For the time being it will be used to share some information with members as well as linking to other members services. Islington NASUWT members are welcome to join an e-mail group to receive notices of meetings, minutes and newsletters.
To view the local newsletters, policies and notices click here.
The next General Meeting will be the Annual General Meeting, which will be held on Thursday 25th May. Venue will be the London Regional Centre at 65 St Johns St Farringdon EC1, beginning at 4:30pm. Agenda
Please take the time to fill in a workload questionnaire. If you are from outside Islington, please say this on the form. Send it in the post or by fax to the address at the bottom.
This year is the one hundredth anniversary of the
1906 Trade Union Act. While the rights gained in this historic act were extended
with time (and struggle) across Europe, almost uniquely in the UK we have
actually lost some of those rights. The culprit was, of course, the Thatcher
Tory Government. This year, however, there is considerable support for an early
day motion in Parliament for a Trade Union Freedom Bill drafted by John
Hendy QC.
A May Day March has been organised by the TUC unions beginning in Clerkenwell
Green, so it's very local and weather on May Day is always guaranteed.
Download a flyer..
There will be a meeting on Thursday 11th May promoting the book "Tell it Like it Is" from 6pm at Islington Town Hall. It highlights the extent to which Black Students underperform is British schools and investigates why. Speakers include Jeremy Corbyn MP and Lethal Bizzle (musician). Free entry, download a flyer.
The next meeting if Islington Campaign Against Academies will be Weds 10th May at the Town Hall.
UPDATE 1ST MAY 2006
The march was a success with several thousand trade unionists marching to Trafalgar Square. It achieved modest press coverage, but was enough to show support for the early day motion in Parliament. We will keep you updated on its progress.
29TH APRIL 2006 RULES SPECIAL CONFERENCE (yawn...)
Back to Birmingham. There are three groups of rules proposed to be changed. The first relates to when a member ceases to be eligible for full membership when they retire. The second is about members being officers in more than one union. The third is about detailed changes to how complaints against members are dealt with. We currently anticipate opposing the changes.
12-15th April 2006 Conference in Birmingham. See the newsletter for information.
UPDATE 17th MARCH 2006
Happy St Patrick's Day
UPDATE 15th MARCH
UNISON and GMB members have voted for a day of strike action on Tuesday 28/3/06. It is likely that the majority of schools in Islington (and elsewhere) will be closed for the day. Unlike teachers' pensions, for which we will retain the benefits which existed when we JOINED the scheme, the government would like to change the pensions of other public sector staff, even though those staff have been contributing for years. Members will receive advice NOT to undertake ANY work which normally be done by UNISON or GMB staff. In all likelihood this will affect not only schools, but all public sector offices.
Islington Campaign Against Academies has a stall at a conference at the
Institute of Education on 25/3/06. The event will discuss whether the Education
Bill will meet the needs of students. It is not an NASUWT conference, but as we
are involved in the campaign against academies we will be supporting ICAA on its
stall. To download a
flyer.
Compass, a left wing research organisation have produced
some
interesting figures on the level of support amongst Labour Party members.
Apologies, due to a glitch while updating the software, updates added between November and March have disappeared into the ether. The new upgraded system should mean that there is no longer any danger of this happening.....
STAFFING REVIEWS IN ISLINGTON
This term all maintained schools and PRUs in the country must review their staffing structures and agree arrangements for implementing this over the next three years. For more information on this process, and how we are dealing with this as Islington NASUWT click here...
3RD NOVEMBER 2005
Schools which have not yet begun the consultation for the staffing reviews are now likely to be in difficulty. There must be a minimum four week consultation, but there must be scope for further consultation if there are significant revisions to be made. A school which does not allow time to consider comments and adopt amendments cannot be considered to have consulted. That having been said, the majority of consultation documents being issued now have job descriptions (not always complete, but sufficient), structures showing all staff and costings.
TUESDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 2005
The planning committee decided to approve the application to close St Mary Magdalene Primary School, which opens the way for the establishment of a 1600 pupil City Academy on the enlarged site. This was despite a considerable local opposition including teaching unions and parents. More information on the Islington Campaign Against Academies.
WEDNESDAY 3RD AUGUST 2005
Information which Islington NASUWT uncovered about how Threshold applications selectively affect trade union officers and black/minority ethnic teachers was today published in the Guardian. Last year (nationally) union officers were twice as likely to be failed and some minorities four times as likely. This adds strength to our argument that in some schools these processes are used to pick on individuals, and even though it is difficult to prove in each case, the national trends demonstrate that there is an issue. To view the text of the letter ....
FRIDAY 15TH JULY 2005
It has been confirmed that no disciplinary action will be taken against staff "caught on camera" at Highbury Grove School.
TUESDAY 12TH JULY 2005
The Corporation of London formally confirmed today that it is negotiations to be a sponsor of an Academy in Islington.
MONDAY 11TH JULY 2005
There are concerns that Bill Clark, Director of Education, has written to headteachers, insisting that they consider disiplinary action against those filmed in the programme. NASUWT will not tolerate suggestions that its members can be disciplined for comments made in private.
THURSDAY 7TH JULY 2005
After the atrocity of the bombing of London tubes and buses today. Two Islington Schools have been featured on a Channel Four TV programme "Despatches". NASUWT does not condone the use of such undercover techniques to expose what teachers say within the staff room. We are also concerned that a TV programme should risk identifying children at risk in such a way.
TUESDAY 21ST JUNE 2005
ARK have withdrawn from the Islingtoon Green/Morelands Academy project. The headteacher of Islington Green School would like to continue the project as an 11-18 academy on its own site, possibly still shared with Richard Cloudesley Special School. To see the CEA press release..
WEDNESDAY 25TH MAY 2005
Annual General Meeting. 4:30pm at the Regional Centre. These officers were elected
SATURDAY 21ST MAY 2005
This week the School Organisation Committee referred the decision to close Mary Magdalene Primary School back to the schools adjudicator. For the newspaper article in the Islington Tribune click here ...
TUESDAY 10TH MAY
There will be a "Cheese and Wine" evening, courtesy of Metropolitan Housing Association, for all those interested in the Key Worker Living Scheme. In brief, "equity loans" of up to £50,000 can be had to purchase a home in London. Visit www.keyworkerliving.co.uk or ring Sarah Rees on 7527 5502 for more information. For other information on housing in Islington click here...
TUESDAY 26TH APRIL
The second anti-academy meeting will be held at 7pm. Contact me for details.
SUNDAY 25TH APRIL
Apologies for the lack of e-mail newsletters etc and for those who have not received nomination papers in their inboxes yet. This is due to teething problems with the union's changeover from poptel to claranet. Hopefully it will resolve itself soon.
FRIDAY 18TH MARCH
For one of the final visits of her Presidential year, Pat Lerew will be meeting members at Highbury Grove School as part of a visit to London. She will be particularly interested in the progress of the "Health and Wellbeing" Project.
4TH MARCH
Kathy Duggan (Lewisham) and Anne-Marie Flavin-Lees have been elected as national Executive members for Inner London (District 23). Congrats and all that.
9TH FEBRUARY 2005 ISLINGTON GM This will begin at 4:30pm at the NEW London Regional Centre.
4TH FEBRUARY 2005
It has been revealed that the OFSTED team who decided Islington Green School was failing in 1997 and helped push the LEA into privatisation may have working to an agenda that has little to do with education. Full story in both todays Guardian and TES.
19TH JANUARY 2005
A misleading circular has been sent to headteachers suggesting that there should b extra hurdles and an application to progress up the upper pay spine (UPS). This is based on a (complete) misunderstanding and has been addressed. We are, however, discussing ways of ensuring that there is some standardisation across the LEA so one school does not ask for PhD's when others are satisfied with INSET.
HAPPY NEW YEAR to teachers everywhere. Apologies for a break in service due to server problems with the ISP. We have now moved and normal service has hopefully resumed.
13TH OCTOBER Islington GM
12TH OCTOBER 2004 We will hold a public meeting at Islington Central Library in Fieldway Crescent to oppose the two City Academies proposed for Islington. This is being organised jointly with GMB NUT and UNISON. Our opposition is because of the threat to our pay and conditions as well as objecting to the effects of encroaching privatisation on education. A public debate is being planned for the new year. We will publish a list of speakers when it is confirmed.
30TH SEPTEMBER Asbestos training day - Barnsbury.
16TH SEPTEMBER 2004 Consultation has begun on several new personnel "policies" to run alongside existing procedures. These could only cause confusion, so we are stearing CEA towards a worthwhile revision of procedures.
(Sept 04)We will shortly be publishing pictures from the march - -my apologies for the delay.
NEWS YET TO COME - YOUR FUTURE
The Newsletters of the Islington Association are now also available on-line or you may view previous years' "Update"s.
If you have had enough work here are some pictures to colour in. Alternatively we have a few games you might like to try.
For information about local initiatives see these links:
| North Islington EAZ | Islington Community Internet | Islington Campaign Against Academies | Islington Online | Islington Gazette |
For more information on Local Officers
Link to London Associations website
Link to NASUWT National website.
Link to other Local Association Sites
Contact the Islington Association.
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