How much PPA time does your Y1 child's teacher have out of the classroom?

[ksld]

Not really sure what the norm is with preparation time? My DS's Y1 teacher has 'official' PPA time on a Tuesday afternoon when the class have music and SEAL lessons. However the last 2 weeks the teacher has been out of the classroom on a Tuesday morning as well and there has been a supply teacher in. DS is not confident with adults he doesn't know, and finds change hard, so is upset and doesn't want to stay at school when this happens. I would prefer to be able to prepare him for having a different teacher, but don't want to make a fuss.

DD's teacher (yr 1) also has an afternoon a week out the classroom. She is also the reception and year 1 leader so imagine she does go out sometimes for that too. I'm not sure how much though as dd doesn't really mention it.

Sorry, not much help at all.

Sorry, no idea. I didn't realise they had any time away like that. Must ask DD1 if there is time she has another teacher...

Each teacher gets 10% of their teaching time out of the classroom every week, that usually means 1 morning a week or a day every 2 weeks. On top of that they will have time out for attending courses, observing other teachers, extra work and if they are a member of the management team eg deputy of KS leader, they get extra time for this role too.

You could always ask the teacher to let you know when she will be having extra time out of the class, though this may be problematic and the class teacher usually tells the children the day before anyway.

This is one advantage of a faith school, DD's class has 40% of teaching by faith teachers, class teacher therefore has a lot of preparation time.

The class teacher (Y1) I work with is also head of year and in charge of Maths for the school (infants). So on top of PPA time she also has management time.

I cover her management time which is 10:45 - 12:00 every Thursday morning.

I know she also is not in class all Friday pm, along with the other two Y1 teachers. I think this is their PPA time.

but there also may be extra duties, meetings away from the school, all sorts of things - meeting with social services, annual reviews - teaching is less than 50% of my working day these days

1 day a fortnight. DD's school almost always use the same supply teacher though, which is very good.

If you are in school regularly, could you make a point of asking the office if there are any days over the next couple of weeks when they know Mrs X isn't going to be there so you can prepare your DS?

She may be having split PPA which my teacher does. So she could be having an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon.

Excuse that terrible first sentence! Let me try again :-

She may have split PPA like my own teacher.

PPA is 10% of the teaching time worked each week.
I'm also SENCO & Child Protection teacher (plus a few other things) which often require me to be out of the classroom for meetings so perhaps your son's teacher has other responsibilities in school.

Maybe she was away for a whole-day course, which fell on the same day as her usual PPA (meaning only an extra half-day of cover/disruption)?

If she is newly qualified she will get another 10% time as well as the statutory PPA time, and will probably have to go on more courses too.

This kind of thing happens all the time in schools, with ppa, management time, meetings with parents, shared classes, courses, team teaching, etc, so you will find your son gets used to it. It is not a good idea to warn him beforehand, as some of these things are not predictable, and it could upset him more if there is an unforeseen absence that he hasn't be warned about. He'll be fine.

Why can this PPA not be done after 3pm?

I think the teachers should be in the classroom 100% of the time.

because at 3 pm I have to run after schools clubs and booster groups and attend staff meetings and management meetings and parent meetings and then mark literacy books and maths books and topic books and write lesson assessments and reading assessments and prepare for the next days lessons and fill out monitoring forms and pupil referal letters and SEN recommendations and meet colleagues and attend after school training and the other 1001 things that teachers have to do. And at weekends I monitor planning for the week, spend 3 hours assessing independent writing every week, plan for the following week, make and gather resources.
In between times I try to speak to my own children!

Well said pm.

TeamAlesha has obviously never worked in a school

sorry if I sounded a little shirty but, having started school at 7.30 this morning and leaving at 6 o clock-after spending an hour with a parent in my class whose daughter has emotional and social difficulties and who needs support and reassurance ( and who wanted to see me after finishing work) I do get a little annoyed at those who think we work 9-3 and have little else to do

My DS's teacher spends a whole day out of the classroom each week and occasionally (say every 2 or 3 weeks) an additional 1/2 day. I did think this was a lot (though when he is absent class is covered by the same teacher each time) - but from reading the above, sounds like this is because he is also the deputy head?

I don't assume all teachers only work 9-3pm, of course not. I also think teachers do a fantastic job.

However I really don't agree with the amount of time they spend out of the classroom. I also realise this is not the teachers choice or fault.

Im a CM so know all about the stupid rules Ofsted have, and the amount of paperwork they expect us to do!

I'm also a teacher (only part-time at mo, covering PPA!) and I think every teacher deserves a few hours out of the classroom for PPA. Most teachers I know welcome it. Children need to get used to a variety of adults and with time, I'm sure your child will adjust.
PS. Great post primarymum!

Ask any teacher and they would say they infinitely prefer to be in the class then out, that's what we became teachers for, not to spend endless hours filling out form after form that treat children as little numbered parcels to push from A to B and measured, assesed and logged morning , noon and night! But we have to deal with it and, the only way we can do that and have ANY home life is to take some time out of the class. I checked my diary for this week. After school I had
Monday -after school rugby club to 4.30
Tuesday- meeting with parents to 6
Wednesday- PTFA meeting til 5.15
Thursday- Staff meeting til 5.30
Friday- management meeting til 5.30
After this i have to do my marking and assessment, prep for the next day etc etc etc. So I'm now here, eating my tea, surrounded by books and having 10 minutes "me time" before I begin tonights work!