National Conference 2024

Cheshire East has sent 7 delegates to the National Conference in Harrogate. The National Conference had been held virtually for two years, and the members had requested the return to a face to face environment. The venue has changed every year over the last one hundred years of conferences and it was 1980 when it was last in Harrogate.

The conference began with the appointment of Rashida Din as the President - she is the twelfth female president and the first Muslim in that role. At the opening private session the treasurer briefed conference on the financial position nationally and the moves being made to ensure best value from members’ subscriptions. Sadly, given the fiscal pressure on many staff there appears to have been a slight fall in national membership numbers, despite the fact that the NASUWT subscription is the most economic of the major unions and gives access to a wide range of training and skilled member support when they are in difficulty. A factor in the membership numbers has been some members leaving to join unions which were quick to take strike action and not waiting for our more measured approach with a disaggregated ballot that allowed schools to chose to act individually (which when we had passed it brought the desired change in the government position for last year’s pay settlement).

The conference discussed a range of motions from the different associations. The second public session captured the mood of the conference as it discussed putting teachers first and the importance of that in allowing every child to benefit from a high quality education. It highlighted the need for a programme from government to restore real terms pay given the steady downgrade of the last ten years. School representatives are encouraged to challenge the application of 1265 hours in schools to ensure a maximum 35 hour working week. There was a discussion of improving the rights of substitute and supply staff and improving measures to tackle discriminatory behaviours and harassment of staff (from pupils and parents).

It also gave opportunity for a number of your local team to plan how they can adjust the local offer and support that we provide in our schools.