Part Time in an a boarding school?

[Annner]

I am currently on mat leave from my f/t teaching post in a large boarding school. I am due to return to work in September, after six months leave and four months unpaid leave.

I have submitted my request for flexible working, which will pretty much be in the hands of my head of department. The trouble is, he has proposed that I still go in to work on six days a week (we teach Monday - Saturday) but that I would only be working mornings. This doesn't seem to be very part time to me (I would be on a 50% timetable) as I would prefer to have whole days off and once I am in work, I tend to hang around and stay there. Any advice?

Also, my school traditionally pays part times less than full timers on the grounds that if you are part time you aren't doing any extracurricular activities. However, there is no mechanism to ensure that full timers do any, either. I understand that this is totally illegal and that I should receive a pro rata of my original salary.

What do any of you think, before I launch into the inevitable series of meetings?

Thanks, Annner

Annner - I'm sorry that I don't know the answers to your questions but I would strongly advise you to contact the Citizens Advice Bureau for free advice. They will be able to help you, I'm sure. I wouldn't go to any meetings without having sought out advice from the CAB and/or your union rep (if you have a union). Oh, and if you have a staff handbook, ask for it and read it thoroughly. If not, see what you can find out about how it works in boarding schools in general or one in particular. Try reading up on that section on Employment Law on the web if you can't get the info elsewhere, but I'm sure the CAB will help. Good luck!

Try contacting the maternity alliance too - the website's offline atm, but they're very good.

Hope you get it sorted soon - agree that six mornings a week isn't very part time!

Annner,
When DS was a baby I went back to work part-time ... it was an independent school, not a boarding school but still had all the traditions and trappings of boarding school (prep and activities till 6.30pm).
I had a similar conversation with my headteacher about the extra curricular thing and in the end agreed to do a 'pro-rata' ext. curr. time table ... so most teachers were expected to do 2 late days a week and as I was on 50% I agreed to do 1. This is how I got to be paid exactry pro-rata.
I worked 2.5 days a week and was paid accordingly. Working part time in teaching always seems less 'fair' financially because you still have to plan as much but teach half as many classes IYSWIM? My .5 day finished at 12.30 officially but I was often there still at 4/5pm on my time ... but that is the nature of the job I suppose.
I would say that 2.5 or 3 full days is much better than 5 or 6 mornings ... Also in our school the morning went from 8.20 to 12.30 and the afternoon went from 1.30 till 4pm .... so if I had worked mornings I would be doing way more hours than half days .... so to do all mornings would not have been fair.
HTH .... sorry for the ramble ...