🌟 The SceneThe focus for Hannah and Lucy this week is the mysteries of directed time calendars - something many teachers have never even seen.🕒 What Is Directed Time?• Teachers in England can only be directed for 1,265 hours per year across 195 days.• This is a legal limit, not a target.• Directed time should cover: teaching, meetings, registration, duties, inset days, parents’ evenings and events such as open evenings.• Anything beyond that (after-school clubs, productions, trips) is voluntary or should be separately paid/compensated.Lucy admits she had never encountered a directed time calendar in a decade of teaching, while Hannah stresses its importance for workload protection.🏫 Schools, Budgets & PressureThe hosts explore how funding cuts, declining pupil numbers and squeezed budgets make schools more likely to stretch directed hours.• Staff may be asked to cover duties outside their allocation.• Inset days can be “sliced up” into twilights to avoid giving full days.• Part-time teachers often feel pressured to attend events on non-working days without pay.They highlight union guidance and tools (from NASUWT and NEU) that help teachers calculate whether they are being directed beyond their entitlement.📌 Grey Areas & “Trapped Time”The conversation delves into the murkier aspects of workload:• Trapped time - when teachers can’t realistically leave school between lessons and evening events - should count, though many schools ignore it.• Open evenings and productions are often required but not always logged.• Lunch breaks are not directed time, yet many lose them to supervision or detentions.• PPA (Planning, Preparation and Assessment) time should be at least 10% of timetabled teaching, but unions recommend 20%. In practice, many schools fall short.Both agree teachers regularly give hours “for free” - marking at home, staying late, or covering for colleagues - without recognition.🍎 Primary vs Secondary ExperiencesHannah and Lucy compare how workload looks different across phases:• In secondary, PPAs can be blocked together but risk becoming exhausting full days with no breaks.• In primary, a “half day” PPA is often eaten up by duties and logistics, leaving little genuine preparation time.• EYFS and early primary staff face unique pressures with young children needing constant supervision.Both agree that no other profession operates under such constraints, where even basic needs like toilet breaks can feel impossible.🎭 Extras: Clubs, Trips & Productions• Extracurriculars - from sports clubs to Christmas plays - should not automatically be assumed within directed hours.• Trips and residentials are especially demanding, yet rarely come with time back in lieu.• Drama, music and art teachers often shoulder huge extra workloads for performances with little protection.Lucy shares stories of being pulled into residentials at short notice, while Hannah notes the lack of consistency across schools.💡 Key Takeaways• Directed time is a protective limit, but many schools either misunderstand or knowingly overstep it.• Teachers should use union tools and calculators to check their allocations.• It’s important to know when to go the extra mile out of goodwill, and when to push back for fairness.• Protecting teacher wellbeing isn’t just about workload - it’s about ensuring time and boundaries are respected.🎧 Final WordHannah and Lucy close with their usual blend of humour and solidarity, reminding listeners that teachers need to value their own time as much as they value their pupils. As Lucy says, “No other profession I know operates like this” - and perhaps that’s the strongest call to action of all.Follow us, we're worth it:🔗 Website🔗 Spotify🔗 Instagram🔗 Bluesky🔗 X (Twitter)#leadership #education #teacher #school #schoollife #inspiration #support #podcast #video #education, #inspiration, #leadership, #podcast, #school, #support, #teacher, #video, class, #EducationPodcast

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