The following information was e-mailed to EIS Reps in all schools on Monday 8th December, 2008.
Dear Colleague

I write to inform you that at Friday's Teachers' Consultative Forum (TCF) we failed to reach an agreement on a protocol for Classroom Observation during Education Officer QI visits.

Management stated that this was one of the key actions after the INEA 2 Inspection.  They need to provide a framework for EOs to work to in order to get to know their schools better.

The Teachers' Side questioned whether we had the resources in schools to do this.  We estimated that some EOs may spend up to 45 days on QI visits per session which was unsustainable.  We stressed this was a workload issue for HTs and teachers as well as EOs.  We questioned the extensive use of limited EO time in QI visits when it could be better used to support CfE.  We pointed out that HMIe are trained to conduct classroom observations and we questioned whether EOs had received the same level of training.

It was agreed that classroom observation by EOs as part of QI visits would immediately stop.  Management would provide a draft protocol to the teaching unions and this will be considered by the Aberdeen EIS Executive prior to the next TCF on February 6th.

Notes:

1. This does not affect classroom observation by senior and middle managers governed by the Policy on Monitoring Learning and Teaching (Circular: INF/ASC/088/06, 26 June 2006)

2. EOs will still make QI visits to schools to have discussions with staff but without formal classroom observation until a protocol has been agreed.

Please get in touch if the above creates difficulties in your school.

Regards
Grant

Grant Bruce
Aberdeen City EIS Secretary

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1 December 2008

Introduction

The EIS is concerned about the effect of budget cuts on both the quality of education delivered to the pupils of Aberdeen and the workload of staff in schools.

The EIS welcomed the recent workload statement issued to all ACC employees recognising that a shrinking workforce and diminishing resources would put pressure on everyone.  The Council stated that it would address these workload concerns as they became known.

Many of the responses coming in show that morale in Aberdeen schools is very low with colleagues struggling to cope with this year’s cuts.  Many teachers are desperately worried about how they are going to manage if more cuts hit our service in 2009.  The combination of increased class sizes, reduced support for learning, reduced support from Pupil Support Assistants (PSAs), less money to spend on resources and less managerial input from more class committed promoted staff could lead to increased levels of stress/depression and increased teacher absenteeism.

We are very concerned at the many reports of experienced staff looking for jobs in neighbouring authorities or even leaving the profession.

The proposed budget cuts will have the following effects:

• Support for Learning (SfL) cuts – reduced support for some of the city’s most vulnerable pupils will lead to an increase in behavioural problems as learning difficulties are not addressed.  Education authorities must make adequate provision to support Additional Support Needs (ASN) pupils and there is a fear that ACC is already on dangerous ground regarding possible infringements of the 2004 Additional Support for Learning Act.
• Class size increases – these increases have occurred at a time when the Scottish Government, through the Concordat, has provided funding to reduce class sizes.  Reports coming in from schools indicate that upper stage primary class sizes are at or close to maximum making the job of teaching even more challenging.  Our evidence shows that attempts to limit S1/S2 class sizes in Maths and English have led to larger classes further up the school.
• English as an Additional Language (EAL) cuts – the proposal to delay the implementation of the increased staffing formula is disappointing and would diminish the crucial support for immigrant children. Our EAL members report that many classes they support are now full, some containing 8 to 10 EAL pupils.
• Pupil Support Assistant cuts – any decrease in PSA provision will result in a deterioration in the learning & teaching, an increase in disruptive behaviour and a possible increase in the rate of exclusion.  This possible cut on top of the aforementioned SfL cuts is making the job of teaching harder, especially for newly qualified teachers and we are getting disturbing reports that some are leaving the profession.
• Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) – very little resource will be available for this initiative. This has been made worse by previous decisions to remove the ACC Curriculum Support Team and to drastically reduce Continuing Professional Development (CPD) budgets.  As it stands ACC will not be able to deliver this major curricular change.
• Promoted staff are more class committed leading to increased disciplinary problems.  They are also struggling to find time for quality assurance, school self-evaluation, monitoring budgets, working with parents and supporting probationers, class teachers and support staff.
• Following the Budget Monitoring Board’s decision on October 22 to advertise 60 teaching posts on a fixed term contract basis until March 2009, the uncertainty of provision for classes when contracts run out in April 2009 will spoil the crucial need for continuity for all pupils, especially ASN pupils.
• Per Capita funding has been slashed in our schools. For example, one city secondary department, which caters for 350 pupils has been allocated £500 this year which does not even allow them to spend £1.50 per pupil per academic year.
• Some teachers are covering up for the financial mess of the Council by using their own money to fund schools by purchasing felt pens, paper and other everyday essentials.  We advise our members to report shortages to management and not cover these up but the professionalism of our teachers means that they are committed to delivering quality education despite the financial difficulties.  Clearly we are hearing that some schools are better placed to make up for funding deficiencies by enlisting the help of PTAs and Parent Councils and this will lead to an inequitable education experience throughout the city. 
• With Continuing Professional Development (CPD) budgets being slashed, such is their commitment to pupils that some teachers are paying for CPD courses out of their own pockets.
• 10% cut in Music Instruction funding in a city famous for its Music School is very disappointing and we must not allow this service to disappear from deprived areas.

Problems due to underfunding that already exist in schools are:

• Reduced teaching time for S5/6 courses – we question the value of offering courses which have had teaching time cut to below SQA minimum requirements.
• Reduction in course choice will limit the options for our students in future employment and the ability to access further and higher education.
• Our EAL members have seen their pupils having to choose from this more limited curriculum forcing them into subjects with a larger language content and then having reduced teaching time in these subjects.
• Promoted staff are more class committed leading to increased disciplinary problems and a failure to be able to engage in major curricular changes.

Alternative methods of saving money? 

• Marischal College – can we afford this when crucial services are being cut?
• An immediate review of the neighbourhood structure to remove triplication.
• Changes to Secondary Management Structures should be postponed until the necessary resources are available to implement them equitably across the city.
• We fully support an honest appraisal of the number of Aberdeen schools we require.
• We question the extensive use of limited Education Officer time in Quality Assurance visits to schools when it could be better used to support CfE?

Grant Bruce             

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26 June 2008

Dear EIS member

With the end of session approaching, I thought I would like to thank you all for the support I have received in my first 6 months as the Aberdeen EIS Secretary.  Since taking over from Roddy Robertson at Christmas, getting to grips with disciplinary procedures, grievance procedures, Maternity Leave regulations, negotiations with management etc, would have been a steep enough learning curve, without the unforeseen problems of massive budget cuts, school closures, possible compulsory redundancies and giving evidence to the Accounts Commission in May.

One of my major jobs in recent months has been advising members with Para 8.5 claims.  These are teachers on temporary contracts who have one year’s part-time or full-time continuous service, and so can request permanent contracts with ACC.  Back in April, because of budget cuts, management asked us to renegotiate the Para 8.5 condition of service so that teachers would need two years’ continuous service to qualify for permanency.  We resisted these pressures and I learned on Tuesday that all 55 primary Para 8.5s have been allocated permanent contracts.  In the past couple of years the authority has used probationers to prop up their staffing in schools and so obviously fewer permanent contracts have been issued and hence the large numbers of staff on temporary contracts.  The fact that the city is only taking four primary probationers in 2008/09 means that these jobs can now be filled on a permanent basis.  Also the recent trawl of staff to consider early retirement has helped create some vacancies which will ensure that new teachers have not been lost to the profession.  It was also confirmed on Tuesday that no Aberdeen teachers would be made compulsorily redundant this session.

I think it is only fair that I thank the three Service Managers Isobel Date, Jan Roy and Alistair MacKay for their efforts over the last couple of months.  I meet with them on a regular basis, and with the last pieces of the jigsaw falling into place earlier this week on what was a huge logistical exercise covering closure schools, transfers and Para 8.5s, I am very satisfied with the outcomes for the dozens of queries on behalf of EIS members that I placed in their direction.   With only a few last minute transfer requests left outstanding to deal with, now that the waiting is over, the response from members who have contacted me has been very positive.

The 2008/09 Working Time Agreements for individual schools have been coming into my office over the last few weeks and I remind EIS Reps that the deadline for HTs to return these forms to Rhona Jarvis and myself is Friday 4 July 2008.  With budget cuts leading to bigger class sizes and pressures on management time, the WTA might assume even greater significance next session.

The paper on secondary management structures went through Education Committee on June 10th and by November all secondaries are expected to have their collegiately agreed structures based on the faculty model ready to go to the city-wide structures board.  Because no money has been identified to fund these changes, this will be a difficult and sensitive issue over the coming years.

On a happier note, the Aberdeen EIS Executive is hosting a Welcome Event for next year’s 30 or so probationers in the Illicit Still at 6.30 pm on Thursday 28th August.  If your school has a probationer after summer, please encourage them to attend this event (more details in August).

Have a good holiday.

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