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Original poster

Part time contract and staff meetings

66 replies

Teacher2024 · 22/07/2025 19:30

Hello, I’m hoping some others may have experience of this or know the answers.
I am due to return from maternity leave on a part time contract (3 days) as a teacher and have asked for clarification on whether I need to attend development days and staff meetings on my days off (these are on a Monday which is one of my days off). I have yet to have a response but wondered if there are any rules on this that I can come back with if I am asked to attend an hour staff meeting on my days off or if I do need to attend development days, how many is acceptable. I haven’t been able to find anything in the staff handbook and yet to receive my contract.

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YetAnotherNewNameAgain · 22/07/2025 19:35

You could have another job on that day. They can ask you to attend, but not require you to. You can volunteer (why would you?). They can pay you the time to attend seeing as it's over and above your contract hours... Unless it's written into your contract to attend.... But it's shady to do this without paying you (or giving you time in lieu - I a day in lieu of the training day).

They'll just have to make good minutes for the meetings (which you wilk read during your contracted hours)

MyTwoDads · 22/07/2025 19:38

Hi @Teacher2024 at my school you definitely didn't have to attend staff meetings if it wasn't your day, but you would need to read minutes or slides of whatever went on so you're not missing out.

It defeats the point of being part time if you regularly have to come in on days you're not scheduled to work!
As for inset/training days, it would be expected that everyone attends as they are useful and a lot of relevant information is usually shared - however, our staff would be paid for the extra day, or they move their days round that week.
Hope this helps!

Bluevelvetsofa · 22/07/2025 20:24

I thought things like inset days were pro rota, so three out of five.

If there was a staff meeting or development day that was particularly relevant or important, I’d ask for time in lieu or payment and attend if possible.

Nix32 · 22/07/2025 20:41

Union guidance is very clear that you cannot be expected to attend staff meetings that are not on your working day. However, it is your responsibility to make sure that you are aware of any information that is disseminated.

YetAnotherNewNameAgain · 22/07/2025 23:24

Bluevelvetsofa · 22/07/2025 20:24

I thought things like inset days were pro rota, so three out of five.

If there was a staff meeting or development day that was particularly relevant or important, I’d ask for time in lieu or payment and attend if possible.

Schools like to try this on. They can ask for that, but you need to be paid for the additional days, or get time in lieu for them.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 22/07/2025 23:39

If you are, for example, 0.6 fte you should do 0.6 of what a full timer does ... including all those extras that teachers do. Its a matter of negotiating what the priorities are or just using your common sense to know what's important/not so.

pearcrumblee · 22/07/2025 23:52

In one of my previous jobs I worked at a school (not teacher).

My understanding is that if you have five days and two of those are inset, then you work your normal days. So if you normally work 60% FTE, let’s say Tuesday to Thursday, then you do that regardless of which days the inset days fall on.

They will have to pay you to attend an inset day on the Friday. You can decline that unless it states in your contract that you must. Schools had SafeGuard insets which were compulsory but even then they should communicate those dates months in advance.

GentlemanJay · 22/07/2025 23:54

I don’t think they can use “directed time” on a day you don’t work.

CarpetKnees · 23/07/2025 00:39

If the INSET day was relevant / useful / needed, I was offered the choice of being paid (like I was doing a day's supply), or to have a day off at some point in the future when it suited me, or to swap a day that week.

SorenLorensonsInvisibleFriend · 23/07/2025 01:05

I had to go into this in detail as my unpleasant Exec Head made me work two unpaid extra days in my first year of being part time before I wised up and read into the legal side (thanks to the Facebook ‘leave the classroom and thrive’ group).

There is a maximum of 1,265 hours per academic year, spread over 195 days. Teachers can be required to teach on 190 days, the maximum length of the pupil year. Teachers can be required to work a further five non-teaching (usually inset) days. These hours count towards the 1,265 hour limit.

As a 0.6 teacher, you work 3/5 of the 195 days (including non-teaching/inset), which would be 117 days of directed time.

My advice is to count up your days spent teaching/in directed time over the year and see how many are left over. If they want attendance, they can pay for any extra.

SorenLorensonsInvisibleFriend · 23/07/2025 01:06

As you don’t work Mondays, you’ll also be missing any Bank Holidays that other people have off.

Original poster
Teacher2024 · 23/07/2025 06:29

Thank you so much everyone. That’s really useful to know and now feel in a better position to argue it. I would have been more flexible in the past but feel differently now that it would be taking time away from my 10 month old. One of my colleagues has been working part time for a few years and has been expected to go to all (and then be told she still owes time unbelievably) but since a new head and exec.head have come in this year is ready to argue against it too.

OP posts:
Boxplots · 23/07/2025 06:32

I used to go to TD days but was always paid if it fell on a NWD, staff meetings were only held on days we were all in but I wouldn't have gone. When you are part time sadly need to be strong with your boundaries.

lorisparkle · 23/07/2025 06:53

Employment law states that you can not be expected to work on your ‘day off’. In addition you are paid to do a percentage of the total time a full time worker does not a percentage of each part. I would ask for a personalised directed time calendar and compare this to the directed time calendar of a full time worker.

Soontobe60 · 23/07/2025 06:57

SorenLorensonsInvisibleFriend · 23/07/2025 01:06

As you don’t work Mondays, you’ll also be missing any Bank Holidays that other people have off.

No teaching staff get paid for Bank holidays - they are not included in the 195 days FTE staff work. So nobody is ‘missing out’.

Soontobe60 · 23/07/2025 07:00

OP, are you in a Union? if not, I would join one now - ie today - before you contact school again. They will fight your corner if the Head is being obstructive regarding your PT employment rights. If you leave it until you’re in dispute before you join, the union will not take on the case. Our Unions have been amazing at ensuring all the staff are given appropriate directed time calendars - they met with the Head to thrash them out!

Bobbybobbins · 23/07/2025 07:12

I am part time. We are expected to attend a proportion of inset days even if on day off - I do 3/5. This will usually be at the start of the academic year, covering safeguarding updates etc. These are set out at the beginning of the year. We are not expected to attend any other meetings or training in days off.

Summerartwitch · 23/07/2025 07:35

I work part time but not in a school. I only attend meetings that fall on my working days.

I assume that if you work part-time you have other commitments on your days off anyway.

I work 3 days a week in an office and freelance the rest of the time so I would not be able to attend anything on the days I am not contracted to work for my employer anyway as it would impact my freelance commitments.

YetAnotherNewNameAgain · 23/07/2025 07:49

Bobbybobbins · 23/07/2025 07:12

I am part time. We are expected to attend a proportion of inset days even if on day off - I do 3/5. This will usually be at the start of the academic year, covering safeguarding updates etc. These are set out at the beginning of the year. We are not expected to attend any other meetings or training in days off.

In the possible kindest way, you’re a fool if you agree to this without either being paid or getting time off in lieu at another time.

Spotthering · 23/07/2025 07:53

Not a teacher so appreciate it may be different but any team meetings are arranged for a day that works for majority. Anyone who is off that day isn’t expected to join.

On the odd occasion I ever have to work on my non working day for whatever reason, I swap it with another working day so that I still have a day off that week. I also expense my childcare back for that day (that’s not in any policy - I just made the point that having to work on my non working day costs me over £200 as I have to put both my children into nursery for an extra day).

SisterMargaretta · 23/07/2025 07:56

No, you cannot be required to attend on a day that is not your normal working day. School teachers pay and conditions document, paragraph 51.9.

Part time contract and staff meetings
TizerorFizz · 23/07/2025 08:13

Isn’t there usually some give and take? If a teacher is due to work on a Thursday, but that’s a school holiday, do they get paid? Most part timers would exchange that for an inset day for example.

DorothyStorm · 23/07/2025 08:20

You will get loads of bad and inaccurate advice on here because lots of teachers have absolutely no clue what their contract states.

you do 60% of the inset that fall on your day. Any others are by prior arrangement between you and the head and are paid. But again you need to make that clear prior to attending.

parents evenings that are not on your contracted days again you do not attend. Or you can by prior arrangement with the head and are paid.

you cannot possibly know whether you are over your hours you will be without having both the full time directed time calendar and your 60% one. which you should have had as a staff body in May / June.

Until you get both, do not do any non-contracted days.

Check when training you have to do is allocated. Make sure you also have it fairly allocated.

Soontobe60 · 23/07/2025 08:23

Bobbybobbins · 23/07/2025 07:12

I am part time. We are expected to attend a proportion of inset days even if on day off - I do 3/5. This will usually be at the start of the academic year, covering safeguarding updates etc. These are set out at the beginning of the year. We are not expected to attend any other meetings or training in days off.

This goes against part time employee laws. I hope you get paid for them!

DorothyStorm · 23/07/2025 08:24

Bobbybobbins · 23/07/2025 07:12

I am part time. We are expected to attend a proportion of inset days even if on day off - I do 3/5. This will usually be at the start of the academic year, covering safeguarding updates etc. These are set out at the beginning of the year. We are not expected to attend any other meetings or training in days off.

This is completely unacceptable snd an example of the terrible advice I mentioned previously. Absolutely ridiculous. Get a back bone.

management need to plan safeguarding training for a day everyone attends, or offer to pay people who do not need to attend but want to do so. Or provide the time later for that member of staff to attend.