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EIS National Organising Conference: Saturday 3rd October, Glasgow – book your place today!
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All EIS reps are invited and encouraged to attend the forthcoming Organising Conference being held in Glasgow on Saturday 3rd October. This event is an opportunity for EIS reps and activists to come together and attend workshops to build their organising skills as well as hearing national keynote speakers.
Attendees will access bespoke workshops and interactive sessions on building member participation in their EIS branch, skills for persuasive negotiations, protecting teachers' health and safety in school, and tackling the far right in education and beyond.
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Keynote speakers will include Andrea Bradley, EIS General Secretary, and Taj Ali, a journalist and historian. Mr Ali is the former editor of Tribune and regularly appears as a commentator on the BBC, as well as contributing to the Guardian, Al Jazeera English and others. For his work on hate crime and Islamophobia he was chosen as a finalist for the 2026 Orwell Prize.
Venue: Clayton Hotel, Glasgow
Date: Saturday 3rd October 2026
Registration: 09:30
The conference will run from 10.00 until 15.30
Travel expenses will be reimbursed and lunch provided.
Action for Reps: Register for the EIS Organising Conference 2026. Invite other members of your branch to attend with you, especially fellow reps, H&S representatives and members interested in taking on more branch activities.
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Scottish Guidelines and Guardrails for the use of Artificial Intelligence in Schools
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As advised in last month’s Bulletin, the Scottish Government’s 'Scottish Guidelines and Guardrails for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Schools,' produced in collaboration with the EIS, are now live and apply to all use of AI in schools. The EIS has produced a short introductory video to help highlight the guardrails to teachers.
It is important that teachers are supported in respect of the appropriate, safe and ethical use of AI in schools.
Action for Reps: Please watch the video linked in this section and encourage EIS members in your school to watch, also.
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Gwen Mayor Memorial Trust
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The Gwen Mayor Memorial Trust was established in March 1996 following the tragic events in Dunblane Primary School when the teacher, Gwen Mayor, lost her life along with 16 pupils of the school. The purpose of the Trust is “to advance education by providing financial support for projects in connection with the arts, culture, music or sport submitted to the Trustees”.
Applications are now invited from primary schools and departments in Scotland. Proposed projects should fall within the purpose of the fund as set out above. Requests for full or partial funding of projects will be considered.
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Action for Primary Representatives: More information and the application form is available on the EIS website. Please submit all applications by Friday 2nd of October 2026.
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EIS Reps Training: new course dates for 2026-27
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We train Reps to be effective, knowledgeable and confident in their work. We also train activists so that they may support members and Reps in our schools and workplaces, and eventually become Reps themselves.
Dates for the forthcoming round of Reps Training are now available, including online and in-person courses across the country. There are also bespoke courses for Health and Safety Reps, and for members in further or higher education settings. You can view available training and dates for courses on the EIS Website.
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Action for Reps: Please attend EIS Stage 1 for Reps Course if you have not already done so or if you wish to have a training refresh.
Contact your LA Secretary or your Branch Secretary if you are a member of EIS ULA or FELA for advice and support on accessing training.
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Anti-Poverty PL: PACT Programme
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The EIS continues to offer national and local poverty-related professional learning through the PACT Programme.
PACT is a professional learning offer for educators in Scotland, rooted in social justice and equity. It supports educators to deepen their understanding of poverty, its causes and consequences, its impact on learners, families and communities, and how schools can help to mitigate the impacts.
National Sessions:
Details of upcoming online and in-person National PACT sessions are available on our website.
Local Association Sessions:
Tailored Local Association PACT Sessions can also be arranged. If you are interested in finding out more or in organising a local session, please contact jharris@eis.org.uk.
Some sessions have already been organised in the following local associations and members of these local associations are warmly encouraged to attend:
Action for reps: Please share these opportunities with your members or consider offering a session in your school or your Local Association.
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Encourage, Nourish and Grow: Supporting our youngest learners to thrive in nursey and school
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The EIS is pleased to announce that it is hosting an in-person event for early level teachers and graduate practitioners, ‘Encourage, Nourish and Grow: Supporting our youngest learners to thrive in nursery and school’.
This will be a day of early years focussed professional learning on Friday 6th November, 9am-4pm, at the Glasgow Radisson Blu.
Members can sign up via the EIS website.
Action for Reps: Please highlight this exciting professional learning opportunity to members in Early Years practice.
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Professional Learning Opportunities
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The EIS website holds details of professional learning opportunities that will be delivered throughout September and October.
Action for Reps: Please visit the professional learning section of the EIS website to access details of upcoming professional learning opportunities and share these with members.
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Updating Membership Details: Provisionally Registered Teachers and new starts
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Now is a good time to ensure that your branch’s membership list is up-to-date. This is especially relevant for teachers who are new to your school, including Provisionally Registered Teachers (PRTs, formerly known as probationers), but even members who have been in your branch for many years may need to update their contact details or membership category.
Accurate member contact details ensure members receive the most useful information from EIS HQ, and ensure members are able to participate in formal processes such as Local Association elections and national ballots.
Reps can also update the membership database directly; a video guide for doing so is available on our website.
For support on using the EIS membership database please contact your local Organiser.
Provisionally Registered Teachers (probationers) should be reminded they can access free EIS membership throughout their probation year to Christmas 2027, with further discounts available if they provide direct debit details in good time. Details of this offer and other resources for new teachers are available on the probationers’ section of the EIS Website.
PRTs who are already EIS members should be encouraged to update their membership details on the EIS database so their Local Association and base school is accurately recorded.
Action for Reps
- Review your branch membership list on the EIS database for accuracy.
- Approach PRTs (probationers) in your school to inform them of the EIS membership offer for probationers.
- Approach other new starts in your school to encourage them to join the EIS and/or update member details.
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Engagement with Local Association and EIS Organisers
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EIS Reps should have two-way communication with their Local Association – to share what is happening in their school and to hear what is happening at the local authority level.
We also have a team of EIS Organisers who support their own Local Associations and who visit branches to discuss our latest national campaigns, local campaign issues and to support reps.
Action for Reps: Please engage with your Local Association Secretary and attend LA meetings if you can. Please reach out to your local EIS Organiser to attend a branch meeting or if you want support as a Rep.
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