A teacher must not be required to carry out any other duties during their PPA time. PPA time is time allocated for a teacher to complete their duties away from the children in their care. Some teachers will have more than ten per cent. The union supports PPA time of 20 per cent.
The Department of Education has agreed that schools and academies in England can be more flexible with PPA time and allow teachers to take their PPA time off-site if practicable. This is something that already exists in some schools and academies.
PPA time must take place during the time in which pupils are taught, not allocated before the morning session or after the afternoon session.
Cover
PPA must not be used for cover and, equally, teachers cannot be directed to undertake specific activities during this time.
Teachers can only be required to cover ‘rarely’. This means in circumstances that were not foreseeable. A certain level of sickness absence, perhaps dependent on the time of year, is entirely foreseeable so a colleague’s absence on sick leave is not a good enough reason for requiring a teacher to provide cover.
Gained time
Gained time forms part of directed time and the STPCD. The ‘rarely cover’ provision applies equally during gained time.
Reimbursement
If teachers lose PPA time, for example, because of a school trip or another one-off event, they should be reimbursed; the minimum entitlement must be maintained in these circumstances. This also applies to part-time workers. There is no reimbursement, however, for loss of PPA time through sickness absence or leave of absence.
Leadership and management responsibilities
Teachers with leadership and management responsibilities are entitled to leadership and management time. Although there is no minimum amount, teachers should be provided with a level that is commensurate with their responsibilities.
Clerical or administrative tasks
Tasks of a clerical or administrative nature cannot be routinely required of a teacher, if the task does not call for the exercise of a teacher’s professional skills or judgement.
Invigilation
Teachers cannot be required to invigilate external examinations, apart from practical/oral examinations in their own subject area. They may wish to be present at the start and end of examinations to deal with issues/questions that may arise.
