Last week, Lisa Smith from UNISON Sheffield local government branch attended a special Stars in Our Schools event in Parliament. Here’s her report back on the evening…
UNISON members working in, or representing members in schools, were recently invited to a parliamentary event to celebrate 10 years of UNISON’s Stars in Our Schools.
While I have visited the House of Commons a number of times in the past, it was exciting to arrive at Westminster for an evening event. Parliament, and in particular Big Ben, look extremely impressive when lit against the night sky.
Speakers
Once through security, we were directed through the vast Westminster Hall to the Jubilee Room. Here, UNISON members heard short speeches from a number of guest speakers, including the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson. Bridget spoke passionately about the vital role school support staff play in teaching and learning, be that in the school office, dining room, classroom, buildings etc. She specifically acknowledged the role school support staff play in supporting SEND pupils, often working with children with complex educational, medical, social and emotional needs.
Bridget then went on to outline the Labour Government’s commitment to the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB). The SSSNB will ONLY focus on school support staff to determine pay, terms and conditions, as well as taking a new approach to staff training and development.
UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards spoke about why UNISON started the Stars in Our Schools event. The aim was to inform and change the narrative around school support staff at a time when successive Tory governments seemed intent on undermining the vital contribution they make. UNISON knows the broad spectrum of members we support and represent in schools have a hugely positive impact on educational outcomes, particularly when deployed correctly.
Janey Blacklock, a school cook from St Mary’s school in Jarrow, gave the speech of the evening. It was clear from what Janey said that she absolutely loves her job, and is fully aware of the value it brings to the pupils in her school. As we all know, it’s very often support staff children remember from their school days. I certainly remember our school cook, and the skill she brought to the school cheese pie!
School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB)
Following the event, I took the opportunity to speak to speak to a number of MPs about the SSSNB, including:
- Simon Lightwood – Wakefield and Rothwell
- Melanie Onn – Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes
- David Baines – St Helens North
- Shaun Davies – Telford
I shared with each MP what UNISON members in Sheffield want to see as an outcome from the SSSNB: in order to effect meaningful change for them and the pupils they support, the government must be willing to support changes to pay, employment /deployment and career progression. Too often, school support staff are employed at the lowest possible level, with little or no chance of career progression. Low wages mean they either have to supplement their income with additional work, or – as has increasingly become the case since covid – move out of school work completely. When a job in a supermarket pays as much, or often more than a highly responsible job in a school, recruitment and retention will reach crisis point.
I feel my final point to MPs really hit home, by giving them a real life example of how low pay is. Recently a school in Sheffield advertised for a Level 2 teaching assistant. For 30 hours per week, the pay was £13,000 per year. If government and school leaders are serious about improving standards of teaching and learning, pay clearly needs to improve and reflect the highly responsible skilled jobs school support staff undertake.
All the MPs I spoke to were supportive of the SSSNB, and reassured me that Bridget Phillipson really does acknowledge the vital role school support staff play in improving outcomes for children.
Unfortunately MPs were called to vote, cutting short any further discussion. I did however leave feeling positive about how the new government views and values school staff UNISON works hard to support at a local and national level every day.
