Technicians throughout the UK will be only too aware that one of the crosses that we have to bear in our Professional lives is the fact that our salary is set and determined at local level or, in most case, at the whim and pleasure of the School Headteacher. This is the main reason why we have a diverse pay scale. One of our objectives has been to overturn this draconian idea and try to encourage the Government to place us on a national payscale similar to the teachers that reflects important criteria such as experience, length of service and responsibilities.

So we read with a tinge of humour (okay we laughed our backsides off at this - sorry!)  at a recent article in theguardian newspaper. Micahel Gove, the Education Secretary (yes he's the same man that at the pen stroke abolished the SSSNB for support staff) is now proposing that England's state schools could be allowed to set their teachers' salaries themselves. This would lead to the end of a national pay scale for the profession. This forms part of a suggestion in a submission to a review on teachers' pay due to report this autumn.

Comments: Education Secretary proposing Local Pay structure for teachers?

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) are running a 24 hour Bottle rocket Challenge which will take place on 4th July at 12:00 GMT
With the help of NASA and everyone around the world, they hope to smash the Guineess World record for bottle rocket launches launched in a single day. Your School can be part of the experience by initially registering your interest by clicking on this link here..

So if you love rockets, galaxies space and stars, then why not get involved? You can also find out about the NASA Hi-C Mission which will capture high resolution images of the sun! The first 1000 schools that register for this will get a free Rocket launch kit, sounds like great fun!

Calling all technicians in the new 'tri-borough' Education Authority, incorporating the boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster. I am holding an informal Technicians' network coffee morning on Tuesday the 19th June 2012, at Lady Margaret School, Parsons Green SW6.
Edulab are popping in to run a short workshop - betterequipped sponsoring us as well, and lots of coffee and muffins whilst we exchange ideas!! If you are able to come, please let me know asap? You do not have to be from the above boroughs, to qualify, just drop me an email if interested! And it is free....!
My email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you're still using Internet Explorer 6 or 7 (IE6/IE7) to browse the web, you'll need to upgrade to view the TecHKnow website correctly. IE6 was released back in 2001 by Microsoft and IE7 five years later in 2006, and both now have been overtaken by newer browsers such as Internet Explorer 8 or 9. Upgrading your browser will give you more features, stability and security. You’ll also find the TecHKnow site works better too!

• IE6 & IE7 are now outdated when it comes to supporting today's website technology. That means many sites won’t work properly - including TecHKnow.
• Recent browsers are faster.
• Most web browsers can be downloaded for free.
• IE6 & IE7 doesn’t have many of the great features you get with more recent browsers. Take tabbed browsing for example – this means you can open new sites in tabs in the same window rather than having multiple windows open.
• The latest browsers have more security options, providing even better protection against hackers and fraudsters. Some give you the option of Private Browsing, which hides your browsing history from others.
• The TecHKnow website has been built and developed to make full use of the rich graphical capabilities together with the security features that are only found on modern browsers.

What are the alternatives and where do I get them?

TecHKnow supports a number of alternatives to IE6 & IE7 but before you download the software make sure your computer meets the system requirements outlined on the websites

• Internet Explorer - The latest version is Internet Explorer 9 and you can download this from here...
• Mozilla Firefox - The latest version is Firefox 12 and you can download this from here...
• Apple Safari - Is available for both the PC and the Mac. You can download the latest version from here...
• Google Chrome is the search engines' free web browser. You can download this from here...

Other web browsers, particularly those found on the Linux (open source) platforms are available and have been proven to display the TecHKnow website correctly.

What version of Internet Explorer do i have?

It’s easy to find out what version of Internet Explorer you have.

• Open the browser you use
• Go to Help in the menu bar at the top of the browser
• Click on Help
• From the menu that comes up, select About Internet Explorer
• A window pops up with information about IE
• This will include the version number.

endfaq

Comments: Upgrading your Web browser

The Science Learning Center (South West) are pleased to be able to offer Impact Awards of £100 for a number of their courses, the following courses are taking place in the summer term and Impact Awards will be awarded on a first-come-first-served basis.

Practical Work in Chemistry, Biology, Physics* Science Demonstrations Effective and Safe* Working as a Science Technician: An Introduction to the Role Technicians A-Level Physics, Biology Senior Technicians: Leadership, Training and Management

Any of these courses could be delivered in your school or cluster of schools for a cost of £110 + VAT per technician for up to five technicians from each school. Up to five technicians from each school in a cluster can apply for an Impact Award, making the CPD excellent value for money.

* Impact Awards available for technicians attending with a teacher from their school

Comments: Bursaries available for scheduled technicians' courses and outreach programme

Calling all technicians in the South West and beyond. On the 6th July we are having our FREE 18th Avon Sci Tech meeting at Broadlands School, Keynsham near Bristol.
There are speakers in the morning and workshops in the afternoon. And yes it is all FREE, just bring a packed lunch or £4 if you order lunch.  The National Technician meeting in York is on the same day again but if you cannot go to that and want a more local meeting,come to ours.
You can get in touch on email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. but I will post on this site again nearer the time when speakers and times are confirmed. Ann from Bristol

The following is snippets of news from CLEAPSS valid at this time.
Please check their website at http://www.cleaps.org.uk for more information.

• Any schools or colleges interested in hosting GCSE & A level CLEAPSS Biology courses ? We need more venues! Please DM, phone or email us.
• CLEAPSS are once again running our cluster of technicians courses on 25th - 28th September - See http://bit.ly/I8Xsn6 for more info.
• CLEAPSS are carrying out an SYC Survey for the Home Office please see the links on our web site

You can Email CLEAPSS directly for more info on the above at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . or alternatively visit their website at http://www.cleapss.org.uk/
CLEAPSS are also available on the popular social media website Twitter (@CLEAPSS), Facebook and Youtube

Employees have a right to take a reasonable amount of time off work to deal with certain unexpected or sudden emergencies affecting their family and to make necessary longer-term arrangements.
The right is available to all employees, whether they work full-time or part-time, and there is no qualifying period – an employee is entitled to the right from the first day of employment.

A dependant is defined as the husband, wife, civil partner, child or parent (but not grandparent) of the employee. An elderly relative who lives in the same household as the employee also counts. However, tenants or lodgers living in the family home are not included. Others who rely solely on the employee for help in an emergency may also qualify.

In what situations can an employee take time off?

The right enables employees to take time off in the following situations:

• If a dependant falls ill or has been injured or assaulted
• When a dependant is giving birth
• To make longer-term care arrangements for a dependant who is ill or injured
• To deal with the death of a dependant, including making funeral arrangements and attending the funeral, applying for probate and meeting with probate officers
• To deal with an unexpected disruption or breakdown of care arrangements for a dependant
  To deal with an unexpected incident involving the employee's child during school hours.

Under the statutory right, an employee is only entitled to take time off for dependants in the situations listed above. Other emergencies, such as a breakdown of the central heating or a burst water pipe, remain a matter to be determined solely between the employee and their employer.

Can both parents take time off work if their child falls ill?

There may be times when it is necessary that both parents take time off, for example if their child has had a serious accident. However, much will depend on the circumstances of the particular case and government guidance suggests that both employer and employee should adopt a common sense approach in these situations.

How much time off can an employee take?

The employee is entitled to take a reasonable amount of time off. What is reasonable will depend on the circumstances of each case. The nature of the incident, the closeness of the relationship between the employee and the dependant and the extent to which another person is available to assist are all relevant factors. In most situations, one or two days should be sufficient. If a child falls ill, this will give the employee enough time to see a doctor and make other arrangements for the child, if necessary. The employee is not entitled to take two weeks’ leave to look after the sick child

What if the employee knows in advance that a problem is going to arise?

As the right only covers emergencies, it will generally not apply if the employee knows in advance that something is going to happen. If an employee knows beforehand that they are going to need time off, they may be able to arrange this with their employer by taking a day's holiday or possibly unpaid leave.

Is the time off paid?

The legal obligation for an employer is only to provide unpaid leave but an employer may, of course, choose to enhance the right by paying employees for some or all of their absence. Your employment contract should be checked for more information

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Remember, you must tell your employer as soon as possible why you are away from work and how long you expect to be off. If you return to work before you’ve had the chance to contact your employer, you must still tell them why you were absent.

See also:

• Taking time off work due to snow or inclement weather

Your CommentsTaking time of work to deal with Emergencies

Its’ celebration time! Later this term we all get to have a long bank holiday weekend off to relax and celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee. Or do we? With technicians working as Full-Time, Part Time or term Time,  then also taking into consideration the fact that many schools have transferred across to Acadamy status, it's easy for the technician as the humble employee to become a little confused over exactly what their rights are regarding time of. So we take a little time to help explain this.

Read more: Time off for the Queens Jubilee

With very few exceptions all employees will find it necessary to lift (or move) an object from point A to B. Your ability to perform this task relies on at least four factors.

These are; The nature of the task itself; the capabilities of the individual ie., how fit you are!; the size and shape of the Load, and finally the environment or the general layout of your workplace eg., whether you have stairs, ramps, or lifts. Practicing good lifting technique does not enable you to lift more than you could before.  It means that, whatever your individual capabilities, your chances of injury are reduced. Good technique is just one of a number of control measures, within the hierarchy of control, that the employer has to put in place to reduce manual handling risks; it is not a panacea. This is about a cultural change, about not accepting practices because that’s the way they’ve always been done.

So we have a PowerPoint available for you to download to use either as an individual or perhaps as part of an inhouse training exercise. It is available to download from the Health and Safety section of our Downloads area.

 Assessing the risks of lifting a load

These selected courses, delivered by experienced trainers from CLEAPSS, will help technicians and teachers at secondary schools and colleges develop their knowledge of topics involved and gain an understanding of teh considerations neeed for managing practical work in a safe and effective classroom environment. The courses are one day and take place at Science Learning Center Yorkshire and the Humber based in Sheffield Hallam University

Download the pdf course listings from here...

Comments:Courses for secondary teachers and technicians at SLCYH in May

We know there are many amateur astronomers and enthusiast amongst us. So you may be interested to learn that on 5 and 6 June this year, millions of people around the world will be able to see Venus pass across the face of the Sun in what will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

It will take Venus about six hours to complete its transit, appearing as a small black dot on the Sun's surface, in an event that will not happen again until 2117. ...Transits of Venus occur only on the very rare occasions when Venus and Earth are in a line with the Sun. At other times Venus passes below or above the Sun because the two orbits are at a slight angle to each other. Transits occur in pairs separated by eight years, with the gap between pairs of transits alternating between 105.5 and 121.5 years — the last transit was in 2004." You can check this chart to see whether it'll be visible at your location, and when you should look.
You'll need a safe way to watch & yes, there's even a phone app to help you out.

Comments:Venus To Transit the Sun In June, Not Again Until 2117

The GROUPS area of TecHKnow (on our main menu) is a powerful social and professional networking component for colleagues who wish to discuss specific professional interests. It allows you to organise yourselves into smaller community groups and we provide you with easy to use familiar tools in which to do this with!

• Do you already manage or coordinate a focus or technician group for science/technology technicians around the UK?
• Would you would like to join a focus group that would deal with practical (or any other issues) relating to, for example,  STEM, EDEXCEL, or any other curriculum or professional issues?
• Do you have a passion and interest in Astronomy, electronics, technology, Health and Safety and would like to share & discuss this passion with others as a Group in more detail?

 Then the GROUPS area maybe just what you need!  - Why not set up a GROUP on TecHKnow right now.

What is this Groups area?

Simply put, the Groups area is a social or group networking component that allows you to set up a specific focus or specialised group for registered TecHKnow colleagues. You will need to be registered with us before you can join or create any Group.

How do I create or Join a group?

As a registered member of the TecHKnow website, you can set up as many professional groups as you wish. However, please remember that if you choose to set up your group then you are entirely responsible for both managing and moderating your group. Its like having your very own website for absolutely no cost to you whatsoever..

How do I join an existing group?

If a Group already exists then depending on how the group owner has set up the area you can join by simply sending a request to the Group owner to join his or her group. They then either approve or reject your request. The group owner may also at their discretion specially invite you to join their group. Finally, some Groups may be deliberately open to all colleagues and therefore you can join straight away.

Each Group owner will clearly indicate which method they are using.

Are groups private or Public?

Once again, it will depend on how the group Moderator has set up the Group.
If the group is PUBLIC, then all registered members of TecHKnow will be able to view, and if they wish, participate within this group freely.
If the Group is set up as PRIVATE, then only those colleagues who have been granted approval to join the group by the Group Moderator will be able to see and access anything that happens. The group owner can also personally invite colleagues to join his or her Group 

This method of use provides a high degree of anonymity to the users within the group. However, all members will be expected to abide by the local rules imposed by the group Moderator as well as the main TecHKnow website terms and Conditions that you signed up to

What facilities does each Group have?

Regardless of whether a group is private or public all groups are provided with the following common facilities.

Your own Group Forum area. This is identical to the main Forum area that you familiar with on the website.

Your own group Picture Gallery area. Upload images to share among all of your group users.

Your own File sharing area. You can share many of the common file formats such as microsoft documents and pdf among your group members.

Communication within your group is facilitated by either group email or you can use the websites private messaging facility.

Do you like Facebook? Then within your group area you will have your very own Facebook style wall area to general chat, discuss, moan or groan.

Okay, I'm interested. What help can you give us?

Your not alone. If you decide to set up a Group area then we are here to help you every step of the way. We will advise you on how to best set up your Group as well as give you tips on how best to manage it. All group owners can get ispeedy help on any matter from the Administrators at any time. We are not too far away!

Contact the website admin at any time by either sending us a PM (to TecHKnow) or alternatively via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

endfaq

Do you have a head full of ideas for new teaching resources... if only you had the time and money to develop them properly? Do you have a great science lesson that you'd like to share with teachers around the UK? If so, the SAPS Associate Awards are for you.

SAPS Associate Awards are available to teachers and technicians to develop an idea or activity that will enhance the teaching of plant science in their school or college. These Awards are only available to teachers and technicians registered with the free SAPS Associate  scheme and engaged in secondary and post-16 science education in the UK.  Awards of up to £500 per application will be paid to the applicant's school / college on satisfactory completion of the funded activity. The application deadline is May 21st and you can you can find more information about the awards directly on the SAPS website here...

Comments:SAPS Associate Awards

The CLEAPSS Summer bulletin 144 is now out. Its available directly from their website at: http://www.cleapss.org.uk

This issue focuses upon H&S advice in repect of knowing who is your employer, CLEAPSS training for new school technicians and also radion protection advice. Several healthcare and local authorities have issued public warnings about Jequirity beans bracelets. CLEAPSS issues a warning and advice regarding these bracelets. If you coordinate or manage local technician group, then CLEAPSS are keen to hear from you so that they can compile a database of such groups.The bulletin is packed full of useful advice help and guidelines so make sure that you circulate the bulletin around your science and technology department.

Comments:CLEAPSS Summer bulletin

This week marks an important milestone in the professional recognition of science technicians as the ASE has awarded the first RSciTech registers. The first RSci registers have also been awarded. Ten RSciTech have been awarded to ASE members.

Congratulations to; Margaret Gray, Alison Christou, Helen Powell, Selina Coleman, Jan O'Connell, Michelle McGaughey, Julia Bostock, Gill Halton, Sue Smith and Wilson Agnew.You can find out more about the winner here..

See also: ASE pilots new technicians' register

Hundreds of school support staff are to get degree-level and specialist training in helping children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), under a new £500,000 programme set out today by Children's Minister Sarah Teather.

The annual SEN support scholarship programme will provide up to £2,000 each to boost the skills of talented teaching assistants and school staff who work with children with SEND. The scholarship cash will fund staff through rigorous, specialist courses and qualifications.

Read more: £500,000 scholarship scheme launched for SEN support staff

#asechat is a weekly online science education discussion group. The discussion is conducted via Twitter and designed to complement, but not compete with other discussion groups. The team are particularly keen to attract more technician involvement within the discussion group and they are also interested hearing from you about topics of concern or importance that you would like to discuss! You can email them directly at ase.org.uk/news/ase-chat/

"Enjoyed #asechat tonight; some good exchange of views and ideas in science education. Love this aspect of Twitter; easy to join in & useful!"

#asechat takes place on Monday evenings from 8.00-9.00pm (UK time). Everyone is welcome. The target audience includes science teachers from Primary and Secondary schools, laboratory technicians, trainee teachers, teacher educators and anyone else with an interest in science education. Science educators from outside the UK are very welcome too.

Read more: #asechat on a Monday night with other professionals

RLC-lab is a not-for-profit organisation that plays an active role in helping to support chemistry education in the UK
They provide a Chemical Sample Analysis Service to schools and colleges in support of A-level and BTEC Chemistry courses to give students experience of using modern techniques, as used in industry. RLC-lab provide the sample vials and return packaging. The samples are analysed by HPLC and FTIR and your data is reported using a secure login account to be viewed and downloaded by teachers and students within 48hrs

This is a heavily subsidised, and in many cases free of charge, service that provides access to students from a wide range of backgrounds - open & equal access. RLC-lab fund this program from the work they carry out for their commercial clients
If you would like to find out how you can access the service for your students, then visit their website at http://www.rlc-lab.com

Comments:News about a useful Chemical Sample Analysis Service

The two biggest teaching unions have voted for strikes which could hit schools across the UK this summer and autumn. Delegates at the NASUWT's annual conference voted to escalate the union's industrial action campaign as part of a bitter row with the Coalition over pay, pensions and workload. They passed a resolution that said industrial action was "the best means of protecting and safeguarding the interests of teachers and state education until the next general election."
Now don't misunderstand me. Teachers pay and conditions have increased immeasurably over recent years. There are many excellent teachers within the profession and those of us within the support staff sector witness the high standard of professional work that they perform on a daily basis. But many of us within the support staff sector work for less than £9 per hour....

Read more: More strikes loom but who is listening to us?