红桃影视

The government has asked for official recommendations on how teacher pay and conditions could be updated to encourage job-shares, partial retirement, nine-day teaching fortnights and staggered starts.

In its , the Department for Education said it would be “interested to hear views on any areas where the school teachers’ pay and conditions document (STPCD) may pose a barrier to flexible working, or where wording could be amended to more clearly support flexible working”.

It comes amid widespread criticism of the government’s decision to inform the STRB in its evidence that it believes a 2.8 per cent pay rise for teachers in 2025-26 is “appropriate”.

However, the STRB does not just make recommendations on pay, and in its evidence, the DfE said it 鈥渕ay wish to consider some of the following flexible arrangements that could be of benefit to teachers鈥�.

Part-time teachers

The pay and conditions document (STPCD) already sets out how directed time should be pro-rated for part-time teachers.

But stakeholders 鈥渉ave expressed concerns about expectations for part-time teachers to work on their non-working days, for example, to attend training or INSET days鈥�.

There are 鈥渁lso concerns around parttime teachers having inconsistent non-working days, or having their non-working days changed and the amount of notice they receive when this happens鈥�.

The DfE said it would 鈥渨elcome the STRB鈥檚 views on whether the STPCD should clarify the arrangements for part-time teachers, and in which ways鈥�.

Job-shares

According to the latest working lives of teachers and leaders survey, 12 per cent of primary teachers and leaders work as part of a job share, compared to just 1 per cent of seconsary teachers.

The STRB 鈥渟hould consider whether any amendments to the STPCD might be required to enable and encourage this arrangement鈥�.

Partial retirement

The DfE said it was also 鈥渋nterested in identifying ways experienced teachers can be retained part time as they enter retirement, given their expertise in teaching and the wider benefits they bring across a school鈥�.

The department said it 鈥渨ould be interested to hear the STRB鈥檚 views on whether there are any ways the STPCD could be more conducive to partial retirement, or otherwise supporting the transition into retirement, particularly where the alternative would be a teacher leaving the profession sooner鈥�.

Nine-day fortnights

The DfE said it understood some schools were “trialling new approaches to structuring teachers鈥� directed hours in a way that may allow for additional flexibility, often in some form of 鈥榗ompressed hours鈥�.

“This includes, for example, re-organising their timetable to offer teachers a nine-day fortnight of classroom teaching with PPA time on the remaining day, whilst not impacting pupil hours.”

The department said it 鈥渨ould welcome the STRB鈥檚 views on the extent to which similar arrangements should and could be facilitated in the STPCD鈥�.

鈥淚n this, it will be particularly important to prioritise delivery for pupils in any arrangements, as well as ensuring manageability for school leaders.鈥�

Staggered start and finish times

The DfE added that some groups of teachers, such as the disabled and those with caring responsibilities, 鈥渕ay benefit from start and end times that are staggered from the normal school day鈥�.

Such an arrangement 鈥渕ay not change the total hours worked on a given day, but rather alter what part of the day is worked, allowing teachers to collect their own children from other schools or care for relatives at a time that is more convenient for them鈥�.

 But these arrangements 鈥渃an present challenges for leaders in delivering the full timetable and ensuring sufficient staffing levels鈥�.

鈥淭he STRB may wish to offer views on ways that such arrangements could be supported in schools, and whether any aspects of the pay and conditions framework would need clarifying to accommodate those arrangements.鈥�