What's directed time and what are the rules?
Full-time teachers employed under the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) must normally be available to perform any activities or tasks specified by their employer or headteacher for 1,265 hours across the school year on days they're required to be available for work.
This time is known as 'directed time'.
The 1,265 hours limit is pro-rated for part-time teachers.
What's typically included in directed time?
Any compulsory activity counts as directed time, so in addition to teaching hours:
- Meetings, such as staff meetings and performance management meetings
- Supervisory duties
- Registration
- Assembly
- Planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time
- Management time for teachers with additional responsibilities
- INSET days
- Parents' evenings and open evenings
You don't have to include optional or voluntary tasks in directed time.
A representative from the DfE confirmed this is a sensible approach to take.
Teachers must get 1 break of "reasonable length" each day
