Please note: The Edinburgh Local Association telephone number is 07926 946150. Our email address is edinburghla@eis.org.uk
In order to keep up to date with the latest news we ask that we are kept informed of any changes to your membership or contact information.
You can update your details by logging in to the My EIS section of the website https://www.eis.org.uk/Account/EISLogin or by emailing us on edinburghla@eis.org.uk
Secretary's Update 3 April 2025
Dear EIS Member,
Apologies that there hasn’t been a bulletin for a while – it has been exceptionally busy. Please do read this update carefully, as there are some very important updates.
Flexible Working
I have had a number of members get in touch with concerns around how the updated Flexible Working policy is being applied. We are raising these concerns with CEC, and talks are continuing to find a way to ensure that the application of the policy works within school settings, with our constraints around sessional working, etc. For now, please note the following —
Everyone has a right to make a flexible working request, and to have it seriously considered. However, they can be refused if operationally undeliverable (e.g. if a role can’t be backfilled, or if a class would have too many different teachers).
The default position is that changes are permanent. However, it is recognised that this presents challenges, so there is an option to make a temporary change. Whilst the new User Guide specifies that this can be for up to 12 months, we are pointing out to HR that this does not align with how schools work, and we are requesting that schools have greater flexibility to extend this. We cannot yet say if this will be agreed to, but I would advise that no one makes any permanent change to arrangements until after the Easter break, when we should have more clarity. If managers are pressing people to confirm decisions before the holiday, I would suggest showing them this advice and also asking that those managers speak to Senior Education Officers to get confirmation of the current position.
Even if we do get an agreement that temporary arrangements can run for more than 12 months, there will be a cut-off and temporary arrangements will not be able to run for more than two academic sessions (so, for example, a new working pattern from January 2025 would either revert to FT hours or be made permanent from August 2026.
National AGM and Amendments to Motions
Many thanks to those who came along to our local AGM, where we debated a wide range of motions. You can find out which motions passed here. LAs across Scotland had similar meetings, and submitted motions to EIS HQ, for debate in June. You will find all the motions that have been rules competent by the national Standing Orders Committee here. It is open to all local associations to submit amendments to these motions – do note that amendments are designed to clarify or improve a motion. Any amendment that seen as changing the fundamental intent of a motion will be ruled incompetent (if one disagrees with a motion, one should speak against it).
Anyone who wants to submit amendments to any motion should send them to edinburghla@eis.org.uk by 10am on Wednesday 23rd April, and they will be debated at the executive committee meeting happening at 5pm that day – you will also need to come along to the meeting to speak to your amendment.
Routes to Permanency – Info session for members
We continue to campaign hard, at both local and national level, around the totally unacceptable number of members unable to get permanent contracts. On Wednesday 7th May, at 5pm, there will be a Teams session where we will run over the different types of contracts, the associated terms and conditions, and the different ways members can establish a right to permanency. Please email edinburghla@eis.org.uk for a link.
Latest learning Rep Newsletter is here. Lots of important info, so do read carefully.
Latest CEC Equality Rep Newsletter is here. Again, lots of important info.
Working Time Agreement 2025-26
The 2025-26 WTA has been agreed and is here. I’ve already run a briefing session for reps on the key points. Both the agreement itself, and the briefing given to all HTs around both the WTA and CEC’s Improvement Framework for 2025-26 make it very clear that schools should be focusing on one, two or, at the absolute outside, three key priorities. And the time needed to overtake those priorities needs to be realistically evaluated. In other words, the WTA needs to be a key driver in reducing the vast amounts of unpaid overtime that all of us (including unpromoted teachers and HTs) are doing on a weekly basis. If any branch needs support in negotiating their WTA, do please get in touch.
ASLS Review
Hopefully all of those in scope of the ASLS Review were able to attend yesterday’s CEC briefing, and the follow-up Q&A with unions. As I said then, we will be doing some targeted sessions for specific groups very soon after the holiday (dates tbc). In the meantime, if anyone has specific concerns or queries, do get in touch and we will try and get answers as soon as possible.
Getting in Touch with the LA Office
A reminder that, if you want to get in touch with me, you MUST use edinburghla@eis.org.uk – emails sent to my CEC email address may not get through. We’ve also had a recent issue with many emails being put into quarantine. Plus, as I’ve explained, it has been exceptionally busy. So, if you have emailed and not had a response, please do check you have sent it to the correct address and, if you have and the matter is urgent, please do resend and I will try to get back to you.
Marni will be working over the Easter break, and I am hoping she will be able to sort out some of the backlog. I’m also delighted to report that we will be getting some additional admin support in the office after Easter, so that should help us cope with the volume of work.
Once again, sorry for the gap in updates – hopefully the above will give some insight into just how busy it has been, and some of what we have been doing lately. I suspect there may be another, briefer update tomorrow but, in case not, I hope everyone has a fabulous holiday and a much-needed break (and fingers crossed for continued sunshine!).
Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 7 March 2025
Dear EIS Member,
Some important updates and reminders before you switch off for a much needed weekend…
LA AGM – 12th March 5pm
PLEASE try to come along to this meeting, which is where we both discuss what the local association has been doing up to now, and set our priorities for the coming year. You can register here to attend in person at EIS HQ or you can email Marni at mkelly@eis.org.uk for a Teams link. You can find the motions that will be debated here. The deadline for submitting amendments to any of the motions is 12pm on Monday 10th – these amendments must be sent to edinburghla@eis.org.uk.
PRD/PU Information session – Friday 14th March
Our Learning Reps are going to be delivering a session for all members who have queries about PRD and PU. More details, and a link to sign up, are here on the Learning Reps page.
Menopause
If you go to the Health, Safety & Wellbeing page on our website, you will find both CEC’s guidance on supporting with the menopause, and refreshed EIS guidance. Given that tomorrow is International Women’s Day, this seems like a good time to highlight that EVERY school should have discussed what practical measures can be taken to ensure that they are doing all they can to support staff. If that has not happened in your school, I would urge you to ask your school H&S committee to discuss this (remember that every school should have a H&S committee that meets monthly – and that committee should have both teaching and non-teaching staff membership). Get in touch with the office if you need further support.
Gaps in Service – NI Contributions
Anyone who has had a gap in service (be that due to maternity leave, a career break, or any other reason) should be giving serious consideration to whether they need to make additional National Insurance contributions, in order to ensure they can get the full state pension. There is a looming deadline to make up any gaps that occurred between 2006 and 2016 – click here for more details.
Today is EIS National Council and, at this, we are discussing ways we can further highlight the issue of the lack of permanent posts for teachers – a topic that we are also continually raising locally. We are also aiming to hold a session for members soon on routes to permanency (date tbc – hopefully early May). And, of course, we continue to discuss issues around workload, Behaviours of Concern and a range of other issues. Come along to the AGM on Wednesday to hear more about what we are doing…
Enjoy the weekend, when it finally arrives. Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 28 February 2025
Dear EIS member,
Nearly the weekend! There is a lot going on at the moment, so I will get straight to it…
LA Treasurer
Thanks to everyone who voted in the recent election for LA Treasurer. We were lucky to have two really excellent candidates, and Allan Crosbie was duly elected. He will formally take up this role at the LA AGM. Once again, huge thanks to our current treasurer, Louise Bishop, for all her hard work over the last few years. Allan has a tough act to follow! However, I’m delighted that Louise will be remaining on the executive, where she will continue to be a strong voice on behalf of all members, especially our supply colleagues.
LA AGM – Wednesday 12th March 5pm (Hybrid meeting)
Do try to come along to this – the most important event in our local calendar. More info, the link to register, and the motions that have been submitted, here: Edinburgh AGM. Remember that the deadline to submit amendments is Monday 10th March.
ASN Network Meeting – Tuesday 11th March 5pm in Moray Place
For those of you who work at special schools, within the ASL service, or with ASN students in any capacity, we will be holding an ASN network meeting on Tuesday 11th March at 5pm in EIS HQ. It will be great to see as many members there as possible. If you are planning to come, could you please email Tom Britton at asstsecretaryedinburghla@eis.org.uk to let him know numbers. A buffet will be available, and if you have dietary requirements, please let us know. Parking expenses will be covered by Edinburgh EIS.
H&S Rep Meeting – Thursday 13th March 5pm on Teams
The next meeting of the Edinburgh EIS H&S rep network will be held on Thursday 13th March at 5pm on Teams. As well as a usual catch-up of what has been happening in your school, there will be a discussion about school H&S committees, risk assessments, and feedback from the short survey that was sent out. If you are intending to attend, please be sure to email Tom at asstsecretaryedinburghla@eis.org.uk. A Teams invite will be sent nearer to the date of the meeting.
Survey on Performance Management for Promoted Post Holders
Teacher performance is governed by the GTCS Standards. However, separate to their teaching role, promoted post holders also have management/leadership responsibilities, and those are governed by CEC’s performance management framework. CEC is in the process of updating this and, as part of that, is asking staff to complete a survey. So, if you are a promoted post holder, please go to Performance Management Policy and make sure your voice is heard.
Time Off for Religious Observance
For historic reasons, some school holidays are pinned to Christian holidays. Those from other faiths do not have this advantage. So, school staff who do require time off for religious observance are entitled to paid leave. You can find more detailed guidance about this, and about other matters related to Ramadan here: Edinburgh Ramadan Guidance for Schools 2025. Other useful resources are here: Ramadan Guidance and Islam – Ramadan & Eid (you will need to be logged into your CEC Microsoft email to gain access). If anyone has problems with obtaining paid leave, get in touch and we can help.
Compulsory Transfers
This is a very unsettling time for some members, as a number of schools are having to declare staff surplus. Everyone with a permanent contract will be redeployed, and there is a lot of support available to try to ensure that the moves are as successful as possible. If you are a primary member in this situation, you will soon be invited to a meeting where the whole process, and the support available, is outlined in detail. There are smaller number of secondary teachers who are also being identified for transfer – the need to match people on a subject basis makes this a slightly more complex process than in primary, so if you are a secondary teacher who has been identified, can you please email me directly at edinburghla@eis.org.uk (don’t worry if you are primary and want to talk – I’ll be happy to do so, but those conversations will be more productive if they happen later on this term).
There’s lots of other things going on, too – ongoing discussions around ASN, violence at work, the new MyHS portal, etc. – plus, lots of branch meetings (please do get in touch if you want our Organiser, Eilidh, or one of the office bearers to come out to your school).
I’m also trying to catch up with the backlog of individual correspondence that built up whilst we were focused on campaigning against the budget cuts (and let’s not lose sight of the fact that, tough as things are for many just now, it would be a lot worse if our campaigning had not succeeded in averting millions of pounds of cuts to schools). So, if you have not had a response to emails or phone calls, I do apologise – try to be patient and I hope to get back to everyone soon.
I hope you have a good weekend, and that the sun keeps shining on all of us. Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 18 February 2025
Dear EIS Member,
I hope you had a good holiday. This is a quick update, with a couple of very time sensitive reminders. I’ll be sending out another bulletin before the end of this week with information about our LA AGM.
Election for Edinburgh LA Treasurer
This election closes tomorrow. Everyone should have had an email with voting information (including the candidate statements) from EIS HQ before half term. Please make sure you vote - it's quick, easy, and makes a big difference. If you haven’t had the email (do check your spam folder) then please email membership@eis.org.uk today.
To All Reps and H&S Reps
If you are a school rep or a H&S rep, you should have received a very short survey about school H&S committees. Please take a couple of minutes to respond – the deadline has been extended to this coming Monday. Get in touch if you need the link resent.
CEC Budget
The budget setting meeting is this Thursday. We continue to lobby councillors about the need to protect education spending, and will be making a deputation to the full council meeting, to ensure all councillors are fully informed of the situation facing schools. We know that some of the proposed cuts have been pulled, and I think it is fair to say that this is as a result of the campaigning we have undertaken. We will push to try to get the rest of them pulled, too.
As I said, more info to follow soon, but please do vote in our local election. Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 6 February 2025
Dear EIS Member,
Nearly the holiday! A few very important updates and reminders for you before you sign off for what I hope will be a very relaxing week.
EIS National Survey
The closing date has been extended until tomorrow (7th Feb). PLEASE take some time to complete it – the more members who respond, the more robust the data and the more it can help us in campaigning. You should have had a link directly from EIS HQ – if not, email membership@eis.org.uk to ask for it to be reissued.
Office Bearer Election
I’m really pleased to note that there is going to be an election for the role of LA Treasurer. The fact that we have more people wanting to stand for these vital posts is an indication that we are growing engagement in the union. The election is run by HQ, so you should get an email from membership later today, with a link to the candidate statements and the voting form. PLEASE DO VOTE! It’s your union, so you should be having a say in who runs it… Unfortunately, it is quite a short deadline (19th February) so please do vote as soon as you get the link.
Our new treasurer won’t start until after the LA AGM, so Louise Bishop remains in post for now – and I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank her for the amazing work she has done over the last few years. Being treasurer is not easy, and she has put a lot of hours into making sure our finances are in good order and that executive members are clear about expenditure. Many thanks, Louise! You’ll be a tough act to follow.
I’m also pleased to say that our executive is now almost at capacity, with 27 members from across a broad spectrum of the membership. This should really help us maintain and develop our campaigning capacity.
Deadline for Motions to LA AGM
Any motions to be debated by the LA AGM must be submitted by noon tomorrow (7th). Send them to edinburghla@eis.org.uk. As soon as President’s Committee has decided on competency, we will circulate all motions, and there will be an opportunity to amend them before the AGM itself. Speak of, the Local AGM will be on 12th March, at Moray Place – we’ll send out the registration link after half term, but please save the date in your diaries now.
Understanding your Payslips, plus Issues with Pay
CEC has issued a guide to understanding your payslip. You should have received it directly from them but, if not, you will find it here: https://www.eis.org.uk/edinburgh/advice.
If you think there is an issue with your pay you should, in the first instance, raise it with your manager. If that does not resolve things, you should raise a ticket on HALO (if you can’t for any reason, you can phone them on 0131 469 5555). Only if that does not resolve things should you contact me – at that point I will need a note of the ticket number and the response from HR.
Those who have sent in queries over the last fortnight/3 weeks – I am trying to clear these as quickly as possible, but the new system does mean there has been a higher volume of questions, so it is taking longer than usual. I’ll try to get them sorted as soon as I can.
To All Reps and H&S Reps
If you are a school rep or a H&S rep, you should have received a very short survey about school H&S committees. Please take a couple of minutes to respond. Get in touch if you need the link resent.
Message from Heather
Thanks to everyone for the lovely messages and thoughtful gifts for my retirement. I'm loving the Lego flower bouquet, gin liqueurs and, from the remainder of my collection, I chose a globe drinks cabinet and a portable telescope. There is still more to spend so I am going to buy a subscription, or two, for something historic, arty or botanical, I have yet to decide!
Also, a big thanks to those who came along to the social on the 23rd of January, it was lovely to catch up. If we didn't get a chance to chat then, I will hopefully see you at the next social. Special thanks to Marni for organising the evening and for the very tasty baking, that cake went down very well.
I'm overwhelmed by the kindness and appreciation I've received from Edinburgh members, it's been a pleasure to work for you and I wish you all the best for the future.
Thanks very much
Heather
There’s lots more happening, but this is already a lengthy bulletin, so I will stop now. I do hope you have a great half term. I will also be on holiday, but Marni will be working and can respond to urgent queries.
Enjoy the break, stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind.
Alison
Secretary's Update 15 January 2025
Dear EIS Member,
I hope you are having a good week. Quite a lot in this, so I will get straight to it…
Lobbying Local MSPs re: Education
Exec members are going to be meeting with local MSPs next week, to raise awareness of the multiple crises facing schools (budgets, precarious working, violence etc). Whilst we have heard back from some local MSPs that they will be attending, others still have yet to reply. It would be incredibly helpful if every member who is an Edinburgh resident would click on this link: WriteToThem - Email your Councillor, MP, MSP, MS, MLA or London Assembly Member for free and send the following to both their local and list MSPs (feel free to adapt).
Dear XXX
Edinburgh EIS has invited you to meet with its exec members during the evening of Tuesday 21st January, in the Scottish Poetry Library (so very close to the Scottish Parliament), to hear details about the pressures facing schools. As your constituent, I would urge you to attend.
Kind regards
HT/DHT Members
If you are a HT or DHT member and did not receive an email from me to your personal email address on Friday, I would be very grateful if you would get in touch with me as a matter of urgency.
PSL Members
Edinburgh LA will be holding a meeting for Pupil Support Leaders on Thursday January 30th 5pm at EIS HQ (Moray Place). It will be an opportunity to share experiences, discuss the challenges facing PSLs and consider how as a local association we can organise and campaign to improve conditions for PSLs across the city. Light refreshments will be available and travel expenses will be reimbursed.
Please use this link: https://www.eis.org.uk/content/courseregistration/867 to register.
Motions for LA AGM/Joining the Exec etc…
Deadlines for joining the exec, applying to attend the national AGM, or submitting motions to the LA AGM are looming. Go to https://www.eis.org.uk/edinburgh and scroll down to 18th December for details.
Stand Up to Racism – March in London, Saturday 1st February
There is a national rally “Stop the Far Right, Stop Tommy Robinson” on Saturday 1st February in London. Scottish SUTR is sending a delegation, and subsidised/free travel is available. Please visit https://shorturl.at/BFdwZ for details.
General Member Support
Many members do not seem to realise the full range of benefits/support available to them through the EIS. If you go to https://www.eis.org.uk/Edinburgh and click on the “member support” section, you will see everything from the free will writing service to the sorts of insurance on offer. Do take advantage of these.
LA Social - Thursday 23rd, from 5pm at the Angels’ Share, 7 Hope Street
Please come join us! Aside from a chance to meet fellow members, and to say farewell to Heather, it is a free night out during the long wait until January’s pay day… Register here: https://www.eis.org.uk/content/courseregistration/829.
I hope to see you next Thursday. In the meantime, stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 19 December 2024
Dear EIS Member,
A brief bulletin with two important requests.
CEC Budget Consultation
CEC is consulting all residents about its plans to cut £30 million next year – and this includes asking for views about its planned cuts to school. We will, of course, be making a response as an LA, but the more of you who make individual responses, the better. PLEASE go to https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/ce/edinburghs-budget/ and share your views on what the proposed cuts will mean for the pupils of the city. The deadline is 14th Jan, so the sooner you complete it, the better.
Working for the EIS
If you go to https://www.eis.org.uk/careers you will see info on vacancies with the EIS. One of these is for a part-time admin assistant here in the LA office – with the volume of work that we are dealing with now, Marni needs some additional help. We are able to be very flexible as regards both location and how the core hours (which would be term-time only) will be organised. Please do think about whether you might have a friend with admin experience who would find this sort of working pattern ideal (maybe because of caring responsibilities or other commitments) and encourage them to apply.
Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 18 December 2024
Dear EIS Member,
Can’t believe we’re halfway through the last week of term! I hope it’s going as smoothly as possible… Below are a few important dates to get in your diary before you switch off for the holidays, and a few things for you to think about.
LA AGM – Wednesday 12th March 5-7pm
PLEASE make an effort to come along to the LA AGM. This is the most important meeting in the calendar of the local association – the motions passed drive all our work. It’s also where office bearers report on what we have been doing for the year, and where you, the members, can ask questions. We’ll also hear from National President Allan Crosbie about the wider work of the union. Venue is tbc, but the meeting will be hybrid, which we hope will allow more people to attend. So, please save the date!
Motions to the LA AGM
The main business of the AGM is voting on motions. So, if there is something you feel needs to be a priority moving forward, please consider submitting a motion to the LA AGM. These are best submitted by branches, though individual members are free to put something forward in their own name. If you want advice on what topics are suitable for motions, to frame a motion so that it will be judged competent and so on, Allan Crosbie (LA exec member, and current National President) will be running a quick Teams session on this on 7th January at 4:15. This is a remote session you can join over Teams: Click this link to join (or email edinburghla@eis.org.uk for a calendar invitation).
He’s also happy to speak to individuals about their ideas, and you can contact him via acrosbie@eis.org.uk. There is also some general advice on the website on writing motions. The deadline for submitting motions is noon on 7th February (they should be sent to edinburghla@eis.org.uk) but I would encourage you to get advice in advance for this.
Joining the Local Association Executive
Our local association works best when it works with, and on behalf of, all members. But we can only do that if our local executive is representative of the entire Edinburgh membership. So PLEASE think about joining – especially if you feel that we are not, currently, prioritising things that are important to you. The core commitment is to attend the monthly meetings that are held on Wednesdays between 5-7pm (usually on Teams, though some are hybrid). If you want to find out more about what is involved before committing, drop me an email and I, or one of the other exec members, can chat to you about what we do. Nomination forms for those who do want to stand are here on the MyEIS home page here and the deadline for submitting them is 1st February (though I would urge you do complete them before then). If you have any problems, you can get in touch with us or with membership directly: membership@eis.org.uk.
Other Opportunities to Get More Involved
This same link will also take you to forms to nominate yourself as a delegate to attend the national AGM – this is the main decision-making forum for national EIS so, again, broad representation across the membership is really important. You’ll also find nomination forms for office bearer roles, so if you want to stand as LA Secretary, President, or any of the other posts, please complete these (again, happy to talk to people about what is involved/put them in touch with the relevant person).
I will be sending out a couple more emails with important info before the holidays, but this one is entirely about your opportunities to shape your union, so please do think about how you can get involved.
Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 6 December 2024
Dear EIS member,
Nearly the weekend. And, unbelievably, nearly the holidays… A few quick updates for you.
Contacting the Office
PLEASE use edinburghla@eis.org.uk if you want to get in touch with me. Emails sent to my CEC email address are very likely to be missed. Also remember that you can phone the office on 07926 946150 and that will get you through to Marni.
Writing Motions
One of the main ways that members can influence the priorities of the EIS is by submitting motions – as a democratic union, it is the votes of the members on the motions brought to both local and national General Meetings that governs our work. If there is something you think we should be doing (or not doing) either at local or national level, then you should write a motion calling for action.
If you want to find out how to write motions that are likely to be deemed competent, then you are invited to come along to a session on motion writing which is being run by our National President, and local executive member, Allan Crosbie. It is being run twice on Teams, both starting at 4:15. It is recommended you do this alongside other interested colleagues at your place of work if possible.
The first is being held on Tuesday, 17th December. You can join this meeting here.
The second is being held on Tuesday, 7th January. You can join this meeting here.
To confirm your attendance at one of the sessions or for a calendar invite, please email Marni at edinburghla@eis.org.uk, or Allan at acrosbie@eis.org.uk.
Calling all PSLs
We will be holding a meeting for Pupil Support Leaders at Moray Place on Thursday the 30th of January from 5pm to 6:30pm. The event will be hosted by Local Association President Phill Pearce and Assistant Secretary Tom Britton and will be a chance for PSLs to get together and discuss current and long-standing issues facing PSLs across the city. It will also be an opportunity to discuss how the conditions and workload of PSLs in the city fit within the wider SUFQE campaign.
Light refreshments will be provided, and travel expenses or parking will be reimbursed.
We do hope that you will be able to join us.
Please register your interest at this link so that we have an idea of numbers.
Bhopal Memorial Event – Sunday
If you are going to be in the centre of Edinburgh on Sunday afternoon, you might want to attend the Bhopal Memorial Event – this is a moving ceremony that happens annually. Go to https://www.eis.org.uk/edinburgh/latest and scroll down for details.
More updates next week, including around budgets, which is a massive area of work at the moment. For now, though, I hope you enjoy the weekend.
Stay safe and well (and out of forecast storms…) and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 27 November 2024
Dear EIS member
I hope your week is going well.
CEC Budget – Urgent Action Required
Everyone should have received an email from HQ, with suggested texts for emails to MSPs. PLEASE undertake this action. Without a significant increase in teacher numbers, which needs to be funded by Scottish Government, all our current crises (violence, workload, ASN) will only get worse. Not to mention that so many teachers are, currently, struggling to get permanent jobs… Locally, we are also encouraging Parent Councils to message MSPs, calling on them to ensure that education is properly funded, and we are looking at what other actions we can do to bring pressure to bear regarding funding public services. Do, also, complete the consultation around the Tourist Tax, as that would be a significant additional revenue stream for Edinburgh (guide is here).
Flexible work requests
Everyone has a right to make a flexible work request, and to have it seriously considered. However, if granting the request would have a negative impact on service delivery (e.g. if it would be hard to backfill) then employers can refuse the request. Another impact of the financial pressures on schools is that it is getting harder and harder for them to be flexible in how they accommodate staff trying to change their hours. So, if you are thinking about making such a request, I would urge you to talk to your HT at the earliest possible opportunity, and to talk through the different options that might work. If you think your request is being refused unreasonably, we can support in appealing it, but recent experience is that, in most cases, when requests are turned down, it is for valid reasons. My best advice is, the earlier you begin talking to your manager about what might work, the higher your chance of finding a reasonable compromise. And, of course, if we had more teachers in the system, it would be easier to grant these requests (another reason to write to your MSP!).
St Andrew’s Day Anti-Racism March and Rally – this Saturday (30th)
I hope many of you will be joining us on this Saturday’s march against racism. Now, more than ever, it is important that trade unions stand together with other civic groups and individuals to oppose racism and the rise of the far right. Details of the march are here. A few of us will be meeting at Waverley at 9am, outside Pret, with the aim of getting the 9.15 train through to Glasgow – we’ll have EIS flags, so you’ll be able to spot us if you want to travel through together. We will refund train fares.
Exploring Leadership Skills for Educators - Friday (29th)
On the latest events page you will also see information on a course, from our EIS Learning Reps and University of Strathclyde, that is being held at the EIS HQ offices in Moray Place.
Heather’s last week
This is, quite possibly, the last member bulletin that Heather will ever be sending out (I suppose it is not impossible I send something else out on Friday, which is her last day…). I want to put on record my thanks to her for all the work she has done over the years, supporting me and all Edinburgh members. Her kindness and professionalism have been invaluable. I, for one, could not possibly have done this job without her unfailing support and cheerfulness, and I owe her a huge debt. Remember that we will, in January, be gathering to thank her for all her work – go here and scroll down to see details and sign up. Alternatively, you can email her using edinburghla@eis.org.uk (but only until Friday – she won’t be reading work emails after then!) , or if you have messages you want me to pass one, send them to amurphy@eis.org.uk. I’m sure you will all want to join me in thanking her for all her work, and wishing her a long, joyful and well-deserved retirement. She will be very much missed.
Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 15 November 2024
Dear EIS member
Almost the weekend! A few updates for you before you sign off…
CEC Budget
The budget situation is looking extremely alarming. The next key date will be when the Scottish Government publishes its draft budget at the beginning of December – we are already looking at what pressure we can bring to bear to try to ensure that money that comes into Holyrood from Westminster is devolved down to local authorities, so that education (and other core public services) can be protected,, and there should be more information about that soon. In the meantime, though, PLEASE take time to complete the CEC consultation on the tourist tax. This could be a significant source of additional revenue, that is desperately needed. There is a guide and link here .
ASLS Review
As many will know, there is to be a further round of parental engagement before any changes to the ASLS structure are implemented. The implications of this delay are still being worked through – clearly the most urgent matter is addressing what is happening to those on fixed term contracts that are due to end soon. We have asked that this be addressed as soon as possible, and I am hopeful updated information will be issued soon. We will be continuing to work hard on this and other aspects of the review.
St Andrew’s Day March and Rally
Thanks to those who have already been in touch to say they will come along. Do, please, email if you are going to join us at this important event – remember that travel costs can be refunded. More details here .
An Evening of Queer and Trans Poetry - 19 November
The ETUC is promoting this event, which is being organised by UCU and others. It promises to be an interesting and affirming evening – more details here .
Hands Off Gaza and Lebanon, National Demonstration - 23 November
The EIS, along with many other trade unions, is supporting this demo, which is happening in Glasgow on Saturday 23rd. Again, you will find more details here . Several Edinburgh EIS members are planning to attend, and the latest plan is to meet outside the Pret at Waverley at 9.30am. If you are planning to go, please drop me an email and we will try to coordinate everyone. Again, travel expenses can be reimbursed.
I hope you have a great weekend. Remember that we will have limited admin support in the office next week, so please be patient with us.
Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind.
Alison
Secretary's Update 11 November 2024
Dear EIS Member,
I hope you enjoyed the weekend. A few key updates for you.
Violence in Schools
Some of you will already have seen this news article, outlining the extent of violence in Edinburgh’s schools. We continue to campaign to raise awareness of this issue, and to demand greater action at local and national level, to enable us all to have the safe working and learning environments we deserve. We are in intensive talks with CEC about ways of improving support for staff around this issue, and we hope to have updated advice to schools soon. In the meantime, though, school H&S committees should be leading on this – if you have concerns, raise them with both your line manager and your school rep/H&S rep. If concerns remain, or if you are unlucky enough to be in a school without a rep, get in touch with the office and we will try to help.
CEC Budget and the Tourist Tax
A key driver behind the rise in violence and aggression is the ongoing cuts to education budgets. We HAVE to get more money into education! CEC is currently consulting on the tourist tax, and it is vital that the responses make it clear that Edinburgh’s citizens want much of the money raised to go into public services, including schools. If you live in Edinburgh, PLEASE take time to complete the consultation and encourage all your friends and family to do the same. You can find links, and a guide to what we think will be helpful answers, here: eis.org.uk/edinburgh/budget2025.
Islamophobia Awareness Session
Hopefully many of you have already seen information related to this CEC session on tackling Islamophobia, which is happening on Thursday. As well as the session itself, the flyer also contains links to some really useful resources, and I would encourage you to have a look.
Changes to your contract/moving jobs/etc. part way through a school year
Teacher pay is complicated by the fact that our holidays are not spread evenly throughout the year – and further complicated by different authorities having different distributions of leave. This means that anyone who changes local authority part way through the year, or who moves into or out of a promoted post, will be subject to a salary reconciliation. There is an explanation of how this works here on the Orb. It is not straightforward, so I would say that the key message is, be aware of the possibility if you are planning a move and do check the numbers, so that you are not caught unawares.
Reduced admin support in the LA Office next week
TOIL, annual leave, etc. means there will be reduced support in the office next week. Obviously we will continue to deal with urgent queries, but other things may have to wait. If you have been in touch about something important in the last few weeks and haven’t yet had a response, please email me ASAP and I will do my best to get back to you before this Friday. If any queries can wait until the week beginning 25th November, that would be a great help.
I hope you have a good week. Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 7 November 2024
Dear EIS Member,
I hope your week is going well. A few updates for you.
Tax
Those who are concerned about info received from HMRC might want to check out this - Pay awards – The City of Edinburgh Council - from CEC, which outlined the actions they took, and what this meant for how tax would be processed. It also has a link to the HMRC website, which is where you can look at your own individual situation.
St Andrew’s Day March and Rally – Saturday 30th November
The annual STUC anti-racism march and rally (the 40th!) is fast approaching. See https://www.eis.org.uk/edinburgh/latest for more details. As always, the EIS intends to have a big presence, and it would be great if we had lots of members from Edinburgh. At the moment, our plan is to get the train across, and we will refund ticket costs. If you think you can come along, please drop an email to edinburghla@eis.org.uk and we can make detailed travel arrangements a bit nearer the time (it’ll also help me judge how many flags to bring along).
EIS Social Justice and Solidarity Conference ‘Still We Rise’ - 17th and 18th January, Radisson Blu, Glasgow
Please have a look at the info about this conference Still We Rise | EIS, and come along if you can. Whilst some members will want to attend both days, others might only attend on Saturday. It should be a really useful and interesting event, and it would be good to get attendance from across the entire membership, particularly those who may not normally feel that engaged in our activities.
CEC Budget
Edinburgh EIS has been in touch with as many Parent Councils as we hold information for, asking for support in campaigning against the proposed education cuts in February’s budget. If you are a parent of a child in a CEC school, please get in touch with your child’s school’s Parent Council to check they have received our email, and encourage them to engage with us. If they haven’t received anything, email edinburghla@eis.org.uk, ideally with a contact name and email address, and we will try again.
Reasonable Adjustments
A reminder that all members with disabilities or long-term health conditions are entitled to reasonable adjustments. There are still far too many cases where school staff are not getting the sorts of adjustments that would automatically be provided to pupils. You can find the basic guide to what you should expect here: https://orb.edinburgh.gov.uk/employee-wellbeing/reasonable-adjustments/3. I’d particularly urge neurodiverse members to request a neurodiversity assessment (done via OH – speak to your line manager/HT/BM) to see what supports can be put in place. If you think there is more that needs to be done, speak to your rep in the first instance and, if issues remain, get in touch with the LA office.
I hope the rest of your week goes well. Stay safe and well and, as always, let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 28 October 2024
Dear EIS member
I hope you are well, and had a good weekend. A few very quick updates for you.
CEC payslips and pay dates
As you know, CEC has been updating its HR system. This has meant that payslips for October have not been available as early as usual. However, they should be available to review today. CEC is encouraging all employees to check them carefully, to ensure that they are correct. If you do spot any errors, or are unclear about anything, then the first thing you should do is either talk to your Business Manager, or contact the askHR team on 0131 469 5555. As per usual, we should all be paid on the last Thursday of the month, so 31st October. Remember that this month will not include the uplift and back pay resulting from our pay award – that will happen in November.
Writing successful motions for EIS AGMs
The EIS prides itself on being a member-led organisation. The main way that members can direct the work of the union is by proposing motions that go to the local and national AGMs, where they are debated and voted on – those that were voted through then form the basis of the union’s work in the coming year. This applies for both local and national actions that members want to see carried out. This means that it is important that members understand what things are suitable topics for motions, and how to write motions that are compliant with the standing orders of the union. To this end, our national President, Allan Crosbie, will be running a training session on Monday 2nd December on Teams at 16.15. This is open to all Edinburgh members, though it will be particularly useful for reps, LA Executive members and anyone who has an issue where they want to see the EIS taking action. You can sign up for the course using this link or you can use this Teams link Join the meeting now
Winter social – 23rd January 2025
Don’t forget to register for the winter social. As well as a chance to meet fellow members and enjoy an informal get-together, this will also be an opportunity to mark Heather’s retirement, and thank her for all she has done for all of us over the years.
I hope you have a good week. Stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 10 October 2024
Dear EIS Member,
I do hope your week has been going well, and that you are looking forward to a good break over the half-term. This is quite a short update, but it does have some important information.
CEC Payroll Update
As has been mentioned already, CEC has been updating its HR and payroll systems. This should all now be live, and employees should be able to get access to their HR info. You can find out more here: https://orb.edinburgh.gov.uk/new-hr-payroll-system
Teacher Pay Award
Hopefully everyone has seen the communications from CEC about when they will be applying the uplift resulting from the recent pay award. Just in case anyone missed it, you can find the info here – Pay awards – The City of Edinburgh Council – though there is a summary here for those who cannot access the orb link.
ASL Review
The ASL Review has reached its midpoint, and there have been a few changes to the initial proposal (including acceding to a union request to extend the closing date, to allow for the fact that next week is half-term). The final date is now 8th November. Information can all be found on the Orb here. As I am typing, the midpoint presentation and updated structure hasn’t been uploaded, but I have asked that these are placed on the page ASAP, and they should be there by the time you are reading this. I would continue to urge all members to read the proposals and think about the impacts.
CEC Budget
As we have talked about at length, CEC’s budget situation is not good… As part of trying to address this, the council are asking all employees to think about ways to save money and how to prioritise its services. I’ve spoken to many members who have bemoaned areas where they feel the council is wasting resources (procurement is an obvious one). This is your chance to point out the issues, and to suggest solutions – the more detailed and specific you can be, the better, and I would urge everyone to complete this survey before it closes on 31st October. The first few questions are locality focused, but they can be skipped if you don’t have anything to say – the key ones are towards the end. The survey has already been shared in a newsbeat article but, in case you have missed it, the link is here: Colleague Budget Engagement 2024 - City of Edinburgh Council - Citizen Space. Please do take a bit of time to fill it in.
I hope the last couple of days go well, and that you have a relaxing holiday, when it finally arrives. Stay safe and well, whether you are travelling or staying at home, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 7 October 2024
Dear EIS Member,
I hope you are well and looking forward to half-term. It has been a particularly busy few weeks, and I think we are all in need of a break. Before that, though, some key updates.
ASL Review
This continues to be a major area of work. We are in ongoing discussions with a range of different stakeholders around the proposals, with particularly complex discussions around those members on temporary contracts/in acting up roles, etc. I hope that I will soon be able to respond to the individual queries that have been coming in. I’m also going to hold an additional meeting for those members who are in the scope of the review on Tuesday 22nd October at 4pm on Teams. You can join at the link here or reply to this email if you want a calendar invite.
I would urge ALL members to read the inclusion review documentation, regardless of whether you are in scope or are school based. How we support pupils with additional needs is clearly crucial, so any restructuring of support will impact on all of us. You can find information about the proposals here. I know some branches are planning to hold meetings to discuss their views on the proposals, and that might be something you might want to consider in your school.
I’d also remind members of the HT/DHT network that you can either get in touch with me directly to share your views on the proposal, or you can join the Teams meeting tomorrow (Tuesday 8th) at 5.30pm that we are holding to discuss this. To join, click the link here or reply to this email for a calendar invite.
Education for Peace – Informal Discussion Meeting on 10th October
As a response to the United Nations International Day of Peace on September 21st, the soft launch of the EIS Education for Peace policy booklet the previous day at EIS Council, and the TUC's support for a workplace day of action in solidarity with Palestine, Edinburgh Local Association is holding an informal discussion meeting on 10 October at 46 Moray Place 5pm-7pm. This is a chance for members to share ideas, talk through approaches to Peace Education, look at resources etc. If you are planning on coming along, do register here.
Other Queries
Given all that has been happening around the review, it has been particularly challenging to keep up with other queries. If you emailed me and have not had a response, I do apologise. I will be trying, in the coming days, to catch up on some of the backlog, but I cannot promise I will manage this before we break for half term. If your query is particularly urgent, please do message me again, or you can try to reach me via my mobile. If it can wait a little while, then that would be helpful. Do also remember that the other office bearers might be able to assist. If your query relates to health and safety matters, or to special schools, you can email Edinburgh LA Asst Secretary Tom Britton asstsecretaryedinburghla@eis.org.uk. If it relates to ICT, you can email Edinburgh LA President Phill Pearce edinburghlapresident@eis.org.uk. Or if it relates to primary school matters, both Phill and Edinburgh LA Vice President Claire Robertson edinburghlavicepresident@eis.org.uk can help.
Good luck with the rest of the week, and best wishes for a restful half-term when it finally arrives (though I may be emailing before then). In the meantime, stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other – a message that is more and more important as pressures build.
Alison
Secretary's Update 20 September 2024
Dear EIS Member
I hope you enjoyed both the long weekend and the consequently shorter working week. Though I certainly feel like I’ve tried to pack 5 days’ work into 4, and I imagine it has been the same for many of you. A few updates for you before the weekend starts.
ASL Review
The formal launch of the ASL Review took place on Tuesday. Obviously, in the coming weeks, our chief focus will be on supporting those members who are in the scope of the review, and who are looking at very significant changes to terms and conditions, working patterns, deletion of posts, etc. More on that momentarily. However, there is no doubt that such a significant review will have a knock-on impact on all of us, and on our ability to support pupils with additional needs. I would urge all members to read the proposals, which you can find here on the Orb, to think about what it might mean in your setting, and to raise any questions via the dedicated mailbox inclusion@edinburgh.gov.uk (you might want to cc me in, for info). I will, in the coming weeks, be reaching out to reps, our HT/DHT network, and other groups, to get their views, so as to better inform our response.
As for those colleagues who are directly in scope… Firstly, thanks to those who have cc’d me into the questions you are raising about the review. That really is very helpful. I hope you will understand that I might not reply individually to all of those messages – but they are certainly helping us to shape our response, and the questions we will be raising in a number of forums. What I will endeavour to do in the coming days (but it might well take some time) is get back to individuals who have specific concerns about matters related to terms and conditions, their own situation, etc. Some of these will be resolved quite quickly (I believe clarity has already been issued around the retention of Chartered Teachers) and others may take longer. Given the complex nature of some of the queries, I’d ask for your patience for another week or so – but if you haven’t had a reply by 1st October, do get back to me.
We have already arranged two meetings for those members in scope. The first is this coming Wednesday (25th) at 4pm. This is a hybrid meeting, being held at EIS HQ, 46 Moray Place and on Teams (please click here to join the Wednesday meeting online). If you want to attend in person, you MUST email us before Wednesday to let us know, purely so we know how many to expect and can make appropriate arrangements. The next meeting will be Friday 1st November, at 1.30pm – same arrangements, though the link to join is here. We are also arranging smaller meetings for specific groups of impacted staff and can set up further meetings if necessary.
CEC Budget
This review links closely to our wider Save Our Schools Campaign on the CEC budget, and we will be working hard to ensure councillors, parents, and the public are kept fully informed of all that is happening, and is likely to happen, both now and in the coming years. A big part of this is challenging the lack of permanent teaching roles within CEC – something we have been raising with the council for some time now, and which the ASL review has thrown into even sharper relief.
Reasonable Adjustments
Anyone with a long-term health condition or disability is entitled to expect their employer to make reasonable adjustments to allow them to fulfil their duties. This is something that can work extremely well – but does not happen consistently enough, and there are too many instances of people not getting the support they need. CEC is committed to rolling out better support and training – but, as always, this is being hindered by lack of resource. I hope to lay on some sessions for members and reps to outline some things that might help but, in the meantime, I would urge both members who might need such adjustments and, very importantly, anyone with line management responsibility to make sure you are familiar with the CEC toolkit, as it signposts people towards the supports available.
Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry
The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry is inviting young people, teachers, and other education professionals from across Scotland to share their experiences of the pandemic. If you want to contribute, follow this link.
I hope you enjoy your weekend – and that the weather improves for all of us. Regardless of whether we do get any more sun, I hope you stay safe and well, and let’s keep on being kind to each other.
Alison
Secretary's Update 6 September 2024
Dear EIS member
It’s nearly the weekend. Let’s hope the weather improves for it…
Ballot on pay offer – PLEASE VOTE!
Everyone should have received an email with information about the latest pay award, including the reasons why the Salaries Committee is recommending accept. However, as it said, the ultimate decision lies with the membership, so it is vital that everyone makes sure their voice is heard. This is a tight turnaround – the ballot closes at noon on Wednesday – so, if you haven’t voted, please do so now. If you didn’t receive your ballot email (and If it’s not in your junk or spam folders) then email the EIS membership department.
New HR and payroll system
The old system shuts down on Thursday 12th so, if there is any information you need to download and save, that needs to happen before then. More information is here on the Orb.
CEC Budget
On Tuesday, the EIS made a deputation to the Education, Children and Families Committee about the devastating impact the proposed cuts will have on our ability to deliver quality education to the children of Edinburgh. You can see the webcast here (our deputation was the first) and you can read about some of the key points we made here. We’ll continue to lobby around this in the coming weeks, including meeting with councillors, contacting parent groups and speaking to the press. We need to make sure we Save Our Schools!
Other issues
We are, at the same time, continuing to work on a range of other issues, including ICT in schools, staff wellbeing, workload, the lack of permanent contracts etc. The Edinburgh LA Executive are looking at ways we can further support branches in tackling the challenges we face in our working lives. A key to making positive change is collective action at school level (we are a union, after all). If you think it would be helpful to have one of the office bearers come out to meet with your branch, do please get in touch. We are keen to have more branch meetings, and to talk to members about how we can better work together.
Do enjoy your weekend, and don’t forget to vote! Stay safe and well, and keep on being kind.
Alison
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