“I always wondered why somebody doesn’t do something about that. Then I realised I was somebody.”
Lily Tomlin
Healthy, happy, and motivated teachers are the most valuable resource in the education system. Wherever possible teachers should be facilitated to discharge their professional duties within the 1265 hours of annual directed time. Teachers working in their own free time should be the absolute exception, not the rule, and we recognise the detrimental impact such work has on the welfare of our teachers and their families.
To support our teachers, and to help them give our young people the best possible opportunity to excel in their school journey, SCHOOL will endeavour to follow the principles of the think1265 work-life charter listed below:
1. All teachers will receive a detailed directed time budget for the upcoming academic year before the summer break of the previous year.
2. Time budgets will be specific to the needs of individual teachers, taking into account the different time demands different activities will take and any extra responsibilities that a teacher may have. These time allocations in directed time budgets will be evidence-based and realistic.
3. Teachers will have a meaningful opportunity to discuss, amend and agree their directed time budget with a senior leader prior to the first day of teaching in the new academic year. There will be a right of appeal and a mechanism to do so if agreement cannot be reached.
4. We recognise the value of extracurricular activities and the key role of staff goodwill in volunteering their time for free to facilitate student enrichment. While no school can run every extracurricular activity within the available directed time, wherever possible we shall reflect this goodwill within a specific teacher’s DTB.
5. Weekly directed time which is not used will not be “accumulated” for use later in the year. “Front-loading” and “Back-loading” of time is bad practice, and should be avoided. Where periodic intense workload is required (for example moderation or controlled assessments, report writing etc) cover should be provided instead.
6. The 10% PPA time ring-fenced in the directed time budget will be used to allow teachers to plan and prepare daily lessons and assess daily classwork.
7. All marking (outside of day-to-day classroom assessment) and in particular marking associated with external assessments, will be given specific time in the time budget. The time allocated will be specific and evidence-based, and will include time for any tracking or inputting of data. Duplication of work should be identified and eliminated.
8. A school calendar containing details of all meetings for the forthcoming year will be issued in the summer term of the preceding one. All meetings will be “impact assessed” prior to going into the calendar, to ensure teacher time is used efficiently.
9. All new initiatives will be “workload impact assessed”, with TUs and staff consulted in a timely manner before these initiatives are added to any time budget. The priorities identified by management for the school year will be reflected in the direct impact on staff workload within these directed time budgets.
10. There will be an agreed mechanism – including an appeal process and agreed workload impact assessments – for any in-year variation to staff time budgets.
Christmas break in…
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