WORKING WEEK

The Working Time Agreement provides full details of the working week, non-contact time, collegiate time, "time and place", parents' meetings, part-time teachers and the process for reaching school based agreement on the use of the 190 collegiate hours.

What is my entitlement to non-class contact time?

Teachers are employed for a 35 hour week with:

• A maximum of 22½ hours class contact.
• A minimum of 7½ hours personal allowance for preparation and correction. Teachers exercise professional autonomy in relation to these hours.
• Collegiate time of 5 hours per week whose use is agreed in the school’s Working Time Agreement (190 hour over school year for planning purposes)

Non-class contact time is the difference between the 22½ maximum class contact time and the pupil week. The Primary pupil week of 25 hours gives 2½ hours "McCrone time” and 27½ hours in Secondary gives 5 hours of "free periods”.

What can non-class contact time be used for?

Non class-contact time or "McCrone time" is NOT a further division of the 35 hour week which is fully set out above. Therefore, during non-class contact time a teacher may:

• Work at a time and place of their own choosing.
• Carry our preparation and correction from their personal allowance.
• Carry out tasks from the agreed collegiate activities.

What non class contact time do I get in weeks with in-service or holidays?

During such weeks, the normal pattern of non-class contact applies. The normal pattern also applies if a teacher is absent or not at school for any part of the week.

See sections 2 The Working Week, Section 3 Time and Place and Section 4 Non-class contact time of the Working Time Agreement.