Introduction
As you will be aware, much has happened in the world of education since our summer newsletter was sent to you. With the active support of many life members, NAHT, alongside other teacher unions, ran a successful campaign, primarily focused on the four key campaigning pillars of pay and funding, workload and well-being, recruitment and retention, and inspection.
As a result, members in England received an offer including a 6.5% pay uplift, alongside a commitment to set up a workload reduction taskforce. Following an online ballot, the offer was accepted by our members. The strong hope is that this is the start of the path to the restoration of pay levels, which have declined so dramatically over the last decade. The threat of strike action will always be a last resort, but sadly the position taken by the secretary of state left little other option. It was telling that the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) agreed with the teaching unions that the government’s original pay offer was inadequate and recommended that a 6.5% uplift should be made across the pay range. It is worth noting that this was significantly beyond the envelope that the government had attempted STRB to enforce!
Strong campaigns have also been running across Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies too. As those life members in Northern Ireland will no doubt be aware, our industrial action has in fact intensified in recent weeks.
Although some progress has been made on the pay front, NAHT will continue to fight for our children, our schools and our staff. Our campaign going forward, ‘For their future’, will continue to highlight our key priorities ahead of and leading into the next general election, whether this comes in 2024 or early 2025. Our key areas of focus will be of little surprise to school leaders, concentrating on funding and pay, SEND, recruitment and retention, school buildings and estates, inspection and accountability, and finally, staff well-being and workload. These are big issues – but they are vital if we are to provide the best opportunities for our children.
I can anticipate some life members asking themselves why they need to know this, as they read this. Well, my answer is that retired school leaders are probably best placed to support our members locally. Many of us have time and opportunities to support our local schools. A significant number of life members fulfill roles as school governors or are on the boards of trusts, which is wonderful, and a number hold branch and regional roles in the absence of serving members. However, the life member sector council is hoping that more life members would consider joining their local branch as its life member representative to offer their knowledge, time and expertise in these challenging times. NAHT staff would only be too delighted to give you the details of branch meeting dates, times and venues. Please give it some consideration – it only needs a few hours each week, but could make such a difference to our in-post colleagues.
The life member sector continues to grow strongly in line with other areas of the NAHT membership. We now have more than 15,000 life members – an incredible increase over the last four years. However, we are only at about 52% of retirees who transfer from their serving membership to life membership. This concerns me for a number of reasons. The life member sector council has regular updates from NAHT’s legal team, and the number of cases that they are supporting with members who have retired it is very worrying. Unfortunately, NAHT’s legal team can only support those who are serving members or those who have joined life membership. For leaders who retired and have not taken up life membership, there is no protection. This sadly has proved very expensive and worrying for those who have to fight cases on their own.
On a much more positive note, there are many reasons for life membership and the benefits it affords – NAHT Extras, of particular note. Using the simple Hapi app, NAHT Extras can save you many pounds each week off your shopping and a vast range of other purchases.
I hope you find this edition worthwhile, we do our best to bring you regular updates on pensions, what’s happening in Northern Ireland and Wales, and health and well-being. However, we would love to include articles from life members outside the sector council, so if you have an article that might be of interest to other life members we would love to receive it. We would also be happy to have your views on other topics that we might include in future newsletters.
Allow me to take this opportunity to send all life members and your families Christmas greetings and best wishes for a healthy and enjoyable 2024.
Kind regards
John Killeen
Life member sector council chair
Click on the links below to read more on each topic
Useful links and resources for life members:
Teachers' Pension Scheme
Gail Dilling, NAHT specialist adviser for pensions and HR, provides an update for life members on two areas regarding the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS).
1. Transitional Protection Remedy
I can happily report that the Transitional Protection Remedy legislation was implemented on 1 October 2023.
We have written advice on the website for members who have yet to retire and for those who have retired on what is happening with their pension benefits if they are eligible for the remedy:
All members who are yet to take their pension benefits, ie active or deferred, would have seen their accrued pensionable service automatically roll back into the final salary scheme when they accessed their annual pension benefit statement from the Teachers’ Pensions website after 1 October 2023.
All members who have retired, ie already taken their benefits, won’t see any immediate changes following rollback, and their benefits won’t be adjusted until they’ve received their Remediable Service Statement (RSS) within the next sixteen months and confirmed their choice for their remedy period service.
We have been made aware some members are being contacted by organisations who are offering financial advice for Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) members on their options because of the Transitional Protection Remedy.
Teachers’ Pensions have provided member guidance and the Remediable Service Statements (RSS) will contain the necessary information to assist members in being able to make an informed decision on rollback options and retirement benefits. It is important to wait until you receive your RSS and have been contacted by Teachers’ Pensions regarding your options and the choices you need to make for you to be able to make an informed decision, which may or may not mean you needing to contact an independent financial advisor.
Remember, these changes won’t impact all members and not all periods of service. It’s important to understand if the changes will affect you. You can visit the Teachers’ Pensions website and go to the decision tree to see if you are eligible and affected by the Transitional Protection Remedy.
2. The 2020 Valuation
The 2020 Valuation Actuarial report was published on 27 October 2023. We have informed members that the employer contribution rate will increase by 5% to 28.6% of pensionable pay next April 2024. The employee contribution rates will remain the same until 1 April 2025.
As reported previously, the Department for Education has agreed to cover the cost for the first year for maintained schools and academies. NAHT will continue to press the government to provide detail on how and when this additional funding will be distributed.
National Pensioners Convention
Here are some useful resources and updates for life members from the National Pensioners Convention (NPC).
It costs £10 per year to join the NPC.
NAHT Cymru
Suzanne Hamer, immediate past president of NAHT Cymru, and branch secretary for Monmouthshire, provides an update from Wales.
It has been an absolute privilege to be the voice of school leaders across Wales during the past year, one that has been marked by unprecedented challenges and historic milestones for our NAHT.
As I look back on my presidential year, it is with a sense of immense pride in our union. In the 126 years of NAHT Cymru, we faced a momentous event – the first industrial action. These times tested our resilience as a union, and I am proud to say that together, we stood strong in the face of adversity. Our collective commitment to advocating for the rights and well-being of educators and protecting the delivery of high-quality education for learners in Wales has never been more evident.
As president, I was fortunate to be able to travel the length and breadth of the country, attending branch meetings from Anglesey to Pembrokeshire. I have witnessed the dedication and passion of our members in navigating these uncharted waters. Face-to-face engagement with members has been crucial in understanding the challenges of our school leaders. The challenges we encountered served as catalysts for innovation and solidarity. Through collaborative efforts, we have not only weathered the storm but emerged stronger, more united than ever before.
During the summer term, we appointed our new NAHT Cymru life member representative, Jayne Edwards. We also have a very active group of life members in the south east, who meet monthly to share a coffee with other retired leaders, listen to guest speakers, go on trips, or simply provide company for one another. If anyone is interested in joining the group or perhaps setting up something similar in their own area please reach out and I can put you in touch with the group secretary.
I want to express my gratitude to each member who contributed to our shared mission. Your unwavering support and commitment have been the driving force behind our success. As we move forward, let us carry the lessons learned during this historic year into the future, ensuring that our union continues to be a beacon of advocacy, support, and empowerment.
NAHT Northern Ireland
An update from Ralph Magee, NAHT (NI) life member representative.
Life member representation
At the AGM of the NI regional executive (RE) in October, Ralph Magee was elected to the position of life membership representative. The position of substitute/deputy will be filled by Liam McGuckin from January 2024.
Action short of strike (ASOS)
ASOS continues with a revised set of actions, building on those sanctioned during the 2022/23 school year. There remains a strong commitment to ASOS across the province, and all NAHT (NI) committee members are encouraged to promote ASOS as the 2023/24 academic year gets underway. It is hoped that there will be a focus on supporting new/less experienced principals in balancing the challenges presented by adherence to ASOS with those related to ‘finding their feet’ in a new position.
A notable action took place in early October 2023, when members were instructed not to submit school census data in the electronic format requested by the Department of Education. Instead, members printed PDF copies and posted them. In addition, a representation of members hand-delivered hard copies to the department’s headquarters.
Pay
While NAHT continues to campaign vigorously in favour of a pay deal, highlighting in real terms the loss in earnings over the past decade, no response has been made by the employer. Negotiations continue, with ‘lines of communication’ remaining open. NAHT officers, both in NI and Great Britain, continue to seek regular opportunities, alongside partner teaching unions, to promote both the loss in earnings and the lack of Departmental response to the current pay claims. There are now three outstanding pay claims.
While we accept that the employing authorities have been hampered by the failure of local government and, of course, decisions made in Westminster, we do not accept that our members, and the wider teaching profession, should expect no increase in pay considering that pay awards for the teaching profession in Scotland, England, Wales, the Isle of Man, Jersey and, of course, the rest of Ireland, have been made in various iterations and at several times in the last three years. Teachers and school leaders in Northern Ireland have had no increase in the same period. This disparity can only be described as farcical.
Given the pay disparity across the regions in which NAHT operates, the fact that pay awards for other roles within public service in Northern Ireland have been provided and, of course, that we have been in formal industrial dispute for a year without a single offer, the RE decided to announce five days of strike action, the first of which was on 29 November 2023. This decision was ratified by the national executive and employers were notified on Monday 20 November. The five days of strike action will be taken in solidarity with the four teaching unions.
Funding
The disparity between NI education funding and that available in Great Britain remains unchanged. NAHT's efforts to address this crisis through discussions with the secretary of state have been met with resistance and a continued policy position of referring this matter to the NI Assembly. The assembly, however, remains suspended with no education minister in place. Naturally, this position affects all issues addressed here and by the wider public sector pay claims/industrial action across NI.
A meeting took place recently (on 26 October 2023) between the permanent secretary of the department and the chair of the Education Authority Board, followed by the issuing of a joint statement highlighting the lack of education funding in NI and the impossibility of ‘living within budget’ this year. This position is the basis for the department claiming that no pay award can be processed due to the lack of available funding. An exploratory offer of 5%, proposed informally with the NI director last December and rejected by the RE in NI, has never materialised formally to members, and the money that had been reserved appears to be no longer available. NAHT’s position remains unchanged and it will continue to stand with NI trade union colleagues in campaigning for an acceptable pay award.
School leader workload review
Members were hopeful of action from the department on several ‘easy fixes’ within the range of workload reviews agreed to by the Department. None have materialised. This issue, and the inherent pressures members feel as a result of workload, will need to be addressed at RE level again this year. NAHT (NI)’s agreement not to publish the recommendations, as reported at the last council meeting, may need to be revisited, especially if the pay review stalls.
SEN provision
The allocation of places at special schools remains an emotive and highly publicised issue in NI. NAHT (NI) has encouraged members to engage with the review of special educational needs education in NI as a whole. There is widespread condemnation by the profession and the public on the department’s performance, policies and strategies towards the most vulnerable children in our society.
As reported last year, recruitment and retention in this sector remain under extreme pressure. Pupils placed in mainstream schools without adequate support remain a reality and this matter requires urgent attention. The fact that more than 800 children were unplaced at the start of September 2023 is a reflection of just how ‘broken’ the system is. The vast majority of these children will have been ‘in the system’ prior to school age, yet neither the department nor the Education Authority had a strategy for placing them. Mainstream schools have also been encouraged to host SEN units where there is available space. However, there is no Education Authority support for appropriate immediate and ongoing staff development to provide for the children.
Nursery principal management time
The pursuit of nursey principal release time continues. This campaign is led by the NAHT (NI) nursery committee and has been ongoing for more than a decade. We are now working towards a legal case on gender discrimination against the Department of Education.
In England you can get a bus pass for free travel when you reach the State Pension age. In Wales you can get a bus pass when you reach 60. In Northern Ireland, to apply for a 60+ SmartPass you must be aged between 60 and 64 and permanently resident in Northern Ireland for a minimum of three months. To apply for a Senior (65+) SmartPass you must be aged 65+ and permanently resident in Northern Ireland for a minimum of three months. If you live in London, you can travel free on buses, tubes and other transport when you’re 60, but only within London.
Want to do something more for the future of education? Why not get more involved in NAHT and join other school leaders in making a difference.
There are many ways you can get involved with NAHT. You don’t have to commit a lot of time to get more involved and we offer an extensive national training programme – give it a try; you’ll be amazed how much you get out of it.
Get involved in your local NAHT branch
Every member of NAHT belongs to a branch. Why not get involved by going along to a branch event to meet other school leaders and find out what the branch is doing? You’ll be made very welcome and it’s a great chance to find out more about what NAHT is doing for you and for education, and to share your experiences with like-minded education professionals.
Find out more about NAHT's branches.
Take on an official role
Help your colleagues and other members by becoming an NAHT official. Being an NAHT official gives you the opportunity to:
- make a positive difference to the working lives of school leaders and the challenges they face
- meet other school leaders and gain new skills through our national training programme
- help create a better future for education.
Get involved in one of our networks
NAHT has three informal equality networks for members, led by members, for members. Facilitated by NAHT, each network meets online every half term, with an annual in-person meeting in the summer term. Each network helps amplify the voices of members within NAHT, as well as providing support, information and networking opportunities.
- Leaders for Race equality network
- LGBT+ network
- Disabled members network
Find out more about NAHT’s equality networks.
If you are not sure who to contact locally and want to get more active, email organising@naht.org.uk.
Here are the details of meetings of NAHT's executive committee and life member sector council in 2024:
- NAHT Constitution and Rules Revision Conference – Thursday 25 January 2024 at TUC, Congress House, London (only one NAHT member per branch to attend)
- Life member sector council meeting – 11am to 3pm on Tuesday 27 February 2023, Millbank Tower, London, and via Teams
- NAHT Annual Conference and AGM – 3 to 5 May 2024 at the ICC in Newport, Wales
- Life member sector council meeting – 11am to 3pm on Tuesday 11 June 2024, Millbank Tower, London, and via Teams
- Life member sector council meeting – 11am to 3pm on Tuesday 12 November 2024, Millbank Tower, London, and via Teams
Please contact your NAHT national office for support, guidance, representation and advice
Life member sector council: who's who?
Click here to see information about who's who on the life member sector council.
Each NAHT LMSC member is annually elected by the appropriate NAHT region executive committee or NAHT devolved nation (NAHT Cymru and NAHT NI) executive committee.
NAHT provides a free and confidential helpline to all members that can be reached on 0800 917 4055. This service is available all year round, including during out-of-office hours.
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