Common use of Part Time and Job Share Staff Clause in Contracts

Part Time and Job Share Staff. For staff employed on part time and job share contracts, the allocation of time is on a pro-rata basis as detailed in Appendix 3. Within the Primary Sector, to achieve the minimum non-contact period of 45 minutes, time may be aggregated for staff on a contract of 0.2FTE or less. This is the only occasion where time can be aggregated and only then by agreement between the teacher and Head Teacher. If there is no such agreement, then non-contact time should be allocated on a weekly basis. Teachers have a pro-rata entitlement to the additional maximum 35 hours annual PU. Teachers are expected to undertake the agreed collegiate activities on a pro-rata basis. The balance of such activities may differ to that of a full-time teacher. The teachers’ working year is expressed solely as 195 days, but the occurrence of public holidays and occasional day impacts on the working year of part time teachers. Where the working pattern is such that a part time teacher would be unable to take public holidays and occasional days then other arrangements should be made to enable the teacher to take this leave. Likewise, if the working pattern would result in a part time teacher receiving more public holidays and occasional days than they are entitled to then arrangements would need to be made to ensure that the leave was appropriately adjusted. Part time teachers are required to work their pro rata share of 195 days. Further guidance on part time teachers’ entitlement to occasional day holidays, attendance at in-service closure days, and implications for number of days required to be worked is included in the Guidance for Schools on Part-Time Teachers – Leave and In-Service Arrangements, attached as Appendix 4. Teachers employed on a part time basis have a pro-rata entitlement to 5 days in-Service. When this involves working days in addition to the pro-rata portion of 195 days, then these days will be undertaken with pay. These additional days will be subject to agreement between the Head Teacher and the teacher. Teachers on pro-rata arrangements are not required to undertake collegiate activities on a day where they are not employed. The exception to this principle is planned parents’ meetings. The collegiate time calendar should be organised to allow such staff to participate on their normal working days (e.g. by varying the day for staff meetings). School Based Decision-Making Arrangements All teaching staff must be involved in the decision-making process as far as the composition and timing of collegiate activities at a school level is concerned. All teaching staff should be issued with a copy of this document which includes Appendix 6 SNCT Code of Practice on Collegiality. Prior to the annual negotiation, there should be an evaluation of the current year’s working time agreement at faculty/department/stage level and at school level as part of the process. Provision should be made for identifying and addressing/rectifying existing or emergent workload problems. Where some activities and a time allocation are delegated to faculties/departments/stages then the plan and time allocation for those delegated activities should be agreed at that level. The whole school plan and faculty/stage plan, taken together, should lie within the time allocations summarised in Appendix 1. Individual teachers will use their professional judgement in relation to the prioritisation of tasks within the agreed school working time agreement. The arrangements for discussion at establishment level will be made by the Head Teacher and will involve representatives of the recognised Trade Unions and such consultative mechanisms as exist under present arrangements. These discussions should take place in the summer-term for implementation in the following session and should lead to an agreement which can be put to a meeting of the whole school teaching staff for their approval. The Joint Chairs/Secretaries of the LNCT will arbitrate at an appropriate stage if there is a failure to produce an agreement that can be put to all staff before the end of session. Once agreement has been reached it is expected that all teaching staff in the establishment will undertake the activities as appropriate. The agreement should be accessible to all teachers. The working time agreement will be adhered to by everyone involved and the integrity of the 35-hour working week will be maintained. Within the agreement, the times allocated to tasks should be realistic and subject to ongoing review. Once made, the agreement can only be amended through the same consultative mechanisms and such amendment is subject to approval of all the teaching staff in the establishment. The criteria for effective school consultation and negotiating arrangements should include: The establishment of school-based negotiating machinery Involvement of teachers’ trade union school representatives An agreed framework for consultation and agreement with staff on the school improvement plan A collegiate framework for establishing the school’s programme of activities Annual evaluation of the effectiveness of the school’s programme of activities Clear monitoring procedures at local level The Working Time Agreement should be drawn up paying close attention to the school’s SQUIP. It should inform the targets, time, and resources relating to identified improvement priorities Schools should annually review their WTA before completing the new agreement for the upcoming session Throughout the session there should also be opportunities for review. As we continue to promote an ethos of empowerment and collegiate working, QIO/QIMs may review WTA practices as part of ongoing Quality Assurance processes, ensuring consultation with relevant staff. Such reviews will emphasise the commitment to tackling unnecessary workload and also ensuring collegiate practices exist within all schools. However, any review by QIO/QIMs does not replace the need for monitoring by the LNCT and evaluation which involves teachers and teachers’ representatives.

Part Time and Job Share Staff. For staff employed on part time and job share contracts, the allocation of time is on a pro-rata basis as detailed in Appendix 3. Within the Primary Sector, to achieve the minimum non-contact period of 45 minutes, time may be aggregated for staff on a contract of 0.2FTE or less. This is the only occasion where time can be aggregated and only then by agreement between the teacher and Head Teacher. If there is no such agreement, then non-contact time should be allocated on a weekly basis. Teachers have a pro-rata entitlement to the additional maximum 35 hours annual PU. Teachers are expected to undertake the agreed collegiate activities on a pro-rata basis. The balance of such activities may differ to that of a full-time teacher. The teachers’ working year is expressed solely as 195 days, but the occurrence of public holidays and occasional day impacts on the working year of part time teachers. Where the working pattern is such that a part time teacher would be unable to take public holidays and occasional days then other arrangements should be made to enable the teacher to take this leave. Likewise, if the working pattern would result in a part time teacher receiving more public holidays and occasional days than they are entitled to then arrangements would need to be made to ensure that the leave was appropriately adjusted. Part time teachers are required to work their pro rata share of 195 days. Further guidance on part time teachers’ entitlement to occasional day holidays, attendance at in-service closure days, days and implications for number of days required to be worked is included in the Guidance for Schools on Part-Time Teachers – Leave and In-Service Arrangements, attached as Appendix 4. Teachers employed on a part time basis have a pro-rata entitlement to 5 days inIn-Service. When this involves working days in addition to the pro-rata portion of 195 days, then these days will be undertaken with pay. These additional days will be subject to agreement between the Head Teacher and the teacher. Teachers on pro-rata arrangements are not required to undertake collegiate activities on a day where they are not employed. The exception to this principle is planned parents’ meetings. The collegiate time calendar should be organised to allow such staff to participate on their normal working days (e.g. by varying the day for staff meetings). School Based Decision-Making Arrangements All teaching staff must be involved in the decision-making process as far as the composition and timing of collegiate activities at a school level is concerned. All teaching staff should be issued with a copy of this document which includes Appendix 6 SNCT Code of Practice on Collegiality. Prior to the annual negotiation, there should be an evaluation of the current year’s working time agreement at faculty/department/stage level and at school level as part of the process. Provision should be made for identifying and addressing/rectifying existing or emergent workload problems. Where some activities and a time allocation are delegated to faculties/departments/stages then the plan and time allocation for those delegated activities should be agreed at that level. The whole school plan and faculty/stage plan, taken together, should lie within the time allocations summarised in Appendix 1. Individual teachers will use their professional judgement in relation to the prioritisation of tasks within the agreed school working time agreement. The arrangements for discussion at establishment level will be made by the Head Teacher and will involve representatives of the recognised Trade Unions and such consultative mechanisms as exist under present arrangements. These discussions should take place in the summer-term for implementation in the following session and should lead to an agreement which can be put to a meeting of the whole school teaching staff for their approval. The Joint Chairs/Secretaries of the LNCT will arbitrate at an appropriate stage if there is a failure to produce an agreement that can be put to all staff before the end of session. Once agreement has been reached it is expected that all teaching staff in the establishment will undertake the activities as appropriate. The agreement should be accessible to all teachers. The working time agreement will be adhered to by everyone involved and the integrity of the 35-hour working week will be maintained. Within the agreement, the times allocated to tasks should be realistic and subject to ongoing review. Once made, the agreement can only be amended through the same consultative mechanisms and such amendment is subject to approval of all the teaching staff in the establishment. The criteria for effective school consultation and negotiating arrangements should include: The establishment of school-based negotiating machinery machinery. Involvement of teachers’ trade union school representatives representatives. An agreed framework for consultation and agreement with staff on the school improvement plan plan. A collegiate framework for establishing the school’s programme of activities activities. Annual evaluation of the effectiveness of the school’s programme of activities activities. Clear monitoring procedures at local level level. The Working Time Agreement should be drawn up paying close attention to the school’s SQUIP. It should ‘inform the targets, time, time and resources relating to identified improvement priorities Schools should annually review their WTA before completing the new agreement for the upcoming session Throughout the session there should also be opportunities for review. As we continue to promote an ethos of empowerment and collegiate working, QIO/QIMs may review WTA practices as part of ongoing Quality Assurance processes, ensuring consultation with relevant staff. Such reviews will emphasise the commitment to tackling unnecessary workload and also ensuring collegiate practices exist within all schools. However, any review by QIO/QIMs does not replace the need for monitoring by the LNCT and evaluation which involves teachers and teachers’ representatives.