Page 7 | Do teachers get paid for running revision sessions in the school holiday?

rosemarble · 2025-04-08T12:28:49+00:00

As the subject says.....just wondering. Obviously I hope they do, but you hear so much about teachers working so much during school holidays that I wonder where the line is. While I'm here, thanks to the teachers who are running them; DS2 really benefits.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 09/04/2025 17:50

AndSoFinally · 09/04/2025 17:34

Hang on, 1265 hours over 195 days is 6.5 hours a day which is pretty much accounted for by the school day.

So anything you do outside of the school day, you're all doing for free? Not just extra revision days but the general marking, planning, etc?

I had assumed that the hours teachers were paid made up a 40 hour week over 40 weeks of the year, to account for the extra work outside of school hours, but clearly that's not the case

Why are you all doing this?? Where is your union?? Just why would you all do any of this if you're not being paid?? I know 'it's the children who suffer' and all that crap, but you have so much power as a collective and you're putting up with this?? What's wrong with you all, are you really that downtrodden that you won't stand up for yourselves?

I can't imagine my boss handing me 2+ extra hours of work a day and just doing it. Literally no one in my department would do this!

195 days/1265 hours is direct contact. Teachers' contracts have always required them to do preparation and marking in addition ... where they do it is their choice.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 09/04/2025 17:58

Sunnyweatherfriend · 09/04/2025 06:30

In my sixth form college we do get paid for revision sessions. I would not put the sessions on unless I got paid. I will be spending all of today marking coursework, which I will not be paid for. This is unfair as most other departments don’t have coursework requirements but unfortunately it has to be done. It can take two-three hours per piece and I have over 40 students, so you can see how much extra work I have to do without pay that many colleagues don’t.

Marking coursework is part and parcel if a SFC teachers' job if it applies to their subject, just like marking 80-100 English essays for a Teacher of English. Ask your union, they will confirm this. I bet you wouldn't swap for secondary teaching!

AndSoFinally · 09/04/2025 21:11

195 days/1265 hours is direct contact. Teachers' contracts have always required them to do preparation and marking in addition ... where they do it is their choice.

It there's no definition of what this should look like or how much time it should take? Why haven't teachers pushed to get this specified? You're basically signing a blank cheque when it comes to your workload

MrsHamlet · 09/04/2025 21:15

AndSoFinally · 09/04/2025 21:11

195 days/1265 hours is direct contact. Teachers' contracts have always required them to do preparation and marking in addition ... where they do it is their choice.

It there's no definition of what this should look like or how much time it should take? Why haven't teachers pushed to get this specified? You're basically signing a blank cheque when it comes to your workload

No there isn't.

The 1265 directed has to be calendared (and is a maximum rather than a target although some heads think they should get it bang on, or over)

If it was specified, it would give THOSE heads the chance to be even worse.

I'm a union rep and it never ceases to amaze me how often people will come to me, and I'll say "well that's unreasonable. Would you like me to take it up with the head?" And they say "no. I don't want to cause trouble". Sigh.

DorothyStorm · 09/04/2025 21:34

AndSoFinally · 09/04/2025 21:11

195 days/1265 hours is direct contact. Teachers' contracts have always required them to do preparation and marking in addition ... where they do it is their choice.

It there's no definition of what this should look like or how much time it should take? Why haven't teachers pushed to get this specified? You're basically signing a blank cheque when it comes to your workload

Occasionally teachers go on strike. And the public shames us for being lazy.

we have always been refused a directed time calander. Even getting the union in made no difference. In fact made things worse. We are well over our hours. And that was before ‘voluntary’ easter school.

Backtothe90ties · 09/04/2025 21:36

BumbleBeegu · 08/04/2025 13:48

Nope! I’m a primary teacher and have to run Year 6 SATS revision this week and next week - 5 mornings this week, 4 mornings next week. My holidays…but I’m working for free! I have to plan these revision sessions too, so I’ve been planning each afternoon for the following days sessions.

Obviously, this means that I have not been able to go anywhere myself 🤷‍♀️😩

I also had to go on a 5 day residential to Italy with a group of Pupil Premium children recently…it was bloody awful! They weren’t even children from my class but I was told that as I’m the only ‘single and unencumbered’ staff member, it ‘makes sense’ for me to go, with the Head also going. I was completely exhausted after, and we were ‘on duty’ 24 hours a day…I wasn’t given an option to say no (was informed I had to go) and it cost me a bloody fortune. I had to put my pets in boarding and renew my passport as it was out of date. I couldn’t afford this (the passport or the boarding fees) but was not reimbursed, even though school paid for every single thing for the PP children, including passports, new bags, new clothes and all their toiletries!

Why haven’t you contacted your union about this and the trip. You do not have to do this and they can’t make you.

MrsHamlet · 09/04/2025 21:40

DorothyStorm · 09/04/2025 21:34

Occasionally teachers go on strike. And the public shames us for being lazy.

we have always been refused a directed time calander. Even getting the union in made no difference. In fact made things worse. We are well over our hours. And that was before ‘voluntary’ easter school.

Show quote history

Do your rep training, and then you can hold them to account. I've been lumbered with doing the directed time calendar but at least I know we're under.

snappopcrackle · 09/04/2025 21:49

Backtothe90ties · 09/04/2025 21:36

Why haven’t you contacted your union about this and the trip. You do not have to do this and they can’t make you.

Show quote history

Yes this is riddiculous you must contact your union and not let this happen again.

It’s bad enough being roped into refusing classes on your oldest but you definitely should’ve put your food down about the trip to Italy.

“had to put my pets in boarding and renew my passport as it was out of date. I couldn’t afford this (the passport or the boarding fees) but was not reimbursed, even though school paid for every single thing for the PP children, including passports, new bags, new clothes and all their toiletries!”

That is appalling. As horrendous as your senior leadership sounds I think you /more teachers need to have more of a backbone as well and stand up to blatant mistreatment.

And how are some children getting to go to Italy for free in some schools when other schools are struggling to buy the basics?! The Pupil premium is not usually used for trips abroad from what I understand?

NeverEverOhNo · 09/04/2025 21:51

No. So if your kid is going in, give them a little gift to take!

BoredZelda · 09/04/2025 22:04

BumbleBeegu · 08/04/2025 15:40

@rosemarbleIt is a commonly believed myth that teachers are paid for all the holidays. We are not! Our salary is divided over 12 months so we receive a regular ‘pay check’ but only 5.6 weeks are actually ‘holidays’ (pretty standard holiday entitlement in the UK I guess?)

Here’s a good article explaining this: https://www.educationcorner.com/are-teachers-holidays-paid-in-the-uk/

So…pretty much the same as every other salaried person then? The difference is, we work all of those days except the 5 weeks and you don’t? Whether you call it a 10 month contract paid over ten months, a teacher earning 30k a year gets 30/12 every month. Just as a finance administrator earning 30k a year gets 30/12 every month.

I don’t have an issue with the holidays, perk of the job and all that, but I do wonder why so many aren’t honest about it. I have several friends who are teachers who are quite clear, one thing they love about the job are the long holidays.

DorothyStorm · 09/04/2025 22:18

snappopcrackle · 09/04/2025 21:49

Yes this is riddiculous you must contact your union and not let this happen again.

It’s bad enough being roped into refusing classes on your oldest but you definitely should’ve put your food down about the trip to Italy.

“had to put my pets in boarding and renew my passport as it was out of date. I couldn’t afford this (the passport or the boarding fees) but was not reimbursed, even though school paid for every single thing for the PP children, including passports, new bags, new clothes and all their toiletries!”

That is appalling. As horrendous as your senior leadership sounds I think you /more teachers need to have more of a backbone as well and stand up to blatant mistreatment.

And how are some children getting to go to Italy for free in some schools when other schools are struggling to buy the basics?! The Pupil premium is not usually used for trips abroad from what I understand?

Edited

Show quote history

The Turing fund.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 09/04/2025 22:20

BoredZelda · 09/04/2025 22:04

So…pretty much the same as every other salaried person then? The difference is, we work all of those days except the 5 weeks and you don’t? Whether you call it a 10 month contract paid over ten months, a teacher earning 30k a year gets 30/12 every month. Just as a finance administrator earning 30k a year gets 30/12 every month.

I don’t have an issue with the holidays, perk of the job and all that, but I do wonder why so many aren’t honest about it. I have several friends who are teachers who are quite clear, one thing they love about the job are the long holidays.

Show quote history

Sorry - which teachers are claiming they don't like having long holidays? What are they not being honest about? All teachers like having long holidays. What they don't like is working hours and hours of overtime every week and yet still being treated as though they are lazy arses who knock off at 3pm and get paid for 13 weeks of holiday.

Your point about the 30k/12 is irrelevant. If teachers were paid their hourly rate for all the hours they actually work, they would earn a shitload more than they do.

surreygirl1987 · 09/04/2025 23:11

DorothyStorm · 09/04/2025 21:34

Occasionally teachers go on strike. And the public shames us for being lazy.

we have always been refused a directed time calander. Even getting the union in made no difference. In fact made things worse. We are well over our hours. And that was before ‘voluntary’ easter school.

Show quote history

THIS! Why don't people realise that this is the reality of teaching at the moment? This is why nobody wants to be a teacher. This is why your kids are being taught Physics by teachers with no Physics degree, or Spanish by a Drama teacher. This is why teachers are leaving the profession in droves.

But the instant we go on strike to protest the terrible conditions? Or even just demand a little more pay to cover just some of the additional work we have to do? Or refuse to do some of the additional work? We are slammed and shamed, and dubbed a drain on tax payers' money.

FrippEnos · 09/04/2025 23:34

BoredZelda · 09/04/2025 22:04

So…pretty much the same as every other salaried person then? The difference is, we work all of those days except the 5 weeks and you don’t? Whether you call it a 10 month contract paid over ten months, a teacher earning 30k a year gets 30/12 every month. Just as a finance administrator earning 30k a year gets 30/12 every month.

I don’t have an issue with the holidays, perk of the job and all that, but I do wonder why so many aren’t honest about it. I have several friends who are teachers who are quite clear, one thing they love about the job are the long holidays.

Show quote history

Whether you agree with how teachers are paid or not.
Teachers can only be directed on how to use their time during the 195 days.
Not the holidays that they have.

YouBelongWithMe · 09/04/2025 23:37

Secondary school teacher in Scotland here. We get paid if we offer them, not lots though. I have not this year.

My children are attending at their school. We do a McDonald's run and take the teacher in a coffee!

Whenwherewhy · 09/04/2025 23:50

Did 4 hour revision class today. Did not get paid. Did not get thanked or even acknowledged by SLT.

ThisCould · 10/04/2025 00:17

That’s plain wrong, @Whenwherewhy.

If you’d not done it the SLT would have acknowledged that.

Original poster

rosemarble · 10/04/2025 03:00

NeverEverOhNo · 09/04/2025 21:51

No. So if your kid is going in, give them a little gift to take!

I hope my son thanked the 4 teachers who ran classes. He would have been mortified if I’d given him a gift for the teacher. What sort of gift would you expect?

OP posts:

VashtaNerada · 10/04/2025 04:53

I teach Year 6 and I would have burst out laughing if I’d been asked to run a SATs revision course this week unpaid.
We need to make proper use of the NEU, there is absolutely no way this should be happening.

daffydogosper · 10/04/2025 06:17

We have staff at my child’s school who were on a trip the first week of the Easter hols and next week they are running some revision sessions. Amazing teachers!

dylexicdementor11 · 10/04/2025 06:39

BumbleBeegu · 08/04/2025 13:48

Nope! I’m a primary teacher and have to run Year 6 SATS revision this week and next week - 5 mornings this week, 4 mornings next week. My holidays…but I’m working for free! I have to plan these revision sessions too, so I’ve been planning each afternoon for the following days sessions.

Obviously, this means that I have not been able to go anywhere myself 🤷‍♀️😩

I also had to go on a 5 day residential to Italy with a group of Pupil Premium children recently…it was bloody awful! They weren’t even children from my class but I was told that as I’m the only ‘single and unencumbered’ staff member, it ‘makes sense’ for me to go, with the Head also going. I was completely exhausted after, and we were ‘on duty’ 24 hours a day…I wasn’t given an option to say no (was informed I had to go) and it cost me a bloody fortune. I had to put my pets in boarding and renew my passport as it was out of date. I couldn’t afford this (the passport or the boarding fees) but was not reimbursed, even though school paid for every single thing for the PP children, including passports, new bags, new clothes and all their toiletries!

I’m so sorry to hear this. Are you a member of a union? If so, have you contacted your rep? The school is taking a piss and I hope this doesn’t happen to you again.

dylexicdementor11 · 10/04/2025 06:42

rosemarble · 10/04/2025 03:00

I hope my son thanked the 4 teachers who ran classes. He would have been mortified if I’d given him a gift for the teacher. What sort of gift would you expect?

Show quote history

Thanking people and giving them gifts/cards of appreciation needs to be normalised.

TooManyCupsAndMugs · 10/04/2025 07:20

I do at my current school, I've just done some revision sessions this holidays and I will be paid next month. My school also runs a summer school for year 6s coming up and we get paid for that too.

Any teacher doing stuff for free in the holidays is being taken advantage of - we are NOT being paid in the holidays, we are paid for 195 work per year, split into 12 equal monthly payments. And before anyone says anything, 39 weeks per year with 60 hours a week work is still more hours a year than 48 weeks per year at 40 hours per week. And we don't get holiday pay.

Sevenandahalf · 10/04/2025 07:28

rosemarble · 10/04/2025 03:00

I hope my son thanked the 4 teachers who ran classes. He would have been mortified if I’d given him a gift for the teacher. What sort of gift would you expect?

Show quote history

Totally disagree that it's necessary to take a gift. It isn't the children's fault that staff are doing this unpaid. SLT can thank the staff or 'buy them a little gift'.

tadjennyp · 10/04/2025 07:35

SLT most certainly wouldn't be buying the staff a gift, that would be weird. They could provide tea, coffee, milk and biscuits for the staffroom, if you have one. We only get free tea and coffee on a Monday morning briefing and at parents' evenings.