If your school does not currently have an NEU rep, members can still organise a short workplace meeting to discuss the NEU’s upcoming online indicative ballot. This guide sets out some simple, practical steps to help you do that.
1. Choosing the time and place
- Pick a day and time that suits as many colleagues as possible.
- After school meetings are common – just avoid clashing with staff meetings.
- Lunchtimes can also work well. You’ll know what gets the best turnout in your school.
- If attendance is low, don’t be discouraged – you can try different times to see what works best.
- Try to give colleagues a little notice, but even a quick, informal gathering can be effective.
- A classroom is absolutely fine. You can use the whiteboard to show the PowerPoint.
2. Letting the headteacher know
- It’s sensible to inform the headteacher that you are bringing members together to share union information.
- This is not asking for permission, but a courtesy and usually helps things run smoothly.
- You can explain that the meeting is about a national union ballot, not about the school.
3. Inviting colleagues
- As you are not the rep, you can say you don’t have access to members’ contact details, so you will send an all-staff email to advertise the meeting.
- It’s also worth making a short announcement at a staff meeting or briefing if possible.
- Most heads will be supportive. Many are also feeling the pressures of the current funding situation.
- If a head tries to block the meeting or prevent staff being informed, contact your NEU branch for support.
4. Maximising attendance
- It really helps if you or colleagues can pop round just before the meeting to remind people who are marking or catching up on emails to come along.
5. Running the meeting
- Aim to keep the meeting to 30 minutes maximum and keep it focused.
- There will be a PowerPoint and video provided which explain the basics of the indicative ballot.
- All meetings should have a designated chairperson. This can be you or another member, and you don’t need to chair formally, a few simple steps will help the meeting run smoothly.
- The role of the chair is simply to welcome people, outline the purpose of the meeting, encourage participation, keep contributions relevant and concise, ensure the meeting runs to time and end by summarising what was agreed or what follow-up is needed.
- Members should feel able to share their views, but the main aim is to encourage as many people as possible to vote – and to vote yes.
- Don’t worry about not knowing everything – you are facilitating discussion, not acting as the rep. If questions come up that you can’t answer, contact your branch for support.
6. Sharing the workload
- Ask for volunteers from departments or year groups who can remind colleagues to vote.
- This is especially useful in bigger schools and works best if agreed at the meeting.
7. Who can attend
- As this is a national ballot, it should not be an issue if SLT members who are in the NEU attend the meeting.
- If you have concerns about this, contact your branch for advice.
8. Practical extras
- Encourage colleagues to update their contact details with the NEU so they receive union communications about the ballot.
- You may be able to claim back the cost of biscuits or pastries from your local NEU, but check with your branch first!
9. Becoming a rep
- Please consider coming forward as a school rep.
- Many reps do this jointly with colleagues, which can make the role much more manageable.
- Contact your branch or regional office to find out about training, support and how to get started.
Any NEU member can help build engagement, share information and support colleagues during a ballot period. Your involvement can make a real difference to turnout and confidence in your workplace.
If you need advice or support at any stage, your local NEU branch is there to help.
