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Life membership FAQs

 
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Who is eligible for life membership?  

Full members and professional associate members can apply for life membership:

  • if they are no longer eligible for full membership because their employment has ceased
  • and if they are entitled to take their retirement benefits (usually at age 55)

Why should I become a life member? 

If taken up within six months from the end of full or associate membership then life membership provides:

  • individual legal support and representation for issues relating to the time when you were a full member

  • occupational pension advice

  • have my views as a Life Member represented on the NAHT National Executive
    Committee

  • national collective representation on behalf of past senior leaders in education

  • national and local conferences and Regional and Branch networks

  • full access to the NAHT website

  • access to the NAHT counselling and support line

  • access to a variety of services from NAHT partners, including NAHT Personal Financial Services, Redstone Wills, Education Support, Judicium Education and NAHT Extras. 

Will life membership cover me for any issues that arise from my time in full membership?

Yes. The main purpose of life membership is to provide retrospective cover for your former service when a full member.

How do I become a life member?

Please email membersupport@naht.org.uk to confirm your retirement date. It is important that we receive written confirmation of this date in order to process the transition from full membership to life membership at the right time. This will ensure that full cover is maintained for as long as you need it at work and that there is no over payment or underpayment of your subscription.

Will life membership cover me for any work I do after retirement? 

Life membership is intended for those who have retired (which is why you must be age 55 or over).  If you should need part-time classroom teaching cover, please let us know.  This additional cover is free of charge for the first 12 months.  Thereafter an additional fee is payable; further information on fees can be found here.

Not covered by life membership would be any leadership-type role, interim headship, advisory work or consultancy for example.  If this is a possibility we would be pleased to advise you on the most suitable membership category for your needs. Contact us on 0300 30 30 333 selecting option 2 or email membersupport@naht.org.uk

I am thinking of leaving headship and becoming a consultant until I am ready to retire, would life membership cover me for this?

No. Life membership is intended for those who have retired (which is why you must be age 55 or over) and only provides retrospective cover for their full membership years. 

We would still recommend you take out life membership so that your former service is covered by us and you maintain access to the benefits of membership.  For more information contact us on 0300 30 30 333 selecting option 2 or email membersupport@naht.org.uk.

If you become self-employed we would recommend you take cover for public liability and professional indemnity insurance. 

Do I have to take out life membership immediately after retirement?

It is your choice to take out life membership but your application must arrive at NAHT within six months of leaving full or associate membership e.g. if you leave full membership at 31 August, then your application for life membership must arrive by the end of February the following year. 

*All subscriptions quoted are correct at time of publishing but can be subject to change.

What is an NAHT Regional or NAHT Branch LIFE Member Representative?

An NAHT Regional or NAHT Branch LIFE Member Representative is an NAHT LIFE member who has retired from their school post (Headteacher / Principal / CEO, Head of School, Deputy, Assistant Head, School Business Leader) The NAHT LIFE Member Representative provides a communication point for NAHT local branch members to contact for information on the opportunities available to new / existing NAHT LIFE members and NAHT LIFE member issues.

Who can be an NAHT Regional or NAHT Branch LIFE Member Representative?

Whether leaving a labour of love or embracing a life of leisure,  there can be no doubt that retirement from school leadership marks a huge change in lifestyle.

There will be adjustments to make, new challenges to take and a range of new opportunities.

At a time like this it is very important to ensure that you do not lose all the support you received in your working life.  NAHT life membership can help maintain that support.

To be eligible for NAHT life membership you just need to be entitled to take your retirement benefits, usually from 55 years of age, whether or not you choose to do so.

ALL categories of NAHT membership are able to be an NAHT LIFE Member Representative subject to election by the appropriate branch

What does an NAHT Regional or NAHT Branch LIFE Member Representative do?

The NAHT LIFE Member Representative provides a communication point for NAHT local branch members to contact for information and/or advice on the opportunities available to new and existing NAHT LIFE members

The NAHT LIFE Member Representative liaises with the local NAHT Branch Officials, NAHT Regional Officials, NAHT NEC Members and NAHT Staff

Where can I be an NAHT Regional or NAHT Branch LiFE Member Representative?

Either:

  • the NAHT Branch where the NAHT member’s school was located - OR
  • The NAHT Branch local to where the NAHT LIFE Member lives

What training is available for an NAHT Regional or NAHT Branch LiFE Member Representative?

NAHT Officials training is available across each term. Contact NAHT Democracy & Governance for details magnus.gorham@naht.org.uk

Why are NAHT Regional or NAHT Branch LIFE Member Representatives needed and important?

On retirement there will be adjustments to make, new challenges to take and a range of new opportunities.

At retirement it is very important to ensure that you do not lose all the support you received in your working life.  NAHT life membership can help maintain that support.

NAHT LIFE Members are a vital potential support for other NAHT LIFE and for NAHT members still in post

What is the NAHT LiFE Member organisational structure?

  • Branches 
  • Regions
  • Sector Councils
  • National Executive
  • National Officers
  • AGM / National Conference
  • NAHT Staff

NAHT Branches

Members of the NAHT are allocated to a Branch usually reflecting the local authority in which their employer is based. 

There are around 170 branches.  

Each Branch is administered by a Branch Executive Committee consisting of a President, Vice President, Immediate Past President, Treasurer and Secretary.  

Branches have the following functions:

• Representing local members with their employers

• Recruiting new members

• Nominate and elect Branch delegates to the AGM and Regional Executive

• Nominate full members to hold office as members of National Executive, National Officers and General Secretary

• To perform such other duties on behalf of member as shall be laid down by the National Executive

NAHT Regions

Branches are grouped together into 12 Regions, usually reflecting the boundaries of government regions or two devolved national governments.

Each Region is administered by a Regional Executive Committee consisting of a President, Vice President, Immediate Past President, Treasurer and Secretary.  

Regions have the following functions:

• To represent members with their employers English Regions or within devolved national jurisdictions

• To assist NAHT branches in recruiting new members

• To nominate and elect Regional delegates to NAHT conferences and other meetings

• To nominate Full Members to hold office in the NAHT as members of the National Executive, National Officers and General Secretary

• To perform such other duties on behalf of the Region’s members as shall be laid down by the National Executive.

NAHT's sector councils

NAHT’s ‘sector councils’ each specialise in a particular sector or role and provide a forum for our members to have their say about how we support them and what actions we take on their behalf.  Meeting four times a year, the councils help to steer and develop NAHT’s policy and campaigning priorities and ensure that our advice and guidance reflect the needs of our members. They also support the work of our membership team in recruiting new members and assist with the development of our training courses and conferences.

Being a co-optee helps amplify your voice within the association. It offers you the opportunity to engage with NAHT's mission to represent our members at a national level and influence government policy. Furthermore, co-optees often find this role provides valuable professional development in its own right, as well as offering useful insights and knowledge that they can take back to their school(s), their local networks and/or their wider working lives.

The role of ‘co-optees’

Co-optees are NAHT members who provide the council with specific knowledge, expertise, experience and/or skills relating to the remit of the council and seek to articulate the views and experiences of the wider sector, role and/or area that they have been selected to represent.  

Co-optees are invited to join the council for an initial term of three years, with the opportunity to reapply for the position at the end of this term.

The majority of co-opted members sit on councils that typically meet four times a year, meaning that usually co-optees are out of school and/or work for a maximum of four days a year. The exact dates and locations will be communicated to you in advance through the council’s administrating officer.  

Co-optees to all NAHT councils, committees and groups are encouraged to be proactive and visible representatives of the sector and/or role they represent, not just in the meetings themselves but throughout their tenure. This might include engaging in other opportunities to represent NAHT and the council, such as in meetings with representatives from respective government departments to discuss specific policy, or in supporting NAHT conferences or events, and in attending NAHT regional and national events, however, these are completely voluntary.

In addition, co-optees may have the opportunity to engage in promoting the work of the council through NAHT’s member communications, help to develop NAHT’s responses to governmental policies and consultations, and support NAHT’s press and media activity.

If you are keen to represent the views and interests of your specific sector or role on one of our councils that currently has a vacancy, we would like to hear from you. We encourage applications from a diverse range of members as part of NAHT’s commitment to representing the diverse school workforce. Please get in touch at policy@naht.org.uk should you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, or if you have any questions relating to the accessibility of the role.

Representatives must be able to commit to four meetings a year and NAHT will cover reasonable travel expenses to attend meetings. During the covid-19 pandemic, sector councils have been meeting virtually. NAHT is keeping this situation under review.

National Executive

The overall governance, management and control of the NAHT is vested in the National Executive. 

The National Executive comprises 46 members. Within this, there are 33 who represent NAHT branches within each NAHT region, each made up by amalgams of branches. 

The interests of members working overseas, in Scotland and in Service Children’s Education are represented by the National Treasurer who is elected by the full NAHT membership. 

In addition to the National Executive members elected to represent the Electoral NAHT Regions and the National Treasurer, there are reserved seats to represent under represented groups of membership. 

Currently these reserved seats are: four for members who work in secondary schools, two who work in special schools and six for members who work as deputy and assistant head teachers.

The National Executive delegates powers and functions to committees.  There are four main committees:

  1. Membership Services,
  2. Policy,
  3. Practice and
  4. Professional. 

There are four standing committees: Finance, Personnel, General Purposes and Business.  

There are several sector councils:

  1. Deputy and Assistant Head Teachers,
  2. Primary,
  3. Secondary
  4. Special/SEND
  5. School Business Managers
  6. Early Years 

In addition NEC Task and Finish Groups are temporarily set up to manage projects from time to time.

National Officers

The NAHT has five National Officers:

  1. The President,
  2. Vice President,
  3. Immediate Past President,
  4. Treasurer and
  5. General Secretary.

National AGM / Conference

The AGM is the supreme policy making body of the NAHT, and discusses all pertinent issues relating to the governance and administration of the NAHT. 

The Annual Conference discusses and make decisions on education and other social policy issues of relevance to NAHT members.

NAHT Staff

The headquarters of NAHT is based at 15.11-15.12 Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP.

In addition to NAHT headquarters there are offices based in Cardiff and Belfast, focusing on the needs of the members in Wales and Northern Ireland respectively. 

There is also a network of 19 Regional Officers, whose primary role is to support members in the workplace.  The areas covered by each Regional Officer are not necessary co-terminus with the regional structure described above.

Who is a member of the NAHT National LIFE Member Committee and when does the Committee meet?

The NAHT National LIFE Member Committee is organised as follows:

Chair: John Killen  john.killeen@nahtofficials.org.uk 

Vice Chair: Nigel Paton nigel.paton@nahtofficials.org.uk

Communications Officer: Michael Wilson michael.wilson@nahtofficials.org.uk

Deputy Communications Officer: Eugene Symonds Eugene.symonds@nahtofficials.org.uk

Plus one elected NAHT LIFE Member Regional Representative from each NAHT Region (Regions elect two Life Member representatives but only one attends the LMSC meetings)

The NAHT Director of Democracy & Governance: Magnus Gorham magnus.gorham@nagt.org.uk

The NAHT LMSC meets on the Wednesday of each NAHT NEC meeting, four times per year plus NAHT National AGM & Conference

Who do I contact if I want more information?

The NAHT Director of Democracy & Governance: Magnus Gorham magnus.gorham@nagt.org.uk

LMSC Communications Officer: Michael Wilson michael.wilson@nahtofficials.org.uk

NAHT Headquarters

NAHT

15.11-15.12 Millbank Tower

21-24 Millbank

London

SW1P 4QP

info@naht.org.uk Tel: 0300 30 30 333

NAHT Northern Ireland

Carnmoney House

Edgewater Office Park

Belfast

BT3 9JQ

Tel: 02890 776633

NAHT Cymru

9 Columbus Walk

Brigantine Place

Cardiff

CF10 4BY

Tel: 029 20484546

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