Leadership seminar
This FREE seminar took place at The Studio in central Birmingham and offered our leadership members the opportunity to network at a buffet dinner before taking part in workshops.
The workshops included an Ofsted update and:
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Equitable Action in Education, Vivienne Porritt, OBE
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Artificial Intelligence in Education;
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A Guide for School Leaders on the Role of the Teacher Regulation Agency and LADO;
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Recruitment and Retention in Crisis - a view from Scotland;
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Flexible Working;
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Suicide Awareness; and
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Coolfire - Creating calm.
Visit our Leadership Seminar page for a full event round-up.
Thank you to those who attended!
April update
Women in leadership
Have you read 10% Braver - Inspiring Women to Lead Education?
This inspiring book brings together the stories of women leaders and their leadership journeys, including highlighting the gender pay gap, applying for leadership roles, the experiences of Black female leaders and flexible working.
It highlights the continued gender inequality in leadership and suggests ways that individuals and institutions can change the status quo.
For example, did you know:
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that although 62% of teachers in secondary schools are women, only 39% of secondary headteachers are female? or
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that women leaders in both primary and secondary are likely to earn less than their male counterparts?
Vivienne Porritt, OBE, leadership consultant, co-author of 10% Braver and co-founder of the global charity WomenEd, will be joining our leadership seminar on 18 May to present a keynote workshop on ‘Equitable Action in Education’.
This workshop will be of particular interest to all middle and senior leaders who wish to see equity for their pupils and greater career opportunities for teachers.
Other news
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Ofqual webinar took place on 30 April
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The Big Listen - Dr Patrick Roach speaks to Sir Martyn Oliver - 30 April
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The Big Listen web page
Ofqual - looking ahead to summer 2024 exams and assessments
Ofqual hosted a webinar for school, college and exam centre leaders on 30 April. Members joined Ofqual’s Chief Regulator Sir Ian Bauckham to look ahead to this summer’s exams and assessments for GCSE, AS, A Level and vocational and technical qualifications. He talked about this summer’s grading approach and what it will mean for students and centres. There was an opportunity to ask questions.
The Big Listen - Dr Patrick Roach General Secretary speaks to Sir Martyn Oliver
On Tuesday 30 April, Dr Patrick Roach put the key concerns of NASUWT members in England to Sir Martyn Oliver, the new Chief Inspector of Ofsted. He also outlined our vision for the future of inspection and accountability.
You can watch a recording of the interview on our Inspection and Accountability in England page.
Have you contributed to Ofsted’s ‘Big listen’?
The ‘Big Listen’ consultation was open until 31 May 2024.
Feedback is currently being analysed by Ofsted, ahead of the release of the full reports.
For more information on the Big Listen, visit the Big Listen gov.uk page.
February update
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Wraparound childcare
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Mobile phones in schools
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Keeping Children Safe in Education - online searches
Wraparound childcare
The Department for Education guidance on wraparound childcare was published in February.
The Gov.uk Wraparound childcare guidance for school web page explains the expectation from the Government that all primary age children will have access to childcare from 8am to 6pm daily from September 2024.
The majority (80%) of schools provide before and after-school care for pupils, although not necessarily between 8am and 6pm.
Local authorities are tasked with co-ordinating this programme and there is £289 million in funding for the set-up and expansion of settings for a two-year period.
It should be noted that this care does not necessarily have to be provided by schools, but can be provided by outside providers on school sites.
Schools and trusts are expected to work collaboratively with their local authority to ensure that parents are signposted to appropriate provision.
We have raised concerns around the considerable workload that this expectation creates for senior leaders, who are already working untenable hours. For example, the guidance lists areas such as safeguarding, charging, informing and supporting parents, staffing, and quality of provision, which are only part of the duties that need to be carried out around this expectation.
Although this is not statutory, the guidance states that schools should make parents aware of their ‘right to request’ wraparound care and inform parents if the school is not planning to deliver this programme.
While headteachers may wish to offer wraparound care to parents, this is another initiative that increases the wider role of schools without considering the workload of senior leaders.
Mobile phone guidance
The Government guidance Mobile phones in schools was published on 20 February.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, commented, ‘The Department for Education has today announced what it claims to be a ‘crackdown’ on mobile phone use in schools. It is both baffling and frustrating to read the small print and see that this is not a crackdown of any sort. Almost half a year after Gillian Keegan first promised it, there’s nothing new here.
‘The majority of schools already have robust and effective policies in place that pre-empted the Government’s guidance.
‘If the Government wants to seriously address disruption, bullying and abuse in schools, they should stop wasting everyone’s time with empty gestures and face up to the damaging impact of the deepening behaviour crisis in schools.
‘Ministers need to do more to demonstrate that they will back teachers and headteachers in dealing with all forms of disruption, bullying and abusive behaviour.’
Keeping Children Safe in Education - online searches
NASUWT opposed the inclusion of online searches in the consultation for Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) as the lack of detail provided on how these searches should be undertaken puts schools and candidates at risk of breaching the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).
Given the lack of guidance on how searches should be conducted, our Education Team have developed a framework for conducting these types of searches if schools decide they wish to undertake them as part of their safeguarding checks.
See our Conducting Online Searches of Shortlisted Candidates (England) advice.
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