With many lockdown restrictions still in place, the ECS Group Executive Council (GEC) met via video conferencing on Friday 26 June. It was a well-attended meeting, chaired by ECS President Mark Patton.

Colleagues shared their working priorities and challenges as part of the professional development. This ranged from the schools re-opening programme across Westminster and devolved governments, the role of various inspection regimes, workload/wellbeing concerns for education professionals, policy developments on attendance and vulnerable children and the support and campaigning that Prospect is doing for self-employed members.

We discussed the members' survey from earlier this year, noting the range of roles that members undertake and who for, although the most popular category remains working in a Schools Improvement team in a local authority. We are acting on recommendations from the survey in terms of the services and support we provide as well as how we communicate with members, including in Education Eye.

Policy work is focussed around SEND, Attendance, Exclusion, Children Missing Education, Elective Home Education, Schools Improvement as well as retaining a focus on devolved governments, with cross-cutting themes to pull the work together.

This GEC was the final get together with ex-President Jill De Paolis, who will be stepping down from the GEC following an outstanding contribution not only to the union, but to children and young people in Kent. The GEC is a vibrant and lively group and we will be seeking new members shortly.