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

Original poster

Dropping full time

30 replies

MilkCereal · 07/11/2021 12:09

Thinking of asking to drop from full time to 4 days. Anyone do it? Pros cons? I'm in primary. Would I be expected to plan for the day I'm not in?

I'm basically overwhelmed with it all- school and home.

OP posts:
toadstool32 · 08/11/2021 20:02

I'm eyfs in a private primary. I dropped from 5 to 4 days and love it. I have Fridays off. I don't plan for my day off.

monkeysox · 08/11/2021 22:27

0.6 or stay full time. Flowers

Original poster
MilkCereal · 08/11/2021 23:09

Thank you. So @monkeysox do you do 0.6? I'm rethinking my 4 day request and going to ask for 3. If 4 I think a TA will cover and I'll have responsibility for everything. I'm hoping 3 will be a job share. Any advice on asking?

OP posts:
monkeysox · 09/11/2021 07:10

Yes I do 0.6 but as unofficial job share but secondary. I do three full days. If you were 0.8 you'd do the same work for less pay as full time.

Plotato · 09/11/2021 09:06

@monkeysox

0.6 or stay full time. Flowers
Everyone says this and I totally disagree. I do 0.8 in primary and it's great. No one to handover to, know exactly what's going on - my day off is just PE, music etc so there's none of the difficulties that can come with a job share. I work fewer hours than when I did 0.7 for this reason.
LostArcher · 09/11/2021 11:23

Just be wary that you work full time for part time money. It is very easy to use your day off answering emails, marking, just dealing with school stuff.

toadstool32 · 09/11/2021 14:01

@LostArcher I disagree. I'm 0.8 and definitely have 20% less workload. My cover does 20% of the planning, assessment and report writing.

LostArcher · 09/11/2021 14:27

@toadstool32 Think that is the value of having cover. Unfortunately I have no such thing and am the only person who can do my job (SENCO) so if I am not there and have been off sick for a short time, it backs up. I've been working all today even though booked off because otherwise it will be insane when I go back. It really depends what type of school, role is done. If I went 0.8 I would still have the same workload to do minus the actual teaching of lessons (and that is the easy bit). I find (and not alone in this) that what is taking time now is effects of lockdown - mental health of kids, parental interractions, yet another initiative and paperwork (thanks JCQ), I just think it is something to be aware of when managing time.

Original poster
MilkCereal · 09/11/2021 18:36

@plotato I'm interested in this, so you do all reports etc? Does a TA cover you? I think my school will go for 0.8 but say no to 0.6 at moment as we have no other teacher to do 2 days. But I'm worried I'd do all the paperwork? Does whoever does the fifth day give any input into reports assessment or staff meetings etc?

OP posts:
Plotato · 09/11/2021 21:20

Covered by TAs on my day off. Yes I do all reports which is a downside, but I'm not sure how much help 0.2 input into that would be anyway. I do 80% of staff meetings. Luckily I work in a school without silly amounts of paperwork, display expectations etc

Original poster
MilkCereal · 09/11/2021 22:15

Thanks @plotato I'm thinking this this may be the way to approach it. Do you have 1 full day off and then take your ppa time during your 4 days in school? I ouke the sound of dropping some staff meetings!

OP posts:
Orchid876 · 10/11/2021 18:57

I've just (temporarily thankfully) upped my dates from 0.6 to 0.8 and I hate it. I may as well be full time. I'll be so thankful to go back to 0.6 in January, and I wouldn't do 0.8 again.

Plotato · 10/11/2021 19:31

@MilkCereal

Thanks *@plotato* I'm thinking this this may be the way to approach it. Do you have 1 full day off and then take your ppa time during your 4 days in school? I ouke the sound of dropping some staff meetings!
I do 4 full days and have an afternoon of that as PPA. No one seems to have clocked that means I get the same PPA as a full timer and I'm not pointing it out!
Original poster
MilkCereal · 10/11/2021 20:16

Oo @Plotato that's great- keep it quiet! I approached head today, shes not too keen but my TA is happy to lead and plan so I'm having more discussion tomorrow. So fingers crossed!

OP posts:
Original poster
MilkCereal · 12/11/2021 20:38

So request has been refused. I could and have actually cried! I'm so overwhelmed. Head said shed looking into in the future but said not 4 days it will be 3 days. I'm trying to be positive and thinking of saving some money for the drop in pay if/when I get 3 days... but honestly I'm lost as to what i do now to help.

OP posts:
Plotato · 12/11/2021 21:22

Oh I'm sorry to hear that ☹️ How disappointing for you. Hope you can find a solution you're happy with.

Original poster
MilkCereal · 12/11/2021 21:24

Thanks @Plotato

OP posts:
mde1982 · 12/11/2021 22:09

@MilkCereal

So request has been refused. I could and have actually cried! I'm so overwhelmed. Head said shed looking into in the future but said not 4 days it will be 3 days. I'm trying to be positive and thinking of saving some money for the drop in pay if/when I get 3 days... but honestly I'm lost as to what i do now to help.
Financial drop may not be as much as you think. You'll pay less income tax, national insurance, pension and save on fuel and lunches at school if you buy them.

You could always take 3 days and then register for supply on those days you don't work?

Original poster
MilkCereal · 12/11/2021 22:25

Thanks @mde1982 how would I calculate all of that?
I've said yes to 3 days but theres no teacher to do 2. So this is a hypothetical in the future agreement. She then said the trust doesnt do permanent part time so I would move to temporary contract so I need to think about that too.
Supply is a very good idea if we do need a top up in the future- thanks.
Just a bit disheartened. I'm going to push for 4 days on a temp basis until xmas just to give us some breathing space and see if theres any leeway on that. The reason behind no 4 days is that too many teachers have asked for it over the last few years.

OP posts:
Meandmini3 · 12/11/2021 22:47

The school has to give you a proper business reason for refusal. Not just that the trust doesn’t do it or whatever. They should try to recruit a 0.4 etc.

Meandmini3 · 12/11/2021 22:48

I’ve done a temporary adjustment of hours in the past. I went 0.8 for 2.5 years following a flexible working request. This got my through having two under 3s.

Original poster
MilkCereal · 13/11/2021 07:04

Thanks @meandmin3

OP posts:
mde1982 · 13/11/2021 10:08

I used this site... www.thesalarycalculator.co.uk/prorata.php

Put in your salary and the % you want to drop to. Also tax code and pension contribution rate. Remember that the pension contribution rate is based on your earnings, not your full time salary, so you could drop from say 10.2% to 8.6%, dependant on your salary reduction.

With regards to permanent part time, have a look at the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000. These basically say that a part time worker has the same rights as a full time worker, so sick pay, holidays, training, promotion etc. I would have thought contractual terms of employment would also be covered by this.

Original poster
MilkCereal · 13/11/2021 11:23

@mde1982 thank you so much

OP posts:
Orchid876 · 13/11/2021 18:57

I really don't think that the trust can refuse to offer permanent part-time positions, I'm sure that's breaking all sorts of employment legislation, not to mention it's discriminatory. Are you in a union? If you are, maybe ask them for advice about that.