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Secondary education

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Original poster

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

206 replies

rosemarble · 08/04/2025 13:28

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.

OP posts:
Sevenandahalf · 10/04/2025 07:50

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.

Yes, sorry, I guess I was saying if SLT aren't buying a gift, there's no way anyone should be expecting children to come to revision sessions with a gift in hand. That would also be a weird expectation.

PostmanPatAlwaysRingsTwice · 10/04/2025 08:18

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!

It’s not amazing that they get hardly any time off in the Easter break. Would you go six months without a day off from work apart from weekends? Most people don’t.

They’re probably being coerced into it, or think they can’t say no.

Merlotmum85 · 10/04/2025 08:28

My school don't pay. I refused to go in this year. HoD now being frosty and it's just awkward all round.

Original poster
rosemarble · 10/04/2025 08:34

PostmanPatAlwaysRingsTwice · 10/04/2025 08:18

It’s not amazing that they get hardly any time off in the Easter break. Would you go six months without a day off from work apart from weekends? Most people don’t.

They’re probably being coerced into it, or think they can’t say no.

Show quote history

You are not wrong to say they should not be coerced into running residential trips and revision sessions, but it’s not correct to say they will have no time off for 6 months. They will have had a week in Feb and another in June, which is probably the same or more than regular office workers.
This year I took a day in Feb and have next week off. I’m not complaining, I chose my job and enjoy it but I have to spread my 5 weeks carefully.

OP posts:
Original poster
rosemarble · 10/04/2025 08:40

dylexicdementor11 · 10/04/2025 06:42

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

Show quote history

Thanking - fair enough.
Normalising 16 year olds taking gifts for teachers who are running revision sessions is likely to take a long time.
I thought teachers get their “reward” from their students by seeing them gain a love of the subject they’re teaching, working hard and gaining a good qualification.
My son’s English class did a small collection for their teacher whose Mum died. They got her a card and some chocolates. All off their own back. She was very touched.

OP posts:
Mydoglovescheese · 10/04/2025 08:47

My DD is teaching a maths revision day but won’t get paid for it. Personally, as a retired teacher myself, I think she’s crazy but she wants to help her students.

NewShoes · 10/04/2025 09:02

Yes - I ran one this holiday and got very well paid. They are optional to run at my school. Shocked that some schools are expecting teachers to give up their time without any pay to be honest.

DorothyStorm · 10/04/2025 09:04

rosemarble · 10/04/2025 08:40

Thanking - fair enough.
Normalising 16 year olds taking gifts for teachers who are running revision sessions is likely to take a long time.
I thought teachers get their “reward” from their students by seeing them gain a love of the subject they’re teaching, working hard and gaining a good qualification.
My son’s English class did a small collection for their teacher whose Mum died. They got her a card and some chocolates. All off their own back. She was very touched.

Show quote history

Do doctors get their reward from curing peoples ailments? Do nurses get their reward from seeing their patients cared for? Or do they get paid for going into work?

it never takes long for ops on threads like these to show their actual intent.

but it has been useful for those of us who are expected to do everything for free, with no thanks, to actually just say no.

Ribenaberry12 · 10/04/2025 09:09

At my old school, no. At my current one, yes. Althoug not everyone claims for it. Our school budget is fucked and some people choose not to claim but might ask for an afternoon’s cover to go and see their own kid’s play or something.
Teachers get so much shit but they really are the best of us.

Original poster
rosemarble · 10/04/2025 09:29

DorothyStorm · 10/04/2025 09:04

Do doctors get their reward from curing peoples ailments? Do nurses get their reward from seeing their patients cared for? Or do they get paid for going into work?

it never takes long for ops on threads like these to show their actual intent.

but it has been useful for those of us who are expected to do everything for free, with no thanks, to actually just say no.

Edited
Show quote history

I don't understand. I am the OP and I don't think I have at any point suggested that teacher work unpaid, and I have said that my son (and myself by way of emails in passing) have thanked the teachers.

Are you suggesting that now that I know my son's teachers have not been paid that he take in a thank you gift? Should the gift be from his own allowance, or do you think parents should pay for the gift. What would you like that gift to be?

Maybe the school should be more transparent and tell parents that teachers are not paid for this work and suggest we pay them ourselves and set the fees.

Or maybe the schools should pay their staff.

OP posts:
Original poster
rosemarble · 10/04/2025 09:32

but it has been useful for those of us who are expected to do everything for free, with no thanks, to actually just say no.

I didn't know if my son's teachers got paid or not for these sessions (hence the OP).
Why aren't teachers saying no though?

OP posts:
DorothyStorm · 10/04/2025 09:34

rosemarble · 10/04/2025 09:29

I don't understand. I am the OP and I don't think I have at any point suggested that teacher work unpaid, and I have said that my son (and myself by way of emails in passing) have thanked the teachers.

Are you suggesting that now that I know my son's teachers have not been paid that he take in a thank you gift? Should the gift be from his own allowance, or do you think parents should pay for the gift. What would you like that gift to be?

Maybe the school should be more transparent and tell parents that teachers are not paid for this work and suggest we pay them ourselves and set the fees.

Or maybe the schools should pay their staff.

Show quote history

im not sure you know what your argument is at this point. You said:

I thought teachers get their “reward” from their students by seeing them gain a love of the subject they’re teaching, working hard and gaining a good qualification.

and now:
Or maybe the schools should pay their staff.

Yes of course schools should pay their staff.

Sevenandahalf · 10/04/2025 09:36

DorothyStorm · 10/04/2025 09:34

im not sure you know what your argument is at this point. You said:

I thought teachers get their “reward” from their students by seeing them gain a love of the subject they’re teaching, working hard and gaining a good qualification.

and now:
Or maybe the schools should pay their staff.

Yes of course schools should pay their staff.

Show quote history

Her argument is that she disagrees with the pp who said her son should take a thank you gift. I agree with you op.

MrsHamlet · 10/04/2025 09:39

rosemarble · 10/04/2025 09:32

but it has been useful for those of us who are expected to do everything for free, with no thanks, to actually just say no.

I didn't know if my son's teachers got paid or not for these sessions (hence the OP).
Why aren't teachers saying no though?

Why aren't they saying no?

Because they've bought into the notion that the kids' results are "theirs"?
Because they've been pressured into it?
Because they've been told it's "part of the job"
Because they've not had enough curriculum time?

Original poster
rosemarble · 10/04/2025 09:45

DorothyStorm · 10/04/2025 09:34

im not sure you know what your argument is at this point. You said:

I thought teachers get their “reward” from their students by seeing them gain a love of the subject they’re teaching, working hard and gaining a good qualification.

and now:
Or maybe the schools should pay their staff.

Yes of course schools should pay their staff.

Show quote history

I'm not sure myself tbh.

I am of course not suggesting that the 'reward' teachers get from seeing their students flourish is their salary, more that teachers don't tend to expect gifts as thanks.

If I said that I didn't mean it.

OP posts:
AllProperTeaIsTheft · 10/04/2025 11:25

MrsHamlet · 10/04/2025 09:39

Why aren't they saying no?

Because they've bought into the notion that the kids' results are "theirs"?
Because they've been pressured into it?
Because they've been told it's "part of the job"
Because they've not had enough curriculum time?

Show quote history

Because some headteachers and SLT make life very difficult for teachers who dare question anything and will try to manage them out, especially if they are more experienced (i.e. expensive). These headteachers prefer new, young teachers who haven't experienced what teaching was like before the workload and expectations exploded. Many of them don't last long in teaching though.

FrippEnos · 10/04/2025 11:41
Animated GIF

rosemarble

I thought teachers get their “reward” from their students by seeing them gain a love of the subject they’re teaching, working hard and gaining a good qualification.

But this ^ is how they get you.

NeverEverOhNo · 10/04/2025 13:14

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

Just a token of thanks I guess. Maybe a chocolate egg? 😂

snappopcrackle · 10/04/2025 13:22

DorothyStorm · 09/04/2025 22:18

The Turing fund.

Show quote history

Ok I’ll look that up.

ETA:

I’ve looked up Turing scheme funding briefly and from what I can see on the gov website it’s to fund more focused trips abroad like placements. It sounds like this 5 day trip to Italy was not that and given the poster mentioned PP I suspect that’s how they at least party funded it.

”As Turing Scheme funding is intended to be a contribution towards the cost of placements, you can also give students additional funding from other sources for costs that are not met by the scheme”

YouBelongWithMe · 10/04/2025 15:30

I don't "say no" in that there was not a specific request, but I don't "say yes" to the school wide email asking for details of those offering Easter revision ( and like I said in a previous reply, it would be paid).

There is a certain about of hubris / martyrdom about teachers thinking a two hour session, often populated by kids who aren't your class (or in my subject, have even studied the same texts) will have much, if any, impact. The kids who pay attention and do the work, and come to the weekly after-school supported study session I offer will be fine. Those that have done very little all year will not be, and attendance of one Easter revision session will have no difference.

I'm a good teacher (going my results, I'm a great teacher) but there's really very negligible impact I think I can make in one morning of revision.

Foxesandsquirrels · 11/04/2025 12:06

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!

You're being a mug. Please speak up. The cost of you going should've come out of the budget.

surreygirl1987 · 11/04/2025 13:57

rosemarble · 10/04/2025 08:40

Thanking - fair enough.
Normalising 16 year olds taking gifts for teachers who are running revision sessions is likely to take a long time.
I thought teachers get their “reward” from their students by seeing them gain a love of the subject they’re teaching, working hard and gaining a good qualification.
My son’s English class did a small collection for their teacher whose Mum died. They got her a card and some chocolates. All off their own back. She was very touched.

Show quote history

I thought teachers get their “reward” from their students by seeing them gain a love of the subject they’re teaching, working hard and gaining a good qualification.

Ffs what did I just read?!
Does an accountant not need paying because they are rewarded by their love of numbers?? Does a doctor not need paying because they're working for the love of curing people? Don't talk such nonsense.

Of course teachers enjoy seeing their students do well. But, ffs, they still need to be paid 🤦🏼‍♀️

(In disbelief that I've just had to write that)

DorothyStorm · 11/04/2025 14:01

snappopcrackle · 10/04/2025 13:22

Ok I’ll look that up.

ETA:

I’ve looked up Turing scheme funding briefly and from what I can see on the gov website it’s to fund more focused trips abroad like placements. It sounds like this 5 day trip to Italy was not that and given the poster mentioned PP I suspect that’s how they at least party funded it.

”As Turing Scheme funding is intended to be a contribution towards the cost of placements, you can also give students additional funding from other sources for costs that are not met by the scheme”

Edited
Show quote history

hmm interesting. We use it to fund all sorts of week long trips. Kids dont pay a penny. We have been as far as america. Educational throughout. Spending time at local schools. community involvement like beach cleans. It isnt like the Standard new york or ski trips. the students also work on projects while they are away.

surreygirl1987 · 11/04/2025 14:02

Merlotmum85 · 10/04/2025 08:28

My school don't pay. I refused to go in this year. HoD now being frosty and it's just awkward all round.

This is the problem. It's fine people saying 'just say no' but... You get dubbed 'not a team player' and passed over for promotion if you actively refuse. No proof so unions can't do anything.

cliffdiver · 11/04/2025 14:20

I work in primary and whilst I’m not surprised there’s no additional pay I would have assumed there would be days off in lieu! Do you get any INSETS ‘off’?

I get one DOIL every half term for running an after school club one day a week.