Monday November 29th sees the start of the NUT’s week of action against Performance Related Pay. Events will be taking place up and down the country to draw the public’s attention to our case and to remind the Government that we are serious in our opposition to their proposals.
There will be meetings with MPs and school governors, lobbies of councillors and meetings for teachers. The National Union is sending a pack into schools to support this activity.
In Bradford, we are asking all members to send the postcard to David Blunkett with which school Reps have been supplied. Just sign it, stick a stamp on, and post it!
Also, you could write to your local MP expressing your concerns. Brief letters are sufficient to register your opinion and to let your MP know that, in their constituency, there is opposition to the Government’s plans.
PRP will be a main topic of discussion at the next General Meeting of Bradford NUT, to be held at 5pm on November 30th at the Park Hotel, Oak Lane.
We will also be discussing Performance Management, EMAG changes and School reorganisation, and taking nominations for the National Executive. Please try to get there. There is a buffet from 4:30.
Posts not filled in the placement process are to be advertised within the Authority only, on 26th November, with a closing date for application of December 3rd.
Teachers not placed will have first go at the posts created by any resulting appointments, and at any other posts arising for other reasons in schools which are part of the Bradford Redeployment, Retraining and Redundancy Scheme.
You probably won’t be shocked to hear that much of the building work needed for the Reorganisation will not be complete by September 2000, though the LEA is still hopeful that almost all will be ready for Sept 2001.
During the period from December 99 to February 2000, LEA officers will be in discussions with schools about the difficulties they will face in September 2000 if their buildings are not complete. They will talk through the contingency plans thathave to be made, the split sites that may have to be used, and the staffing implications of these arrangements.
Secondary schools are already and understandably putting in rival claims for the buildings to be vacated by middle schools not allocated to a primary. We are very worried about the options likely to be available in some cases. They could result in very disruptive movement of staff and/or pupils.
Your Head should discuss any proposals with you. We are trying to keep abreast of all developments, and it is agreed that we will be involved in pre-meetings on school sites before any building work starts. If there are problems please let us know.