

(ii) review and improve the financial support available for members when taking part in ATL activities. 

Proposer: Frances Platten, Chesterton Community College, Cambridgeshire
Seconder: Barry Williams, Abbey College, Cambridgeshire