View source for NASUWT

{{Short description|Teachers' trade union in the United Kingdom}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{promotional|date=September 2025}}
{{AI-generated|date=October 2025}}
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{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox organization|
| name                     = NASUWT – The Teachers' Union
| location_country         = [[United Kingdom]]
| affiliation              = {{hlist|[[Trades Union Congress|TUC]]|[[Irish Congress of Trade Unions|ICTU]]|[[Scottish Trades Union Congress|STUC]]|[[Education International|EI]]}}
| members                  = {{decrease}} 259,079 (2024)<ref>{{cite web |title=NASUWT Form AR21 for year ended 31 December 2024 |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685a65bfe2e8fdfe8b652e27/NASUWT_AR21__2024.pdf |website=GOV.UK |access-date=11 September 2025}}</ref>
| leader_title             = General Secretary
| leader_name              = [[Matt Wrack]]
| full_name                = <!--if different than the name parameter-->
| logo                     = NEW TEACHERS BLOCK LOGO.png
| logo_size                = 
| image                    = 
| founded                  = {{start date and age|1976}}
| dissolved                = 
| merger                   = [[National Association of Schoolmasters|NAS]]<br>[[Union of Women Teachers|UWT]]
| headquarters             = Rednal, [[Birmingham]]
| key_people               = 
| website                  = [http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/ nasuwt.org.uk]
| footnotes                = 
}}

'''NASUWT – The Teachers' Union''' is a trade union representing teachers in the [[United Kingdom]] across all phases of education, affiliated with the [[Trades Union Congress]], the [[Scottish Trades Union Congress]], the [[Irish Congress of Trade Unions]] and [[Education International]]. It is one of the largest teaching unions in the UK and is distinctive in representing only qualified teachers, rather than a wider group of education staff.

The union describes itself as "the undiluted voice of the teaching profession," emphasising that its work is centred exclusively on teachers’ interests. 

The union engages in negotiations with employers, campaigns on pay and workload, provides legal and professional support to members, and, when necessary, takes industrial action.

Membership is open to teachers at every stage of their careers, including those in supply roles, leadership positions, and in both the maintained and independent sectors.

== The early years 1919–1976; breakaway and the formation of a new union ==
The origins of NASUWT can be traced back to the formation of the National Association of Men Teachers (NAMT) in 1919, which formed as a group within the [[National Union of Teachers]] (NUT) to promote the interests of male teachers. The formation of the NAMT was in response to an NUT referendum the same year, approving the principle of equal pay for women.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Ironside|first1=Mike|title=Pay and pay determination|date=2005-08-12|work=Industrial Relations in Schools|pages=20–72|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-203-98967-8|last2=Seifert|first2=Roger|doi=10.4324/9780203989678-2|doi-access=free}}</ref>

The NAMT continued its campaign to further the interests of male teachers, changing its name in 1920 to the [[National Association of Schoolmasters]] (NAS). In 1922 the NAS broke away from the NUT and established its own organisation. The secession came about indirectly following a decision at the NAS Conference that year, to prohibit NAS members from continuing to also be members of the NUT after the 31 December 1922.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Roach|first=John|date=1957|title=5. The School Teachers: The Growth of the Teaching Profession in England and Wales from 1800 to the present day. By Asher Tropp. London: Heinemann, 1957. Pp. viii + 286. 21s.|journal=Cambridge Historical Journal|volume=13|issue=2|pages=196–198|doi=10.1017/s147469130000024x|issn=1474-6913}}</ref>

The NAS aimed to recruit every schoolmaster into the NAS, to safeguard and promote the interests of male teachers, to ensure recognition of the social and economic responsibilities of male teachers, and to ensure the representation of schoolmasters on matters concerned with education, with both the [[local education authority|local education authorities]] and government. The NAS also maintained that all boys over the age of seven should be taught mainly by men and that schoolmasters should not serve under women heads.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Marsh |first1=Arthur |url=https://archive.org/details/historicaldirect0004mars|title=Historical directory of trade unions|orig-year=1980|year=c. 2006|publisher=Gower|last2=Ryan |first2=Victoria |last3=Smethurst |first3=John B. |last4=Carter |first4=Peter|isbn=0-566-02160-9|location=Farnborough, Hants., England|oclc=7579706|url-access=registration}}</ref>

As the secondary education sector expanded, the NAS built its organisation among male secondary teachers, it adopted the methods of [[collective bargaining]] and militant industrial action in pursuing a narrow range of pay and conditions issues related to the interests of full-time male 'career teachers'.

By the 1960s, the union was still opposed to admitting women as members, but it was concerned that the unions open to women teachers were all hostile to its objectives. As a result, it encouraged the formation of the [[Union of Women Teachers]] (UWT).<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Ironside|first1=Mike|title=Industrial Relations in Schools|last2=Seifert|first2=Roger|date=2005-08-12|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-203-98967-8|doi=10.4324/9780203989678|url=http://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/24222/1/1005909.pdf}}</ref>

In 1976 the NAS merged with the [[Union of Women Teachers]] (UWT) and the Scottish Schoolmasters' Association (SSA).<ref name="marsh">{{cite book|last1=Marsh|first1=Arthur|url=https://archive.org/details/historicaldirect0004mars/page/139|title=Historical Directory of Trade Unions|last2=Ryan|first2=Victoria|date=1980|publisher=Gower|isbn=0566021609|volume=1|location=Farnborough|pages=[https://archive.org/details/historicaldirect0004mars/page/139 139–140]}}</ref> The merger was largely a consequence of the [[Sex Discrimination Act 1975]], which made it unlawful to exclude from membership on grounds of gender. It then became the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (NAS/UWT).<ref>{{Citation|last1=Ironside|first1=Mike|title=Pay and pay determination|date=2005-08-12|work=Industrial Relations in Schools|page=97|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-203-98967-8|last2=Seifert|first2=Roger|doi=10.4324/9780203989678-2|doi-access=free}}</ref> The 'slash' separating the two sections of the union was later dropped and the name usually appeared subtitled 'The Career Teachers Union' – a reference to the lifelong commitment of the 'career' classroom teacher.

Although from many years the union had officially registered its name with the Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers Associations<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.certoffice.org/Nav/Trade-Unions/National-Association-of-Schoolmasters---Union-of-W.aspx?page=2 |title=National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers: Annual returns (PDF format) |access-date=2 July 2014 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140702002151/http://www.certoffice.org/Nav/Trade-Unions/National-Association-of-Schoolmasters---Union-of-W.aspx?page=2 |archive-date=2 July 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> as the NASUWT, it is only since 2015 that the union has adopted its name in the short form using ''only the initials'' NASUWT<ref name="assets.publishing.service.gov.uk">{{Cite web| title=Trade Union's details | url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/822399/167T_2018.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226212153/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/822399/167T_2018.pdf | archive-date=2022-02-26}}</ref> and subtitled 'The Teachers' Union'.  The change reflected that 84 per cent of its members were now women<ref name="assets.publishing.service.gov.uk"/> and it was effectively able to remove from its name the now archaic term 'schoolmasters'.

== Industrial relations, bargaining and strikes ==
The union as the National Association of Schoolmasters (NAS) with 21,000 members attempt to seek representation in national pay negotiations known as the [[Burnham Committee]] was rejected in 1960.<ref name=bc>{{Cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1960/apr/14/burnham-committee-national-association|title=Burnaham Committee (National Association of Schoolmasters) (Hansard, 14 April 1960)|website=api.parliament.uk|access-date=2020-02-09}}</ref> The Burnham Committees however were dominated by representatives of the much larger National Union of Teachers (NUT) with a membership of 201,000.<ref name=bc/>

However following a series of strikes and rallies the NAS achieved recognition for national pay bargaining on the Burnham Committees in 1962. Despite a successful campaign, the NUT continued to hold the majority of seats. In 1969 for instance, the NUT had 15 members on the Teachers’ Panel, with the NAS holding the 2 seats it achieved on joining the Committee in 1962.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Beauvallet|first=Anne|date=2014-12-20|title=English Teachers' Unions in the Early 21st Century :What Role in a Fragmented World ?|journal=Revue LISA/LISA e-journal. Littératures, Histoire des Idées, Images, Sociétés du Monde Anglophone – Literature, History of Ideas, Images and Societies of the English-speaking World|language=en|volume=XII|issue=8|doi=10.4000/lisa.7108|issn=1762-6153|doi-access=free}}</ref> The NUT general secretary also held the joint secretaryship of the main ''Burnham Committees'' and the leadership of their ''Teachers' Panels'' for most of their existence.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/records/NUT/B|title=Burnham Committees|website=mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=2020-02-09}}</ref>

By the mid-1980s, the pay rises for teachers of the previous decade had been considerably eroded by inflation <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inflation.eu/inflation-rates/great-britain/historic-inflation/cpi-inflation-great-britain.aspx|title=Historic inflation Great Britain – historic CPI inflation Great Britain|website=www.inflation.eu|access-date=2020-02-09}}</ref>  In February, 1985 the NASUWT along with other teaching unions withdrew 'goodwill' in pursuit of higher pay. Members refused to supervise at lunchtimes, attend meetings with parents outside school hours, or cover for absent colleagues. The dispute escalated and a series of strikes followed for a period of the next two years.<ref name="Education in England – Chapter 15">{{Cite web|url=https://education-uk.org/history/chapter15.html|title=Education in England – Chapter 15|website=educationengland.org.uk|access-date=2020-02-09}}</ref>

By 1987 the divisions over strategy with other unions, notably the NUT, brought the dispute to an end. The result was the ''1987 Teachers' Pay and Conditions Act'', which abolished the national pay negotiations and replaced them with an ''Interim Advisory Committee on School Teachers' Pay and Conditions'', on which the unions had no representation.<ref name="Education in England – Chapter 15"/>  This was in turn replaced in 1991 by ''The School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB)'', an independent body to examine and report on such matters relating to the statutory conditions of employment of school teachers in England and Wales.

==Social partnership and work force reform==

From 2003 to 2010 the NASUWT was involved in "social partnership" – a programme of meetings between union leaders, the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] government and employers' organisations. The meetings were initially to discuss pay and workforce issues but developed into a forum for broader discussion on policy proposals.<ref>
{{Cite web
  | title = A Licence to Teach
  | author = Jonathan Simons
  | publisher = Policy Exchange
  | url = http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/item/a-licence-to-teach
  | access-date = 19 January 2014}}</ref> The [[National Union of Teachers]] chose not to participate in social partnership.

Social partnership was confined to the Labour government, and did not continue after the establishment of the [[Cameron–Clegg coalition|Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition]] in 2010. Instead, the union lodged a formal trade dispute with the government over workload, conditions of service, pensions, and jobs. In November 2011, members of the NASUWT voted by a 4-to-1 margin<ref name="2011ballotresult">
{{Cite web
  | title = National Action Ballot Result
  | publisher = NASUWT
  | url = http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/consum/groups/public/@press/documents/nas_download/nasuwt_008623.pdf
  | access-date = 8 January 2015
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150110144120/http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/consum/groups/public/@press/documents/nas_download/nasuwt_008623.pdf
  | url-status = dead
  | archive-date = 10 January 2015
  }}</ref> (on a 39% turnout)<ref>
{{Cite news
  | title = NASUWT: Largest teachers' union ballot
  | newspaper = politics.co.uk
  | url = http://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/nasuwt-the-teachers-union/article/nasuwt-largest-teachers-union-ballot
  | date = 4 November 2011
  | access-date = 8 January 2015
  }}</ref> to take strike action, and begin working to the letter of their contracts.<ref>
{{Cite web
  | title = Teachers in NASUWT vote for strike over pensions
  | publisher = BBC News
  | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15791167
  | date = 18 November 2011}}</ref> The NASUWT set aside historical differences with the [[National Union of Teachers]]; a joint declaration in May 2012<ref>
{{Cite news
  | title = NASUWT and NUT call upon Michael Gove to urgently address concerns – or face industrial action
  | newspaper = politics.co.uk
  | url = http://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/nasuwt-the-teachers-union/article/nasuwt-and-nut-call-upon-michael-gove-to-urgently-address-co
  | date = 28 May 2012}}</ref> led to a co-ordinated work-to-rule and strike action in autumn 2013.
<ref>
{{Cite web
  | title = Teachers' strike: Thousands of schools shut in England
  | publisher = BBC News
  | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24549604
  | date = 17 October 2013}}</ref>

==NASUWT campaigns==

The NASUWT has initiated a number of influential campaigns in recent years, including a campaign leading to the abolition of a [[code of conduct]] proposed by the [[General Teaching Council for England|General Teaching Council]],<ref>
{{Cite web
  | title = NASUWT – GTC Code of Conduct
  | publisher = NASUWT
  | url = http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/ActiveArea/Campaigns/GTCCodeOfConduct/NASUWT_004572
  | access-date = 17 February 2011}}
</ref> a campaign recognising the effects of [[cyberbullying]],<ref>
{{Cite web
  | title = NASUWT – Stop Cyberbullying
  | publisher = NASUWT
  | url = http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/Whatsnew/Campaigns/StopCyberbullying/NASUWT_002654
  | access-date = 17 February 2011}}
</ref> and a campaign to bar members of the [[British National Party]] from the teaching profession.<ref>
{{Cite web
  | title = NASUWT – Stop the BNP
  | publisher = NASUWT
  | url = http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/Whatsnew/Campaigns/StopTheBNP/NASUWT_007362
  | access-date = 17 February 2011}}</ref>

After 2010, the union joined campaigns against the coalition government. It asserted that "the [[Education Act 2011]] heralded the break-up of the entire state education service"<ref name="annualreport2011">{{Cite web
  | title = National Executive Annual Report 2011
  | page = 5
  | author = NASUWT
  | url = http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/consum/groups/public/@recruitmentandevents/documents/nas_download/nasuwt_009105.pdf
  | access-date = 8 January 2015
  }}</ref> and subsequently lobbied under the slogan "Reclaim the promise", harking back to the [[Education Act 1944]].<ref name="reclaimpromise">{{Cite news
  | title = 70th anniversary of 1944 Education Act – time to reclaim the promise
  | date = 1 August 2014
  | author = politics.co.uk
  | newspaper = Politics.co.uk
 | url = http://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/nasuwt-the-teachers-union/article/70th-anniversary-of-1944-education-act-time-to-reclaim-the-p
  | access-date = 8 January 2015
  }}</ref> NASUWT encouraged its members to join marches sponsored by the [[Trades Union Congress|TUC]],<ref name="annualreport2011" /> and participated in the [[Robin Hood tax]] campaign.<ref name="annualreport2013">{{Cite web
  | title = National Executive Annual Report 2013
  | page = 94
  | author = NASUWT
  | url = http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/consum/groups/public/@journalist/documents/nas_download/nasuwt_012254.pdf
  | access-date = 8 January 2015
  }}</ref>

==Location==
The headquarters is situated by the [[Lickey Hills Country Park]] in North Worcestershire which borders the southern edge of the City of Birmingham (NASUWT Rose Hill, Rednal, Birmingham B45 8RS).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/contact-us.html|title=Contact NASUWT|last=NASUWT|website=www.nasuwt.org.uk|access-date=2020-02-09}}</ref>  Built as a businessman's private house in 1897, Hillscourt was a preparatory school before the union bought it in 1971.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hillscourt Conference Centre |url=https://1stdirectory.co.uk/companies/hillscourt-conference-centre/ |website=1stdirectory.co.uk |access-date=21 March 2022}}</ref> Its library was named the Terry Casey Library in 1983 to commemorate Casey's 20 years as general secretary. The union also has nine regional centres in England, and national centres each of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/contact-us/your-national-regional-centre.html|title=Your National/Regional Centre|last=NASUWT|website=www.nasuwt.org.uk|access-date=2020-02-09}}</ref>

==General secretaries==
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2025}}
:1975: [[Terry Casey (trade unionist)|Terry Casey]]
:1983: [[Fred Smithies]]
:1990: [[Nigel de Gruchy]]
:2002: [[Eamonn O'Kane (trade unionist)|Eamonn O'Kane]]
:2004: [[Chris Keates]]
:2020: [[Patrick Roach (trade unionist)|Patrick Roach]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://schoolsweek.co.uk/patrick-roach-elected-unopposed-as-nasuwt-general-secretary/|title=Patrick Roach elected unopposed as NASUWT general secretary|last=Whittaker|first=Freddie|date=2019-12-11|website=Schools Week|access-date=2020-02-09}}</ref>
:2025: [[Matt Wrack]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Weale |first=Sally |date=2025-07-23 |title=Teachers' union elects former FBU general secretary on turnout below 5% |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/jul/23/matt-wrack-nasuwt-teaching-election-leadership |access-date=2025-07-24 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

==Deputy general secretaries==
:1981: [[Fred Smithies]]
:1983: [[Nigel de Gruchy]]
:1990: [[Eamonn O'Kane (trade unionist)|Eamonn O'Kane]]
:2002: [[Chris Keates]]
:2004: Jerry Bartlett
:2010: [[Patrick Roach (trade unionist)|Patrick Roach]]
:2020: Gareth Young<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/about-nasuwt/who-s-who-at-nasuwt/general-secretary-team.html|title=NASUWT General Secretary Team|date=2020-11-06|website=NASUWT|access-date=2020-11-06}}</ref>
:2021 Jane Peckham

==See also==
{{Portal|Education|Organised labour|United Kingdom}}

* [[National Education Union]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/}}
* [https://mrc.epexio.com/records/NSH Catalogue of the NAS archives], held at the [[Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick]]

{{Trades Union Congress}}
{{Irish Congress of Trade Unions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nasuwt}}
[[Category:Education in Worcestershire]]
[[Category:Education International]]
[[Category:Education trade unions]]
[[Category:Trade unions based in the West Midlands (county)]]
[[Category:Teacher associations based in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Trade unions established in 1976]]
[[Category:Trade unions in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1976 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Trade unions affiliated with the Trades Union Congress]]
[[Category:Trade unions affiliated with the Scottish Trades Union Congress]]