Academisation Party conferences Disabled teachers’ conference Music for Youth Challenging racism Membership changes Middlesbrough runs the world History of the NUT A class act Mexican elections THE TEACHER November/December 2018 Head teachers take to the streets School leaders’ cuts march Your magazine from the National Education Union: NUT section 1 Join our fundraising adventure. You’ll learn about different types of diabetes and how to live a healthy lifestyle. And use your creativity to find fundraising treasure. All with Diabetes UK as your guide. 1 in 15 people have diabetes in the UK. It’s complicated, confusing and can be life threatening. We’re here to help children and adults live healthy lives with diabetes. With your help, one day, we will find a cure. You and your class can join the adventure by ordering your school fundraising pack. www.diabetes.org.uk/join-the-adventure The British Diabetic Association operating as Diabetes UK, a charity registered in England and Wales (no. 215199) and in Scotland (no. SC039136). A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with no. 00339181 and registered office at Wells Lawrence House, 126 Back Church Lane London E1 1FH 1096C The Teacher November/December 2018 Welcome Hundreds of head teachers marched on Downing Street in protest at cuts to school funding. Photo: Jess Hurd, Report Digital Academisation Party conferences Disabled teachers’ conference Music for Youth Challenging racism A SHOW of contempt. That was how campaigner and head teacher Membership changes Middlesbrough runs the world History of the NUT A class act Mexican elections THE TEACHER Jules White described the Chancellor’s budget announcement on November/December 2018 education funding. Philip Hammond said he would give a £400m “bonus” to help schools “buy the little extras they need”. This shows just how out of step his Government is with feeling in our schools. This money is a drop in the ocean compared to the £2bn cut from our schools since 2015. It’s an insult to our members, who face Head rising class sizes, spiralling workload, dwindling resources and staff teachers take to the streets shortages caused by a flood of teachers leaving the profession. School leaders’ cuts march This Government does not seem to care about the magnitude of Your magazine from the National Education Union: NUT section 1 the crisis. It falls on us to stand up to stop the damage being done. President: Kiri Tunks Last week, Mary Bousted and I met with the leaders of our sister head teachers’ unions to discuss this derisory offer. We have decided Joint General Secretary: Kevin Courtney that, from 12 November, the National Education Union (NEU), alongside ASCL and NAHT, will ask members what our next steps should be. Editor: Helen Watson In our Union, we will be holding an indicative ballot on the Journalists: Government’s failure to provide schools and colleges with the money Emily Jenkins, Max Watson they need and the inability to fund the recommendations of its own Newsdesk pay review body (STRB). t: 020 7380 4708 e: [email protected] This ballot will involve all teachers in state-funded schools and sixth form colleges in England. We will hold meetings in your area and Design & subbing: Amanda Ellis be asking you to get staff together in your school. As a united profession, with the backing of parents, pupils and our neu.org.uk communities, we will be a powerful force to pressure this Government to end the school funding crisis for good. facebook.com/ nationaleducationunion Finally, I am writing in the last-ever edition of the Teacher before the two sections of our Union twitter.com/NEUnion become one. Most of us will feel a tinge of To advertise contact: sadness at this time. But we Leanne Rowley, Century are stronger together, ready One Publishing, Alban Row, 27-31 Verulam Road, to rise to the many challenges St Albans AL3 4DG facing our pupils and members. t: 01727 739 183 Our new Union is shaping the e: leanne@centuryone publishing.uk future of education and I am Except where the NEU has formally negotiated proud to be part of it. agreements with companies as part of its services to members, inclusion of an advertisement in the Teacher Kevin Courtney, does not imply any form of recommendation. While every effort is made to ensure the reliability of advertisers, the National Education NEU cannot accept any liability for the quality of goods or services offered. The Teacher is printed by Wyndeham Union, Joint Southernprint Ltd. Inside pages are printed on paper comprised of 100% recycled, post-consumer waste. General Secretary The Teacher: Nov/Dec 2018 3 FIRST-TIME BUYERS Looking to buy your first home? We can offer mortgages to teachers with just a 5% DEPOSIT • No employment history or previous payslips necessary * • NQTs on a 12 month contract are treated as permanently employed • We offer one expert advisor to guide you through the mortgage process from start to finish Call: 0800 378 669 Visit: teachersbs.co.uk Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Register no 156580). Teacher Magazine Oct-Nov.indd 1 24/10/2018 11:38:55 The rest is history November 1859 Contents Charles Darwin’s book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was first published. His theory, that all living creatures descended from a common ancestor, was highly controversial, arousing much scientific and religious debate. His ‘evolution revolution’ has become largely accepted and is now taught as part of the GCSE curriculum. Features Regulars 06 News 21 Union people 23 Michael Rosen 31 Warwick Mansell & Polly Donnison 33 A class act 34 Ask the Union & training diary 37 International 38 Web, app & book reviews 40 Letters & teacher’s pet 45 Noticeboard 47 Reader’s rant & yoga “We have 49 Crossword & recipe a professional production crew and stage management. 6 Fury over Chancellor’s “little extras” 19 All change They’re treated The Government failed to address the On 1 January, the ATL and NUT like superstars.” school funding crisis in the autumn budget. sections of the Union come together We discover what the Union is doing to step and you will see some changes to pages 14 & 15 up its anti-cuts campaign. your membership and subscriptions. Matt Partridge explains. 15 Let the music play The Music for Youth charity, which the 24 Pride, passion and professionalism Union sponsors, involves more than 40,000 As the NUT officially becomes young people in musical activities every the National Education Union, year. We speak to chief executive Judith Max Watson looks back at our Webster about its work (above). 147-year history, rich with struggles, campaigning and achievement (left). 50 Backbeat The majority of the country has illegal and harmful levels of air pollution and Government is moving too slowly to tackle it, argues Catherine Maguire, Clean Air Parents’ Network Co-ordinator at ClientEarth. The Teacher: Nov/Dec 2018 5 Heads take to the Funding streets over funding MORE Unions unite to say: than two thousand head enough is enough teachers marched on Westminster THE announcement by the Chancellor schools and colleges with the funds needed to demand that the Government would make £400m to implement the recommendations of the more available to schools to buy “little extras” School Teacher Review Body. funding for has been met with dismay throughout the schools . profession. Indicative ballot of NEU members Organised by the Worth Less? In his autumn budget, Phillip The NEU will launch an indicative ballot campaign, the protest brought Hammond failed to address the school and which will involve all teachers in state together school leaders from across college funding crisis, sparked by an eight schools and sixth-form colleges in England. the country to deliver a letter to per cent real-terms decline in total school Kevin Courtney, Joint General Downing Street. spending per pupil over the past eight years, Secretary of the NEU, said: “It is incredible The heads warned of collapsing including cuts of over 20 per cent to school that Philip Hammond still does not get it. school buildings, cuts to teaching staff, sixth-forms. Schools have a £2 billion shortfall in funding bigger class sizes and loss of support a year – which is set to get worse. Capital for SEND pupils. Education unions unite for next steps funding has been cut by a third. Protestors gave examples As a result, the National Education Union “A one-off payment for ‘little extras’ of parents being asked to pay for (NEU) has taken the unprecedented will do nothing to address the cuts faced by essentials – such as toilet roll, pens step of joining with two sister unions to schools or the growing teacher recruitment and paper – and schools closing early simultaneously consult members on what and retention crisis.” to save money. steps to take next. The crisis has resulted in cuts to The NEU, the National Association of curriculum options, enrichment activities, How much will Head Teachers (NAHT) and the Association individual student support, classroom your school lose? of School and College Leaders (ASCL) resources and maintenance budgets. And will be seeking views on how best to take the Government’s failure to fully fund and THE School Cuts campaign has forward the campaign for improved funding fully implement the teacher review body’s launched a new website (below). ahead of next year’s comprehensive pay recommendation is the final straw. Ninety one per cent of schools spending review.