Report from NEU annual conference 2025
BackArticle / Posted on 29 Apr 2025
Over the Easter/Spring holiday Ms Rehman and Mr Buchanan joined other delegates from the National Education Union (NEU) Oxfordshire at the NEU annual conference 2025 in Harrogate.
Conference is the main decision making body of the union where changes to policy and the rules are agreed. One of the main topics that was discussed this year was the pay campaign. The NEU has been running a preliminary online ballot for serving teacher members who work in state schools in England which ended 16:00 on 11 April. The result of the preliminary online ballot was as follows:Q1. Do you accept or reject the government’s recommendation of an unfunded 2.8 per cent pay rise?
ACCEPT: 6.3%
REJECT: 93.7%
Q2. Are you willing to take strike action to secure a fully funded, significantly higher pay award that takes steps to address the crisis in recruitment and retention?
YES: 83.4%
NO: 16.6%
Overall turnout: 134,487 (47.2%)
ACCEPT: 6.3%
REJECT: 93.7%
Q2. Are you willing to take strike action to secure a fully funded, significantly higher pay award that takes steps to address the crisis in recruitment and retention?
YES: 83.4%
NO: 16.6%
Overall turnout: 134,487 (47.2%)
As discussed at the NEU’s 2025 conference, we may move to a ballot for industrial action if the final outcome of the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) process remains unacceptable or if the government does not announce real terms funding increases in the June Spending Review.
In addition to the pay campaign, some other events of note were:
15 April
Ms Rehman attended a CPD session on 'The power of change - racism in classroom' by Lawrence Hoo and Chaz Golding which focused on the inclusion of black people in British education, and inclusion through the use of language.
Mr Buchanan attended a meeting on the NEU's campaign to abolish Ofsted. Read more about it here: neu.org.uk/campaigns/abolish-ofsted
16 April
Ms Rehman attended a CPD session on ‘EAL (English as an Additional Language) - from arrival to assessment and achievement’ by Beth Southern (creator of both EAL HUB and EAL STAR) which focused on the use of vocabulary, pyramids of words, and factors affecting achievement of EAL students.
Mr Buchanan attended a meeting on the NEU's campaign to extend Free School Meals to every child in primary school in England. Read more about it here: freeschoolmealsforall.org.uk
Mr Buchanan
Head of Economics & Business
NEU Workplace Representative
Head of Economics & Business
NEU Workplace Representative
