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Teacher time off

44 replies

kbe15 · 27/02/2022 11:55

Hi,

My maternity leave is due to finish at the end of May and unfortunately due to financial reasons, I am having to return back full time (teacher). However, my daughter may potentially need fortnightly physio. Do any teachers know if schools allow this? I know that it will be unpaid but just wondering if anyone has any experience with time off for this sort of thing being allowed.

Thanks

OP posts:
Hercisback · 27/02/2022 19:00

This would be a no at my place.

The only possible arrangement would be to have it scheduled during an afternoon of PPA and do the PPA at home later.

halulat · 27/02/2022 19:01

@CorvusPurpureus

Flexitime for teachers doesn't mean changing the school day for the kids!

Let's say a school has 6 periods a day, & a standard teacher allocation is 25 taught periods.

So usually, you'd get an average of 1 free period per day - in reality you might have a couple of days when you teach all 6 periods, then another couple when you have 2 frees. Whatever works for the timetable.

In theory, you could have a weekly half day off. Let's say you don't come in on Tuesday until lunchtime.

You'd be physically in school for 27 periods, so it would be very full on, with only 2 frees available across the other 4 days in order for you to satisfy the requirement to be teaching 25 periods in total.

Not many schools are necessarily going to be able to facilitate this - it would depend an awful lot on subject & which year groups you teach. But it's the same principle as teaching a 0.8 timetable, where, say, you aren't in on Tuesdays full stop, & teach 20 not 25 periods with your salary reflecting that; this is a very common arrangement especially for parents of young dc who teach.

It's reasonable to ask. I have a woman in my department who does exactly this compressed week: she is out of school one afternoon a week because of childcare issues, but still teaches a FT number of lessons over 4 1/2 days.

She would actually have been perfectly happy with 0.8, which was her original arrangement in September, but is doing a compressed week as a favour this term because we've lost another colleague & not been able to fill his post, so she's part of the solution to that.

It's worth asking, OP.

Might work for secondary but not a chance in primary.
gogohm · 27/02/2022 19:03

Is it possible for you to go back 4 days a week.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Hercisback · 27/02/2022 19:04

It could work in primary as long as your appointment and PPA coincided each fortnight. Obviously OP would have to do the PPA at home.

declutteringmymind · 27/02/2022 19:04

I think you are reasonably allowed time off to care for dependents. Schools do have a discretionary leave policy for things like this.

Cottonfrenzie · 27/02/2022 19:20

I think it varies school to school? I think my head would allow it as surely there isn't much that can be done about it.

TheHoptimist · 27/02/2022 19:22

@CorvusPurpureus

Flexitime for teachers doesn't mean changing the school day for the kids!

Let's say a school has 6 periods a day, & a standard teacher allocation is 25 taught periods.

So usually, you'd get an average of 1 free period per day - in reality you might have a couple of days when you teach all 6 periods, then another couple when you have 2 frees. Whatever works for the timetable.

In theory, you could have a weekly half day off. Let's say you don't come in on Tuesday until lunchtime.

You'd be physically in school for 27 periods, so it would be very full on, with only 2 frees available across the other 4 days in order for you to satisfy the requirement to be teaching 25 periods in total.

Not many schools are necessarily going to be able to facilitate this - it would depend an awful lot on subject & which year groups you teach. But it's the same principle as teaching a 0.8 timetable, where, say, you aren't in on Tuesdays full stop, & teach 20 not 25 periods with your salary reflecting that; this is a very common arrangement especially for parents of young dc who teach.

It's reasonable to ask. I have a woman in my department who does exactly this compressed week: she is out of school one afternoon a week because of childcare issues, but still teaches a FT number of lessons over 4 1/2 days.

She would actually have been perfectly happy with 0.8, which was her original arrangement in September, but is doing a compressed week as a favour this term because we've lost another colleague & not been able to fill his post, so she's part of the solution to that.

It's worth asking, OP.

at primary you dont get any free periods a day
Fedupsotired · 27/02/2022 19:26

@CorvusPurpureus free periods 🤣🤣. 2 hours non contact a week with no flexibility as have to plan with other staff. Not what I'd call a free period!!

Hercisback · 27/02/2022 19:26

You do get PPA at primary though so this is like taking your PPA at home. I realise that may not always be possible but theoretically there's nothing wrong with the idea.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 27/02/2022 19:38

When l was teaching secondary we got 3 frees per week. Where are you teaching that people get one every day?!!!

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 27/02/2022 19:39

No hang in we got two

CorvusPurpureus · 27/02/2022 19:40

Heh, we do usually casually refer to them as 'frees' in secondary - & also, I'm not in the uk state system which may make a difference.

But it's absolutely standard for us to juggle the bodies available. For example, 'Andy' walked out at Xmas.

So Barbara, HOD, takes on his y13s.
I'm 2nd so I take over the y11s.
Clive the Deputy Head takes on y12s.

Everybody involved now has ks3 clashes so that gets kicked down the road...

Dave who is coasting gently into retirement on a 0.8 agrees to come in on his day off.

Emily, who is on 0.8 for childcare reasons, says she'll do a FT compressed timetable.

Fred, Georgia & Harriet take on the various KS3 clashes with the promise of not being taken for other cover.

Everyone staggers on until y13/11 study leave before collapsing in a heap. SLT send an email saying well done department, fabulous job. BTW your recent book check sucks.

I appreciate the logistics in primary are different in many ways, but pt colleagues are still a thing, surely? A compressed week could also work depending on the PPA timing.

TheHoptimist · 27/02/2022 19:55

@Hercisback

You do get PPA at primary though so this is like taking your PPA at home. I realise that may not always be possible but theoretically there's nothing wrong with the idea.
PPA often requires year groups to work together though
ballsdeep · 27/02/2022 19:57

@Pinkflipflop85

Only your schools HR could answer that.

In ours it would be a no chance.

Mine too unless it was in ppa time
Hercisback · 27/02/2022 20:13

PPA often requires year groups to work together though

In which case it would be logistically not possible so another plan needs to be made. However in principle the idea is possible. Joint PPA would be a headache, how would you ever get anything actually done!!

Fedupsotired · 27/02/2022 20:26

@Hercisback

PPA often requires year groups to work together though

In which case it would be logistically not possible so another plan needs to be made. However in principle the idea is possible. Joint PPA would be a headache, how would you ever get anything actually done!!

It runs this way in many big schools though. It's meant to be helpful!
Hercisback · 27/02/2022 20:28

Never have I been more glad to be in secondary. Trying to plan with someone takes hours!

Tigerteafor3 · 02/03/2022 03:45

@CorvusPurpureus

Heh, we do usually casually refer to them as 'frees' in secondary - & also, I'm not in the uk state system which may make a difference.

But it's absolutely standard for us to juggle the bodies available. For example, 'Andy' walked out at Xmas.

So Barbara, HOD, takes on his y13s.
I'm 2nd so I take over the y11s.
Clive the Deputy Head takes on y12s.

Everybody involved now has ks3 clashes so that gets kicked down the road...

Dave who is coasting gently into retirement on a 0.8 agrees to come in on his day off.

Emily, who is on 0.8 for childcare reasons, says she'll do a FT compressed timetable.

Fred, Georgia & Harriet take on the various KS3 clashes with the promise of not being taken for other cover.

Everyone staggers on until y13/11 study leave before collapsing in a heap. SLT send an email saying well done department, fabulous job. BTW your recent book check sucks.

I appreciate the logistics in primary are different in many ways, but pt colleagues are still a thing, surely? A compressed week could also work depending on the PPA timing.

Do you work in my school? This sounds familiar!
parrotonmyshoulder · 02/03/2022 06:46

At my school, we’d probably work together to work something out. Unless the staff member is generally a piss taker, and then the policy would be strictly followed I imagine.
In my previous school, where management was very poor, it would have been a flat no and a black mark for asking. However, other staff may well have worked together to make it happen.
Definitely tell them your partner will be sharing the task though.

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