Contract confusion

[springcleaningoutmycloset]

I'm hoping someone can help clear up some confusion with my contract please. My job (school admin) was advertised as term time plus one week.I understand this to be quite typical for the role.
I have just had a quick look over my current contract and it states 'you will be required to be on duty for 39 weeks per year, 38 weeks during which the pupils are at school and 5 days during closure periods'.
I find this a strange way of wording things. Could this be read as 38 weeks, when the kids are in school, plus the 5 inset days?
Or should I not be in during the inset days and then go in for 5 days over the holidays?

Speak to your line manager, but I imagine they mean the 5 inset days. Some of these will include whole staff training e.g. everyone needs to do safeguarding, know evacuation plans etc.

If it's a secondary school, it could also include results days.

Looks like it is the INSET days but as the last poster commented, admin team are always in on results day (in my school anyway)

Ask your line manager for clarification though.

I believe it means one week (or 5 days scattered across) during the school holiday time.

Definitely check what is expected. It might be inset days, but some roles might have other reasons. Results days is one possibility. I can imagine that there might be a need for finance staff to do occasional days in the longer holidays to deal with bills. IT staff might be needed before the start of term, especially if there is any new equipment to be set up.