Schools

Academies, religion & schools, class sizes, remodelling, testing and tables, ...

Labour’s NPF, certainty, and class

The “final” National Policy Forum report going to Labour Party conference in Liverpool, 8-11 October 2023, is mostly 112 pages of warm words evading clear commitments. The conference Delegates’ Briefing says that the facility to “refer back” items from the NPF report, established since 2017, will not be available, on the pretext that (for the first time since 2017) this is a “final” report and so there is nowhere to “refer back” to. Delegates will still seek to remonstrate by voting against sections of the report and passing motions stating clear commitments or contradicting the report. The...

A parent's view on trans rights in schools

As a parent and as an educator, I have followed the development of the guidance for schools around transgender pupils from both perspectives. As a parent of a transgender child, this has made me think deeply around the rights of the parent to know what is going on with their child. Do I want to know that my child is questioning their gender, using a new name and new pronouns, exploring what it is to be gender non-binary? Yes. Of course I do. However the how and the when of that discussion is of supreme importance. My son came out in his own time. He had been using he-they pronouns for a year...

NEU: setback, but elements to build on

Despite a fairly active reject campaign, members of the National Education Union (NEU) have voted to accept the improved teachers' pay offer

School strikes and ballots

School teachers in the National Education Union (NEU) in England are striking on 5 and 7 July. NEU is re-balloting teachers until 28 July to renew its mandate. Support staff in the NEU in England are also being balloted for action (until 11 August). We appeal to members to vote, and vote “yes” in both ballots. Strikes in the new term from September could be joined by other teaching and school leadership unions who are currently balloting (Nasuwt to 10 July; NAHT, ASCL, to 31 July).

Tory push against transgender students

On 18 June the Sun reported on leaked government guidance on treatment of transgender students in schools. For readers who remember Section 28, this is worse. Teachers will be able to deadname and misgender students under two criteria. Firstly, if the teacher wants to, and secondly, if the teacher feels that using the correct name and pronouns will be upsetting for the other students. Teachers as a default must report to parents any conversation around gender identity and any tendency to present as the unassigned gender. There have been huge improvements over the years to safeguarding to...

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