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The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

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Original poster

Going down to 4 days and using the 5th day to mark/plan

20 replies

CatAndFiddle · 24/02/2018 21:13

As the title suggests really. Has anyone done this? If so, has it made a difference to your work/life balance?

I want to go down to 4 days next year. I have one school-age child and I dislike working at the weekends. I try to mark after DC has gone to sleep, but I am not really very effective during these hours...and am neglecting my marriage. I figure I can do my marking on a weekday off, when DC is at school. Planning I can do in my frees and after school. Am I being naïve? Does it work?

I spent 10 years in the private sector before teaching, and love the job compared to my old one, but there is just too much of it.

OP posts:

SleepymummyZzz · 25/02/2018 07:59

Yup, I did this last year and it worked well. After a while I did get peed off with not being paid for that fifth day when I was still working, but I knew deep down, unpaid overtime is the reality of every teacher, 😔 It was lovely to have the weekends free as I was very disciplined on that fifth day. I got to take andpick up my ds from school on that day too which he loved. Fast forward to this year, new school and working five days and I am only just finishing ‘working’ for the week Sunday morning having planned/marked etc til midnight Friday and 7am til midnight Saturday. It is very sad that this is what is needed to enable teachers to have a life, but yes, it worked well.

Acopyofacopy · 25/02/2018 08:33

I have been doing this since September. The positive impact on my work life balance is enormous!
I do all of my planning on my day off and squeeze everything else into my frees and after school.
Even though the salary cut is quite substantial, it is absolute bliss not to work at the weekend!

C0untDucku1a · 25/02/2018 08:34

I also do this. If you can though still pau the same into your pension.

MsJaneAusten · 25/02/2018 10:26

I've done it before and loved it. I'm hoping to get back to it soon.

Original poster

CatAndFiddle · 25/02/2018 11:28

Thank you for your replies. I think this is going to be the way forward for me, in teaching.

OP posts:

leccybill · 25/02/2018 11:56

I do this. I'm off on a Friday so it's nice to get everything done and start the weekend feeling rested and not agitated. I don't care about the paycut, my sanity counts for more!

phlebasconsidered · 25/02/2018 15:01

I have Fridays off. I work the entire day apart from a dog walk. I still mark every evening but that's the reality of primary. I still have to plan for my day off and Mark the work done then, but I wangle it so that's it's mostly pe and weekly progress tests that day.

It does mean I do have my weekends back and can actually see my kids though. That said, it's still a struggle and I do feel like my 4 days in are flat out. I'm still totally responsible for their progress over 5 days.

I'm still looking for a way out of teaching though. I feel my day off is resented and whatever we do as teachers it's never enough. Plus I'm horribly aware that every teacher employed in my school this year has been a cheap, newly qualified full timer or freebie scitt.

Plasticgold · 25/02/2018 19:02

A colleague of mine does it so that she has two afternoons off a week, that way she does work during that time and twice a week gets to pick her kids up from school. That plus PPA means she only teaches two whole days a week.

cloudyweewee · 25/02/2018 19:59

phlebasconsidered Why are you planning and marking the work that's done on Friday?

phlebasconsidered · 26/02/2018 09:09

Because I was hoodwinked! They don't have a ppa teacher covering. Just a TA. It's bloody cheeky I know. It's an academy though so I don't have a leg to stand on. My union were unhopeful.

parrotonmyshoulder · 26/02/2018 20:01

We should totally reject this. So many teachers who are working five days and only being paid four. We should be fighting to reduce workload to a level that can be done in a reasonable time.

But we’re all too knackered to fight...

Carakanjac · 26/02/2018 20:02

Nope...i work 2 days. And I get paid 2 days. My days off are for MY children.

leccybill · 26/02/2018 21:11

Mine's an academy too. They laugh on the face of any union guidance, it's basically 'comply or leave'. So frustrated, hope the tide turns on academies soon. It's privatisation by the back door and unions can't touch them.
How did we let this happen?!

priority9 · 26/02/2018 21:18

I do four days and have Friday off. I actually have Friday and Saturday as my weekend and then Work on Sunday.

I love it

Original poster

CatAndFiddle · 27/02/2018 16:04

I get that it's not really on, working 5 days and getting paid for 4. But I'm working 6 days at the moment, and getting paid for 5. Teaching is definitely in a bad place at the minute. I'm hoping that the current situation is rock bottom, and that I will be able to benefit from all the reforms that will be needed when the system inevitably collapses...

OP posts:

Phineyj · 27/02/2018 20:43

I do this, although I'm on a 0.5 contract and to be honest I spend the 5th day doing things I want to do, then I do usually work Sunday evening. Because it's 0.5 over 4 days I do have adequate time during the day to plan and mark, except I do usually do some work on a Monday and Tuesday evening.

I am being ridiculously underpaid for my skill level, however, my commute doesn't cost a lot less and I have to be careful that I don't get volunteered for too much extra stuff as my time is already very tightly organised around DD and DH's work hours.

I am also getting a bit bored so am looking for ways I can take on extra responsibility or make some more money without losing all the flexibility. But my stress levels have massively reduced.

Phineyj · 27/02/2018 20:44

Oh yeah, last year I was working 7 days and getting paid for 5.5 (school was open Saturday a.m.) so that has shaped my views on this somewhat. I couldn't have done that for longer than a year!

millimat · 03/03/2018 22:29

I'm off two days per week. I do all my work on one of those days and the other day is for me.
I still mark every evening.

craftqueen · 04/03/2018 15:29

I have Friday off and it works really well.. Also if I don't fancy doing anything I can put my feet up with a cuppa and leave it all for Sunday..

I really hate planning and marking!!!

Pebbleinthesand · 04/03/2018 22:05

Going back three days in a few weeks and I'm hoping to be able to try not to work too much on days off, although I'd rather have to work when DD naps on days off and when she's gone to bed on working days and still have my weekends and evenings, while she's awake, with her. No idea how I would cope on full time with a baby right now; three days seems a scary prospect at the moment.

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