Making the Working Time Agreement for Teaching And Learning

1. Making the Working Time Agreement for Teaching And Learning Frank Healy EIS Area Officer, Glasgow, Western Isles, Argyll & Bute Schools, Colleges and (Non-HE) education establishments

2. Introduction • Teachers Contract changed as result of 2001 National “McCrone” Agreement between Scottish Government, Local Authorities and Teacher Trade Unions. • Increased local bargaining at Authority level at Local Negotiating Committee for Teachers (LNCT) – binding contractual agreements • “Plant bargaining” i.e., WTA at school level

3. Contractual 35 Hour Working Week • Phased introduction of 22.5 hours maximum class contact. • 7.5 hours preparation and correction • 5 hours collegiate time with arrangements agreed at school level between HT as agent of Authority and EIS Rep on behalf of members • (in addition 35 hours CPD to be carried out throughout the year )

4. Local Framework Agreements • LNCT 2 • LNCT 17 • “The overall workload should be such as can be overtaken within the 35 hour working week. Therefore each teacher’s workload should be manageable within the indicative time allocations of the school’s WTA………However………..”

5. Core Collegiate Activities • Additional Time for Preparation and Correction • Parents Meetings • Preparation of Reports • Formal Assessment • Planning • Staff Meetings • PRD • CPD • Additional Supervised Pupil Activity • TU Meetings • Flexibility

6. Concepts of Time • 5 hours collegiate time per working week • 195 hours per year • Real or Actual Time • Notional Time • Indicative Time as per LNCT 17

7. Contending and Changing Priorities • Time Allocated for specific activities • When they should take place • Teacher v Management priorities • New Initiatives post 2001 such as; • Changes to QA/Self Evaluation • Tracking,Facultisation, • 32/33 period week • CfE

8. Problems with Annualisation • 195 hours model does not address the real needs of teachers by focussing on; • “Notional” hours for teacher activities • Real or Actual time for Management directed activities • Dispute around sub-division of hours within activity bands • False “victory” • Negates concept of 35 hour working week.

9. WTA Preparation • Professional Audit- Evidence based assessment of time taken by teachers to complete collegiate activities – use a spreadsheet or pro-forma to ask members ( indiv, stage or dept returns) • 1st level Review - What didn’t work last year • Revise – Branch WTA committee proposes changes to Branch meeting to address this • Decide – Branch meeting decides proposals for negotiation with HT.

10. 2nd level Review • Use Results of Audit to decide indicative times for each collegiate activity and when in the year they require to be inserted in school calendar. • Begin to populate the spreadsheet starting with Parents’ meetings (use last years calendar) and working backwards to reporting, assessment with maximum of 5 hours per any given week. • Secondaries by this time may note that there is insufficient time to do this within existing pattern. • This may happen in some primaries.

11. Remodelling • The calendar spreadsheet will now be filling with parent’s meetings having to be re-arranged to fit in with time available • Ensure other priorities for Teaching and Learning are addressed within the calendar spreadsheet • Address stress point issues with narrative proposals (stage intervention model ?) particularly when indicative time allocations do not meet the needs of specific teachers

12. Branch Decision making • Present fleshed out proposals to branch meeting • Revise/amend as per branch decision • Advice other TUs of EIS position • Present proposals to management for negotiations • Take outcome of negotiations back to branch for decision • EIS Rep Signs Off agreement.