PPA entitlement

NightNightJohnBoy · 2023-10-03T22:00:01+00:00

I just want to check that I've understood this right before sticking my head above the parapet. So school day is 8.30-3 with 15 min break plus 1 hr lunchtime. So 5hrs 15 mins per day, 26hrs 15 mins per week. And we should get 10% of that as PPA - so just over 2.5 hours. Right? We get 2 hours (or 2h 15 on a good week). We also have 1 hour (included in calculation above) when we don't teach, but have to be in classroom when a specialist curriculum teacher takes them. No computer access in that time. It's been done like that for years, as far as I know, never been questioned. Are my assumptions correct - we're not getting our full entitlement?

ThrallsWife · 04/10/2023 04:57

Maintained school or academy?

BoleynMemories13 · 04/10/2023 06:00

It's a hard one, because on actual ppa allocation I would say you're under but because of that extra hour a week I'd say they could definitely argue you have enough.

I understand it's frustrating having to supervise the specialist, especially with no laptop, but ppa standards for planning, preparation and assessment time, not just planning which is the mistake people often make when claiming they're not getting their full entitlement.

I would use that time where you can to prep resources, mark books, tweak displays etc. Anything you can realistically do around the children, so you can be present but productive. I understand it's harder to focus when children are around but the more you get done in that hour the less you have to do after school that day, so if you feel you need more planning time on the laptop you can fit this in after work instead one night, during the time you'd usually be doing the prep or marking you've already done that day.

Fifthtimelucky · 04/10/2023 07:22

The entitlement in the STPCD is to at least 10% of the teacher's "timetabled teaching time" not to 10% of the school day.

It doesn't sound to me that this hour would count as part of your timetabled teaching time. It would, however, count as timetabled teaching time for the specialist teacher who is actually teaching them.

BlueIgIoo · 04/10/2023 18:45

Have you accounted for assembly times in which you're not teaching?

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 04/10/2023 18:50

BoleynMemories13 · 04/10/2023 06:00

It's a hard one, because on actual ppa allocation I would say you're under but because of that extra hour a week I'd say they could definitely argue you have enough.

I understand it's frustrating having to supervise the specialist, especially with no laptop, but ppa standards for planning, preparation and assessment time, not just planning which is the mistake people often make when claiming they're not getting their full entitlement.

I would use that time where you can to prep resources, mark books, tweak displays etc. Anything you can realistically do around the children, so you can be present but productive. I understand it's harder to focus when children are around but the more you get done in that hour the less you have to do after school that day, so if you feel you need more planning time on the laptop you can fit this in after work instead one night, during the time you'd usually be doing the prep or marking you've already done that day.

This can't be PPA, because the school can't direct you to supervise another teacher in your PPA. I agree that you could mark etc during this time, but it can't be officially classified as PPA.

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 04/10/2023 18:53

Fifthtimelucky · 04/10/2023 07:22

The entitlement in the STPCD is to at least 10% of the teacher's "timetabled teaching time" not to 10% of the school day.

It doesn't sound to me that this hour would count as part of your timetabled teaching time. It would, however, count as timetabled teaching time for the specialist teacher who is actually teaching them.

Even then, 2 hours isn't enough. If there are also lots of assemblies or similar, then it might be, but I think OP should still be getting about 2.3 hours a week.

Fifthtimelucky · 04/10/2023 19:18

2 hours may well not be enough. I have no idea.

The point I was trying to make was that it is the OP's timetabled teaching time that matters, not the length of the school day.

The OP is the only one here who knows what her timetabled teaching time is.

Original poster

NightNightJohnBoy · 04/10/2023 19:27

Thanks for the replies everyone. The curriculum lesson is 1 hour, leaving 25 hrs 15.
And then if assembly doesn't count as teaching then that takes off another hour, so to 24 hour 15 of teaching time. Thanks for flagging that up as I'd assumed that it counted as teaching time as I'm still in charge of the children.
So if it's 10 % of what's left then my entitlement would be 2 hrs 25 mins. Is there anything else that should be discounted from my total teaching time first?
The curriculum time is increasingly being 'nabbed' by directed tasks - subject leadership release, compulsory meetings with SLT etc , so even if I have planned to use it for marking or displays I won't necessarily get that time for any classroom based work.

OP posts:

Original poster

NightNightJohnBoy · 04/10/2023 19:36

Wait, you'd have to take off the 2 hours of PPA that i actually get then, if it's timetabled teaching time rather than total time - so 22hours 15. 10% of that is 2 hours 13 mins. So I'm not as short as I thought (or hoped!)
Still, an extra half hour every couple of weeks would be welcome

OP posts:

BoleynMemories13 · 04/10/2023 20:01

No it can't be counted as official PPA time, but can still be used productively and takes an hour away from directed teaching time, which effects ppa entitlement (which OP was trying to calculate).

My point about ppa not just being 'planning' time was simply me trying to point out that even if OP can't plan during this cover period they should hopefully be able to tackle other elements if they're struggling for time.

It doesn't make it 'ok' that they're potentially not getting their full ppa quota, I was just trying to offer some practical advice for how they can claw some time back for themselves.

Original poster

NightNightJohnBoy · 04/10/2023 20:14

We have been given instructions on how we should use that curriculum time - I think it would be pretty outing to say what they were, but it does not involve anything that would reduce our workload once the day is over.

OP posts:

Mallort · 14/10/2023 14:47

The curriculum time supervision / directed jobs isn't the issue. How many hours do you teach? You should have at least 10 % of that.

Eg in our secondary, of 25 lessons for children in the timetable, mainscale teachers have an allocation of 22. This means 2.2 hours of PPA required and fits into the remaining 3 hours of the timetable as non contact.