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 LNCT Update
Class Sizes in English and Maths, S1/2
This is now SBC policy, should be implemented in all schools in August (that is, if there are enough teachers out there to take the classes) and we can look forward to the new executive living up to its promises and reducing class sizes across the board, but most particularly in P1, 2 and 3, where the proposal was class sizes of 18!
LNCT newsletter and agreements
The LNCT newsletter and any new agreements will now be posted on the Extranet, at http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/LNCT. This is now no longer password protected.
Any agreements made go on along with a report of the minutes from LNCT meeting. There is also a list of all agreements made. Paper copies of all agreements are now in all schools. Latest issue, Aug 2009
Principal Teacher Management Time
A new agreement was reached for secondary Principal Teachers Curriculum, and should apply from August 2008. This gives guarantees for adequate management time. The document is available on the LNCT website, and schools should be working towards implementing this from the next change of timetable (2008/9).
It was agreed that the same management time should be available for primary Principal Teachers from August 2008: this means an additional 100 minutes over and above the RICC time, plus 20 minutes for each teacher the PT is line manager for. We feel that this is a fair agreement, as we have parity between sectors, and for PTs at least we are leaving behind the days of ‘aspirational’ time.
Entry to SQH
All PTs, primary and secondary, are now eligible to apply for this. It is a competitive application and interview process, but PTs, DHTs, and HTs are all equally able to apply.
Chartered Teachers
We agreed to commission a study by PWC, to investigate whether prospective CTs could ask SBC to pay upfront for their Chartered Teacher fees and then pay it back over a period of time from their salaries (salary sacrifice). This has two advantages: it is in effect an interest free loan, plus the repayments are free of tax and Superannuation contributions, which effectively reduces the cost by about 30%. We hope this could start next term, if the study decides the system will be acceptable to the Inland Revenue.
Workload and teacher stress
A discussion took place on how the paper should be rolled out to schools. We agreed to present the paper to all Headteachers, and to send a copy to each school’s collegiate committee, asking for it to be the basis of one of the activities planned for the Working Time Agreement (the 195 hours). It was suggested that an HSE Stress Audit could be carried out for each school so feedback on the discussion and the Audit be given back to the LNCT. We will aim to implement this for next year. Part of the paper is added to this newsletter.
SNCT/49 and 51
Teachers who are on maternity or adoption leave are entitled to ‘Keeping in Touch Days’, i.e. up to 10 working days paid between end of paid maternity leave and the return to work. This now applies to all teachers currently on maternity leave, not only for births after April 1st. Advice will be coming out for next session, but if you know any EIS member who is affected, please ask them to get in touch with me for clarification.
Review of Annexe E
There appears to be greater consistency in secondary schools complying with Annex E, and no common picture of any Annex E task being carried out across the sector. Teachers in some schools are carrying out these tasks, but they are obviously not necessary to the smooth running of schools, as no one activity is being carried out in the majority of schools. Many teachers in primary schools appear to be regularly carrying out tasks from Annexe E, mostly due to inadequate classroom support. These include the routine administration of medicines. The LNCT are to issue guidelines to clarify the issue and help support schools and individual teachers from August 2007 with advice. However, we are looking to establish the understanding that no teacher should be expected to carry out Annex E tasks from August.
Review of Collegiality
Overall collegiality has improved in Borders schools, with a lot more openness and debate within schools. However, there is not yet a consistent picture, and we would like to support the moves towards collegiality, and set up a way of feeding back to the LNCT how effective collegiate groups are. We will now communicate directly with these groups, rather than through the headteacher, and ask for direct responses. We will be in communication in June. Included in this newsletter is SNCT advice on collegiality at school level: have a look at your own school’s practices, and remember collegiality comes from below as well as above!
Faculty System Review
We agreed to commission out an interim review of Faculty PTs, both as they function in the Borders schools, and elsewhere. A small group will look at this over the autumn, and see what, if any, differences the Faculty system makes to the effective and smooth running of teaching and learning!
All agreements can be found on the SNCT website:- http://www.snct.org.uk/index.php
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