Stop Villifying teaching assistants says UNISON

Wed, 09/16/2009 - 09:08 — admin

UNISON, the UK's leading public sector trade union and the main union
for school support staff today called for respect for teaching
assistants (TA's) and other school support staff, and for them to be
given proper pay, training and support to do their jobs.

UNISON Head of Education, Christina McAnea, said:

"As a key member of the education team, teaching assistants (TAs) have a
very valuable role to play in delivering high quality education for
children. They are not teachers - they don't have the same training or

National Pay and Conditions - Update

Tue, 02/03/2009 - 07:04 — admin

The first major new negotiating body to be set up in the public sector
for around thirty years, has been given the royal assent today (12
November).

Around 700,0000 teaching assistants, nursery staff, administrators,
secretaries, policy officers, technicians, cleaners, special needs
staff, caretakers and school meals workers are covered by the new body,
which provides national guidelines for their pay and conditions.

Christina McAnea, Head of Education for UNISON, which represents more
than 250,000 school workers, welcomed the new body saying:

Welcome to the Schools Portal

Thu, 06/26/2008 - 20:31 — admin

Welcome to the UNISON Torbay Schools Portal

With the large amount of information that UNISON Torbay Local Government Branch has to pass on to its members and interested parties, it was decided to separate out Schools and Health and Safety in to their own portals.

This will allow those who are need to know what UNISON is doing in, or campaigning on within Torbay Schools, to find the information they need easily, without having navigate through the main Branch Site

UNISON condemns school 'Cherry Picking'

Mon, 10/13/2008 - 15:03 — admin

UNISON is concerned that a staggering number of England’s self-governing schools could be cherry-picking pupils.

Checks by the schools adjudicator reveal that of the 3,500 faith schools, foundation schools and academies examined, half are breaking a new admissions code by asking questions such as parents’ occupations.

"This is unacceptable," said UNISON head of education Christina McAnea. "It is particularly alarming that this is happening in schools that control their own admissions."

Schools Minister Confirms National Pay body for Support Staff

Sat, 07/12/2008 - 07:10 — admin

Schools minister Jim Knight confirmed that a new national negotiating body for school support staff will be in place by September when he spoke at a UNISON schools seminar in London today.

It will provide national guidelines for pay and conditions.

UNISON head of education Christina McAnea said it was a crucial step towards fair pay for this group of workers – made up of teaching assistants, nursery staff, administrators, secretaries, policy officers, technicians, cleaners, caretakers and school meals workers.

Time to Stop The Violence says Conference

Sat, 07/12/2008 - 07:07 — admin

Violence and aggression are not part of the job, declared UNISON's national delegate conference today, reaffirming the union's commitment to protecting public service workers.

If it's wrong for it to happen to you walking along the high street, it's wrong for it to happen to you at work, delegates said. UNISON's campaigning has already done much to raise awareness of attacks on workers just doing their jobs, they heard.

UNISON Calls for Tighter Guidelines on use of TA's

Sat, 07/12/2008 - 07:04 — admin

UNISON is calling for tighter regulations on the use of teaching assistants in schools.

Speaking from the union's annual conference in Bournemouth, Christina McAnea, UNISON National Secretary for Education, said: "Our members tell us they are often being asked to take on additional duties including taking whole classes.

"Many of them have not received the right training or support. Importantly, they are also not paid for these extra responsibilities.

Schools Newsletter

The Latest edition of the UNISON Schools Newsletter is out

Click the file below to view it. It has some excellent advice for members and non-members about the impending Industrial Action

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