Criticism of planned SEND reforms and concerns over the 鈥渞ise of the right鈥 will be front and centre at the National Education Union鈥檚 annual conference this week. Around 1,500 NEU members will from Monday to Thursday, voting on dozens of motions spanning various issues. Here are five important motions to look out for鈥 1. The white paper The NEU鈥檚 national executive is expected to draft an emergency motion on the recent white paper and government鈥檚 planned SEND reforms, deputy general secretary David Wilson told a recent re-conference briefing. Details of that motion are not yet clear, but Wilson said it will help to shape how the union responds. He said the NEU welcomes aspects of the plans, such as the clamping down on private special school providers, and the 鈥渁cknowledgement that education doesn鈥檛 start or end at the school gates鈥. But the union feels there are 鈥渇undamental flaws 鈥 that will result in a system that is not collaborative and not inclusive鈥. Wilson said the 鈥渕ajor problem鈥 identified is 鈥渢he lack of money鈥. The government has pledged 拢1.8 billion over the next three years to make more experts available to support schools and their pupils, but the NEU has questioned whether this is sufficient. 鈥淵ou cannot build an inclusive school system on the cheap,鈥 Wilson said. 2. Pupil behaviour Another key motion will focus on 鈥渢ackling the violence and behaviour crisis in schools鈥. The NASUWT鈥檚 2025 behaviour in schools report revealed that 85 per cent of teachers had experienced verbal abuse, and 40 per cent had faced physical abuse in the past 12 months. The NEU motion will call on the union鈥檚 executive to carry out a similar, major survey of its members, to find out more about the scale and nature of these issues. It will also call for behaviour policy guidance to be updated and the creation of a violence in schools taskforce to monitor trends and support affected members. The motion will call for a national campaign to reduce violence in schools, and for the NEU鈥檚 executive to lobby for a statutory national framework on school safety, including mandatory reporting and protocols. An amendment will also highlight successful industrial action led by the NEU at specific schools and call on the executive to provide training on how to successfully run a ballot focusing on student behaviour and how it is managed by leaders. 3. Opposing the year 8 reading test Members will also vote on a motion arguing 鈥渁gainst the introduction of a statutory year 8 reading assessment鈥. The government plans to introduce the test for 13-year-olds from 2028-29, to help 鈥渄rive up reading standards鈥. But NEU members will debate whether to 鈥減ublicly oppose鈥 its introduction, believing 鈥渁nother high-stakes national assessment will increase pressure on pupils, narrow the curriculum, and further erode teacher autonomy鈥. The motion calls for the NEU鈥檚 executive to demand the DfE carries out 鈥渕eaningful consultation鈥 with teachers on the plans, and to campaign for government investment in early intervention and targeted support, 鈥渞ather than new layers of testing鈥. 4. Ending 鈥榮cripted鈥 lessons Another key motion is on ending 鈥渃entrally prescribed鈥 teaching. Wilson told the recent briefing that the NEU has seen a 鈥渞eally worrying trend鈥 in 鈥渢he roll-out of scripted, standardised, prescribed lessons that teachers are expected to deliver鈥, particularly in multi-academy trusts. He said this 鈥渦ndermines the very concept of professionalism within teaching鈥. The tabled motion calls for the launch of a new national 鈥渢rust teachers to teach鈥 campaign, opposing this practice, which it says reduces teachers to 鈥渄elivery technicians鈥. It also calls for research to measure the scale and impact of prescriptive teaching and leadership. 5. The 鈥榬ise of the far right鈥 Elsewhere, members will vote on 鈥渃ombating the rise of the far right鈥. Zack Polanski One motion calls on the NEU鈥檚 executive to reaffirm the union鈥檚 opposition to far-right extremism, and to produce materials 鈥渕aking the case against the far right鈥. One tabled amendment suggests districts should work with local community organisations to 鈥渂uild solidarity networks 鈥 and to campaign actively against Reform UK in the forthcoming local elections鈥. Another amendment will call for the NEU to campaign for a 鈥渇unded diversity and inclusion specialist鈥 for every school, who would be trained to 鈥渢ackle discrimination, promote inclusion, and lead anti-far right education鈥. Other motions will cover a broad range of topics including opposing the new Ofsted framework, supporting stronger sanctions for racist incidents in schools, and ending academisation. Green Party leader Zack Polanski will give a speech on Monday afternoon, and NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede (pictured, top) will speak on Thursday morning.