Independent recruitment poster cover

Independent sector support staff campaign

The NEU is the trade union for teachers, support staff, and school leaders in independent schools.
 

Join us today

We represent more teachers and support staff working in independent schools than any other union.

As well as growing membership in the independent sector, the NEU has had  notable successes in recent years – from winning on pensions at Haberdashers’ Girls’ and Boys’ Schools, to an equal pay victory for matrons at Brighton College.

The NEU is unique as an education union, welcoming support staff members in independent schools – from caretakers, to teaching assistants, to school librarians – so it’s vital to talk to support staff colleagues about joining the union.

We are contacting all our Independent school reps, providing resources, and asking them to do five simple things this term to build a stronger union. If there is no rep, you can still join with your colleagues to take these actions:

  1. Hold a NEU meeting in your school and invite all support staff. Use our resources to help you.
  2. Ask non-members if they are in a union and, if not, ask them to join the NEU.
  3. Ask support staff members what issues they feel strongly about and want to change.
  4. Campaign on those issues in your school - contact us if you need support.
  5. Display our recruitment leaflet and poster in appropriate support staff areas

We have also put together a PowerPoint for use at open meetings to support staff in your independent schools. It is also a helpful overview of the union in the sector.

The campaign is supported by a suite of new videos with testimony from reps and members on organising and recent successes, including:

  • An introduction from the NEU general secretary 
  • NEU – the union for all staff in the independent sector 
  • Winning at independent sector workplaces
  • Join the union
  • Getting organised – finding a common cause
  • Getting organised – elect a rep
  • Getting organised – communication 
  • Getting organised – be ready to take strike action
  • Pay and pensions in the independent sector

If you are an NEU member and would like to help the campaign in your school contact [email protected]. 

If you need any further resources such as leaflets, posters or the NEU Reps’ Guide to Recruitment, please email [email protected].

Reps resources

Reps’ guide to recruitment

This guide covers everything you need to know to recruit new members – from how to have recruitment conversations, to ordering recruitment materials for your noticeboard.

Meetings

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