The NASUWT's last meeting with the Schools Partnership Trust Academies (SPTA) JNCC was on 13 April 2016. The meeting focused on the proposed wholesale restructuring in eight secondary schools identified by SPTA.
The NASUWT has lodged a formal dispute with the employer to protect NASUWT members from 'unfair dismissal' and the possibility of being made compulsorily redundant.
The inability of the employer to disclose required relevant data in the consultation over the proposed wholesale staff restructuring included the lack of job descriptions, staffing structures, detailed budgetary evidence, skills audits and genuine consultation over the selection criteria.
All the data referenced in the previous sentence needs to be provided as it currently stands and as proposed by SPTA in their intended restructuring before the NASUWT can agree to the start of genuine consultation under redundancy procedures.
At the above meeting, following representation by the NASUWT, the employer has agreed to extend the consultation period up to the 10 June 2016 ensuring that no member could be made compulsorily redundant before 31 December 2016. SPTA has agreed to provide all the relevant data requested by the NASUWT outlined above.
The NASUWT representatives have been given additional facility time to ensure members are fully supported in all stages of these procedures. In addition members are being supported by NASUWT National Executive members and NASUWT Regional Centres.
The eight schools affected are:
Ash Hill; De Warenne; Manor Croft; John Whitgift; Don Valley; South Leeds; Melior Community and Serlby Park
Additionally the NASUWT has provisionally agreed to a new behavioural policy with SPTA, providing there is no increased workload as a direct consequence of its implementation.
Changes to the SPTA school day were proposed by the employer. The NASUWT raised the following objections:
- The lunch time proposed was unreasonably short with only thirty minutes allocated. There is no provision for teachers as accommodated in the proposals at the start and end of the school day of 10 minutes to ensure the orderly access and egress of pupils entering and leaving classrooms. That taken into account staff would only have ten minutes for lunch which is totally unacceptable
- Open Evening/ Introduction Evening were included in the school directed time calendar but are not part of teachers contractual responsibilities. Those responsibilities only apply for pupils that are taught by staff in SPTA schools not those which might be taught in the future. That said the NASUWT pointed out that most members choose to attend such evenings but did so voluntarily on an 'opt in' basis not an 'opt out' basis.
Further consultation on restructuring in those schools affected will take place on a regional basis with the NASUWT providing representation for all members.
Teachers' Cost of Living Pay Award 2015-16
The SPTA have agreed to pay 1% uplift to all SPTA teachers across all points on all scales in addition to 2% for teachers on M4, M5 and M6.
The NASUWT has negotiated an appraisal policy and lesson observations protocol that conforms to the NASUWT Model Pay Policy and checklist. It is important that all members monitor the implementation of the 'appraisal policy' in your school and report any concerns as soon as possible to your local NASUWT representative once you have raised them at school level.
In the SPTA policy we have agreed a maximum of three hours lesson observations 'for all purposes'. Any school based 'Quality Assurance Policy' must not be accepted as none have been agreed or discussed at the SPTA JNC. Any such school based policy should be referred immediately to your NASUWT SPTA representatives or to your NASUWT regional centre if it breaches any of those policies posted on the NASUWT website.
NB: Any review or change to any SPTA policy agreed at the SPTA JNCC can only take place through negotiation and collective bargaining at the SPTA JNCC