They have laboured for years as the poor relations in the education workforce, rightly treasured by teachers and headteachers as a vital element in school life but not given the pay and status they deserve. But now - after years of waiting and months of painstaking negotiations - more than 300,000 school support staff have their own pay negotiating body to ensure 'the specific role they play is recognised and reflected fairly and openly across all schools'.
The School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSNB) was officially launched by the Department of Children, Schools and Families Secretary of State Ed Balls at the Labour party conference in September, where he said of support staff, 'I want them to make the maximum contribution in the classroom and behind the scenes - and their pay and conditions must reflect their contribution.'
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