Working week

loobyloo: I know about the 35 hours CPD, but I have a query: it says that there should be agreement between SMT and staff regarding extra whole-school events - parents’ evenings etc. But where does the time for parents’ evenings come from?

airy: Your school negotiates a working time agreement (WTA). Not all of your non-contact time is for planning, prep and marking - the rest is divided into stuff like meetings, parents’ evenings etc. You can ask to see it. If you don’t want to go to SMT, your union rep should have a copy.

triadplus1: The 35-hour week includes parents’ evenings, as outlined in your WTA. The rest is not directed by SMT; it is negotiated with your representatives on your school’s negotiating committee. Whole-school meetings fall within the 35-hour week. Five hours each week are open for negotiation - so parents’ evenings etc should not exceed five hours over the week.

airy: But in most schools the WTA is measured over the school year. You get advance notice of meetings in the WTA so that you can plan to keep to the 35 hours. It could be that staff agreed to one heavy week balanced with one with few commitments.

loobyloo: So report writing isn’t part of prep and correction time ... I sound like a real shirker and I am really the opposite! It is my new year’s resolution to try to get my worklife balance slightly in favour of my life.

www.tes.co.ukscotland.