A former general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders has predicted that it will amalgamate with the NAHT heads’ union within a decade.

Sir John Dunford, who served as the ASCL leader from 1998-2010, was speaking to Tes as he prepares to lead a new commission to crack down on exam malpractice.

Asked whether last year’s merger between the NUT and ATL teaching unions to form the National Education Union could presage a coming together of ASCL and the NAHT, he said: “I think eventually they will. I’m very sorry it didn’t come during my time.”

Sir John said he pushed for a merger of the two heads unions during his tenure at ASCL.

“I tried to do it because I recognised that Mick Brooks, who was general secretary of the NAHT, and I were retiring at the same time, in 2010.

“I think that would have been a great opportunity for the two associations to come together, but it didn’t work.”

However, Sir John thought the merger would happen within the next decade.

“I think in five to 10 years’ time, I’m sure it will have happened and it will be a very powerful voice,” he said.

Sir John said the creation of the NEU had been “hugely helpful in giving a strong voice to teachers”.

But while he backed an ASCL-NAHT merger, he said it would still make sense to have separate unions for teachers and school leaders.

“If you’re a broad teaching union, and the vast majority of your members are classroom teachers, you’re not going to be able to provide that level of service to school leaders,” he said.

“So I think there will always be a place for a union that is a very strong professional association of school leaders.”

This is an edited article from the 24 August edition of Tes. Subscribers can read the full article here. This week’s Tes magazine is available in all good newsagents. To download the digital edition, Android users can click here and iOS users can click here