The organisation representing England’s trusts said academy “flexibility” should not be impacted by a national support staff pay framework – in what looks like the first clash over Labour plans to water down freedoms.
Legislation to re-instate the support staff negotiating body (SSSNB) through the employment rights bill was introduced in Parliament on Thursday, as part of attempts to establish national terms and conditions, career progression routes, and fair pay rates.
The changes – which were featured in Labour’s election manifesto – will apply to both maintained schools and academies to ensure all staff “have access to fair pay and conditions”, according to the Department for Education.
Trusts currently do not currently have to follow national pay rules.
Leora Cruddas, CEO of the Confederation of School Trusts, said: “School trusts do not all operate in the same way, and we must ensure that schools in all types of structures can benefit from the flexibility to deploy support staff in the ways that most benefits pupils, particularly some of our most vulnerable pupils.”
She said reforms “so desperately needed to our special educational needs system rely on this”.
Negotiating body was scrapped by Gove
The SSSNB was abolished at the start of Michael Gove’s academy drive in 2010. The DfE said the reintroduction of the body “marks a key milestone” in its commitment to “reset the relationship with the sector”.
The SSSNB will consist of representatives of employers, unions and an independent chairperson. It will be tasked with establishing a national terms and conditions handbook, training, career progression routes, and fair pay rates.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the body will ensure support staff “are properly valued and respected as the professionals they are”.
The bill will pass through the legislative process. As part of this, the government will consult on the detail of the changes.
Cruddas added CST will “work closely with government to ensure that the final legislation both supports fair employment terms for these vital colleagues and protects the flexibility that we have seen is crucial to the ongoing work of trusts to improve children’s education”.
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