requires improvement

042// SEND help! Annual conference roundup 2026 by requires improvement

In this episode Requires Improvement take a look at recent developments in organizing within our workplaces and local area, followed by a thorough analysis of Labour's curriculum review proposals, flag etiquette, breakfast clubs and the NEU's forthcoming special conference. Hosted by Nik, who is joined by Daisy, Charlie and Lee. Big ups to the support staff in the Cathedral Schools Trust! Articles...

On this episode of Requires Improvement we host a roundup of the highlights of NEU Annual Conference 2025, discussing motions for national postal ballot on teacher pay, support staff, amalgamation with NASUWT, Ukraine, Palestine, Disarming Education. Hosted by Lee and joined by Steven, Charlie and Nik. Recorded on 9th May 2025 - Bridget released the STRB report on 22nd May 2025! Links: https://www...

In this episode we are joined by guests Amy and Emily, to talk about the UK's "prevent duty" - a controversial facet of the government's counter-terrorism strategy which has recently come under scrutiny due to the Stockport Murders of 2024. Please find these useful links which are referred to in the discussion: Amnesty International "Radical Safeguarding Workbook" https://03753e94-107a-4e97-9685-a...

Requires Improvement are honoured to be able to share a podcast featuring our co-host Nik, as he talks about the experiences of being an educator on strike with our dear friends and comrades at People Just Do Something, of the Bristol Cable. Episode: People Just Do Something, with striking teacher Nik on trade unionism’s ‘ethical gravy train’ What is a strike? What are trade unions for? How can yo...

Requires Improvement are back again, here to discuss co-hosts Lee and Anu's recent experiences of volunteering for Care4Calais on the English-French border. We conclude by taking a look at recent education headlines and the direction of travel being set by the new government. Hosted by Nik, and joined by co-host Charlie. Links: Care4Calais: https://care4calais.org/ Bristol Transformed Education an...

Recorded 18th July 2024 In this episode of Requires Improvement we are discussing the recent general election, how mock elections are done in schools, a review of the likely direction of travel for education policy under the new government, and ending with a righteous trashing of the Cass Report and some celebrations of recent local union fights. Hosted by Nik, who is joined by Charlie, Lauren and...

Requires Improvement are back with a round-up of this year's NEU annual conference, the highlights (and low-lights) concerning democratic motions for industrial action on pay, support staff, international solidarity with Palestine and "New Professionals and Young Workers" - and more! Hosted by Nik alongside co-hosts Charlie and Anu, with a debut appearance from our good comrade Steve. Catch us on...

Requires Improvement return with a discussion on how to get Palestine on the agenda in schools, with additional topics including the DfE's latest school attendance campaign, and how things appear to be going from bad to worse for the government's favoured entry route into teaching "Teach First". Hosted by Nik alongside co-hosts Anu, Daisy and Lee. Check out the podcast Surviving Society with guest...

As the 2022-2023 teacher's pay dispute against the UK government is concluded, the Requires Improvement team offer our reflections on what has been achieved through industrial action, what we need to do better for next time and what the future opportunities could be. We also take a look at Labour's plans for promoting "oracy" in schools alongside concerns regarding rumoured plans by the Department...

Requires Improvement talk you through their recent experiences on the picket lines and what's been voted on at the 2023 NEU Annual Conference. We talk through the pay campaign strike escalation in response to the government's risible pay deal, the urgent motion on OFSTED, the new motion on support staff members: what this all means for trade union organizing in the education sector going forwards....

Requires Improvement return from their temporary ballot-hiatus to celebrate the huge recent ballot result of the premier education union in England and Wales, how everyone played their part in achieving it- and what we're thinking about as strikes are now planned in order to win the education funding dispute. Your co-hosts Lee, Nik, Charlie and Lauren talk about the recent conditions in the workpl...

So it's back to school for all educators in September 2022 but all eyes are on the National Education Union and our forthcoming ballots of teaching staff and support staff - will the hot strike summer morph into a cool strike autumn? We certainly think so! Join your hosts Nik, Charlie, Lauren and Lee as they talk through how we're going to organize and fight for a fully funded pay rise for educato...

In this episode the Requires Improvement team are honoured to be joined by Dr. Ashok Kumar, senior lecturer in political economy at Birkbeck University. We use the recent UCU strikes as a jumping off point for a wide ranging discussion about privatization and neoliberal forces within the education sector, the importance of strategy in taking effective industrial action, and where the trade union m...

Despite the hectic times of late, your hosts Nik, Charlie, Lee and Tom found some spare minutes to kick off this episode with a swift round-up of everything we've been up to recently, before introducing our esteemed interview guest Vik Chechi-Ribeiro (@VikCR_) who is a Teacher of Science, union rep and organizer based in Manchester. We get into fine detail of how to organize a workplace by impleme...

In this term 3 roundup your Requires Improvement hosts Nik, Anu, Lauren, Charlie and Lee offer you their thoughts on their recent experiences in state and prison education, how to take on your bullying bosses, why you should check out the Trojan Horse Affair Podcast and why "horseshoe theory" is not OK for children, or anyone else. Recorded on 18th February 2022. Link to the Trojan Horse Affair Po...

In this seasonal episode of Requires Improvement, your hosts Lee, Nik, Lauren and Charlie reflect on how the ongoing pandemic is continuing to impact the education sector, discussing our experiences at work and the impact of illness, inadequate resourcing and mitigations on staff and students. We analyze the recent government proposals to invite ex and retired teachers back to the profession, the...

We are honoured to be joined by journalist and ex-soldier Joe Glenton, as we consider the role of militarism in Britain and the UK education system. We draw upon themes in Joe's new book out this month entitled "Veteranhood: Rage and Hope in British Ex-Military Life", in a wide ranging discussion around how the military is presented in schools, the curriculum and society at large. We discuss the o...

The Requires Improvement crew are BACK after a brief hiatus, and in our September-October episode we discuss the return to school, the latest shenanigans going on at Pimlico Academy, practical approaches to organising and self-care, sexism in schools and trying to fight for hope in the Prison Education system. Hosted by Anu, she is joined by co-hosts Nik, Lauren, Lee and Tom. Links: Article Mentio...

In this July 2021 episode of Requires Improvement, we are joined by author and journalist Sarah Jaffe, as we discuss and explore the wider impact of work in our lives in response to Sarah's recent publication "Work Won't Love You Back", a book which comprehensively analyses and challenges the insidious ways in which workers are convinced that our jobs and working conditions are necessary or fulfil...

If you're already wondering what this episode is about: CAGs are centre-assessed-grades and TAGs are teacher-assessed grades, both of which constitute all the free labour teachers have just had to complete in order to rescue some qualification outcomes for the student cohort class of covid-19 (2021 edition). It's not been a great time in education but it was great to get the the RI crew back in a...

We are thrilled to welcome lecturer, podcaster and thinker Jeremy Gilbert onto our show in order to talk about why exactly it is the government seems to hate educators. In a wide ranging discussion we seek to place UK education in its wider political context and history, what factors explain the atavism of the right against a truly equitable state education provision and what the possible strategi...

It's been a while since we've been able to report in, and this has resulted in a bumper April episode where hosts Charlie, Nik, Anu, Lauren and Lee all take a look back over lockdown #3, going on to discuss the "big bang" re-opening of schools, behaviour hubs, student radicalisation, Kill the Bill protests, and ending with a focus on recent events at Pimlico Academy. Articles: Behaviour Hubs - htt...

In this episode of Requires Improvement, Co-hosts Tom and Lauren interview Andy Byrne, one of the committee members of Hammers United, a football fan club for West Ham. Andy speaks about the similar challenges fans face to educators and trade unionists when confronted with market forces, structural change and the need for ordinary people to have control over their cultural lives as well as in the...

After the chaos of another week being educators and union organizers on "Rainy Plague Island" in January 2021, the Requires Improvement team come together to reflect on school closures, remote learning, the failures of certain apparent allies in various political parties and unions to stand alongside us, and finally Gavin Williamson and OFSTED's flooded inbox. Hosted by Lauren, she is joined by co...