Lost PPA - Fuming!!!!

[rachels103]

I'm hoping for some support here, as I'm seething with anger at something my head said today.
I'm on a course for 2 days next week connected to a project which I have asked to be involved in, but which is additional to my teaching and leadership responsibilities.
One of the days of the course includes my PPA afternoon, but I have been told in no uncertain terms that I've 'lost' that PPA time and can't take it at another time.

Grrrrrrr! I have a class of 33 year 5 and 6 who have had 2 years of v. unsettled teaching for various reasons, and they are challenging to say the least. (14 IEPs at the last count) I am working very hard to get them on track and I'm generally not a moaner, but this has really got to me.

I am right in thinking that it is illegal not to provide 10% PPA aren't I? I give so much extra to my job, and hate to rock the boat, especially as it is a small school so there's no way of avoiding people, but feel like saying that I won't go on the course and lead the project unless I get my entitled time back. And whilst we're at it maybe I won't run the drama club any more or spend my evenings at school events or do any of the other thousand and one things that we all do on top of our contractual duties.

Sorry to rant. Needed to get that off my chest. Should I forget about it or go back and say actually this isn't on?

couple!!!

Yup, here you go www.tda.gov.uk/remodelling/nationalagreement/ppa.aspx

'Since 1 September 2005 all teachers have had an entitlement to a guaranteed minimum of 10 per cent of their timetabled teaching commitment for PPA.'

Sorry, above is for janeite...

would not be legal in Scotland. The TA cover policy is one of the most ridiculous aspects of the english system. Vergin gon scandalous

good practice i believe is if a teacher is off more than 3 days then a qualified teacher must then cover the lessons. im not sure what level TA you have to be to cover lessons only know about HLTAs.

Aah, FallenMadonna I see...the extremely long holidays must make it a tad easier to sacrifice free time...

Janeite...surely the new conditions of service and legal entitlement to PPA should mean that we don't have to catch up on all of our planning and marking at home (I still do plenty of that too BTW and generally accept all the extras as part of the job)

Sigh...roll on the hols.

How could you get back that PPA time? Do you have flexibility in your timetable so it can be clawed back?

At the schools I've taught in, when courses, fire-drills, and numerous other interruptions have occur ed it's just been luck of the draw.

Btw, nothing unsupportive in Squeaky's post imo - I had to go back and check!

I think england is the only place in the world where they allow non qualified teachers to teach in the classroom.

You can teach full time as an unqualifed teacher. We have some for vocational subjects and they are great. We also have cover supervisors who are great and who are more likely to be actively involved in a cover lesson than a reluctant teacher on a free period TBH.

No, of course not, Rachel. But if we go on a course and we lose planning time, then yes, I think that's just something we shrug off. And maybe next time, we will choose a course day more selfishly!

Thanks for the link Raven. Whilst we only have one hour designated as PPA, generally we get 10% as "frees" but some of them may get used to do cover in. I must admit we're reasonably lucky in our school re: cover.

That's definitely iffy janeite - PPA should be clearly 'ring-fenced' on the timetable.

It does make a difference to me knowing that I might get clobbered for cover Thursday p.1, but the other 3 are sacrosanct...

From September, teachers doing cover at all is supposed to be occurring only in unforeseen circumstances.

We'll see how it goes from September then Raven! They have just appointed another cover supervisor and the cover manager is very good - and reasonable.