Teacher strikes

Teacher strikes: How the ‘exemption’ to support exam pupils will work

NEU members will be given 'dispensation' to work on strike days to support year 11 and 13 pupils

NEU members will be given 'dispensation' to work on strike days to support year 11 and 13 pupils

Union members given an exemption to support exam year pupils during strikes should be paid for a full day even if they only work for part of one, the National Education Union has said.

Teachers given “dispensation” by the union to work will also be encouraged to donate pay from industrial action days to the union’s hardship fund for their striking colleagues.

The NEU pledged last month to ask districts to make local plans for year 11 and 13 students so they could continue to go to school during strikes planned for April 27 and May 2, which are around two weeks before exams begin.

Now the union has published its guidance for these arrangements.

It states the union will support arrangements that provide the “minimum level of teaching staff needed to allow year 11/13 to attend school for supervised revision activities or exam practice”.

However, the guidance only aims to “minimise disruption”, the union said, and “only the government, by coming back to the negotiating table with a much-improved offer, can eliminate that disruption altogether and avert these upcoming strikes”.

There is “no expectation” classes will taught by their usual teacher on strike days, and schools can’t require any teacher to attend work.

If arrangements are reached with heads, however, the NEU would request its members participate “where needed”.

“In extremis”, where members are asked to attend school for part of the day to supervise an exam year group, they should “attend for this purpose only and leave work afterwards”.

“If this is part of the negotiated agreement, then our members cannot be compelled to do this, but the union will authorise it,” the NEU said.

“Agreement should be sought from the head teacher that no pay is to be docked even if the member has not worked the full day.”

Members encouraged to donate pay

The union also warned that if the arrangement results in some staff attending work for the whole day to deliver year 11 or 13 provision, this increased staffing “should not be used to widen school opening to other year groups that the school would otherwise be closed to”.

If union members are paid for strike days because they supported exam students, the union “would encourage them to donate to the hardship fund to support colleagues suffering significantly greater than average hardship through loss of pay for striking”.

If the agreement means schools partially open for year 11s and 13s, the NEU said it “may be acceptable and appropriate” to ask teachers responsible for those year groups to set cover work that can be delivered in their absence.

However, requests to set work for other year groups “will not be agreed to”.

The agreements must be negotiated by NEU reps and heads “as equal partners in making arrangements that work for each school”.

If a school does not have a rep, a member “will need to be elected by the membership to take on this role”. If this is not possible, members should “approach their branch officer in the first instance, or else contact their regional office”, the union said.

If schools try to impose arrangements that are not agreed by NEU reps and members, the union said it “retains the right to remove this dispensation guidance for exam year group provision”.

“In any case, if no agreement can be found, the default position is that members cannot be obliged to make any dispensation arrangements for year 11 and year 13 provision.”

Latest education roles from

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Solihull College and University Centre

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

It’s Education’s Time to Shine: Celebrate your Education Community in 2025!

The deadline is approaching to nominate a colleague, team, whole school or college for the 2025 Pearson National Teaching...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Navigating NPQ Funding Cuts: An Apprenticeship Success Story

Last year’s NPQ funding cuts meant that half of England’s teachers faced costs of up to £4,000 to complete...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Embedding Formative Assessment: not just a box-ticking exercise but something long-term and meaningful for all

Our EFA programme has been proven to help schools achieve better GCSE results, as evidenced by the EEF. Find...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Building capacity in family support to tackle low school attendance 

Persistent and severe school absence impacts children, families, and communities—especially in disadvantaged areas. School-Home Support’s Attendance Support and Development Programme...

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

Teacher strikes

Sixth form college teachers vote to strike over ‘farcical’ pay situation

NEU announces strikes at 32 sixth form colleges on November 28, December 3 and 4

Freddie Whittaker
Teacher strikes

Labour moves ahead with plans to bin ‘vindictive’ strike act

Union chiefs welcome move to scrap the controversial proposals amid hopes for a 'reset' to industrial relations

Lucas Cumiskey
Teacher strikes

NEU votes to hear pay offer before balloting for strikes

Conference rejects proposal for a ballot to start in early June

Freddie Whittaker
Teacher strikes

Teachers could strike again in September, says NEU leader

Ballot should be held over 'fairly significant' period if conference green-lights formal vote, says Daniel Kebede

Freddie Whittaker

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *