Nick Linford | Schools Week

Growing number of out-of-hours work related emails sent to teachers is ‘home invasion’, union claims

Almost three quarters of teachers receive work-related emails outside of school hours, a new NASUWT survey on the abuse of technology has found. Nearly 1,500 teachers responded last month to the teaching union’s questions. The survey results showed that the proportion of teachers receiving work-related emails outside school hours had increased to 73 per cent […]

Teacher Union Conference Round-Up: What happened at NASUWT 2015?

NASUWT conference took place between Friday, April 3, and Monday, April 6 in Cardiff. Here’s what happened. What were the main issues? 1. Mental health: Top of the union’s agenda were “frightening and disturbing” figures which laid bare the impact of escalating stress on mental health. More than two thirds of teachers said […]

Pupils are arriving at school underfed and poorly clothed due to financial pressures, union survey finds

Financial pressures following years of austerity are causing pupils to arrive in school hungry and struggling to concentrate, a new survey commissioned by the NASUWT teaching union has found. In total, 2,452 teachers responded to the survey based on their experiences over the last year, with 78 per cent saying that pupils lacked energy and […]

Teachers warn energy drinks could be causing bad behaviour among students

Teachers are becoming increasingly concerned about caffeine and energy drinks causing bad behaviour among students, the NASUWT union has warned. The teachers’ union is working with national drug and alcohol charity Swanswell to examine the effects that consuming energy drinks, which contain high levels of caffeine and sugar, could be having on children and young […]

NUT delegates back boycott of testing for four and five-year-olds

Delegates at the National Union of Teachers’ conference have backed a motion that could lead to a boycott of planned testing for four and five-year-olds in England. Ministers claim that the new literacy and numeracy baseline tests will help track children’s progress though primary school. But many teachers feel strongly that the plan, due to […]

What happened at NUT Conference today? – The delegate’s view

As the National Union of Teachers hold their annual conference, Schools Week regular Emma Ann Hardy gives us the lowdown on the days’ motions and happenings. One of my favourite times at conference is when we start to disagree, and today’s motion with the amendment on escalating strike action didn’t disappoint. The tension in the room was […]

Should lessons in snoozing be part of the school curriculum?

Lack of sleep among teenagers could be causing serious problems for their health and academic progression. But are schools part of their insomnia problems? Sleep problems among teenagers commonly arise due to physical, mental and social changes taking place in their life. The pressures of homework, exams, relationships with friends, social activities, part-time jobs and […]

Half of all councils face ‘uphill battle’ against primary place shortfalls by 2018

Primary school pupils could outnumber places in almost 40 per cent of council areas by September 2016, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. Analysis by LGA of the Department for Education’s school capacity and census surveys show that one in three (38%) local authorities are facing primary school place shortages in 2016/17. This figure […]

What actually happens at a teacher union conference? – The inside view.

I spent six years as a teacher and never once went to a teacher union conference. In fact, the thought terrified me. My imagined version was of massive, bingo-style halls in which crotchety teachers leapt up complaining about the worst parts of the job. I’d spent four half-terms battling forgotten homeworks and playground fights – […]