Please help me understand this job offer (salary-related)

[Waterlow]

I've been offered a job starting in September as a TA for 3.5 days per week. I received the contract in the post yesterday. The timetable enclosed shows that I am to be working 22h out of a 35h week, which I calculate to be 63%, yet the calculation they have used to pro rata the salary is 50%.

Why? Is there some invisible factor that I am unaware of?

Unpaid lunch break?

This is probably a silly question, but is it because it's term time only?

It'll be term time only.

My place tas get paid 46 weeks a year but I know some places it's less than that

Ah, yes. I looked on the council website. The gross salary quoted is the total for an hourly rate for a 37.5h week across a 52w year, with holiday allowance of 4w plus 8d. I'm being offered the same hourly rate, but across a completely different number of hours.

Very complicated. Why not just quote it straightforwardly as an hourly rate, rather than as an unachievable gross annual salary? It would be more transparent.

Yes, but then they'd have to admit it's not a living wage! That's how they suck us in..... 😄