1. The Pressures on Schools
Jon Richards
National Secretary
UNISON Education and Children’s Services
You know first hand
Other parts of public sector
Challenges facing members

2. Current Issues Biggest challenges we face: General Election
School funding - across UK
job cuts and outsourcing, ‘back office’ efficiencies
Workload
Pay and conditions – national negotiations - SSSNB
Academies - no longer forced, focus on failing schools
But some LAs and faith schools looking to jump?
Apprentices
Grammar schools and selection - new focus
and many more...

3. School funding
UK - Funding frozen - increase due to more pupils in some areas
countered by inflation, NI, pensions, apprentices
Scotland - cuts have seen 20% reduction in support staff since 2010
Wales – poss council school budget cuts of up to 16% over next 3 years
NI - cuts of £50 million
England – 6.5% per pupil up to (IFS) (8% since NAO)
National funding formula - just had Second Consultation – current system is problematic....but...
No new money - so redistribution – rob Peter to pay Paul
Inner cities in particular would lose millions but nearly every school will lose - estimate 98% schools by 2020
country wide anger – further change possible, but some responses could make it worse . Scheduled for introduction by 2018

4. UNISON response to cuts
Responded to NFF 2nd Consultation, pointed out cuts
Across the UK - Campaign for more funding and levelling up
Defend the role of councils and local flexibility
Work with other unions -
Specific UNISON webpages
Regional and schools meetings - continuing
Lobbied wrote to MPs and had Parliamentary ‘drop in’
Now focus on candidates – plan for Questions for candidates .
after final decision - potential for action?
taking legal advice - is on Local Government Conference agenda - but may depend on final formula? Note TU act
NUT ‘regional’ strikes – after election?

5. Workload England DfE ‘Teacher Workload Challenge survey 2014’
UNISON complained not support staff, sent to our members...
DfE issued survey results and early thoughts Feb ’14 and following UNISON complaints DfE issued support staff paper Dec ’ included our data, but didn’t credit us...
Early 2016 DfE announce 3 working groups on planning, data management and marking - no support staff reps... we complained...
Spring three reports published
- no mention of support staff - nearest mentions:
- in planning report recommendation that ’teachers should engage in collaborative planning’ - but no mention of support staff
- short section for ‘everybody’ in Data Management report

6. Workload During this time UNISON has run support staff surveys
2015 – UK wide - 14,500 responses
55% struggling with workload - 13% impossible to cope
52% reporting stress
40% fell unable to report concerns
56% reported it but nothing happened
UNISON Scotland recent survey of 900+ members :
- 80% had seen job losses, 40 per cent carry out unpaid work, 60 per cent said morale was low and 80 per cent said workloads are heavier
Governments make sympathetic noises – but pressure is increasing
Funding cuts will mean fewer staff and more work

7. Workload
As well as funding cuts – population growth: 3% increase in pupils in primaries and 9% in Secondaries in coming years
Job cuts:
Scotland 20% cuts
England Secondaries: 2014 drop in TAs , 2015 in all support staff groups - but continued increases in Primary – 2016 results soon...
New DfE Teacher report issued Jan no mention of....
UNISON doing it ourselves - guide ‘Organising and negotiating to address workload in schools’
Negotiating an agreement; H&S advice
Running a campaign inc Model workload survey
New UNISON survey of admin and clerical staff
Further work scheduled for the autumn
Will write to new Westminster Government

8. UNISON has around 250,000 members
Other issues
UNISON has around 250,000 members
140,000 TAs/Classroom staff – UNISON’s largest occupational group
NUT/ATL merger
From September 2017 – aim to recruit support staff across education
UNISON reviewing our ‘offer’ to members and meeting at TUC
Other Campaigns:
Admin and clerical, technicians, teaching assistants
Behaviour/violence
Living Wage
Admin of Medicines
Training and development – Skills4Schools
Docas/Facility time
And