Do any secondary school teachers get first and last lessons off?

I say my points as a 0.8 teacher with Fridays off as this works perfectly with my daughters nursery schedule… when asking over and over if days off have been confirmed yet for Sept, I’m just getting a ‘not yet’ reply from our incompetent Head who has no clue what he is doing and is incapable of sorting a timetable… oh the joys!!

My school would struggle with this..

EVERY DAY is a big ask! There will be many others who would benefit from this - why should you have this luxury?

Why should the entire schools timetable be planned around your childcare schedule and nobody else’s? (because it wouldn’t work for all parent teachers to have all these lessons off). In my school, part time staffs preferred days off aren’t guaranteed to be accommodated, because it’s a big secondary school and the timetable is a huge task, it can’t just work around one or two staff.

Another argument against it - PPA time (if that is what you are going to use in this request to give yourself some more time) is supposed to be just that - planning and preparation. You’re getting paid for that time to be used in that way, not for picking up children. Although you may be able to argue you will take your PPA time in the evenings..?

Overall, I’ll be honest, it wouldn’t be fair. Not every day. Other staff would be understandably put out. You will need to rearrange childcare the same as everyone else, and maybe hope for one or two half days potentially.

I’m a secondary head of department with several part time staff who I work very hard to protect in terms of working requests! In my school - under current leadership- we might not be able to guarantee it but we would certainly come close to as many period 1s and 5s as possible. Equally, previous SLT were hugely inflexible around part time staff and so it will be very dependent on your context!
I think if you are good and established at your school (and especially if you are a teacher of a shortage subject) I would expect them to try and make it work for you.

I had this in 2004/5 and 2005/6 for a day a week and and two afternoons off for my son in reception and Y1 but there was a really humane and decent AP in charge of “hr”

as soon as she left I was told I had to teach first and last and my part time hours could be between these times…. I went to full time

it’s possible but it takes great management

It all depends on your school and your cred there.

When my children were small, I was p/t and the school kindly asked if I had a preference. As a p/t, I didn't take a form. I asked for mornings mainly b/c that fit with dropping at childminder and then being home for pick-up.

No, because every teacher had to take a form.

For next academic year. Schools have started timetabling for next year already.

How are they going to work that into an already planned timetable?!

Depends on your school. Mine would say no I expect. They would say it was too difficult to timetable.

My school allowed it once.

we had loads of part time teachers.

It would depend on how good your school is for part timers. Mine would say no way.

We also haemorrhage part time teachers. I’m sure there’s no connection.

<waves>

I do, but it depends on your school (which I know goes without saying!) I actually do two days a week but spread over three so I can do drop offs and pick ups.