Genuinely, how many hours do do work?

[EndlessJob]

I think I've lost sight a little since moving into the independent sector.

SMT, so take home more work, but:

School day 8-5
Meetings or prep for one hour after 2/3 days
Saturday school 9-1

But
17 weeks holiday

Take work home every day, usually 3-4 hours per day. Work all Saturday afternoon, only 3 ish hours on Sundays.

This works out at about 80 hours per week, but for only 35 weeks a year. I probably do part time hours for about half of each holidays, so about 30 hours per week for 8 of the holidays weeks.

80 x 35 = 2800 term time hours
30 x 8 = 240 holiday hours

So, 3040 hours (give or take, fairly conservatively) per year, which is 58.5 hours per calendar week averaged.

Is this normal? Is this the same in the state sector? Or other private schools? It just seems too much. I can't do this until I'm 68!

[BackforGood]

No. That's excessive. Unless there were exceptional circumstances on a particular week, when I reached 60 hours (or the PT equivalent of 12 hours per day paid for) then I would stop. It's not doing the dc any good being taught by knackered staff.
NOt that I ever worked in private sector nor had 17 weeks holiday mind.

[Liadain]

Ireland here - outside of contact hours I do about an hour a day, and another two hours every second week to write up plans for the coming fortnight. It's a give and take - some days I leave straight after the kids do, some days I stay in for two hours.

No work coming home, no marking at weekends.

[Speckledtulip]

Start work at 7am and leave around 3.45. I might do and hour or two extra at home over the course of a week.

[chillipopcorn1]

Speckledtulip where do you work?? That's amazing!
I am SENCo and class teacher. 1 day release for SEN. I get to work at 7-7:30 and work through break and lunch to try to leave by 5-5:30. Then 1-2 hours in the evening and 3-4 hours at the weekend. Half terms two full days work and bigger holidays usually two or three.

[wobblywonderwoman]

Ireland

About an hour a a day Mon - Thursday once kids go home.

Never work weekends or holidays. I go in early and rarely take my lunch though.

[chosenone]

I do 8 30 to 4.30. I can just about manage this if I work through lunch. Do a lot of planning/admin/marking in PPA time. I usually have to do a few hours a week a week in 'Peak time' exam marking/ homework projects. I give up a number of evenings and weekends for extra curricular too.

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

8 - 5 in school. That includes 2 meetings after school.
I refuse to take marking home and very rarely do any work outside of those hours unless it's report writing time or there's any admin I didn't keep on top of. We can access the assessment system from home so once a month I might end up doing some of that at home, but I try to get it done at scholarship usually.

UK. But I've worked at the school for years and have had 5 years in my year group. Not many stupid demands on our time re: paperwork made by the SMT.

[DumbledoresApprentice]

I get in 7:30-8 and leave 5:30-6 most days. Meetings 2 evenings per week most weeks. I don't work at home in the evenings at this stage in the year but I do often do a few hours at the weekend.

[rainuntilseptember]

Speckledtulip works about 45 hours a week. What's so amazing about that? That isn't short!!

[CrewsInn]

Do you all work through lunch or does 8 to 4 mean 7 hours rather than 8?

[PeoniesforMissAnnersley]

About 70-80 hours a week in term, but 16 weeks holiday so it averages out.

[junebirthdaygirl]

In lreland. In at half 8. Leave at 4. Take my lunch breaks.Rarely work at home except looking on internet for info or ideas. Never work at weekends or holidays. Very successful for over 30 years. Love my job.

[LottieDoubtie]

Work 3 days a week 8-5.30 on 1 day I usually manage to leave at 4.30. Do perhaps 2-3 hours at home over the week. More in report time. Plus evening school trips/parents eve (perhaps average 5 of these type of thing per term). Very occasionally end up snowed under at work til 8pm but that's maybe 1-2 times a term.

[LottieDoubtie]

Very rarely take a lunch break longer than it takes to actually eat.

[LottieDoubtie]

I've just worked that out to be 32 ish hours a week on avg. so 3 days a week and 5 1/2 hours away from a 'standard' full time job.

[Appuskidu]

Going on this thread, things seem to be better in Ireland!

I wonder why there have been so many Irish teachers in my DC's schools for the last few years!

[DumbledoresApprentice]

It's really hard to secure a teaching job in Ireland. We get quite a lot of young Irish teachers in my school, most try to get a job in Ireland and go back when an opportunity comes up.

[Liadain]

A lot of young Irish teachers go to the UK to get probation done - combination of there being few jobs (especially secondary) and UK schools desperately recruiting.

I know a few who've done it - consensus was the workload was far too heavy (and included some damn stupid, unnecessary things), but it's good experience.

[curtes]

I'm primary. I start work at 7.30 and leave at 4.30 two nights and 5.00 three nights. Once a week I have 15-30 mins in the staff room for lunch (on my PPA day) otherwise I work through. Maybe do 2-3 hrs at home per week. That's a 50hr week. Adding it up surprises me as I work a shorter day than most of my colleagues. I have no TLR and 20 yrs experience so I'm pretty efficient.
However that's a normal week. There's 5 parents evenings a year so that easily adds 4 hrs on those week. I do the play so that's at least 3 weeks of up to 10 extra hours per week. A week long residential (don't even want to think of the hours!) And don't forget reports. No wonder there's a recruitment crisis!

[wobblywonderwoman]

Lots go to UK to train as no Irish language requirement

[Changerofname987654321]

I am 0.6 contract I work 8 to 4 in school those days no breaks, 8.30 to 2.00 on one of my days off and approx another 8 hours dotted around.

[Speckledtulip]

I work in a lovely school that doesn't have a ridiculous SMT. The kids work off iPads so we don't mark books. One piece of marked work per half term is the expectation.
I do four days a week. I prefer to get to school early to prepare whilst it's quiet. I don't feel stressed and I really like my job.

[Piggywaspushed]

It rather depends on what you count as work. I am over allocation this year (again!) so am bringing more marking and prep home. Three to four years ago I could have avoided this. (and got told off by the head for saying so!!)

I never idle away a free period so feel like I am 'always on' at school. Even at break I am checking emails etc. I go in about 8 but usually leave premises by 3.30 if there are no meetings. I'd stay longer or go earlier to clear the decks if it weren't for DCs.

But... even if I am not marking, I am thinking about work and always have my emails open or am checking specs , updating the department Twitter or checking in on the exam board Twitter and Facebook. Until I go to bed :) The unions would count that as work.

Exhausted. It has got worse with expectations of detailed marking and feedback in my subject and school and with the reform of specifications increasing meeting and planning time.

[dinahmorris]

I work 7.15 - 4.30 every day, except Friday when I work 8-4. Generally take 20 mins for lunch and do catch up marking on Saturday morning (usually 2-3 hours). But I also get 17 weeks holiday and don't work in the holidays.

[DiggyDiggyHole]

I took the massive drop in income that is supply because I couldn't handle the workload of ft class teaching after years and years in the classroom with it getting worse each September. So now I work 8-5 sometimes a little later, don't take work home and don't get paid in the holidays. But I have a life, albeit on a student level income.