Need to know: Teacher pay, strikes and ‘appalling’ comments

Widespread teacher walkouts looked a more likely prospect this week after the country’s biggest teaching union issued a strike ultimatum to the Department for Education in response to a minister’s assertion that the government would not increase its teacher pay offer.

Meanwhile, the new education secretary found himself in hot water over his speech at the Conservative Party conference, a new Tes analysis revealed the impact of the government’s controversial shake-up of initial teacher training, and one teacher explained how a change in language can improve classroom behaviour.

Catch up on your must-read Tes news and features articles from the past week right here:

News

• Government will ‘not budge’ on teacher pay rises 
  School standards minister Jonathan Gullis has said he “will do everything I can to avoid any form of industrial action” but stressed that the government will not improve on its offer of a 5 per cent pay rise for experienced teachers.
   
• Strike ultimatum to government over teacher pay 
  The NEU, England’s biggest teaching union, has warned the government that it will hold a strike ballot next week unless ministers agree to fund above-inflation pay rises.
   
• Teacher trainee shortage fears as ITT ‘cold spots’ revealed
  The parts of the country facing a shortage of teacher training places, after initial teacher training providers failed the government’s controversial reaccreditation process, have been revealed by Tes research.
   
• Sats 2022: Key stage 1 maths and literacy plummet 
  The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing, maths and science by the end of key stage 1 has dropped significantly, reflecting fears that this cohort has been the worst hit by the impact of Covid.
   
• Malthouse accused of ‘appalling’ comments about teachers 
  Education secretary Kit Malthouse has come under fire for saying that staff working in schools are “hanging on to mediocrity”.
   
• Ofsted warned of a ‘huge credibility issue’
  Ofsted is being urged to share materials used by inspectors with all schools and trusts amid concerns that some schools have already seen them and therefore have an advantage in inspections.
   
• DfE cuts will leave schools facing ‘a catastrophe’
  Plans to make government departments stick to spending limits imposed last October - and even find savings - are “a looming” catastrophe for schools facing rising costs, sector leaders have warned.

Features

• Six ways to change your language to improve behaviour 
  Adjusting your language in response to poor behaviour in the classroom helps to stop incidents from spiralling out of control, explains teacher Mark Roberts.
   
• How do we keep TAs in the profession?
  Teaching assistants are leaving the profession after experiencing big increases in their workload and stress levels - but there is action that schools can take to hold on to these vital staff, says Margaret Mulholland.
   
• Extreme heat guidance: schools will have to plan carefully
  After some schools were forced to close in this summer’s heatwave, the government has now included “extreme heat” among the examples of severe weather that schools must consider under its emergency planning guidance.
   
• Why you can’t (completely) trust research
  Finding the right education research that will improve your teaching is a tricky business - but Michael Hobbiss has some tips to help guide you.