Ministers 鈥渕ustn鈥檛 forget to dream about the legacy they want to leave, as much as the desire to balance the books鈥, NAHT leader Paul Whiteman has said, as he called on ministers to properly fund schools. The leader of the warned the government its 鈥渧ision for education, the ambition for our children, for our country鈥檚 future cannot start with your bank balance. 鈥淚f we fail to invest in education, we fail to invest in our future.鈥 Here鈥檚 your Schools Week round-up of the big talking points from leaders at the conference. 鈥楽leepless nights over another unfunded pay rise鈥 A motion on funding warned of 鈥済rowing budget deficits, leading to long-term financial instability in schools鈥. Debra Walker, the CEO of the IRIS Learning Trust, said the 鈥渓eadership model in our system is on the edge of a precipice. Debra Walker 鈥淎nother unfunded pay rise will be catastrophic for us all. We are having sleepless nights about what we can and cannot do.鈥 Headteacher Simon Smith added that funding formulas focused on headcount also 鈥渄on’t match the needs in schools鈥. He said his school had eight fewer staff than four years ago, despite 鈥渕ore children with SEND鈥. David Pattison, from Leeds, warned of the impact of falling rolls. 鈥淚f you have 23 children in a class, you still need a class teacher, but the funding model does not reflect this.鈥 He added that schools dread the 鈥渢ransfer deadline day鈥 of the school census, 鈥渨here there is so much churn as schools try to ensure they have full rolls鈥. Pattison said: 鈥淪chools are being forced into impossible financial decisions, diverting money away from core education priorities just to keep the lights on and ensure children are fed. We in schools are under constant pressure to do more with less. This is unstainable.鈥 Simone Beech, head of Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, said she鈥檇 鈥渉ad no school building鈥 since January 16, 2023, 鈥渨hen we were told to leave immediately because it was deemed unsafe. 鈥淥ur budget was balanced on the day of the evacuation, but it isn鈥檛 balanced now.鈥 Academies 鈥榮huffled between MATs like monopoly cards鈥 Delegates passed a motion calling for a process 鈥渇or a school to leave one trust and either join another or rejoin the local authority, to suit the school鈥檚 needs鈥. Alasdair Black, head of Moat House Primary School in Coventry, warned some academies were being 鈥渟huffled between MATs like property cards in a Monopoly board鈥. But the current situation was akin to 鈥渕arriage without the prospect of divorce鈥. Alisdair Black Currently there is no mechanism for a school to choose to leave a trust 鈥 moves only happen due to intervention after poor performance or if a trust decides it no longer wants to run a school. Michelle Sheehy, of Millfield Primary School in Walsall, said the current setup means the proposed policy would be 鈥渧ery difficult to put into practice鈥. She added: 鈥淗eadteachers, when they do join a MAT, often lose any say in what happens to them subsequently. But I think something does need to be done to ensure the leaders of the school, the school heads themselves, get to choose what happens in terms of structure.鈥 Academy leaders 鈥榙emonised鈥 While excessive CEO pay was criticised, others were also concerned about academy criticism. Debra Walker criticised the 鈥渄emonisation of us as leaders and workers within the academy system鈥. 鈥淭here are some rogue people out there, but we cannot tarnish the whole system,鈥 she added. And Jim Nicholson of Stockport said 鈥渢he majority of CEOs actually do hard work for the children. 鈥淢any CEOs actually are paid less than some of our primary school colleagues in charge of individual schools in the maintained sector. We have to stop that rhetoric.鈥 Ofsted 鈥榞limmers of hope are now in the shadows鈥 The NAHT鈥檚 motion on Ofsted calls on the union to consider all 鈥渓egal and industrial options鈥 in fighting the watchdog鈥檚 plan for new report cards, which would give schools one of five grades in up to 11 inspection areas. The union has since launched legal action. Martin Vayro, of Crow Lane primary school in Milnsbridge, Huddersfield, said heads were given a 鈥済limmer of hope鈥 when Sir Martyn Oliver was appointed chief inspector and the Labour government was elected. But 鈥渋n the here and now, those glimmers of hope are in the shadows鈥. He said the plan for report cards was 鈥渁n idea that was set up in Nando’s, written on the back of a serviette, taken back into the office and run through ChatGPT鈥. Donna Taylor Smith Donna Taylor-Smith, head of Stansfield Hall Church of England in Littleborough, Gtr Manchester, said her school was rated 鈥榞ood鈥 in all areas last year, but then inspectors returned to gather additional evidence. 鈥淭he lead inspector called not to collaborate, but to dictate. There was no discussion, no understanding, just control.鈥 What followed was 鈥渙ne of the most traumatic 48 hours of my professional life. I didn’t sleep. I was at school at 4am shovelling snow, terrified that they would defer us. 鈥淢y staff were shattered and I was broken. By midday, the inspectors told me that they had no concerns. They praised our journey, but the damage was already done.鈥 鈥楻emove last remnant of performance-related pay鈥 Delegates passed a motion stating that performance-related pay in England 鈥渉as been removed for everyone except those on [main pay scale point six]. This is because teachers 鈥渟till have to apply鈥 for the upper pay scale, and this is subject to a judgment. Amy Lassman Amy Lassman, of Birmingham, said all teachers 鈥渄evelop well when they are supported and able to take part in meaningful professional development. 鈥淥ver time, their skills develop, they support others, they become better teachers. This should be rewarded with a fair and equitable pay scale that recognises commitment and experience.鈥 But Clem Coady from Cumbria warned that if the policy changed, 鈥渨ages will go up鈥 but the school funding will never match it, and therefore, members in this room will be making colleagues redundant to pay for this鈥. 鈥楾eaching apprentices just surface-level instructors鈥 The government is developing teaching degree apprenticeships, which will allow those without an existing degree to train to become teachers. They will obtain a degree and qualified teacher status at the end of the four-year course. NAHT conference voted to 鈥渙ppose the introduction and expansion of non-graduate apprenticeship routes as a substitute for high-quality, university-led teacher training鈥. The only basic entry requirements are that applicants must be over 16 and have passed GCSE English and maths. The number of A-levels or equivalent qualifications 鈥渨ill be set by individual universities鈥. Emily Jones Emily Jones, from Staffordshire, asked delegates to 鈥渋magine hypothetically鈥 a non-graduate apprentice teacher working with pupils with additional needs. 鈥淣o required specialist knowledge, no required understanding of pedagogy, psychology, differentiation, SEND needs and the true grit required to work with such people. A 60 per cent teaching commitment and a 40 per cent study.鈥 She said the union鈥檚 executive had questioned the government, and 鈥渢here are far too many holes in this poorly thought out solution to our recruitment crisis鈥. 鈥淲ill this reduce workload for schools? Absolutely not. Will this increase our workforce solving all of our recruitment issues? I very much doubt it.鈥 Toni Dolan, of Barnsley, questioned how apprentice teachers would identify learning gaps 鈥渋f they do not have any strong sound subject knowledge specific to their teaching area. She added: 鈥淭hey will just be surface-level instructors.鈥 But George Samios, of Bath, pointed out trainees often take on debts of 拢9,000 to do a PGCE or up to 拢50,000 for a teaching degree. He argued we should not place 鈥渁dditional barriers in the way of good people, whatever their circumstances, doing something meaningful and vital.鈥