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UNISON calls for urgent improvements to a ‘chaotic’ system in England

Some cleaners in schools in eastern England are still having to work without protective kit and not given the ‘deep-clean’ training needed to keep people safe, says a survey published today by UNISON. The union is calling on the government to provide schools with money to hire extra cleaners. Figures released by UNISON show that more than a quarter (26%) of […]

Government announcement on pupil funding still below pre-austerity levels in real terms

Government announcement on pupil funding still below pre-austerity levels in real terms

UNISON, along with some of the other unions in schools, has produced a checklist covering all school settings, including special schools. It’ll help school staff and reps have discussions with school leaders about their plans for safe reopening, and assist them in completing a thorough risk assessment that addresses the issues that concern you. 👇 Schools […]

School support staff will be central to the success of the full return to schools in September and Welsh Government’s operation guidance must reflect this, says UNISON.

Responding to plans published today (Thursday) by the government for the full return of schools from September, UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “Everyone wants all children to return to the classroom as soon as possible. There are still issues, though, around staffing and safety. “Test and trace must get a whole lot better for social […]

Responding to plans published today (Thursday) by the government for the full return of schools from September, UNISON head of education Jon Richards said: “Everyone wants all children to return to the classroom as soon as possible. There are still issues, though, around staffing and safety. “Test and trace must get a whole lot better for social […]

‘Headline-catching announcements’ are not dealing with the practicalities needed to ensure pupils can return to school safely, says union

School support staff will have a vital role in bringing pupils ‘back up to speed’

UNISON’s campaign for union safety representatives in schools has got off to a great start.  School support staff members and local UNISON contacts have begun actively finding out about the union safety rep role.  Within a couple of hours of the launch a teaching assistant in Nottingham, had come forward as a safety rep. Louisa Wass-Griffiths, UNISON […]

More than one in five support staff say primary schools have class sizes bigger than the 15 pupils per group maximum

Rushed government reopening plans have led to guidelines on ‘safe’ class sizes being ignored by some schools in the East of England, according to a survey published by UNISON today. Nearly a quarter (23%) of support staff say primary schools have operated class sizes bigger than the 15 pupils per group maximum recommended to maintain social distancing. The data was compiled from the responses of […]

Rushed government reopening plans have led to guidelines on ‘safe’ class sizes being ignored by ​some schools, according to a survey published by UNISON today (Friday). More than one in five (22%) ​support staff say primary schools have operated class sizes bigger than the 15 pupils per group maximum recommended to maintain social distancing. Nursery school ‘bubbles’ – where infants remain in small protected […]

With many schools across the UK reopening classrooms this week, UNISON Eastern acting regional secretary talked to activists in Thurrock about going back to school for his latest blog post. The government’s rush to reopen classrooms has been the main front in UNISON’s battle against coronavirus in recent weeks. Many schools have encouraged extra students […]