IT was the summer of 1989. I was 16 and leaving school. This was a time when you could walk out of school and into any job. I left school with no qualifications. I went on to sixth-form college, but I was more interested in the “university of life” and wanted to work.

I did all kinds of jobs, waitressing, shop work, and even delivering newspapers to make ends meet. I became a single mum to two, at a very young age, but didn’t want to live on benefits. When my youngest started nursery school I set out to get a job that fitted around them.

I first volunteered at my children’s nursery, three days a week. While there, I was offered a cover role for a month as a midday meals supervisor — dinner lady to you and me — and this was the beginning of my journey into education.

I applied for a job as a midday meals supervisor and at the grand age of 25, I got my first “proper” job in a school! I was chuffed. On my very first day, I was told by staff that I had to join the GMB union as they were all in it. I didn’t know what it was, but I joined anyway!

I really enjoyed my job and while here I was fortunate to progress. I started looking after a child with behavioural issues as their one-to-one. This was at a time when schools could afford to pay for training and I relished this role as I was able to watch this child grow, while I supported them.

During my 18 years as a teaching assistant, I was able to study for my NVQ Level 2 and 3 teaching assistant qualifications. I did every role possible and took every training opportunity offered.

During my time in school, I was elected as GMB workplace organiser, a role that I embraced while at work. In 2015 an amazing opportunity came along. My local GMB branch had a position for an assistant branch secretary, and they asked me to consider standing.

This meant I would be seconded into the role and be representing members, mostly school support staff, across the borough. Wow, what an honour. I was elected at a branch meeting, and this is where I found myself.

Being with the GMB has given me so much. I have been given so many great opportunities. I have been elected to the regional council, the central executive committee, I am currently the National Schools Committee chair and I proudly sit alongside other school members fighting for better recognition for school support staff.

However, my biggest achievement as a union member was to gain a teaching qualification, and I now tutor new GMB union workplace representatives.

My real passion is school support staff, and in my role as national school committee chair, I have ample opportunities to do this. Over the last 14 years of Tory rule, school support staff roles have slowly been eroded and their pay does not reflect the role they do.

Job descriptions have changed beyond recognition, they are expected to do so much more than the job they are employed to do and all this without recognition. Can you believe that school support staff are not recognised as teaching staff? They are usually called non-teaching staff and I personally find this insulting.

School support staff go above and beyond for the children they support and these days, there are more SEN children in mainstream settings than ever before. School support staff are looking after the most vulnerable children in school but are often left to “just get on with it,” or “babysit” without any formal training to support the child’s additional needs.

Many of our members report to us that they have been injured but have been offered no support when they are hurt, or they are feeling overwhelmed and stressed out by their work situation, even to the point of taking time off sick with mental health.

We are also seeing more members telling us that they are going above and beyond their job description, covering classes or even taking classes because a teacher is off, and this can be on a long-term basis.

This saves the school hundreds of pounds a day, yet the members who are covering are often given a step-up payment that can be around two to three pounds extra an hour on top of their pay.

School support staff are already underpaid. Just last year the Low Pay Commission added school support staff pay to their list of low-paid workers. Some school support staff do not earn more than £12 an hour. Can you believe that? Those who support and educate children in schools get paid less an hour than supermarket workers? It doesn’t make sense.

This is why in 2024, GMB secured a commitment from the Labour government to reinstate the Schools Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB). This was placed on their manifesto and since coming into power in July they have honoured that commitment.

In 2009 the SSSNB was established with the three recognised school support staff unions working in conjunction with the then Labour government. This was to recognise the important role in schools that support staff did, to look at their job descriptions, job profiles, terms and conditions, training and career progression. There were 109 job profiles in schools, from teaching assistants, office staff, kitchen staff, cleaners, and even school chaplains.

The SSSNB was only in place for one year when the coalition government came in. On their very first day in power, Michael Gove put an end to the body labelling it a “quango” and saying school support staff were just a “mums’ army.” This was a huge disappointment and had a devastating impact on school support staff.

Over the last 14 years, schools have suffered with their budgets being cut to the bone, yet it has been school support staff who have suffered the most. If there are any job cuts to be made, it is always the school support staff whose jobs are the first to go. These people are there to care for the children and the most vulnerable, yet their jobs are just “collateral damage.”

There is a serious recruitment and retention problem in schools and if pay, terms and conditions, job descriptions and recognition for school support staff are not put in place soon, there will be no support for the children who need it most. This is why the GMB are committed to getting the SSSNB up and running.

The hard work is already taking place. GMB sit alongside the DfE working tirelessly to ensure that every aspect of school support staff roles are finally recognised as being a valued part of the school community.

There are several working groups in place and GMB has secured voices on those committees by our school support staff members. Voices of those who work in schools and know what really needs to change and be put in place to ensure that, going forward, all school support staff have a say in their work, have a clear training and career path to do their role and better pay for the job they do.

GMB is the union for school support staff. More than 100,000 school support staff are members of GMB and we want to help make their workplace a better place for them and the children they look after. Being in the GMB gave me the chance to grow, and get an education which in turn gave me better pay. I want to repay that by supporting GMB members, in schools, to get the recognition they most definitely deserve.

I have a little saying: teachers are the cogs in a school, while school support staff are the oil. Without the oil, the cogs grind to a halt.

Donna Spicer is president, GMB Woolwich Branch & chair of GMB's National Schools' Committee