Feeling Confused About New Hours Of Work

[Guest]

Hi everyone, hope you can help - not sure if I have put this in an appropriate place or not, but my hours in work are about to change, and I'm feeling that I am getting a worse deal than the rest of the teachers in my school, but maybe not, Im not sure. I'm a fairly new teacher about to work full time in a nursery unit within a school. My first class will be in at 8.45 (I arrive at 8.30), and they leave at 12.15. My next class arrive at 1pm until 3.30 - I hope to go home at 4pm. Hoping to be able to take 30mins for lunch. Principal has also offered 1 day per month out of the classroom for planning time etc. Other teachers in the school seem to work until 3.50 (3.30 on a Fri). They get 15 min in morning for a break and 45 mins at lunchtime. They also get 1hr per week planning time out of their classrooms. I've read up on 1265 hours per year, but am confused about what full time weekly/daily hours should be. Also I think my 2 assistants might be getting paid for more hours than me which is very confusing. Tried to talk to my boss about it but she said the 1265 hours was very confusing,and she kept hours back for teachers for curriculum nights, IEP planning, writing reports etc. which I always did in my own time before. Not in a union but feel I should be, although my boss has always been very reasonable before, and dont think she would try to do anything which compared me less favourable to the teachers. Main problem is I am very mych out on my own. Other teachers work much same hours which dont reallly apply to nursery. Just really confused. Any help greatfully received.

[bgfrancis]

1 day a month out of class for planning? Why are you not getting your 10% PPA time that you are entitled to each week? I would definitely want to bring that up!

 

The teacher in my Nursery has sessions from 8.45 till 11.45 and then 12.30 till 3.30. With late pick ups, all Nusery staff try to get a 30 minute lunch but tend to eat whilst setting up for the afternoon session.

However, most teachers are in school from at least 8.00 and don't leave till at least 4.30 - 5.00. With your class leaving at 3.30, are you planning on setting up your classroom areas before 4.00? What time do your support staff work till each day?

 

I would definitely recommend joining a union as it is a great source of support and information where needed.

 

Beccy x

[Guest]

Do you work in an independent school?

 

A normal primary school?

 

My understanding of PPA time is that it is 10% of normal working hours, so staff in our school get one afternoon per week covered.

 

As for your hours being altered you need to consult the contract regarding working hours that you were given originally.

 

When nursery hours changed to offer 3 hour sessions our teacher in nursery didn't have to alter her hours to work the extra hours each week. She still finished after 2.5 hours.

 

Why are your nursery sessions different lengths?

 

Are the children able to stay all day?

 

Is all of your nursery maintained?

 

I think you really should be in a union as a priority I think!

[dreamgirl]

I am nursery teacher. Get to school about 7.30. Morning session starts 8.30 to 11.30. By time they all leave it's nearly 11.40. Bit of tidying, sweeping, re setting up. Phone calls. Etc etc. might get 15 or 20 mins for lunch if lucky. Next session arrives 12.20. Leaves 3.20. I rarely leave school before 6.30. Often later. All completely normal for us. Very hard work. In early years we know we work much longer hours than the other teachers. Just the way it goes.

[Susan]

Goldilocks, please join a union for your own protection. Its not about nice bosses or otherwise. Look at Voice the Union.

[Madmum]

I looked into this with the teacher I work with ( I'm a TA in a maintained nursery)when we went to 2 x 3hr sessions and found this

 

http://www.atl.org.uk/help-and-advice/school-and-college/nursery-provision.asp

 

If you are in a maintained setting, as others have said, you should be getting 10% PPA time. IN our school all teachers, including nursery get an afternoon a week.

[catma]

Hear hear re union. You may never need them but if you did you'd be glad of all the subs paid.

 

Re nursery times - the 15 hours created a situation where nursery teachers do now tend to work hours at odds with the rest of the school. Schools get around it in different ways, 1 school I know the nursery teacher adds up the additional contact time she does acoss the week and then she is able to take this time as a day out of class each week on top of PPA. In another the staff work a sort of split shift day with the teacher working the core hours of 9 - 3.30 like the rest of the teaching staff so it all depends on how the hours are worked out vs.staffing.

However if your children arrive at 8.45 and go home at 12.15 they are getting 3 1/2 hours per session so 17.5hrs a week, whereas the pm session are only getting 2 1/2 hours per session so only 12.5 which is not enough. This isn't meeting the requirements for the nursery entitlement as some children are not getting what they should be getting.

 

1265 hours is about directed time. This includes all teaching time. A useul site is http://www.usethekey.org.uk/popular-articles/directed-time-organising-the-1-265-hours

 

Re PPA you are legally entitled to 10% of your contact time which for most full time staff would be around 1/2 a day per week. Some schools do this as 1 day a fortnight but it is your entitlement and not to be getting it is breaking the law.

 

Cx

Edited September 1, 2012 by catma

[Guest]

Thanks everyone for your posts. I have just sent off for a union membership pack, and really good to hear everyone's perspectives, so thank you again.

[Sue R]

Goldilocks, please join a union for your own protection. Its not about nice bosses or otherwise. Look at Voice the Union.

 

I heartily endorse this - Voice have helped me a lot recently, thankfully mainly with advice but I'm sure they would have been just as supportive had action been required. They respond very promptly as well.

 

Sue