Teachers employed under NJC Sixth Form College (SFC) Conditions of Service Handbook can be directed to work for a maximum of 1265 hours over 195 days of the year.
Teachers are subject to contractual requirements in respect of “undirected time” (see paragraph 7 below) and this commitment is to work “such reasonable additional hours as may be needed”. Colleges should ensure that a proper balance is maintained between directed and undirected time”. Clarity on working hours is essential in order to help colleges and teachers plan so that the college day is effectively managed and teachers are able to achieve a satisfactory work-life balance. Colleges plan how teachers’directed working time is allocated across the academic year, covering teaching and other professional duties. The NJC believes that the use of directed time calendars are of benefit to colleges and teachers in establishing and understanding teachers’ working time commitments and providing clarity.
Consultation on the Directed Time Calendar
The college directed time calendar should undergo meaningful consultation with the recognised trade union representatives, normally during the summer term preceding the start of the academic year. Teaching staff should be provided with the completed directed time calendar at the start of the college year.
It is acknowledged that once the directed time calendar has been confirmed, it should not normally be altered except in exceptional circumstances that have been communicated and consulted on with the trade unions. Contingency time will be included for such events.
What should be included in the Directed Time Calendar
The Directed Time Calendar should include:
- 195 working days - the working day starts from the time that the college teaching day begins until the time that the college day ends, excluding the midday lunch break;
- where appropriate subject to local arrangements already in place morning and afternoon breaks;
- open evenings and parents’ consultation meetings;
- all meetings timetabled outside the college day (in line with Appendix 9 of the Red Book);
- trapped time – where there is a gap between the end of the college day and the start of a college event where staff cannot reasonably leave the college premises e.g. open evening or parental consultation meeting;
- contingency time – the directed time calculation should include sufficient unallocated time which can be used for exceptional events.
- The directed time calendar does not include the midday lunch break. Teachers are entitled to a daily break of a reasonable length either between college sessions or between the hours of 12 noon and 2pm. The midday break should be identified on a teacher’s timetable.
Leadership and Management time
Teachers paid on the Leadership pay spine are required to work in accordance with the 1265 hours and any other additional working time requirements set out in their contracts of employment. Middle leaders that receive a responsibility allowance (or remain on the A to E range) are subject to 1265 hours and 195 days.
PPA or non-contact time
Sixth form college teachers will have some time within the teaching week which is not allocated as teaching time (non-contact time). It is important that an appropriate level of non-contact time should be allowed for purposes such as planning, preparation and assessment (PPA). All teachers should receive PPA/non-contact time during the teaching week. PPA time should be identified on a teacher’s timetable.
Part-time Teachers
Part-time teachers can be directed for the same percentage of the maximum 1265 hours of directed time as the percentage that their contract states they work relative to full time. Part-time teachers should receive the same proportion of PPA/non-contact time as full time teachers.
Colleges and part-time teachers should agree a statement of working time for each part-time teacher at the start of the college year.
Part-time teachers should not be treated less favourably than full time teachers.
No part-time teacher can be required to work or attend non-teaching days, or parts of days or days on which they do not normally work unless by mutual agreement, which may include additional payment or TOIL.
Calculating Directed Time
The starting point for the directed time calculation is the length of the college day, minus the midday lunch break x 195 days (190 teaching days and 5 INSET days);
Meetings, parental consultation events and open evenings/days should be identified in the calendar of meetings. The pattern of meetings and events should be consulted on with unions so that full consideration is taken of workload; 3
In a week where there is a parental consultation meeting or open event scheduled, colleges should make every effort to avoid other meetings outside college sessions being included in the calendar;
Action on Workload Reduction
It is stated in the NJC Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook that teachers are required to work, ‘such reasonable additional hours as may be needed to enable them to discharge their duties effectively, including in particular the marking of students’ work, the writing of reports on students and the preparation of lessons, teaching materials and teaching programmes and such other duties as may be reasonably required. The amount of time required for this work and the times outside the 1265 specified hours at which duties shall be performed shall not be defined by the college, but shall depend upon the work needed to discharge the teacher’s duties’.
Therefore, a teacher’s workload not only includes the 1265 hours directed time, but also includes undirected time. The handbook further states, ‘colleges should ensure that in determining the workload of individual teachers a proper balance is maintained between directed time and undirected time in respect of the activities such as marking, preparation, administration etc. separate from student contact’.
The 1265 hours directed time is a limit not an objective. Colleges should actively engage with the recognised unions to review where and how workload can be reduced and improvements can be made which free up staff accordingly to pursue a satisfactory work-life balance.