Calderdale

National Union of
Teachers
A manifesto for our
children's education
Responses to NUT 'Stand Up for Education
Manifesto' from elected member leaders
on Calderdale Council

In October 2014, Calderdale National Union of Teachers requested the leader of the Conservative, Labour,
Liberal Democrat groups on Calderdale Council reply to our 'Stand Up for Education Manifesto' we wrote to:

Conservative

Cllr Stephen Baines

Labour

Cllr Tim Swift

Liberal Democrat

Cllr Janet Battye

Our education manifesto calls for a broad, balanced and enriching curriculum with a wider vision of learning
and achievement.
The election provides a fantastic opportunity to make the case for the best education system for all our
children for a system that values every child and gives teachers the platform to bring out their full potential.
We informed the leaders of each group that all replies - or lack of them - would be published, here they are ...

Conservative

Cllr Stephen Baines

No response

Liberal Democrat

Cllr Janet Battye

No response

Labour

Cllr Tim Swift

We share many of the aims and values set out in this manifesto, and welcome it is an important tool for debate how we
all want education to improve in the next five years. Whilst as you would expect, we wouldnt agree with every detail,
many of the important points raised in here are in line with Labours priorities and commitments locally and often
nationally too.
In particular, we share your call for a wider vision of learning and achievement. Whilst there is a place for testing, we
agree that the current balance is wrong and encourages teaching to the test instead of instilling real skills and a
passion for learning. Labour were at the heart of the London Challenge, and as you may know there are early attempts
to develop this approach across Yorkshire.
We strongly agree with the emphasise on quality of teaching and the need for qualified teachers, and you will be aware
that Shadow spokesperson Tristram Hunt has consistently opposed the Governments willingness to allow unqualified
teachers to be used.
In Calderdale, Labour took the lead on ensuring that tackling child poverty is recognised as one of the key priorities, not
just for the Council but for all agencies across the district, and in setting up a child poverty task force. We have
protected early years and sure start services, and recently commissioned work to identify how breakfast clubs can be
supported and developed to make sure no child in Calderdale starts school on an empty stomach.
Locally, we have acted to tackle the school place crisis. We are concerned that nationally the Government is investing in
free schools rather than giving priority to areas where there is an urgent need for additional places. We hope that the
next Labour government will put local authorities back at the heart of planning for school provision, with the power and
resources we need to lead this work.
We recognise your concerns about the fractured education system. Whilst Labour nationally has started on the road of
committing to restoring local authority leadership, personally I would hope that they will go further. We support an end
to the free school programme which we believe has been divisive, costly and wasteful.
We would note in passing that in addition to their being early signs of major weaknesses in governance and
management of some academy chains and free schools, the powers over individual schools exercised by multi academy
trust and arrangements far exceed any powers that local authorities have held in the past over individual schools. We
believe that accountable local authorities can offer the right balance of accountability and autonomy for schools.
We do not believe that profit-making chains should be allowed to run schools. The use of the private sector to provide
services to schools must never be on a scale where the schools and local authorities lose their overall responsibility and
accountability for the quality of education and the associated supporting services.
Here in Calderdale, we have continually argued for the investment we need to deliver quality education, and we will
continue to do so. Its important to recognise that whilst the Government seeks to claim credit for the sums spent on
Pupil Premium, it is clear that much of this was never new money but has simply been taken from schools through cuts
to other grants and funds.
Finally, we agree that quality education depends on well-motivated, well-trained teachers who want to remain in an
attractive and rewarding profession.
This is a necessarily brief response to your document, but I hope it gives you a strong flavour of the extent to which our
overall aims and ambitions for schools, for teaching and for education are closely aligned with yours.

pp Calderdale NUT. Prospect House, 18 Clare Road, Halifax, HX1 2HX