Directed time
Directed time refers to the hours during which teachers are instructed by their head teacher to be available for work. This is limited to a maximum of 1,265 hours for full-time teachers per academic year, spread over 190 days of teaching and five non-teaching days, and applies to all teachers working under the school teacher’s pay and conditions document (STPCD).
As there is a limit for directed hours, schools should have a contingency plan in place to cover unexpected events and provide some flexibility within the agreed directed time calendar, following consultation with the recognised unions.
The following should be included in directed time:
- teaching time.
- registration time.
- planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time.
- buffer time, i.e. supervision time before and after the school day and before and after lunch breaks.
- mid-session breaks.
- parents’ meetings and open evenings.
- staff meetings.
- Inset days, and any other continuing professional development (CPD).
- trapped time.
- teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) time.
- contingency time.
Teachers are required to work reasonable additional hours as necessary to discharge their professional duties for preparation and assessment – but this time cannot be directed by the head teacher. If the amount of work teachers are undertaking at home and outside of directed time begins to affect their work/life balance, this needs to be raised with management.
Directed time and the 1,265-hour limit should be adjusted on a pro rata basis for part-time teachers. It is essential that part-time teachers have access to all training and CPD days and can attend staff meetings on the days they are scheduled to work, ensuring they have the same opportunities and involvement as full-time teachers.
NEU reps should ask their head teacher for the directed time calendars for both individuals and departments at the beginning of the school year. Reps can raise concerns about directed time calendars at any point during the academic year.
Some academies and free schools (in England) operate different working time provisions, so check contracts of employment.
If your employer does not adhere to the STPCD, members should consider a collective dispute that may include taking industrial action.
Planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time
PPA time is allocated for teachers to plan lessons, prepare materials, assess student work and undertake other professional responsibilities away from the pupils in their care. PPA time must fall within their normal teaching day and be allocated in blocks of no less than 30 minutes.
According to the STPCD, a teacher is entitled to a minimum of 10 per cent of their timetabled teaching time as PPA time per week. The NEU’s position is that the minimum should be 20 per cent, acknowledging that teachers are working too many hours outside of directed time, which is contributingto a lack of work/life balance and to teacher burnout.
The STPCD also provides that PPA time can be taken in one weekly unit and away from the school site, upon mutual agreement between the teacher and head teacher.
When agreeing whole-school and individual directed time calendars, it is essential that PPA time arrangements meet the above criteria.
Additional time for TLR holders
Teachers in receipt of a teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) payment are still covered by the 1,265-hour limit, as are teachers on the upper pay range. TLR holders should be allocated a reasonable amount of time during the school day for the purpose of discharging their TLR duties in addition to their PPA time.
Gained time
Gained time refers to a period during the academic year when some teachers, particularly those with examination classes, are released from their timetabled teaching commitments due to pupils being on study or examination leave. During this time, teachers cannot be directed to undertake any activities which do not require their professional skills.
Lunch and break time
Lunch time is not part of directed time, therefore teachers should not be directed to undertake any supervision or other lunchtime duties, including management-convened meetings, during this time.
As per the STPCD, any teacher who works for more than one school session on any school day must be given a break of ‘reasonable length’ between sessions or between the hours of 12 noon and 2pm.
The NEU considers any lunch break shorter than 40 minutes to be unreasonable.
Morning/afternoon breaks count as directed time. While only a small proportion of staff may be on duty via a rota, additional staff are expected to be available to respond in an emergency, and should therefore be available for work.
Trapped time
Trapped time is when any meeting or activity is scheduled to take place at the end of the school day and there is a gap of time between the end of the school day and the beginning of the meeting. If there isn’t sufficient time in between to go home, this is trapped time and should be counted towards directed time.
After-school activities
After-school activities, breakfast clubs, summer school and extracurricular clubs are not included in the 1,265 hours of directed time. Teachers should only do these activities by mutual agreement with the head teacher and be paid for the additional work if they agree to do it.
Actions for reps
- Organise a meeting of members to discuss directed time – a directed time (DT) calendar is a contractual right for teachers and there should be an annual discussion about the calendar that sets out the details of teaching staff working time in the forthcoming academic year.
- If this is something that doesn’t usually happen at your school, use the members’ meeting to agree that the rep/s will speak to the head about a DT calendar.
- Meet with the head to ensure that a DT calendar with a maximum 1,265 hours will be issued following consultation and that any areas of concern will be discussed fully with the union.
- Review the proposed DT calendar to ensure it includes all that it should, including adequate contingency time and enhanced PPA time.
- Meet again with members to discuss the DT calendar and decide your next steps.
- If you have concerns about the calendar, use the Excel pro forma to calculate your hours and those of your colleagues.
If you need any further support, contact your branch secretary.
