Frequently Asked Questions
Who sets my pay rates and conditions of service?
Maintained schools (these include Community, Voluntary Aided (VA), Voluntary Controlled (VC) and Foundation schools)
These are sometimes called Local Authority schools. Pay rates are set by Government through the “Blue Book”. Conditions of Service come from the Blue Book, the Burgundy Book, and local agreements between the Local Authority and the Unions.
Academies and Free schools
Pay and conditions are negotiated at their conception so you will have to check carefully the details of your contract. If you are not under School Teachers Pay & Conditions (STPCD) please contact us immediately.
6th Form Colleges
These schools have their own pay and conditions (the Red Book). Conditions of Service are very similar to those in maintained schools.
Centrally employed staff
These include:
Centrally-employed teachers employed under the same pay and conditions of service as those in maintained schools; and,
Some local authority officers (e.g. advisers, strategy consultants employed under Soulbury pay and conditions).
Soulbury staff
These are paid to Soulbury pay scales. Their conditions of service are almost identical to local government staff.
Independent schools
These have their own contracts covering both pay and conditions of service.
What are the resignation dates for schools? (Maintained schools, 6th form colleges, centrally employed teachers)
Teachers’ contracts end at the end of term (except for specific temporary or fixed term contracts which may have alternative end dates). The resignation dates for each term are as follows:
Autumn Term: resignations must be received by the employer by October 31st (for Headteachers this is September 31st) in order to leave on December 31st.
Spring term: resignations must be received by the employer by February 28/29th (for Headteachers this is January 31st), to finish 30th April. The Spring Term is deemed to end 30th April.
Summer Term: resignations must be received by the employer by 31st May (for Headteachers this is 30 April), to finish 31st August. In exceptional individual circumstances the NEU can sometimes negotiate different release dates or resignation dates.
What is Directed Time? (Maintained schools, 6th form colleges, centrally employed teachers)
Teachers (except Leadership Grade and ASTs) can only be required to be available for work on 195 days during the year (5 without pupils/students), and for 1265 hours of DIRECTED TIME allocated reasonably across those days.
Directed Time includes teaching and other professional duties, such as non-contact time, registrations, meetings, playground duties. It is the time where the Headteacher can direct the teacher as to WHAT is to be done, WHERE it is to be done and WHEN it is to be done.
All teachers should know what their Directed Time obligations are. This should be provided each year, with the annual calendar.
For schools and centrally employed teachers the unions have agreed the following with the Local Authority:
Included in Directed Time
Teaching
Registration
Assembly
PPA time
Additional Non contact time
Leadership & Management Time
Break time
10 minutes before the start of morning session, 10 minutes at end of afternoon session, 5 mins at end of morning and start of afternoon sessions – for orderly reception and dismissal of pupils.
All staff & departmental or Key Stage meetings, etc. – includes staff briefings before morning school if longer than the 10 minutes referred to above
Parents Evenings, including trapped time between end of school day & PE
PAD days
Travel between sites in a split site school
Peripatetic travel
Not included in Directed Time
Lunch times – no teacher can be directed to attend any lunch time activity
Any work on Saturdays, Sundays, Bank Holidays – no teacher can be directed to attend on those days
After school clubs – these are voluntary
Travel to and from school (except where additional journey required, e.g., part time teacher)
Can I be made to attend meetings or do duties in my lunch time? (Maintained schools, 6th form colleges, centrally employed teachers)
No – you cannot be required to attend any meeting, or carry out any specific task or duty at this time. All teachers are entitled to a reasonable break between morning and afternoon sessions. For those on Leadership Grade, the break might not be the school lunch time. This time does not count for Directed Time.
Can I be made to carry out extra-curricular activities such as clubs, after school or at lunch time? (Maintained schools, 6th form colleges, centrally employed teachers)
No. These are outside your work as a teacher. You may volunteer to run such activities but cannot be required to do so. Running a club or society should not be part of a Performance Management objective.
Can I be required to work on a Saturday? (Maintained schools, 6th form colleges, centrally employed teachers)
No. The Pay & Conditions Document (Blue Book) for school teachers is quite clear. No teacher, including Head teachers, covered by these regulations can be required to work on a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday.
What is my sick leave entitlement? (Maintained schools, 6th form colleges, centrally employed teachers)
In your first year of teaching you are entitled to full pay for 25 working days and after 4 calendar months you are entitled to 50 working days on half pay.
In the second year of teaching you are entitled to full pay for 50 working days and half pay for 50 working days.
In the third year of teaching you are entitled to full pay for 75 working days and half pay for 75 working days.
In the fourth year of teaching you are entitled to full pay for 100 working days and half pay for 100 working days.
The sick leave entitlement runs from April 1st until March 31st. An absence due to illness which runs across these dates is counted against the year ending March 31st.
Should I set work if I am sick?
No. If you are off work because of illness then your Headteacher cannot make you set work for your class. If you decide to set work then this would be at your discretion.