Part-timers in secondary - what does your timetable look like?

[northernlass81]

I'm interested in how other part-time teachers in secondary school are timetabled. Are you able to do full days as in 0.6FTE on 3 days or 0.4FTE over 2 days? Does you school allow split classes to make this happen? I work in a school where to get one full day off a week you have to drop to 0.62FTE so paid for just over 3 days but spread over 4 days. If you want 2 days off then it's down to 0.48. I'm just curious to see whether this is usual across secondary for timetabling purposes?

No, in my experience that is not normal at all. I’m no longer in the classroom but when I was I worked 3 full days when 0.6 and four full days when 0.8. That’s the norm.

Absolutely not, I've never seen that in 20 years teaching. It's always loss of 0.2 FTE per day off. A conversation with a union would easily unpick which way the school is creatively accounting for time there (it will undoubtedly be due to 'misunderstanding' PPA rules).

The only question I've seen about PT is if the person is a TLR holder should they get the % of the TLR or the full amount, as they are doing the full job. That was a genuine one, I believe.

Interesting. We do get the late start/early finish but this isn't guaranteed and we are really at the mercy of what the timetable chucks out each year. There is inevitably trapped time during the week that we are not paid for but not enough time to get home etc. School's arguement is that the timetable just couldn't be put together otherwise.

Trapped time is a major issue. You need union advice on this.

Sounds like you have an inept timetabler.

I’ve worked 0.6 for 4 years now and always had 3 full days, and the same days each week of a 2 week timetable. I think at my school they guarantee you 3 days off over 2 weeks if you have a 0.6 contract, but I’ve been lucky to have 4 days off per fortnight.

I should add that our timetabler asks part time staff what their priorities are - mine are full days and same days each week. Other people might prefer late starts /early finishes and therefore have their hours spread out over more days. In terms of my timetable, it does impact which groups I can teach, so I end up with a lot of A level, but I like that.

Same at my school, you have to beg for a full day off. I've been on 0.6 and had no full days off before.

The argument is that it reduces split classes and is better for the children. It's really tough for those teachers who have to find childcare though. I think now the childcare days are over I might prefer, it as teaching full days is awful and going home early is great.

Depends on the departmental set up. In my last school, if you were on a 0.4 contract then you only worked 2 days, 0.6 - 3 days and 0.8 4 days.

It was easier to manage.

In the school I’m in now. It’s a mixture and it doesn’t really work in the grand scheme of timetabling.

I'm 0.66 and work on 3 days per week. Last year my t/t was crap and I worked both Monday and Friday. This year, I said I didn't mind which days I worked as long as I got either Monday or Friday off. I also would be happy to do different days for the 2 weeks of the t/t. Our t/ter is lovely and knew I was unhappy last year, but instead of stamping my foot and kicking off about it like some colleagues (MFL, looking at you!) I said I would take one for the team and go with it. She remembered this and so this year I have Monday and Friday off, both weeks. I have a TLR too. We are allowed to go home early if we have PPA in the last lesson, something I hope to take advantage of later this term.

You need union advice. Some schools are dickish about timetabling, trying to keep you on site. My SLT realises that happy teachers are more likely to be productive and go the extra mile, hence keeping to their word this year.

My current school is really straightforward: 0.6 for 3 days, 0.8 for 4 etc. They ask what day(s) off you'd prefer. And they pay for any overtime with no fuss or bother.

I appreciate them so much because my previous schools would do all sorts of rubbish including the two years post mat leave where I worked 0.8 over 5 days so needed a full week of childcare.

I used to work 3 days for 0.6 but a new head asked us to spread it over 4 and most of the part timers agreed. I find it's easier actually. We're a core subject and a lot of classes had always been split, even when we had fewer part timers. Last year I went up to 0.68 and had 2 that weren't split and another 3 halves.

To add, unpaid trapped time would never be allowed; all our bits are beginning or end of days. Officially we get no choice in which days we work unless there are other work commitments but I've always insisted on Fridays off and childcare is usually worked round.