Over 50 per cent of the workforce in general FE colleges are part-timers. It’s that flexibility that allowed me to enter the sector when my son was small, scheduling sessional hours around childcare. Over the years, I’ve worked on a part-time basis at five colleges, but how connected I’ve felt to those institutions has varied greatly.

I’ve had some brilliant experiences where small gestures and thoughtful organisational routines have helped me feel just as included as those who spend all day, every day in one workplace. I’ve also taught at colleges where I’ve felt like a visitor. Guess which organisations I’ve felt more loyal towards and most compelled to work hard for.

None of the less welcoming conditions I’ve encountered have been that way through malice - it’s just institutionalised carelessness from overworked management. But teacher retention is such a big issue that setting the right tone to get the best from part-time staff must surely be right up the priority list.

Making staff, all staff, feel like they belong is not just good manners, it’s good business. Going the extra mile for the students comes naturally to teachers, it’s what we do. But going the extra mile for the college is a big ask if, as a part-timer, you don’t feel like you’re perceived to be a member of the pack.

A place to call home

Hot-desking is appropriate in some college areas, but teachers use the staffroom not just to work, but also as a place of sanctuary after a difficult class. It may not be possible to give desk space to all part-time colleagues, but a desk time-share can work well. It’s a place to call their work-home.

The same goes for storage space. It seems obvious that a member of teaching staff would need somewhere to stash their resources and their students’ work. But with many staffrooms stuffed to capacity, it often means that a colleague will have to surrender a shelf. Perhaps frame it as an opportunity to declutter.

Inclusive team meetings

Making it possible for all teachers to attend their team’s regular meetings is essential. Ring-fenced time to discuss departmental issues or concerns about students, as well as a spot of informal good-practice sharing, allows for a more united team. A weekly team meeting scheduled for the same day each week, just because “that’s what we’ve always done”, excludes part-timers. But it is easily remedied.

Staggering the day that the weekly team meetings are held solves the problem and ensures that everyone will be able to attend the meeting at least once every five weeks.

Assumptions of knowledge

Being a teacher involves more than just purveying excellence in the art, craft and science of teaching. There’s a fair old bit of admin, too.

However intuitive and efficient the IT system is, a part-time teacher with full contact hours might have little opportunity to get comfortably acquainted with it. The same goes for college processes such as observations and exam entries.

Make time to ensure a part-time staffer knows how to navigate through the departmental protocol that isn’t necessarily touched upon in the organisation’s induction.

Careful communication

Accidentally omitting staff members from a group email that affects them is a common gaffe in colleges. It may seem like a trivial oversight, but it can have far-reaching consequences if that member of staff is already harbouring feelings of isolation. It’s a small thing, but it matters.

It’s worth remembering that a part-time staffer may have commitments to a number of organisations, so don’t assume you’ll receive a reply to emails on days that they aren’t contracted to your place. Wednesday and Thursday might be their weekend.

Staffroom socialising

Creating staffroom traditions are a fun way to involve everyone and keep communication flowing in a low-key manner. An occasional 50p sweepstake for Strictly Come Dancing or the Grand National can bond a group. As can organising a termly book club, or even making a motivational wall where staff write messages to keep spirits up. Anything too blinkeredly optimistic can also unite a group in mischievous rebellion.

Birthdays, get-togethers and other causes for celebration are a chance to unite or divide a staffroom. But they can easily turn into a scene from Mean Girls if people are forgotten. The rule for such occasions is to include everyone in the celebrations or don’t bother doing them at all.

It just takes a small amount of effort to boost camaraderie, but it can turn a team into a solid work family, regardless of the number of hours they clock.

Sarah Simons works in colleges in the East Midlands, and is the director of UKFEchat. She tweets @MrsSarahSimons