Press

The National Education Union is the UK’s largest education union. We are an effective and powerful voice – championing everyone who works in education.

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    Imperial College REACT-1 Survey

    We are deeply concerned by the results of the REACT-1 coronavirus survey which show that over the lockdown coronavirus has continued to increase amongst school age children

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    Latest Attendance Figures

    The only way to improve school attendance is for the Government to act to bring down coronavirus infection rates in schools. 

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    Ofsted Annual Report

    The best thing Ofsted could do would be to announce that their routine inspections will not begin again this academic year.

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    Labour on exams

    Labour is right to point to huge deficiencies in what the Government has so far said about exams for next summer.

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    Independent SAGE

    This is a welcome intervention by Independent SAGE, which once again exposes the enormous blind-spot that Government has towards schools.

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    Aid Budget

    258 million children were out of school before the Covid pandemic and millions more now stand to never return.

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    Public Sector Pay

    The Government will argue this is about holding down public sector pay because private sector pay has gone down, but it makes no sense economically.

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    Education Committee on Exams

    The National Education Union agrees with the Education Select Committee’s conclusion that exams for 2021 must take account of the differential impacts of access to education across the country.

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    Wales exams

    Clear decisions of Welsh Government on 2021 exams shows England lagging behind.

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    NEU urge education minister to let go of GCSEs

    The National Education Union has urged the Minister of Education to “let go” of GCSEs as a means of coping with the pandemic and as a way of de-stressing schools from relentless and obsessive testing, tracking, monitoring and assessment.

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    Ofsted Report: November

    Chief Inspector recognises the work of school leaders in the face of the pandemic but needs to go further to best stand up for schools.

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    EPI on Exams in 2021

    Education Policy Institute say Gavin Williamson really should have listened sooner on exams next year.

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    EPI on School attendance rates

    With high numbers of pupils and staff having to isolate as a result of Covid cases in their school, Govt decisions are doubling the difficulties faced by disadvantaged children and young people.

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    NEU calls for an end to holiday hunger

    The National Education Union is asking people to support and sign an open letter to the Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, calling upon him to eradicate holiday hunger by providing Free School Meals (FSM) to all children who need them over the school holidays.

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    Latest Attendance Figures

    The latest figures on school absence add to an ever-more compelling argument that Government needs to be vastly more assertive in its efforts to futureproof schools against the effects of Covid outbreaks.

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    Latest school attendance figures

    Latest attendance figures show that the Government urgently needs to look at ways of reducing transmission in schools.

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    2021 exams

    Government announcement on 2021 exams is a dereliction of duty

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    NAHT: Cancellation of SATs 2021

    We welcome the NAHT stand. Teachers and headteachers are now united in their call for cancellation: the Government should listen. Statutory assessment in 2020/1 serves no useful purpose.

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    IPPR report on the future of education

    The NEU supports the call that all children should have access to on-site mental health support, including on-site counsellors and interventions to support parental support programmes.

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    Exams in Scotland

    Whereas the English Government still resists committing itself to a full independent review of what went wrong in summer 2020, the report commissioned in Scotland has already been delivered and acted upon.

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    Boris Johnson's speech

    Schools should instead receive tuition money direct and target extra support as they see fit.

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    October School Attendance

    Government action needed to reduce infection rates and provide quick testing for pupils and teachers.

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    Proposal for Awarding Exams Grades in 2021

    Five education organisations, representing school leaders, teachers, and governors, have submitted a set of joint proposals to make next summer’s A-levels and GCSEs as fair as possible amidst the ongoing disruption of the Covid pandemic.

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    Covid-19 and Safe Return

    Everything that can be done must be done to ensure that schools and colleges remain open wherever possible.

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    Coronavirus: School Closure Data

    The Government’s inability to provide what schools need to ensure they remain open for as long as possible is unacceptable and will affect not only children's education, but the wellbeing of staff and students.

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    Skills and lifelong learning

    Major reinvestment is needed to reverse the 50% cuts to adult learning and cuts to college funding, pay and learner entitlements.

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    Pisa

    This report makes for interesting reading. With almost one million children in classes of 31+ even before Covid struck, we know that we need smaller classes and more teachers if we are to avoid huge disruption to pupils' learning because of isolation.

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    Children’s Commissioner’s Covid Report

    The Children’s Commissioner’s report highlights the multiple ways the pandemic has impacted on young people’s lives. Government plans for education must include ensuring that no child is left behind because of poverty.

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    EPI report on Early Years and Covid

    This report by the EPI is further evidence of the deep financial and structural impact the Coronavirus continues to have on the Early Years sector as a whole.

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    School Attendance Figures

    Government must do better on testing and convince parents that schools are Covid-secure to improve attendance.

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    Keir Starmer speech

    NEU welcomes Keir Starmer's call for urgent efforts to close the education gap. To do this we need to end the debilitating poverty that so many families endure.

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    NEU demands urgent action on testing

    NEU tells Government that support for wider opening of schools should not be taken for granted, and demands urgent action on testing

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    Government pay proposals divisive

    Government pay proposals for teachers and school leaders in England are “divisive and inadequate”, says joint union statement

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    PM failure to address school safety

    NEU JGSs write to Government to underline urgent safety measures that must be in place to ensure education continues for all pupils.

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    Education at a Glance

    OECD’s annual Education-at-a-Glance report highlights the strain on resources in our schools and colleges.

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    Ofsted Visits

    Ofsted visits in the autumn term will be a distraction for schools rather than a support.

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    EPI Annual Report

    If the Government is serious about ensuring all pupils receive access to a good quality, equitable education they must put their money where their mouth is and put measures in place to lift pupils out of the grip of poverty and disadvantage. 

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    Maintained Nursery Schools

    Extension of supplementary funding for Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS) through to summer 2021

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    NEU Cymru comments on GCSE Results

    Schools and colleges stepped up in challenging circumstances when exams were cancelled. They have worked tirelessly and professionally to submit grades for their students, based on all the evidence available to them.

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    GCSE Results 2020

    We commend the students and staff who have supported them this year. They have shown great patience throughout the challenges of lockdown and last week's shambolic uncertainty. 

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    Bigger changes needed for 2021

    The Joint General Secretaries of the National Education Union have written to Gavin Williamson the Education Secretary, setting out why the disastrous handling of this year’s exam results must never happen again.

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    A level grades in Wales

    NEU Cymru wishes many congratulations to those who have secured expected grades and we trust that the adjustment and appeals processes will be robust enough to deal with all anomalies that may have arisen.

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    A-Level Results

    The politics of results season 2020 has drowned out the most important point - that students must be congratulated for their hard work and patience through a difficult time for the whole nation.

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    Coronavirus: extra £10 million for local transport

    NEU Cymru are extremely pleased to see that Welsh Government will be using extra money to support local authorities and local bus operators, including extra money for school and college transport.

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    EPI school funding analysis

    This EPI report hows that the Government is increasing that gap, not closing it, through the way it is distributing its 2020 funding increase, with bigger increases going to those schools with fewer disadvantaged students.

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    Coronavirus: NEU's position on face masks

    The NEU has raised concerns with Government in relation to the wearing of face coverings in schools, and its lack of consistency with guidance on other public places.

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    Exclusions

    Curriculum and behaviour are intertwined, but the Department for Education often acts as if how pupils feel and behave and what and how they learn are not connected.

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    Teacher Training

    NEU is calling on Government to follow the example of Scotland by centrally employing newly qualified teachers from this September, so that the needs of schools are met and talent is not wasted.

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    Proposed teachers' pay award

    NEU Cymru's evidence to the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body (IWPRB) asked for a 7% pay award for all teachers, and sadly this does not fully do that. We will continue to argue for this.

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    Ofqual Summer Symposium

    Results from this year's extraordinary exams process are broadly comparable to previous years’ results, and the majority of students will not be disadvantaged by this year's process.

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    Public Sector Pay

    The NEU asked for a 7% pay rise for all teachers. This increase does not achieve this entirely reasonable ambition.

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    School Funding 2021

    School funding announced for 2021 doesn't even reach 2010 levels.

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    School Funding

    NEU welcomes Government announcement of additional school funding. But it is important to be clear that this funding does not even replace the budget cuts made since this Government.

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    Opportunity areas funding

    This funding is crucial to help reverse the impact of the coronavirus on education in those areas.

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    Parentkind survey

    Survey shows parents are placing far greater trust in school leaders than Government.

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    Srebrenica Genocide

    This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide in which over 8,000 Muslim men and boys were murdered.

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    Coronavirus: Gavin Williamson's speech on FE

    Ambitious proposals to regenerate the further education sector are welcome. The devil of course will be in the detail and we will need to see what is in the White Paper in September.

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    Coronavirus: Investment in education

    NEU Cymru welcomes an increase to the workforce. We believe that supply staff and those new to the profession will welcome the opportunity to provide extra support for those pupils who need it at this challenging time.

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    Legislation to support the new Curriculum in Wales

    Our members have always welcomed the principles behind the new Curriculum. It is an opportunity for Wales to ensure that children have an opportunity to learn a curriculum with wellbeing at its heart.

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    Coronavirus: Guidance for Schools in September

    School leaders need clear guidance based on scientific evidence, but instead they are confronted by a Government which is rushing through ideas that seem more based on hope than on science.

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    Coronavirus: Sutton Trust on Nurseries

    The Sutton Trust briefing on Early Years is further confirmation of what the NEU has been warning for quite some time – maintained nursery schools (MNS) and the Early Years sector are in financial crisis.

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    Coronavirus: Summer holidays letter

    NEU Cymru have written to the Minister for Education, Welsh Government calling for local authorities to be funded to make a summer holiday local offer available to children and young people.

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    School Buildings

    NEU's welcomes the Government’s commitment to maintaining school buildings. There are currently 3,731 school buildings in urgent need of immediate repair.

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    Coronavirus: Plans to scrap social distancing in schools

    Leaks of proposals for school re-opening in September are not helpful. Schools and parents need to see from Government a clearly thought-out plan outlining the scientific reasoning behind a return for all pupils.

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    Liz Truss and the Gender Recognition Act

    The National Education Union is deeply concerned by the recent comments made by the Women and Equalities Minister Liz Truss which have caused unnecessary distress and anxiety for trans and non-binary workers.

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    Coronavirus: Schools restart in Northern Ireland

    A joint letter of agreement has been agreed and issued further to the announcement confirming that as a consequence of the current exceptional circumstances, the start of the academic year 20/21 will be from week commencing 17 August 2020.

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    Social Distancing Reduced to 1 Metre

    The NEU is of course in favour of all children being back in school, but even with a one-metre rule that will need more teachers and more spaces.

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    Curriculum and anti-racism letter

    NEU Cymru have written to the Minister for Education, Welsh Government to express deep concerns about the injustices and racial disparities that have been highlighted by the virus and by the horrific events of brutality against black people in the United States.

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    Coronavirus: Schools in September

    The Prime Minister's hopes are not enough. He needs a plan for more teachers, to ask teachers who have left the profession to return, and he needs to be finding extra spaces in which they can teach smaller groups.

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    Coronavirus - NFER on Remote Learning

    The NFER report shows that a quarter of pupils have limited access to IT at home. Gavin Williamson confirmed in the Commons last week that only around half of requests for the Government’s free laptop scheme for disadvantaged students have so far been met.

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    Free School Meals

    The Government is seriously out of touch if it can't see that many families will need support with food.

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    Black Lives Matter

    Urgent action is needed to address widespread stereotyping, discrimination and the fear and violence caused by racism.

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    Public Accounts Committee report on UTCs

    This report vindicates the NEU’s longstanding concerns about UTCs. Significant resources have been ploughed into the programme despite serious flaws in the model and its poor record.

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    Coronavirus: Primary Schools

    The government’s social distancing rules made it impossible for primary schools to admit all pupils before the summer holidays. Primary schools and secondary schools will not re-open to all pupils until September at the earliest.

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    IPPR on rise in child poverty

    It is deeply alarming that in an already parlous situation, this report forecasts that an enormous number of children will be thrown into poverty by Christmas.

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    Coronavirus: Too much too soon

    The Minister’s statement in which she has opened schools to all year groups with effect from 29 June does not sit well with NEU Cymru. It is too much, too soon.

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    NEU survey shows realities of wider opening

    Respondents to a survey conducted by the National Education Union between 31 May and 1 June, reveals the pragmatism of schools when asked to open more widely under easing of lockdown.

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    Fenton Review into Covid-19

    The NEU calls on the Government and Public Health England to develop urgent advice on the issues of greater health risk identified in the Fenton Review.

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    NEU statement on the killing of George Floyd

    The NEU sends its solidarity to the family and friends mourning George Floyd. We condemn the systemic racism that caused George's death and we support the urgent demands for justice for George Floyd, for his family and his community.

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    Wider Opening of Schools

    We are not saying only go back when it is 100% safe. But meet your own tests, produce evidence, and return when the time is right.

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    SAGE advice published

    Today, two months since lockdown was introduced, the Government has finally granted access to some of the scientific modelling behind its proposal for schools to open more widely from June 1.

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    Independent SAGE on schools

    Independent SAGE set two crucial conditions for the safe wider opening of schools: low levels of Coronavirus in the community, and a robust track and trace system.

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    Track and Trace

    Prime Minister responds to concerns on track and trace operation before the wider opening of schools during PMQs.

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    NEU talks with Government’s scientific advisers

    We are pleased that Sir Patrick Vallance, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government on Covid-19 has told the NEU that information and papers from SAGE would be published and that they will prioritise its release.

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    The science on schools

    It's really important that we are absolutely clear what the level of safety is and if it remains the case that we believe it to be unsafe, we will not back the wider opening of schools.

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    Government guidance on lockdown

    The NEU is advising our school leader members today that we are in no position to start planning for wider opening yet.

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    NEU petition nears 350,000 signatures

    On the eve of Sage meeting at which lockdown measures will be reviewed, NEU petition demanding schools re-open only when safe to do so nears 350,000 signatures.

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    EPI on disadvantaged pupils

    As schools re-integrate more students back on site over the next months the focus needs to be on healthy transitions which support engagement with learning and not on catching up to some government-mandated trajectory.

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    Public accounts committee on support for SEND pupils

    As the Public Accounts Committee report makes clear, the Government approach on support has let SEND children down. Covid-19 means we have to put children's learning needs and interests at the heart of the offer in the classroom.

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    NEU Covid 19 survey

    NEU snapshot survey of over 2,000 school staff shows significant concerns about effectiveness of present social-distancing measures in schools.

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    Sutton Trust on A-Levels

    Research by Sutton Trust’s suggests young people believe cancellation of A-Levels will damage their chances in university applications.

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    5 Tests for Government before schools can re-open

    NEU has launched 5 tests for Government before schools can re-open. We believe that these test must be capable of being passed in order to create the necessary confidence amongst parents and staff.

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    Children at Risk During Lockdown

    We welcome the data the Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC) has collated to enable good local responses to supporting vulnerable children.

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    Testing for teachers and school staff

    NEU welcomes Government's announcement that practical steps will be taken to test school staff for Covid-19. It is essential that staff who are self-isolating at home get immediate access to the test.

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    Northern Ireland teachers’ council accepts teachers' pay offer

    Today, the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council (NITC) – the body which makes up the Teachers’ Side of the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee has announced that it will be accepting the terms of the Pay and Workload Agreement presented to them on 8 April 2020.

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    Changes to Free School Meals guidance

    NEU Cymru welcomes the Welsh Government’s revised guidance today. Our members will be heartened to see that the Welsh Government is thinking about those children most in need of support.

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    Remote Learning

    Some pupils will need much more individual support than is possible, and many will need support for their wellbeing before any meaningful learning can take place.

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    Minister focuses on wellbeing in latest statement

    We're pleased the Education Minister has focused on wellbeing in launching this policy statement. Like the Minister says, the wellbeing and safety of learners and education professionals alike is centrally important at this difficult time.

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    Over 80,000 sign NEU petition

    Over 80,000 have signed the NEU petition to "open schools when it is safe" and the number continues to grow.

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    Extra money for mental health services

    Extra £1.25 million for school counselling services will be invaluable to support the anticipated increase in need for mental health services as a result of social distancing and school shut down measures.

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    Letter to PM on school opening

    In the light of speculation on the re-opening of schools and colleges, the joint General Secretaries of the National Education Union have called on the Prime minister for clarity on how the Government will make such a decision.

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    Guidance on social distancing at work

    NEU Cymru welcomes the Welsh Government plans to ensure social distancing in the workplace. These are challenging times, and it is right that we try and keep those in work as safe as possible.

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    School closure policies

    The UCL review indicates that school closures are effective as part of a combination of tactics. Schools can only open safely on the basis of sound scientific reasoning. We are a long way from this point.

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    BBC Education Service

    In a time of crisis it is welcome that the BBC is not just informing and entertaining, but remembering the other part of their original mission statement: to educate.

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    Summer 2020 grades for GCSE, AS and A level

    We are pleased that the Department for Education and Ofqual both recognise the professionalism of teachers. Exams are not the only way to assess someone’s ability.

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    Coronavirus: Joint covid-19 advice Wales

    Today four education unions, NEU, ASCL, NAHT and UCAC have issued joint coronavirus advice to their members calling for mutual respect, understanding and support.

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    NEU issues guidance on distance learning

    The NEU guidance on distance learning out today makes very clear what should be acceptable levels of workload. Normal education is currently suspended, and teachers should not be teaching a full timetable, or routinely marking work.

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    Action for supply teachers

    Supply teachers, agency teaching assistants and others working in the education sector must have proper financial stability, on a genuine like-for-like with their directly-employed counterparts.

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    Safety in schools during coronavirus outbreak

    Our priority as a union is to our members and the children and young people they work with. We are concerned that Government advice for schools is not currently strong enough.

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    OECD Talis survey 2018

    TALIS shows us that under normal circumstances, teachers are overworked, stressed and looking to leave the profession.

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    Coronavirus: School attendance

    Schools should only remain open to those whose parents are key workers. The vast majority of children should stay at home. This is the safest place for them.

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    Testing of education staff

    The National Education Union has called for testing of education staff to be made an urgent priority in efforts to tackle coronavirus.

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    Exams

    We welcome this announcement from Government. Evidence shows teacher-assessed grades are reliable and valid.

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    Key workers

    This is a very long list and could result in some schools having the majority of pupils attending. This will not achieve the goal of slowing the spread of the virus.

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    Closure of Schools

    We welcome the Government’s announcement that, for public health reasons, schools will now close.

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    NEU Cymru welcomes school closures in Wales

    We welcome the Education Minister’s announcement to close schools from Friday. We are pleased that Wales is the first UK nation to take this practical and pragmatic approach.

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    Ofsted suspends inspections

    This announcement is as welcome as it is overdue. Schools are operating in extraordinary circumstances and must be able to focus on what is essential.

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    Estyn Suspends Activities in Wales

    Scotland and Wales have shown England the way. It is unacceptable for Ofsted inspections to be taking place at a time of national emergency.

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    Annual conference 2020 cancelled

    Today the NEU’s National Officers have made the decision to cancel annual conference, due to take place in Bournemouth 6-9 April.

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    Budget 2020

    The Government knows that lack of funding is putting schools and colleges under great pressure. This budget does not support a long term plan for the millions of young people being educated within a chronically underfunded system.

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    EPI on school funding

    Government needs to listen to the evidence. Our schools and colleges are simply not being given the funding they need to deliver the education every parent child and young person expects.”

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    Budget

    The Government’s pledge last year to increase school funding fell short of the £12.6 billion we estimate is needed to replace the cuts made since 2015. Schools and colleges continue to fall into disrepair, and at the present rate it will take several decades to rebuild them all.

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    EPI on Technical Education

    If Government is serious about the importance of technical education then it must learn from this challenging report.

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    Teachers at Colfe’s independent school to strike tomorrow

    Teachers at Colfe’s School, Greenwich, have voted for strike action on Wednesday 4 March over proposals by their employer to withdraw from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS), the pension provider to the vast majority of teachers in England and Wales.

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    Coronavirus

    Schools have an important role to play, but we are concerned about suggestions in recent days that larger class sizes will be recommended for indefinite periods.

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    EPI on teacher supply and disadvantages schools

    As the EPI report itself notes, teacher recruitment and retention problems are widespread and severe. The proposals in the EPI report for yet further fragmentation of pay will cause more problems. 

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    Behaviour Support

    This announcement is silent about the pressures on disadvantaged schools, where more teachers are leaving. Heads and teachers are only too acutely aware of what they want to do more of in order to support students, but they can't because of funding and staffing cuts.

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    Further Education funding

    The system is broken. Colleges are financially struggling, with staff numbers decimated. We need money for staff: parity with schools would require a £7000 pay catch-up for FE college teachers. 

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    School Admissions

    Sutton Trust research on school admissions finds social segregation has lasting effects and is letting down pupils and communities.

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    Pay survey results 2020

    Teacher pay survey shows that 63% of teachers have considered leaving the profession due to pay concerns.

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    New National Air Quality Guidance

    The British Lung Foundation (BLF) and the National Education Union (NEU) has produced guidance with support from Living Streets, the UK charity behind the National Walk to School campaign.

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    NEU backs #PauseOfsted campaign

    As the union with the second largest leadership membership, the NEU supports Ethical Leadership and call on members who are additional inspectors to stop working for Ofsted.

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    Children’s Mental Health

    The findings of this report are further evidence of the chronic underfunding of children’s mental health services and the lack of available support for so many children and young people who need it.

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    NFER on Teacher Autonomy

    Teachers and school leaders need to have the ability to judge what is best for the children and young people they teach.

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    Teacher Mental Health

    There is no doubt that the excessive demands upon education staff and the poor working practices they endure in schools and colleges are helping create a toxic work environment, leading to mental ill-health among both teachers and support staff. 

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    Gender gap in foreign languages- EPI report

    While schools do a great deal to provide all students with a broad and balanced curriculum, as this report shows, gender continues to shape the subjects chosen by pupils at GCSE.

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    Serious Fraud Office inquiry

    NEU calls for Serious Fraud Office inquiry into Collective Spirit Free School and Manchester Creative Studio School.

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    Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) findings

    The NEU supports the conclusion of the authors of this volume that “expanding the number of grammar schools is unlikely to increase levels of educational or social mobility in this country”.

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    Sutton Trust on Social Mobility

    The impact of poverty on children's confidence about their future can't be reversed within schools unless we generate economic and cultural opportunities in the communities where young people live.

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    NEU Cymru on Minister’s RE and RSE plans.

    Our members do not believe it is right for any child to miss out on these important areas of learning, and support the Minister's plan to discontinue the parental right to withdraw their children from RE and RSE.

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    Ofsted Annual Report

    Ofsted has neither the personnel, the expertise nor the experience, to operate its new curriculum-focused inspection framework fairly, so that reliable results are made on schools and colleges.

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    STRB submission 2020

    Teacher Pay – NEU evidence to the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) calls for 7% increase for all teachers in England.

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    The state of girls’ rights in the UK

    We support Plan International’s call for a remodelling of education, one that puts gender equality and social and emotional learning at it’s heart.

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    EPI on the Early Years Workforce

    Government should learn the lesson of this report: serious change begins with funding, and with a sustained programme to improve workforce qualifications.

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    EPI on CAMHS

    The EPI report makes for alarming reading and chimes with the concerns raised by our members.

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    Ofsted 'stuck' schools report

    Fear of Ofsted is a key factor in school leader and teacher flight from these schools. Ofsted is, unfortunately part of the problem, not the solution.

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    Queen’s Speech

    Boris Johnson's new Government has the opportunity in this Queen’s Speech to right the wrongs of successive Conservative-led Governments.

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    Vote today

    Today we have an historic opportunity to shape the future for all our young people.

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    NFER report on T Levels

    NFER is right that there has to be a concerted effort to raise awareness about the new T Level awards, particularly around the uncertainty about progression routes.

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    Child Poverty Poll

    NEU poll shows majority of teachers worried that yet more children in their school will be hungry and cold this Christmas.

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    Free schools policy

    NEU research reveals staggering cost and failure rate of the free schools policy.

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    EPI on Education Manifestos

    The focus on early years education is particularly welcome. Like the EPI, the union believes that the development of a larger educational workforce, with higher levels of training and qualification, is essential to a programme of early years reform.

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    Super Saturdays – Week 5

    With education now ranking as the third biggest electoral issue among parents, our fifth and final weekend of General Election events will take place in the North East, Cumbria and Yorkshire.

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    Labour Investment for Education

    The plan outlined by Labour will address the years of underfunding and allow schools to heal and to plan improvements, increasing SEND support, supporting teachers and other staff, capping class sizes and improving our school buildings.

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    Do the party pledges cut It?

    The School Cuts website has been updated to reflect what the manifestos mean for every school in England.

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    Wales PISA results

    Pisa offers some bench marking against other countries but it is only one measure of performance.

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    Pisa England Results

    Pisa findings should be a wake-up call to the Government that its polices are taking education in England in the wrong direction.

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    Pisa Results

    OECD tells top performing countries in Pisa 2018 that they have a long way to go in improving students’ social and emotional outcomes.

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    Initial Teacher Training 2019

    Initial Teacher Training recruitment figures in England - 2019 to 2020 released today, show that the Government has failed to recruit enough trainee teachers, based on its own targets.

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    Super Saturdays – Week 4

    Our latest wave of weekend events visits the north west, south west and west midlands to raise awareness about education during this General Election.

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    NEU parents poll

    New parent poll shows education rising to third biggest issue in General Election.

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    Labour’s Race and Faith Manifesto

    Tackling the under-representation of BME teachers is one very important step in addressing the issue of racism in society. The NEU welcomes the proposal for a new Emancipation Educational Trust.

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    New Ofsted Framework

    NEU has released guidance advising members of their rights during “brutal” Ofsted inspections. The guidance advises members on their contractual responsibilities in light of the new framework.

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    NEU state of school and college buildings survey

    This survey highlights the challenges facing schools and colleges in ensuring their buildings are well maintained and provide a safe and decent environment for teaching and learning.

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    Conservative Manifesto

    The Conservative manifesto reveals £340m of further cuts to school budgets in 2023/24. A generation of pupils have missed out on opportunities because of austerity, and for many it has trapped them in poverty. This election is about much more than Brexit.

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    NEU members poll on child poverty

    In a snapshot poll of National Education Union members, the growth of child poverty and its visibility within schools and colleges is laid bare.

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    NEU independent sector survey

    NEU survey shows staff working in independent schools have increased workload, low pay and damage to pensions.

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    Super Saturdays – Week 3

    Our third week of Super Saturdays, raising awareness of school cuts and other education issues, will visit the midlands and south-east regions of the UK.

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    Labour Party Manifesto

    The NEU asked each party to value education and make pledges on funding and the Labour party has met our tests. Labour’s manifesto demonstrates an understanding that schools alone cannot counter the drastic and long-lasting impacts of poverty and class inequality in wider society.

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    School Cuts welcomes Labour funding

    A coalition of education unions has today welcomed Labour’s manifesto commitment to reverse all cuts to school budgets and to make a once-in-a-generation investment in education.

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    Liberal Democrats Manifesto

    NEU welcomes the the Liberal Democrats commitment to abolish primary SATs testing. These tests, beloved of the Government, cause enormous stress and narrowing of the curriculum – they do not produce useful information for teachers.

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    Labour pledges on poverty

    Teachers and support staff work on the front line of child poverty and witness its devastating effects every day. Labour’s proposed policies on reserving the effects of austerity offers hope to millions of children and their families currently trapped in poverty’s grip.

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    Liberal Democrats Education Pledges

    The NEU welcomes the Liberal Democrats’ commitment to reverse school cuts and the recognition that teachers’ pay needs to rise.

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    NEU Representative and Officer of the Year Awards

    Today the Joint General Secretaries of the NEU today presented awards to the Representative and Officer of the Year for 2018/19. These awards recognise the hard work of reps and officers in the Union.

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    Government Fire Safety

    Government’s “shameful” record on fire safety must end, says joint unions' letter

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    Green Party Manifesto

    The Green Party’s pledge to end centrally-imposed testing and Ofsted inspections is a welcome recognition of the pressures high-stakes accountability places on schools, narrowing the curriculum and driving teachers out of the profession.

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    SEND provision poll results

    Government heavily criticised in new NEU poll about SEND provision. It should be a point of shame for the Government that so few education staff believe it is up to the task of providing for SEND pupils.

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    Super Saturdays – Week 2

    The NEU’s Super Saturdays are an opportunity for parents, teachers, school staff and all who are interested or concerned about education,  to come together find out more about the challenges facing schools and colleges.

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    Class sizes

    NEU class size analysis shows a rise in 474 England constituencies since 2010

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    Use of unqualified staff

    Wales’s largest education union has concerns over the continued and growing use of teaching assistants, including Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs) and cover supervisors being used to teach classes both on a long- and short-term basis.

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    Staff wellbeing must be a priority

    The cutting back of teaching assistants and teachers in many schools have exacerbated workload issues which has led to a marked increase in stress and mental health issues in teachers.

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    Regional consortia positive impact on schools

    Wales’s largest education union believes that there is not enough evidence of Regional Consortia having a positive impact on schools in terms of improving standards for pupils.

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    Impact of austerity on schools

    Wales’ largest education union has called on the office of the Secretary of State for Wales to publish proposals for rectifying the harm that has been inflicted upon Wales, its public services and education in particular as a result of the Conservatives’ austerity programme.

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    Support for mental health education professionals

    Wales’s largest education union has called for the Welsh Government to introduce legislation to require all Welsh Unitary Authorities to introduce a mental health charter that protects employees by tackling the root causes of work-related mental health problems.

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    Labour Plans for Adult Learning

    We need to address how education gives adults and young people the skills and knowledge needed for the modern world.

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    Post 16 colleges funding in Wales

    Years of underfunding have seen the post 16 sector in Wales suffer from restructuring. It is sad to hear members’ experiences which suggest they are not valued.”

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    Greater action needed on teacher workload

    The National Education Union Cymru also feels that there can be no real progress in reducing teacher workload until the high level of teacher accountability is dropped.

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    School funding in Wales

    The National Education Union Cymru is also concerned that Welsh MPs, and the Secretary of State for Wales in particular, don’t see it as their job to approach Westminster to ask for more money for Education in Wales.

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    Violence and threats of violence towards education employees

    The level of violence and abusive behaviour against our members is an issue. Aggressive behaviour, including physical attacks and verbal abuse towards school staff and leaders occur across Wales and the causes of this needs to be addressed.

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    New Wales Curriculum

    The new Curriculum is a huge step change for education here in Wales, but more detail is clearly needed on the Progression Steps and assessment arrangements.

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    Super Saturdays

    During the General Election the National Education Union will be holding a series of Super Saturday events explaining the facts about education funding.

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    Making news toolkit for schools

    The National Education Union Cymru will launch the ‘Making News Toolkit for Schools’ online resource to its members at their Annual Conference in Newport on 9 November.

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    Strikes in sixth form colleges

    National Education Union members working in 25 Sixth Form Colleges will be taking their second day of strike action on Tuesday 5 November to defend their pay, working conditions and employment.

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    Early Years Funding

    We are pleased the Government has bowed to pressure from parents and educators by extending funding for maintained nursery schools for a further two terms.

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    Value Education, Vote Education

    There is a huge choice for education at this election. When casting their vote, we will ensure that parents, teachers, school leaders and the general public are in full possession of the facts, not the spin.

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    School and college building repairs

    Today’s announcement by Government to invest £400m in the repair of school and college buildings in England is too little, too late.

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    Weapons in Schools

    Schools form just one part of a multi-agency approach to reducing youth crime and the exposure of young people to violence, and those agencies all need support.

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    Sixth form colleges strike and rally

    NEU members working in Sixth Form Colleges will be taking strike action on Thursday 17 October to defend their pay, working conditions and employment.

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    Settled status

    Teaching unions general secretaries write to the Secretary of State for Education to express concerns over school places after Brexit.

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    Queen’s Speech

    This Queen’s Speech needs to address the issues that face schools, children and young people and their families

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    DfE Teacher Workload

    It is good that teachers are spending less time on marking and planning, but the numbers for time spent on data collection are still stubbornly high.

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    Unexplained Pupil Exits

    Sixty-nine thousand unexplained pupil exits from schools is a shocking figure and one which the Government needs to address.

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    School Funding Allocations

    The Government continues to try to pull the wool over the public’s eyes about the reality of school funding. They have to triple count monies to get to their claim that there is £14bn more in schools.

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    Children’s University

    What schools need most is to be adequately funded. Challenging schools to do more with even less resource is not the answer.

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    SEND court case

    The National Education Union will continue to stand in solidarity with SEND Action and fight to ensure that all children with SEND have access to the provision they deserve.

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    Gavin Williamson speech

    Gavin Williamson must get the Treasury to find the money to save the maintained nursery sector. Even after the announcement of an additional £400m in April 2020, they still have £1.1bn less in real terms than in 2010.

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    Phonics

    NEU comments on Government's release of Phonics Check statistics.

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    Labour to abolish Ofsted

    The NEU welcomes Labour’s announcement that it will abolish Ofsted. Labour’s proposal to abolish an overall school grade is long overdue. Schools are too complex to be reduced to a single grade.

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    IFS on education spending in England

    This IFS report confirms our belief that the additional money announced in the Spending Round is insufficient. They point out that even after the Spending Round, schools still have to cope with an unprecedented 13-year long funding squeeze.

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    Workload

    The Government is doing a far better job of driving people out of teaching than they are in retaining them.

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    Nursery School Closures

    Unless Government changes course, all local authority Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS) in England will lose on average 30% of their budget by September 2020.

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    National Audit Office on SEND

    This report makes clear the challenges facing schools and local authorities in their efforts to give the best possible support to SEND pupils. It is plain to anyone working in education that the levels of education funding for SEND pupils are inadequate.

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    Education at a Glance

    The findings of the OECD’s latest Education at a Glance provide another worrying reminder that education in England is moving in the wrong direction and is an outlier compared with other OECD countries.

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    Malpractice Commission

    The recommendations to spread best practice and take advantage of technological advances in order to help prevent malpractice, where it does occur, are sensible.

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    Boris Johnson on Free Schools

    The Government’s academy and free schools programme is in crisis. Almost 70 ‘orphan schools’ do not have a sponsor and yet the Government recklessly wants to expand the programme.

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    SEND Review

    Every school wants to provide the strategies and support which work for each individual SEND pupil, but the real-terms funding crisis has had a devastating impact. We don’t need another review to tell us that children with SEND need quicker assessments.

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    Provisional SATs results

    Today’s report will do nothing to halt the growing demand to abolish the SATs-based system, and replace it with one which support’s pupils’ learning, and does more to trust teachers’ professional judgment.

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    Spending Review

    Today's funding announcement in the Chancellor's Spending Review is not sufficient to reverse all the cuts to date.

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    Starting salaries

    Government announces a raise in starting salaries for teacher.

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    School standards

    Further expansion of free schools will result in more unused pupil places and more complications for parents trying to navigate the system and secure a place for their child.

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    16-19 Funding

    Funding announcement for further education and sixth form colleges is nowhere near to closing the £1.1bn gap.

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    GCSE Results

    Congratulations to all those receiving their GCSE results today. They are a testament to the hard work of students and all those who have supported them, including education professionals.

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    A-Level results

    Congratulations to students who have succeeded in their A-Level and vocational qualifications today.

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    EPI on the education disadvantage gap

    We shouldn't be surprised by these findings, but they should urgently trigger a change in approach. Cutting school funding dramatically while at the same time driving more families deeper into poverty comes at a high cost for poor and working-class students, says NEU.

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    Academies sector annual report and accounts

    Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union has commented on the publication by the DfE of annual reports on the expenditure and performance of the academy school sector.

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    New Education Secretary

    Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union has commented on the appointment of Gavin Williamson as the new Education Secretary.

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    Boris Johnson’s education pledge

    Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union comments on the incoming Prime Minister’s statements that education and school funding is at the top of his domestic agenda.

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    New Prime Minister

    Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union has commented on Boris Johnson becoming the new Prime Minister.

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    Ofsted on teacher wellbeing

    Rosamund McNeil, assistant general secretary of the National Education Union has commented on Teacher wellbeing at work in schools and further education providers, published today by Ofsted.

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    NEU Cymru reacts to IWPRP first report

    David Evans, Wales Secretary of the National Education Union Cymru has commented on the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body First Report 2019 and the proposals from Minister for Education Kirsty Williams published today.

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    Teacher Pay

    2.75% pay increase for teachers predicted for next Monday.

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    Ofsted Annual Report

    Commenting on Ofsted’s Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19, published today, Andrew Morris, Assistant General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:

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    Academy Transfers

    Commenting on today’s Department for Education figures detailing the number of and cost of academy transfers and funding in England, Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said:

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    Tackling Workload

    Commenting on the Department for Education’s latest vow to tackle teacher workload, Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said:

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    NEU Cymru welcomes extra INSET days

    NEU Cymru welcomes an extra INSET day for the next three years, planned for the summer term, announced by the Education Minister today.

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    More information needed on Godre’r Graig closure

    Speaking about the sudden closure of Godre'r Graig School, following risk of landslides last week, David Evans, Wales Secretary of the National Education Union, who represents many members in the school, said:

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    Joint Union Asbestos Committee: Asbestos crisis in our schools

    The recent articles in the Guardian newspaper- “700 English schools reported over asbestos safety concerns” (5th July) & “Britain’s death toll from asbestos at crisis level figures reveal” (8th July) only serve to validate the Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) approach to the terrible legacy of asbestos in schools.

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    Primary teachers support NEU’s campaign for an alternative to SATs

    With this year’s SATs results published today, the findings of the largest poll of primary school practitioners ever undertaken gives a ringing endorsement of the National Education Union’s (NEU) campaign to end damaging high-stakes tests in primary schools. It also sends a clear message to Government that the current assessment system must change.

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    Free Schools

    Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary NEU comments on Free schools: The next 10 years, a report by the New Schools Network which calls for the 92 ‘orphan’ schools rated inadequate to be taken over by parent and community groups rather than wait any longer for a suitable academy sponsor.

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    Recruitment and retention

    One need only look at this week’s Teacher Workforce statistics from his own department, to see that teachers are leaving at an alarming rate.

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    NEU Supply Teachers Survey

    The National Education Union’s latest survey of supply teachers shows that, despite a teacher shortage and regardless of the Government’s efforts to regulate the supply teacher market, the majority of supply teachers are reporting lower levels of pay compared with previous years. They are also finding it harder than ever before to obtain work.

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    CBI on getting young people ‘work ready’

    The EBacc policy has reduced the breadth of subjects offered in many secondary schools, limited opportunities for our children, and driven many staff out of the teaching profession.

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    Over 8,000 young people with SEND are ‘awaiting provision’.

    The National Education Union has found that as of January 2019, up to 8,587 children and young people with SEND are currently classed as ‘awaiting provision’ for a school place, and have no access to any type of educational provision at all. This is significantly higher than previously known.

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    Talis shows government failing England’s teachers and head teachers

    England’s teachers are highly motivated by the opportunity to influence children’s development or contribute to society – 93% of teachers cited these factors as major motivations for joining the profession, according to the findings of the OECD’s first volume of its Teaching and Learning International Survey (Talis) 2018.

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    Grove Academy action

    Staff take 2 more days of action to protect the most vulnerable students in North Yorkshire and form the “Working together walk”

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    NEU Cymru call for ‘vision’ during Adult Learners’ week

    Speaking ahead of the Education Minister's statement on Adult Learners' Week, David Evans, Wales secretary NEU Cymru, said: "We need to value our adult learners and make sure the FE and adult learning sectors are properly planned for and funded."

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    Mental Health Training

    Commenting on an announcement by Theresa May that every new teacher will be trained in spotting the signs of mental health issues, Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary NEU, said: “The aspiration to train school staff to spot signs of mental illness amongst pupils is welcome, but it will amount to little more than a sticking plaster."

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    New Free Schools

    Commenting on the announcement of 22 new free schools, Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary NEU, said: “After nine years of this failed policy, the Government’s claims about the successes of the free schools project ring hollow."

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    Tackling child poverty is key for success in education

    Reacting to the debate on "Tackling Poverty" in the Assembly yesterday, David Evans, Wales secretary NEU Cymru said: "NEU Cymru members are clear - tackling poverty is a critical issue for education professionals in Wales, and key to improving schools and colleges for learners"

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    SEND National Crisis

    The National Education Union is supporting today’s (Thursday) SEND National Crisis campaign day by joining its call on Government to provide more money for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). More than 25 events are happening nationwide.

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    Cash incentives for maths and physics teachers

    Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, comments on the announcement of £2,000 incentive payments in addition to existing bursaries for maths and physics teachers.

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    UN Special Rapporteur on Poverty in the UK

    Commenting on the final report by Philip Alston, which identifies the “tragic consequences” of “ideological” cuts to public services since 2010, Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “This report is further evidence that the government must reverse benefit freezes that have left millions of children in poverty."

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    NEU Cymru comment on child poverty figures released today

    Commenting on Child Poverty figures released today, David Evans, Wales Secretary for the National Education Union said: "Rates of poverty in Wales have risen when compared to other parts of the UK is shocking - but it is not a shock."

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    New Curriculum, time to review Welsh Bacc?

    Commenting on Conservative plans to scrap the Welsh Bacc, David Evans, Wales Secretary for National Education Union Cymru, said: "We are broadly supportive of the Welsh Bacc, but believe it has had some problems which mean it has less value than originally intended."

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    Ofsted’s New Inspection Arrangements

    Commenting on the new inspection arrangements for Ofsted, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Ofsted is not proposing to abandon data as a key factor in its inspection judgements."

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    John Roan School Strike

    National Education Union members at The John Roan School, a secondary in Greenwich will be taking further strike action on Tuesday 14 May as part of their ongoing campaign to revoke the academy order imposed on the school and stop its forced academisation.

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    Sixth form and college funding

    Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union has commented on 16-19 Education Funding: Trends and Implications, a report published today by the Education Policy Institute (EPI).

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    Timpson Review on exclusions

    Commenting on the Timpson Review on exclusions, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “We know that the vast majority of schools want only the best for all their pupils, and the minority who engage in poor practice in relation to exclusions and ‘off rolling’ are not typical of the majority of schools. "

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    Fracking, the Daily Mile and Ineos

    The National Executive of the National Education Union (NEU) has voted to oppose Ineos’s sponsorship of the Daily Mail initiative because it endangers the future of the young generation through fracking and plastics production.

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    SEND consultation

    Commenting on the call for evidence on SEND funding announced today by Damian Hinds, Rosamund McNeil, Assistant General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: "For too long, children with SEND have been disgracefully let down by this Government".

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    Social Mobility

    Commenting on the today’s report by the Social Mobility Commission, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: "This report shows that Theresa May’s promise to make ‘Britain a Country that works for everyone’ is clearly failing".

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    Post-16 colleges

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 36 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “NEU members are calling on politicians and the public to recognise the weakened and fragmented state of the post-16 sector.

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    Challenging stereotypes and empowering young people

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 10 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Alongside everything we need education to achieve, we need it to give children the confidence to follow their own individual interests.

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    Supply teachers

    Commenting on the passing of Motions 20 and 22 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “NEU members have supported two motions calling for urgent action to stop the exploitation of supply teachers and schools by employment agencies.

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    Accountability and Assessment

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 30 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: "The resolution demonstrates the conviction of those who work in English education that our system of assessment and accountability is not fit for purpose".

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    Abolish the anti-union laws

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 37 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The 2016 Trade Union Act was a blatant attempt by the Conservative Government to weaken the ability of trade unionists to take action to defend their jobs, pay and working conditions.

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    Valid assessment for all

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 35 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “With this resolution, the Union adds its voice to the rising concern about the effects and educational value of exams at 16+.

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    EPI on Offrolling

    Commenting on Unexplained Pupil Exits From Schools: A Growing Problem?, the Education Policy Institute (EPI)’s major new analysis, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: "The issue of 'offrolling' is rising up the political agenda. NEU members' concerns about offrolling led the Union to sponsor this EPI research into informal exclusions".

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    Change needs to come from within

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 32 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: "Progress against racism in workplaces is far too slow.

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    Disability Discrimination

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 33 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Disabled teachers are undervalued for the contribution they make to their schools and colleges.

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    Mental health in exam factories

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 29 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The current draconian approach to the education of children and young people is turning our schools into Exam Factories and squeezing the joy and creativity out of the classroom.

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    A national education service

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 28 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “All children and young people have a right to a high-quality education in a good local school.

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    Supporting Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 23 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The NEU is appalled at the continued off-rolling and illegal exclusion of too many SEND pupils and wants the government to address the underlying pressures which lead schools to take such action.

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    Jeremy Corbyn's speech

    Commenting on Jeremy Corbyn’s speech at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union in Liverpool, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “It is good to hear a politician who understands the depth of the educational crisis, and the urgency of finding solutions to it.

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    Fair pay for teachers

    NEU members have voted to reject the Government’s policy on teachers’ pay, including its unprecedented decision to reject the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) on the 2018 pay increase

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    LGBT+ Rights

    Commenting on the passing of an urgency motion on LGBT+ rights at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “It is crucial that every young person can feel happy and safe at school but too many LGBT+ young people still don't feel they can be themselves at school.

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    Workload and Pedagogy

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 19 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Workload in schools remains a significant problem, posing a major threat to schools’ effectiveness and pupils’ learning and is driving the teacher recruitment and retention crisis.

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    Devolution of pay and conditions to Wales

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 18 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “We are entering unchartered waters in Wales following the devolution of pay and conditions for school teachers in September 2018.

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    Funding for Nursery Schools

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 15 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:

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    T-Levels

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 13 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “It is vital for both young people and the economy that technical qualifications have parity of esteem with academic ones.

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    Non-Pensionable Allowances

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 12 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The National Education Union is extremely concerned about the threat to teachers’ pensions in independent schools.

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    Anti-racism

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 9 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Racism is a pernicious thread that runs through society both at home and abroad.

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    Climate change

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 8 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Climate change is a public health emergency and NEU members and the children they teach are at the forefront of this crisis.

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    End of privatisation of education

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 7 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “After nine years of the academy programme, there is still no evidence to suggest that turning a school into an academy raises standards of education or brings any benefit whatsoever.

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    School funding

    Commenting on the passing of Motion 6 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The outcry about the state of school and sixth form college funding continues.

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    SEND Provision

    Special needs provision in England has lost out on £1.2bn because of shortfalls in funding increases from central government since 2015.

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    NEU comment on Ofsted consultation

    Commenting on Ofsted’s education inspection framework consultation which closes today, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:

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    Register for Children Not Educated in School

    Commenting on the Department for Education’s proposal of a new register for all children not being educated in school, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:

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    Home Office proposals on violent crime

    The Home Secretary should accept the impact the decimation of youth services has had, leaving very few safe places for children to go outside of school hours or during the holidays.

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    Philanthropy and Privatisation

    A report to be launched today by Education International (EI), the global education union confederation, lifts the lid on the activities of so-called ‘philanthropic’ organisations involved in promoting the commercialisation, marketisation and privatisation of education systems around the world.

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    International Education Strategy

    NEU comments on the newly released Government’s International Education Strategy: global potential, global growth.

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    YouGov/More Than A Score survey on testing

    Commenting on the results of a YouGov survey commissioned by More than a Score, released today, which shows the level of school leaders’ frustrations with the Government’s assessment regime, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:

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    NEU Cymru pension funding

    David Evans, NEU Cymru Secretary welcomes the Education Minister and the Welsh Government pension funding.

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    Spring Statement

    Commenting on the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Spring Statement, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:

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    Recruitment and Retention

    Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union comments on the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER)’s first annual report on the teacher labour market in England.

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    William Torbitt Primary School

    Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education comments on the decision by the Department for Education to lift its academy order against William Torbitt Primary School in Redbridge.

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    Unions urge review body to ignore government’s suggested pay cap for teachers

    Organisations representing the overwhelming majority of teachers and school leaders in England have written to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) urging it to ignore pressure from the government to cap the teachers’ pay award at 2%. The unions are calling on the STRB to recommend a fully-funded 5% pay increase in September 2019

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    Social Mobility

    Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union comments on a report from an All-Party Parliamentary Group on social mobility, published today.

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    GCSEs and A-Levels

    Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary NEU comments on remarks by Robert Halfon MP that GCSEs should be scrapped and A-Levels replaced with a baccalaureate system.

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    Social Media and Screen Time

    Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary NEU comments on the UK Chief Medical Officer’s review on the impact of screen time on children and young people’s mental health, published today.

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    Wellbeing of education professionals important

    David Evans, Wales Secretary of the National Education Union Cymru, welcomes Education Minister's reiteration that wellbeing of staff is as important as wellbeing of learners, during Education Minister's questions today.

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    NEU pay survey

    Almost 34,000 teachers have responded to a National Education Union pay survey, which shows alarming levels of dissatisfaction both with levels of pay and with the performance related pay (PRP) system in schools.

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    DfE teacher pay increase ‘derisory’

    Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the NEU has commented on the DfE’s submission to the School Teachers’ Review Body which suggests a 2% pay increase for teachers

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    Teachers’ Pay: Joint Union Call for 5% Increase

    Organisations representing the overwhelming majority of teachers and school leaders in England have urged the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) to recommend an immediate pay increase of 5% for all teachers and leaders, which should be funded in full by the Government.

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    Teacher Recruitment and Retention

    Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the NEU has commented on the release of the Department for Education’s recruitment and retention strategy.

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    Performance Tables

    Nansi Ellis, Assistant General Secretary NEU has commented on the secondary school performance tables, published today by the Department for Education.

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    Damian Hinds calls on more schools to become academies

    Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union has commented on the Education Secretary’s call for more academies, and the Department for Education’s analysis of sponsored academies.

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    EPI on Childcare Workers

    Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary NEU has commented on new research from the Education Policy Institute, analysing the childcare workforce in England.

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    School Finances

    Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union has commented on an Education Policy Institute report, published today, which looks at current school finances.

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    Broken promises from Government on school funding

    New analysis by the National Education Union of the Schools Block funding allocations show the Government has not even matched their previous woefully inadequate promises on school funding. The Government has delayed and delayed the publication of these figures. The reason now is clear.

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    School Holiday Poverty

    Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, has commented on the Government’s school holiday programme for disadvantaged children.

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    Ofsted Annual Report

    Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, has commented on the release of the Ofsted Annual Report

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    Initial Teacher Training

    Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary, National Education Union has commented on the release of the trainee number census for 2018-19.

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    NEU comment on teacher workload

    Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, has commented on the publication of the Department for Education’s response to the Teacher Workload Advisory Group report on data.

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    NEU comment on the Budget Speech

    Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, has commented on the Chancellor’s Budget Speech, delivered today in the Commons.

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    NEU comment on Theresa May’s Speech

    Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, has commented on the Prime Minister’s speech at Conservative Party Conference.

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    NEU comment on Equity in Education

    Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, has commented on Equity in Education, the latest report in the Pisa series from the OECD.

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    GCSE Performance Statistics

    Nansi Ellis, Assistant General Secretary, National Education Union has commented on statistics released today by the Department for Education for 2017/18.

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    NEU comment on Apprenticeships

    Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, has commented on 'The apprenticeships ladder of opportunity: quality not quantity', a report by the House of Commons Education Committee,

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    Comment on DfE's Early Learning Goals pilot

    Department for Education announces pilot intended to “boost early language skills” from September - comment by Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union.