Created on: 24 Apr 2020
Dear Member,
We hope you and your families have all stayed safe during the Easter Break whether volunteering or not.
The EIS nationally has continued to do all it can to ensure you are protected in terms of employment and your safety. There have been updates on SQA, Supply teachers, Health and Wellbeing and updated EIS FQA’s on the national website as well as other key issues. The online query form is on the national website if you require it.
Our intention is also to provide a local bulletin to keep you updated on developments within Argyll and Bute, if you have any immediate concerns you can contact our Local Association Secretary who will get back to you as soon as possible.
Our Email is argyllandbute@eis.org.uk and mobile – 07807639011
Please do not worry if you do not receive an immediate response, we will get back to you asap.
*Colleagues checking their pay this week – remember that whilst last part of pay deal should be paid this month you will also be paying out £65 for GTCS subscriptions.
We would remind you at this difficult time that no members of staff should be in schools or hubs unless they are part of the agreed volunteer arrangements set up for childcare of key workers. If you are a volunteer remember that gives you the classification of being a key worker.
*If you are not in school as a volunteer on the agreed rota you should stay at home*
For access to our EIS Coronavirus page please open the following link - https://www.eis.org.uk/Health-And-Safety/COVID19
Please find listed below the list of specific agreements, advice and guidance published during your Easter break period:
1. Working at Home Guidelines - https://www.eis.org.uk/Coronavirus/WFHGuidelines
This document contains our latest advice around the following issues;
2. SNCT Supply Agreement - https://www.eis.org.uk/Coronavirus/SNCT-Agreement-JS-20-78
3. GTCS Update - https://www.eis.org.uk/Coronavirus/GTCSUpdate
4. SQA Update and EIS response - https://www.eis.org.uk/Coronavirus/SQAStatement
5. FQA’s for Teachers Currently on Maternity Leave - https://www.eis.org.uk/Coronavirus/FAQsMatLeave
6. Guidance for Independent Schools - https://www.eis.org.uk/Coronavirus/IndependentSchools
7. Working from Home Guidelines – IMT’s - https://www.eis.org.uk/Coronavirus/WFHGuidelinesIMT
8. General Coronavirus Updated FQA’s - https://www.eis.org.uk/Coronavirus/FAQs
9. The Scottish Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline can be found here:
10. Report writing during school closures update https://www.eis.org.uk/Coronavirus/Reporting
*If you are not in school as a volunteer on the agreed rota you should stay at home*
1. SQA Estimates.
Locally we need to ensure that we and the authority are complying with the national guidance etc. Asking teachers to travel unnecessarily, go into schools which should be shut, and to swap paper-based coursework with colleagues is counter to the health and safety imperatives that have been clearly laid out by SG. If teachers are able to assess the work in advance of providing estimates to the SQA within the parameters of WTAS, well and good; if not, this can be done after and will be a potential source of ‘appeals’ evidence post-August. For teacher working at home, any collaboration with colleagues, whether that be for moderation/internal verification purposes should only be done electronically where time has been allocated for such activity within the WTA. SQA have now issued new advice and guidance here stating estimates are not due until 29th May, your establishment may wish to ask for these before this date to establish that they are not out of sink with previous submissions.
2. Authority Meetings.
The next JSC meeting takes place next Wednesday. Please let us know as soon as possible about any issues which you would like to raise via our local negotiating committee or our weekly meetings with the Heads of Education. The current agenda includes coronavirus updates; reporting guidance, PRD’s, recruitment, school improvement planning and working time agreements.
3. If members have any examples of good work such as sharing practice or assisting the local pandemic response, we wish to capture these so that we can share with the rest of the teaching community. Please send any pictorial or text contributions to; argyllandbute@eis.org.uk.
*If you are not in school as a volunteer on the agreed rota you should stay at home*
For any further local EIS enquiries please contact your Local Association Officials on argyllandbute@eis.org.uk