to think you shouldn't work before contract starts?

[chazwomaq]

My partner has got a job at a secondary school, starting in September. But they want her to come in for visiting days where the children who will be starting come in for 2 days to see the school and meet their teachers.

She won't be paid for this. From the teachers' point of view, it's managing a whole class for 2 days. She has to plan activities and so on.

I understand it's a good idea for everyone to meet each other, but I think the school should be paying her (but she doesn't want to even ask). Are the school being cheeky?

Right, but we have no idea of the circumstances. She might be returning to work after a career break, she might be moving somewhere 200 miles away to start in September, she might be in a place where the school do something similar and are happy to let her go and still be paid. She should not be expected to work for nothing and she should say so, and she might not be able to do these days at all. It's okay to say that too.

She needs to check with the school on payment for these two days. It makes sense for the school that the new teacher will be introduced to the class - and for her too, to meet them. And it makes sense for her to get paid for work she does.

@IncandescentShadow - how long ago did that happen? I'd invoice them, ccing in HoD and saying you will take the matter to small claims court if they don't pay you. Universities are notoriously bad payers and ime you need to hassle and threaten legal action at them to get it sorted. Worth doing.

YANBU. This is a drop in the ocean when it comes to explaining why teachers are leaving the profession in droves. Two entire days of a professional’s time, valued at £0 and totally expected. It’s NOT normal (I’ve worked in about a dozen schools and was a deputy head) and even if it were, common doesn’t mean acceptable. If the school was on a ridiculously tight budget, they should explain that the days aren’t paid but expenses will be paid OR that the days are voluntary.

I think it’s a warning sign of how the school will value its staff, especially when it comes to holiday revision sessions and pre/post-school clubs etc etc.

I would not attend without payment and I’d be honest about why rather than making up that I’m going on holiday: ‘I’d have liked to but I can’t afford to work for free for two days.”

I would def be on a holiday which I booked last July.

I got paid supply rates when I did this. Mind you that was a few years ago now. Times have changed and not for the better...

Thanks for all the replies. As several have mentioned current work, she's just finished her PGCE year so she isn't in a job at the moment so won't be paid by anyone else. This school was one of her placement schools so might already have insurance in place IDK.

She and anybody else in this situation can quite easily just refuse to do the day/days. Just say you have a holiday booked and can't do it. Every school would understand and they couldn't withdraw your position based on those days.

Im starting a new job in September but am on adoption leave. It was made quite clear to me if I couldn't get childcare for the day I didn't need to attend and that I could drop in with baby at a time convenient to me if I liked. There was no question of me being paid as it being a KIT day or whatever.

It's massively made me feel much more confident about starting in September - especially being off for so long before starting. In teaching you do a lot of planning and preparation outside of your "hours". Those hours are not always paid - that's a fact of teaching, but also a fact of many jobs - not just teaching.

If she's an NQT, she should do these days. If she has the ethos of "I'm not paid to work those hours" she will probably fail her NQT year. Obviously try everything to work smart, but it's just a fact at the start of a teaching career it is 50x harder and nothing can really change that - sorry. Unless obviously she is extremely gifted and has experience beyond her years, in which case she can teach me. 2-3 years in, she may not need to do those extra hours, but she probably will need to do some at the beginning.

Of course she should. She wants the job yes? So bloody prepare for it.