PPA - is this correct? Feel like this isn't right.

[applesauce1]

Hi all,

We've had our PPA allocation for the year and I wanted to check this is correct.

I teach from 8.45 until 3.15. We have 20 minutes assembly (is this classed as 'contact time'? We are compelled to attend) and 15 minutes for break. Lunch is 1 hour.

PPA for next year will be 1hour 45 minutes every week, and an extra hour a week every other term. I know that technically, we should be given the 10% every single week, but I don't really mind having a 'top-up' system. If assembly is classed as 'contact time', this won't cover it, as the weekly PPA would be about 2.5 hours a week, so would only be getting 15 extra minutes a week to 'bank' for the next term with only 1h45 a week?

Apologies for being so dense. It's the end of term and I'm not functioning properly!

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

Yes, I believe that assembly time is contact time - especially if you are compelled to attend. As are break times, which is why you can be required to do break duties. Lunch times aren't.

[TheFallenMadonna]

It's contact time, but PPA is 10% of teaching time, not contact time.

[applesauce1]

How many hours PPA would you expect for the following?
4h55m teaching time (registration included in this but count as teaching time as we start work immediately)
15m break
20m assembly

[TheFallenMadonna]

2.5 hours pw. Break and assembly don't count.

[disconnecteddrifter]

Break does count just most heads let you have 3 a week off. Look at your union website

[TheFallenMadonna]

Break has never counted for me. Or tutor time/registration. 10% of lesson time. I work 0.8 and get 2 hours, 10%. I am on duty every break and every lunch as part of my directed hours, and they are not included in the calculation.

[TractorTedTed]

I guess just under 2.5 hours a week?

In secondary schools it's perhaps more straightforward.
A friend has 2 and a half hours a week ppa. There are 5 lessons a day, each lasting 60 mins. Two week timetable, so really 5 frees a fortnight.

Obviously expected to do break duties, assemblies, tutor time etc, which isn't taken into account when calculating ppa.

So if you teach for 4 hrs 55 mins a day, that's 24 hrs 35 mins a week. 10% of that is 2 hours 26 mins.

[Rainbowcolours1]

My full time staff get half a day a week, alternating am and pm, so the equivalent of a day a fortnight. The rest depends on how many days they work. It works out slightly more than 10% but is much easier to timetable and I think they deserve it!

[unikorn]

My goodness that's hardly anything. I work 0.8 and get six hours in private school. This sort of thing makes me so cross for teachers.

[MaisyPops]

Standard in most schools near me for main scale teachers is 3 hours a week.
It should be just under that but most schools round up near me.

I'm not sure I'd want to work somewhere that counts my PPA to the minute. It tells me too much about the school culture.

[youarenotkiddingme]

Our school usually give am or pm.
Teachers do argue that system though as an is 8.45-11.50 and pm session is 1.20-3.15.

I agree that alternating would be a fair system but discussion and fair solutions can only be reached with an SLT team who are willing to listen

We've had 11 teachers leave in 3 years and are short 2 teachers for September. (In an 11 class school!)

[rebelnotaslave]

It's 10% of timetabled teaching time, in blocks of no less than 30mins. But only in local authority schools or in an academy if you TUPE'd from local authority.

There is no statutory right to ppa in academies.

And its weekly, not daily. The actual hours you teach, not how many hours are available for teaching.