Part time working and meetings/inset

[HariboFrenzy]

I am about to return to work 4 mornings per week. Ths staff meeting is on one of my working days but obviously after school so after I've finished and left. DoI still need to attend pro rata, e.g. 0.5 so half of all meetings? I have the option to work all day on the meeting day and finish earlier another day instead. If I am expected to attend half of the staff meetings then I'd be better off doing the full day.

Also if an INSET is on a non working day do I attend these pro rata too? And should I be paid extra for them?

At my - secondary - school, we have a very small number of part time staff who have to attend all staff meetings and INSET however I don't know the basis of their contracts. Sorry not to be more helpful. I would recommend you ask for clarification before signing your contract.

I work part time in two schools. I am paid to attend any Inset not on my working days. I don't do staff meetings in either as they are on the day I work in the other school..

Speak with your Union? I believe you should do a percentage of meetings and INSET. So 0.5 do half of INSET.

Lots of people believe that, Wolfiefan, but it's not true. You cannot be compelled to attend INSET on days you would not normally work.

Would that mean that if you normally work on a Monday, and all INSET days are timetabled for then, that you would not turn up for work for 50% of those days?

I've only ever worked full days, and know you can't be made to attend a meeting if it's not a working day...... I can't help but presume the same principle applies to working mornings - they could probably expect you to attend morning briefings / breakfast meetings, but can't expect you to come back in for after school meetings.

All that said, if you never attend meetings, then you get out of the loop very quickly, so it makes sense to ask if you can have an outline of the purpose of meetings for the the term (or some time in advance), and say you might be able to make arrangements to attend a couple if they are particularly relevant to your role. (If you can of course - easier for some people than others).

I've been part-time for nearly 20 years, and Inset days have almost without exception fallen on my days off. I have been to every single one. But, I have to say that recently, I'm becoming a little more militant about it, not least because I'm seeing colleagues, who technically should work those days, not turn up. Annoys me.

My HT would offer me the choice of either paying me extra or letting me swap a day, if she wanted me to work on a non-working day.

I think - because she was always scrupulously fair with me, then, whenever I possibly could, I would make arrangements to attend things she wanted me to attend - it's always better if there's a bit of give and take, and, as I said previously, there are some things you either have to have done (eg safeguarding), or, that it makes life easier for you if you have been at the original planning meeting, or whatever.