Workforce agreement on 'rarely cover'

ASCL members may already be aware that NASUWT has started a campaign on compliance by schools to all aspects of the 2003 workforce agreement. Notices have gone out from the NASUWT to its school representatives and local authorities.

The statements in the NASUWT papers are factually correct. However, if you believe that members of the NASUWT or other classroom unions have misinterpreted or misunderstood the detail of the agreement, please contact the ASCL hotline on 0116 299 1122 and we will help you to sort out the issue.

Copies of the NASUWT letters and publicity materials are available for viewing on the ASCL website.

ASCL members are also reminded that the workforce agreement states that schools should be making good progress towards 'rarely cover' for all teachers. The definition of rarely cover has not yet been agreed; Stephen Szemerenyi and John Dunford are representing ASCL on the Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group where discussions on this are taking place.

Nonetheless, schools should have plans in place as to how they can move to rarely cover by September 2009 and these plans should be discussed with teacher associations.