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Original poster

Do you get PPA in the last week of term?

19 replies

TriDino · 19/07/2022 20:43

Does your school give you PPA in the last week of term? My current school doesn't and I got no warning of this. I was waiting for the PPA cover teach to arrive for 20 mins so I sent a child to get the deputy head to find out what was going on. She arrived and laughed at me and said I don't need planning time because I'm not teaching next week. She said schools never give PPA in the last week of term. My previous school did so I had no idea this was coming. Was I extremely lucky in my previous school or are my current school taking advantage? It's a free school btw.

OP posts:
Original poster
TriDino · 19/07/2022 20:44

We have to supervise lunch for 30 minutes of the 55 minute lunch break on our PPA day too which was not cancelled today.

OP posts:
likeafishneedsabike · 19/07/2022 21:47

How very strange.
So your head is assuming that any prep tasks which need doing for September will happen in your own personal free time?
Nice!

MyBrilliantFriend · 19/07/2022 21:55

Yes we do.

Original poster
TriDino · 19/07/2022 22:37

They are expecting us to do quite a lot in the summer holidays. There was an email last week which said that the classrooms are being rented out for the first 5 weeks of the holidays but will be available for set up in the last week of the holiday. It said that there is no time during the inset days set aside for classroom setup so this is needs to be completed before the inset days.

OP posts:
LisaSimpson77 · 20/07/2022 08:41

TriDino · 19/07/2022 22:37

They are expecting us to do quite a lot in the summer holidays. There was an email last week which said that the classrooms are being rented out for the first 5 weeks of the holidays but will be available for set up in the last week of the holiday. It said that there is no time during the inset days set aside for classroom setup so this is needs to be completed before the inset days.

That's really cheeky!!
I mean most teachers do, but for SLT to email saying it's expected...that should be challenged.

The PPA no we don't get it but the rationale is that as we close at lunchtime on the last day, that afternoon is officially our PPA time, which is fair enough.

Losing your lunch time on your PPA day doesn't sound appropriate either.

It might be worth having a chat with your union and getting their perspective even if you don't feel ready to directly challenge them yet.

MrsHamlet · 20/07/2022 17:38

I got asked today which days I was in over summer.
None, I said.

thebookeatinggirl · 20/07/2022 19:21

If you are an LEA school under Burgundy Book regulations, then it is a legal statutory requirement for you to be given a minimum of 10% PPA time to cover your ALL your teaching every week. Last week of term should not be taken out of this. You are still teaching the full week. Saying you have nothing to plan as not teaching the following week is just plain silly - what about the first week back of the next term, or the first week of the term that has already happened?
Say you have PPA on a Thursday. In Week 1 of a term do you use that Thursday PPA to plan the week that just happened? Or is the PPA in the last week there for the 1st week of the following term? Of course it is! It doesn't matter that it's the last week of the year - if anything this is a time when you need extra PPA as there is so much admin and organising to do.

I am getting more militant about these things as the years go by and my workload gets higher and higher. I would complain and ask where the PPA is for the first week if I don't get it in the last week.

JimmyGrimble · 20/07/2022 20:58

We're not getting it this time as we're only in three days and it's 'not fair' apparently. We have been told to free ourselves up when we can for prep tasks. No expectation to come in during the Summer holidays though. That's fucking criminal.

RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 21/07/2022 09:39

Yes. We finished yesterday, I had a full day PPA on Tuesday. I planned and resourced my first day back lessons.

Original poster
TriDino · 21/07/2022 12:15

I’ve just found out we don’t get PPA in the first week of term either. The reasoning behind that is that I’ll need to be with my class as we’re getting to know each other.

OP posts:
Magicandspiders · 21/07/2022 18:09

Not in the last week. As others have said- we finish early so take that afternoon as PPA.

WibblyWobblyLane · 21/07/2022 19:11

I would be contacting the union. You are entitled to your ppa. That school sounds like they have a toxic slt team and I would not be placating them by coming in over the holidays. If they say anything, just ask them what their overtime fee is for coming in during the holiday.

And in answer to your question, yes I get ppa this week. We got 2 full days off ppa this week to prepare ourselves for the first week back and organise our rooms. We'll also get 2 hours on Monday and 4 hours on Tuesday the first week back (not inset days) and then any additional timetabled ppa.

Meredusoleil · 21/07/2022 20:12

Ime as PPA Cover Teacher in 2 different primary schools, there is usually no PPA given during the first or last weeks of a term provided that the week is NOT a full working week.

For example, the kids finished Wednesday after lunch. That counted as 2.5 working days out of the usual 5. So no class teachers were supposed to get any PPA, as it wouldn't have worked out fairly.

When we return in September, there are 2 INSET days and then a full 5 day teaching week starts. I would imagine PPA will start straight away.

KateRusby · 22/07/2022 07:32

Yes we do. Also what if you were away in the last week of the hols?!

Motheranddaughtertotwo · 22/07/2022 23:46

We don’t, we closed early on Friday so the afternoon was our PPA.

mrsnjw · 23/07/2022 11:49

So what are the ppa cover teachers doing?

Original poster
TriDino · 23/07/2022 19:50

PPA is covered by HLTAs not PPA cover teachers. There are only 3 class TAs and 2 1-to-1 TAs in the school (7classes in all) so they were also super busy with helping teachers to clean up classrooms and sort out things to go home before the holidays.

OP posts:
Newrumpus · 24/07/2022 08:21

No - but then I never get PPA

wantmorenow · 27/07/2022 16:07

Yes you should be getting your PPA and if there's INSET training which takes away your PPA slot it should be moved to another time not lost.

Suggest you flag to your union rep

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