I think my PPA is wrong

[Blueshells]

I have 4 hours of non contact for leadership of a core department. Plus I have a form.

I feel like it's not enough - really struggling What do others do?

[MaisyPops]

I agree thefallen.
It's one reason I left a post. TLR post with 1 hour a fortnight on the ground that it was a 'good opportunity to prove myself'.
If school culture is out of line and middle leaders haven't got the ability to meaningfully lead their teams due to prescriptive SLT demands then there is no point battling because even if they give you more time as a middle leader it means still pushing the same crap on mainscale staff who don't get given time.

[TheFallenMadonna]

If you are struggling and your line manager isn't supportive of you having more time or allowing you to have some say over eg marking policy in your department, then it is time to look elsewhere, truly.

How is morale in your department and school generally?

[MaisyPops]

Dermymc
I agree. All I've been trying to establish is how big the school/department is as that will be the biggest clue as to whether PPA and leadership allocation is accurate.

Lots of marking and parents' evenings and revision sessions is probably it true of every teacher mainscale or TLR holder.

Workload at this time of year is crap. But it's crap around mock times and with y11 for all teachers. At least as a leader I've got a bit more flexibility within my day to manage work than a standard classroom teacher on 3 PPA a week with parents' evenings, revision, marking, mocks etc. Just because I might be feeling snowed under with my autumn term reports and tracking due to SLT next week, and CPD to lead, and performance management observations to take out my PPA etc doesn't make my allocation wrong. It's just a busy time.

[Dermymc]

Wow. Blueshells you are being quite rude to people who are trying to help.

Are you at a new school? If so I'd move on, there are plenty of jobs in the core subjects.

You sound like you have a lot of extra after school stuff but the nature of that depends on the school culture. They can't force you to be there unless it's in the directed time budget. Obviously some schools will make life difficult if you don't stay.

[Blueshells]

Line manager isn't supportive. Maisy I do know that thanks. I am old enough to have taught you! I have been a HOD (on and off) since 2012 and I have never struggled like this before.

[MaisyPops]

But having marking etc is separate to how much leadership time you get.

E.g. almost every TLR holder in my school drowns in data and marking in place. It doesn't mean that their allocation is wrong. Sadly, it's the nature of being a TLR holder.

Equally, after school revision, markings and parents' evenings add workload to everyone.

I dont think you should have a form at all as a HOD of a core department and your school are being a bit cheeky there in my opinion. But in terms of PPA/Leadership time, as I've said a few times, how much leadership time is typical will depend on the size of the school and the size of the department. My friend is an English HOD with a small department (4-5 staff) in a smaller school. They are on the same as you but with no form and also have to do the Future Leaders meetings.
Another friend is an English HOD of a large department (10-15 staff) in a large school and they are more in line with what bubble has.

[TheFallenMadonna]

If you're a Head of English on 20/25 then you are going to struggle. Do you have a supportive line manager?

[Blueshells]

I know that Maisy, thanks but I am talking about the fact I am drowning in marking, data and other shit!

Every week I teach twenty hours in school and then have four and a half hours after school PLUS - have had parents evenings as well for the past two weeks and I am on my knees.

[leccybill]

We have 25 periods a week. I teach 21/25 and I'm just a mainscale teacher with no TLR.
Still drowning though! I just accept the fact that I have no time to mark now. Our marking policy has recently been reviewed and made a lot better in terms of workload.
-one in-depth mark of a piece of writing per half term
-no ticking
-no duplicated comments, use a feedback grid

[MaisyPops]

Blueshells
The meeting is part of your leadership time. You can't say that hour doesn't count because there's a meeting.

What size department are you? That makes a big difference. As some of us have said for a large department then it doesn't sound enough. For a smaller department then that's quite typical (but without a form).

[Bubble77bee]

I’m a head of science, with a team of 17 teachers. I teach 37/50 per fortnight, I think mainscale teachers are on 44/50. In my non contact time I have one meeting per fortnight and do two duty slots in our isolation room (but during those slots I can mostly just get on with my own work). I would say you are not getting enough non-contact time.

[JustKeepSwimmingJustKeepSwimmi]

Its only 20 hours teaching time though. So a day a week off teaching. And the hour meeting is presumably part of the leadership the ppa is for.

I left teaching as I think its all crackers and beginning to be unachievable given the targets/marking/faff around it. But theoretically a day away from teaching a week should be enough and I think is usual.

Realistically I think most teachers are drowning and trying to leave. But thats a wider marking/expectations/silly curriculum/pressure on kids issue.

[Blueshells]

I haven't got five hours a week. I have four. One of those hours is a meeting.

I can't keep up.

[JustKeepSwimmingJustKeepSwimmi]

5 frees out of 25 is tge equivalent of a whole day out a week isnt it?

More than that would be unusual surely.

[superram]

I think you need to talk to your union rep. It is not normal to teach lessons outside of your allocation. We do revision sessions but not every week and not compulsory. I’m not sure teaching can be counted in directed time. I’m looking for a way out.

[MaisyPops]

I wouldnt be counting the after school sessions against your PPA/Leadership time because that is standard for most staff.
The rest depends on the size of the department, size of the school and what other responsibility posts exist in the department

That's not enough for the larger departments I've worked in (think 10-15 teachers). But friends who are HOD in English/Maths departments of 4/5 teachers tend to get what you've got, but they don't have a form and it's them plus a 2nd in team (one does ks3 and the other ks4). If you're a small core department then I'd have thought you should have your form removed Though.

My TLR meetings happen in my leadership time. I think that's fairly standard as it is doing leadership duties.

[Apple23]

It may well be correct.

You teach 20 hours per week
2 hours PPA
3 hours for leadership responsibilities during teaching time (assuming the 4th hour allocated is the meeting you mention and that it falls within directed time but not during the school day)

20 + 2 + 3 adds up to the 25 teaching hours in the school week.

What are the 2 hours after-school? Daily or weekly? Are they 2 hours of taught lessons, with the associated planning and assessment? Or are they the time allocated to carry out non-teaching tasks? They should be shown on the Directed Time Budget, which you should have been given a copy of at the beginning of the school year.

[Blueshells]

No, but lots are, let's face it.

[Dermymc]

Time to move schools then I think.... Honestly not every school is like yours.

[Blueshells]

You know I'd be fast tracked to capability if I did that.

[Dermymc]

Of course they do. I'm just suggesting that not every piece of writing needs intensive marking. Cut yourself some slack. How are other teachers finding it?

I suggest you meet with whoever is responsible for the marking policy and come up with some sensible workload reducing ideas.

[Blueshells]

Well yes, I do, but the students do far more than three pieces of writing a term!

[Dermymc]

But it doesn't have to be marking intensive. Eg. Our English dept acknowledgement mark most work (ie tick in lesson) and mark 3 in depth pieces of writing every 10 weeks. Feedback is done in preprepared sheets so you aren't writing the same thing over and over, and a short individual comment added if required.

Your ppa doesn't sound limited. There is a question mark over these 2 hour compulsory sessions but you don't know if they are timetabled lessons or not.

[Blueshells]

Yes but I teach a subject that is marking intensive. That's how it is be coupled with huge classes and limited PPA and I am buckling.

[Soontobe60]

The question about marking policy is relevant as there is a huge push on reducing teacher workload, one way of which is to have a less intensive marking policy.