Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the ASCL school leaders’ union, is deeply frustrated. Pay talks with the government remain in stalemate. His members’ jobs have 鈥渘ever felt more challenging鈥. And for the first time since 2006, the education secretary will snub his leaders鈥 union conference. 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 cross,鈥 the former headteacher tells Schools Week. 鈥淎dded to which I think, particularly in the teaching profession, there’s a sense of being taken for granted. 鈥淧robably that will intensify on Friday with the absence for the first time, certainly in my memory, of a secretary of state.鈥 If crisis talks are happening on Friday, nobody鈥檚 told me Gillian Keegan has told the union she won鈥檛 appear in case she is needed for urgent pay talks. 鈥淚f the reason is that we鈥檙e suddenly going to see crisis talks happening on Friday, nobody鈥檚 told me,鈥 Barton says. 鈥淚t feels like there’s a lot more of a sense of urgency from the union side on all of this, which frankly wants to get this resolved, than there is on the government side, which seems to deem that being able to say 鈥榳e had more talks鈥 is, in itself, the endgame.鈥 Unlike other unions, ASCL has not balloted its members for industrial action, holding off in favour of negotiation. Barton believes this puts the leaders鈥 union in a 鈥渦nique position鈥. Its first indicative ballot last year showed the 鈥渟trength of feeling鈥 in the traditionally moderate union. He believes Keegan understands that the symbolism of a formal ASCL vote would be 鈥減retty catastrophic. It gives us a distinctive position of being able to articulate a sense of urgency.鈥 Lack of an offer shows ‘amateurishness’ The government says it won鈥檛 enter formal talks unless the National Education Union (NEU) calls off next week鈥檚 strikes. The NEU insists the DfE drops its “pre-conditions”. Keegan this week rejected calls for mediated talks via the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. For Barton鈥檚 members, the clock is ticking. 鈥淲hat you need as a general secretary is something you can take back to the members and say, here’s what we’ve been offered. That’s all we’re looking for. We’re probably moving towards the end of this phase of simply doing our very best to be constructive and feeling that actually nothing is happening 鈥淭he fact we haven’t even had that, and that there’s a condition put to the NEU that affects all of us around that, I think shows a kind of almost amateurishness in terms of trying to get this done. It’s frustrating. Really.鈥 ASCL may be reluctant to move to a ballot, but Barton is clear the union cannot hold out indefinitely. A 鈥渒ey moment鈥 will be next week鈥檚 budget. If there’s no extra investment, ASCL will reconsider its position. 鈥淲e’re probably moving towards the end of this phase of simply doing our very best to be constructive and feeling that actually nothing is happening.鈥 The latest teacher recruitment figures are dire, but retention is 鈥渆ye-wateringly problematic鈥 鈥 and pay isn鈥檛 the only factor. Schools becoming ‘fourth emergency service’ Evelyn Forde, ASCL鈥檚 president, will warn tomorrow that schools have become a 鈥渇ourth emergency service鈥, left with an 鈥渦nsustainable burden鈥 by collapsing children鈥檚 support services. A poll of union members found most had noticed a rise in students affected by poverty (86 per cent), poor mental health (99 per cent), abuse or neglect (71 per cent) and by being drawn into crime (63 per cent). Of responding members, 99 per cent believe children’s mental health services are inadequate, while 96 per cent feel that way about social care and 93 per cent said the same about local authority educational psychology provision. Most respondents also said council attendance support services and police services were inadequate. Unions making ‘progress’ on workload On workload, however, Barton believes unions have made some 鈥減rogress鈥 in DfE talks. He detects a 鈥渨illingness to consider鈥 calls to end performance-related pay, opposed by the unions since its introduction almost 10 years ago, with officials recognising axing the policy is a 鈥渘o-brainer鈥. While Conservative politicians might face a 鈥減olitical challenge 鈥 there are times when you have to stand by your principles and point to the evidence and say, for you as a parent, this means your child is going to get a teacher who’s spending more time planning, teaching, marking, instead of filling in forms to show they’ve done all of that stuff.鈥 Heads also want Ofsted to inform schools of the year of their next inspection. Barton says this would allow leaders to 鈥渇ocus on the stuff that matters. It would be such an easy win, and there鈥檚 no cost.鈥 ‘You want to choose the right time to leave’ Barton was re-elected in 2021. But he surprised the sector last year, announcing he will stand down in 2024. He doesn鈥檛 want to talk about it, but says it was a 鈥渞elatively easy decision. I’ve always been conscious that you want to choose the right time to leave. So that people aren’t saying, 鈥榶eah he used to be good, and he brought a lot of energy to the job, but actually, he’s lost it鈥.鈥 What will he do next? He 鈥済enuinely鈥 hasn鈥檛 thought about it. But one thing he doesn’t want to do is sit on boards. 鈥淭hat’s really not my skillset. I’m not going to be somebody who is mired in meetings.鈥