ATL

ATL Conference 2009

Tuesday 7 April - morning session

Second session of the Conference - 9am-11am

During the second session there was an address by Mr Andy Ballard, ATL President.

RESOLUTIONS

15 Child prostitution - carried in all parts
16 Deteriorating behaviour/influence of TV - carried
17 Violence and malicious intrusion - carried
18 Training in challenging behaviour - carried in all parts
19 Cost of teacher recruitment - not taken
20 Small schools - not taken
21 Diplomas: inclusion and entitlement in rural areas - carried
22 Charities Test and Scottish independent schools - carried
23 Independent school closures - carried

15 Child prostitution - carried in all parts

DORSET BRANCH

THAT Conference, recognising that child prostitution is one of the worst abuses of basic human rights, requests that the Executive Committee takes all reasonable action to stop this evil by:

(i) lobbying the Government to legislate to ensure that British sex offenders convicted abroad are automatically placed on the sex offenders' register and to take steps to ensure that MAPPA arrangements apply fully to offenders travelling or working abroad;

(ii) working closely with, and being affiliated to, a major NGO such as ECPAT UK, that specialises in action against child prostitution;

(iii) raising the profile of this evil with the TUC to gain support for action by all UK affiliates;

(iv) working through Education International to encourage teachers' trades unions around the world to lobby their own governments to take concerted action to prevent prostitution of children; and

(v) undertaking any other form of action as found to be appropriate.

Proposer: Phil Jacques, Shaftesbury School, Dorset
Seconder: Roger Lister, Bournemouth Poole and Dorset East Secondary SCITT, Dorset

16 Deteriorating behaviour/influence of TV - carried

BRADFORD BRANCH

THAT Conference, acknowledging the fact that behaviour patterns in some young children are deteriorating, calls upon the Executive Committee to lobby television broadcasters to consider the consequences of showing programmes containing examples of bad behaviour before the watershed.

Proposer: Alison Sherratt, Riddlesden St Mary's C E Primary School, Keighley
Seconder: Anne Musgrove, Thackley Primary School, Bradford

17 Violence and malicious intrusion - carried

COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Avon and North Wales branches

THAT Conference deplores the increasing levels of violence against staff and students and of malicious intrusion into the private lives of staff.

Conference calls upon the Executive Committee to consider a zero tolerance policy and to lobby the law enforcement agencies to take effective action to protect staff privacy.

Proposer: Maxine Bradshaw, Ysgol Llywelyn, North Wales
Seconder: Ian Martin, City of Bristol College, Bristol

18 Training in challenging behaviour - carried in all parts

COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Derbyshire and Oxfordshire branches

THAT Conference notes that one in five teachers leave the profession within the first five years and that one of the main reasons cited is challenging behaviour. Conference is concerned that members are acting without clear guidelines on the use of physical interventions or restraint.

Conference calls on the Executive Committee to:

(i) investigate the level of training given to deal with challenging behaviour during ITT;

(ii) campaign across ITT providers for minimum levels of training in challenging behaviour in ITT and NQT and NQT-second year;

(iii) produce a model code of practice for schools and authorities regarding the use of physical interventions (or restraint);

(iv) lobby the Government for increased ring-fenced resources to allow for more early intervention and support for children with violent tendencies and behavioural difficulties.

Proposer: Wendy Hardy, The Kingsmead School, Derbyshire
Seconder: Cathy Tattersfield, Peak School, Derbyshire

19 Cost of teacher recruitment - not taken

ESSEX, SOUTHEND AND THURROCK BRANCH

THAT Conference recognises the gross educational inequality experienced by students pursuing their education in localities where the cost of housing and living is relatively high, and whose schools and colleges struggle to recruit experienced and qualified teachers. Conference acknowledges the additional costs faced by those schools and colleges in advertising, overseas sourcing fees, running internal training programmes and in recruitment incentives.

Conference requests that the Executive Committee campaigns for enhanced budgets for schools and colleges in these localities to address this systemic educational and social disadvantage.

Proposer: Robin Bevan, Southend High School for Boys, Southend
Seconder: Jeff Fair, Brentwood County High School, Essex

20 Small schools - not taken

COMPOSITE from resolutions submitted by Derbyshire, Wakefield and Devon branches

THAT Conference notes the important role small schools play in community cohesion in rural areas and the many new structures and initiatives being developed to sustain and support them, such as federations and shared headteachers. Conference recognises possible future strains on public expenditure, but urges the Executive Committee to:

(i) increase its active support for the preservation of small schools in isolated rural areas;

(ii) lobby the Government for increased funding in small schools to acknowledge the impact of workload and related issues for teaching and support staff in these schools;

(iii) establish an STG to examine the issues of small schools and consider the solutions being trialled across the country.

Proposer: Maureen McDonald, St James High School, Devon
Seconder: Cathy Tattersfield, Peak School, Derbyshire

21 Diplomas: inclusion and entitlement in rural areas - carried

DEVON BRANCH

THAT Conference notes with increasing concern the serious inclusion issues for young people in rural areas with regard to their full entitlement in the 14-19 Diploma provision. Conference accepts that poor transport infrastructure, personal cost implications and a paucity of opportunity with limited choice can put these young people at a disadvantage compared to their peers in urban areas.

Conference therefore calls on the Executive Committee to ask the Government to conduct a rural impact assessment that addresses these issues with a view to finding and implementing urgent remedies.

Proposer: Julia Neal, Torquay Girls' Grammar School, Torquay
Seconder: Philip Smith, Ridgeway School, Plymouth

22 Charities Test and Scottish independent schools - carried

SCOTLAND BRANCH

THAT Conference, in light of the recent failure by four independent schools in Scotland to pass the Charities Test as set by the Office of Scottish Charities Regulator, is concerned by the threat of redundancy or worsened conditions of service to members in such schools.

Conference calls on the Executive Committee to work with all appropriate agencies to safeguard members' jobs where their school fails to meet the requirements set by the regulator and subsequently loses VAT relief.

Proposer: Alastair MacPherson, Edinburgh Academy, Scotland
Seconder: Peter Russell, Dollar Academy, Scotland

23 Independent school closures - carried

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

THAT Conference notes that the present challenging economic conditions have resulted in independent school closures, which, in some cases, has exposed poor management. Conference urges that the Executive Committee campaigns vigorously to ensure that all independent schools have a long term strategic plan to avoid closure and, where this is not possible, due process to ensure that the employer's obligations to staff are met.

Proposer: Malcolm St. John Smith, Executive Committee
Seconder: Peter Walker, Executive Committee