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NAHT Northern Ireland

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NAHT Northern Ireland represents principals and vice-principals in around two-thirds of 1,150 schools in Northern Ireland. NAHT Northern Ireland provide advice, training and support for its members on a range of issues faced by senior leaders in schools. Along with our colleagues in England and Wales, we are there to defend and extend the rights of school leaders.  

NAHT NI is democratic and member-led, and supported by its Belfast-based team of staff alongside their colleagues based in both Wales and England.

NAHT Northern Ireland
Carnmoney House
Edgewater Office Park

Belfast
BT3 9JQ

nahtni@naht.org.uk
02890 776633 

NAHT Cymru: reasonable expectations guidance

NAHT Cymru recognises that head teachers, as leaders in their communities, have a role to play in our combined fight against coronavirus. 

Our members have stepped up to the challenge of repurposing schools to become childcare hubs to support the children of key workers and vulnerable children; they have supported home learning and worked through the summer to prepare for the challenges the autumn term has brought. 

As Wales enters the second peak of the virus, more emphasis is being put on the preventative measures that can be deployed to stem the spread of the virus. 

While head teachers are being asked to support the Test, Trace and Protect process by helping to give information on contact groups and help inform parents, there needs to be clear parameters of what is expected of school leadership teams. 

These expectations must be reasonable and strike the right balance between supporting the national effort and ensuring that school leaders are not on call every evening, and throughout the weekend. 

The Welsh TTP team only operates between 8am and 8pm, and therefore we do not expect school staff to be on call to support the process outside of these hours. 

We encourage the Welsh Government and the Local Authority employers to work with us on developing a rota system that not only supports school SLTs but also the education staff at Local Authority level who are also expected to be available. 

We do not accept any directive informing school staff that they need to be available at all times or 24/7 or any other terminology that means they cannot switch off from school. 

NAHT Cymru’s position is that such an approach is unreasonable, unsustainable and unsafe for our members and schools. 

Furthermore, it could put the health and well-being of NAHT Cymru members at risk. NAHT Cymru will challenge any employer imposing unreasonable expectations.


Mae NAHT Cymru yn cydnabod bod gan benaethiaid, fel arweinwyr yn eu cymunedau, ran i'w chwarae yn ein brwydr barhaus yn erbyn coronafeirws.  

Mae ein haelodau wedi ymateb i'r her o addasu ysgolion i fod yn ganolfannau gofal plant i gynnig cymorth i blant gweithwyr allweddol a phlant bregus; maent wedi cynorthwyo dysgu gartref ac wedi gweithio trwy'r haf i baratoi ar gyfer yr heriau oedd o’u blaen yn nhymor yr hydref.  

Wrth i Gymru geisio ymdopi ag ail don y feirws, mae mwy o bwyslais yn cael ei roi ar y mesurau ataliol y gellir eu defnyddio i atal lledaeniad y feirws.  

Er y gofynnir i benaethiaid gefnogi'r broses Profi, Olrhain a Diogelu trwy helpu i roi gwybodaeth am grwpiau cyswllt a helpu i hysbysu rhieni, mae angen ffiniau clir o ran yr hyn a ddisgwylir gan dimau arweinyddiaeth ysgolion.   

Rhaid i'r disgwyliadau hyn fod yn rhesymol gan sicrhau'r cydbwysedd cywir rhwng cynorthwyo'r ymdrech genedlaethol a sicrhau nad yw arweinwyr ysgolion ar alwad bob nos, a thrwy gydol y penwythnos. 

Dim ond rhwng 8am ac 8pm y mae tîm POD Cymru yn gweithredu ac felly nid ydym yn disgwyl i staff ysgolion fod ar alwad i gynorthwyo'r broses y tu allan i'r oriau hyn.  

Rydym yn annog Llywodraeth Cymru a chyflogwyr yr Awdurdod Lleol i weithio gyda ni i ddatblygu system rota sydd nid yn unig o gymorth i Uwch Dimau Arweinyddiaeth mewn ysgolion, ond hefyd y staff addysg ar lefel Awdurdod Lleol y mae hefyd disgwyl iddynt fod ar gael.  

Nid ydym yn derbyn unrhyw gyfarwyddiadau sy'n hysbysu staff ysgolion bod angen iddynt fod ar gael trwy’r amser neu 24/7 nac unrhyw derminoleg arall sy'n golygu na allant gymryd seibiant o’u cyfrifoldebau yn yr ysgol.  

Safbwynt NAHT Cymru yw bod dull o'r fath yn afresymol, yn anghynaladwy ac nid yw’n ddiogel i'n haelodau a'u hysgolion.  

Yn ogystal, gallai beryglu iechyd a llesiant aelodau NAHT Cymru. Bydd NAHT Cymru yn herio unrhyw gyflogwr sy'n gosod disgwyliadau afresymol.

First published 02 October 2020

NAHT Northern Ireland Events 2023

NAHT(NI) AGM and industrial action meeting

Our 2023 AGM and industrial action meeting takes place on Thursday 5 October 2023 – find out more

 

 

 

 

Recent consultations and other documents

NITC joint letter to management side

The five teacher unions in Northern Ireland, including NAHT(NI), wrote to the employers seeking additional payment to school leaders and teaching staff who worked significant additional hours during summer 2021 in order to ensure this work was recognised.

 

Consultation on deferring school starting age: NAHT(NI) draft response

We are concerned at the advancement of this proposal as the evidential basis for this consultation is highly limited. We contend that the current proposal should be retracted. The proposal fails to reflect the experience of pupils, school leaders, parents and the whole school community. Given the significance of this potential policy change, it is essential that the perspectives of all stakeholders are considered. We know that members are operating in a business-critical environment and will have limited or no time to engage with consultation exercises, however, we encourage members to consider responding to this important consultation and copy our response to complete your individual response.

 

Previous consultation responses and statements

First published 08 April 2020
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