Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement

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Part Four: Hours of Work

Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement
Effective: 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2022

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  • 4.1 General
    • 4.1.1 As well as the number of classes a teacher may be timetabled to teach, the hours of work of individual teachers are influenced by factors such as:

        1. the preparation, evaluation and assessment time that may be generated by those classes and the students within them or by other requirements such as external examination prescriptions or the need to report on the progress of individual students;
        2. the counselling and pastoral needs of students;
        3. the administrative responsibilities of individual teachers either in respect of their curriculum or pastoral responsibilities or in respect of the general administration of the school;
        4. the responsibilities of individual teachers arising from their appointment to a Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako Teacher role; and
        5. the extent to which individual teachers may participate in the extra-curricular programmes of the school.

      4.1.2 For the foregoing reasons, the parties to this agreement further acknowledge and accept that the hours of opening of schools, the structure of the timetables and like matters are designed to meet the curriculum and pastoral needs of students and are determined within each school (according to well understood national guidelines or specific legal requirements).

      4.1.3 The clauses which follow identify the guidelines and requirements upon which the decisions in individual schools are made.

  • 4.2 Maximum Timetabled Classroom Teaching Time
    • 4.2.1 The non-contact time allocations for full time teachers teaching across years 7-13 and the maximum timetabled classroom teaching time, are an acknowledgement of the importance to quality education of the duties other than classroom teaching (such as those referred to in clause 4.1.1(a) to (d) above) which teachers are required to undertake while schools are open for instruction. The parties are committed to the monitoring of the operation of these provisions
      Note: For the purposes of clauses 4.2.3 and 4.2.4 of this agreement, predominantly shall mean 80% or more of the teacher’s weekly timetabled classroom teaching time.

      4.2.2 Each employer must have a policy on timetabling, developed in consultation with its teaching staff. This policy shall incorporate:

        1. the implementation and administration of the maximum timetabled classroom teaching provisions of clause 4.2.3 to clause 4.2.5 below;
        2. reference to other matters including class sizes and hours of duty outside of timetabled hours which impact on timetabling practices;
        3. a process to provide for circumstances where, for genuine reason during timetabling or at short notice, the maximum timetabled classroom teaching time described in clause 4.2.3 are exceeded.

      4.2.3 Teachers predominantly teaching year 7-13 classes
      The following provisions apply to teachers who are timetabled to teach 80% or more of their teaching time in year 7-13 classes.

        1. Full-time teachers shall, subject to clause 4.2.2 above, have a maximum of 20 hours of timetabled classroom teaching time per week. The maximum timetabled teaching time of 20 hours per week may be a combination of differing periods of time but may total no more than 20 hours.
        2. Subject to clause 4.2.2, the maximum timetabled classroom teaching time of teachers who hold permanent units shall be reduced by the following
            1. one hour per week for holders of one permanent unit;
            2. two hours per week for holders of two permanent units; and
            3. three hours per week for holders of three or more permanent units.
          For clarity, the teacher’s maximum timetabled classroom teaching time under clause 4.2.3 (a) shall be further reduced by the amounts outlined in clause 4.2.3 (b) (i-iii). The employer may continue to provide for less timetabled classroom teaching time for senior management positions in accordance with school policies.
        1. No part-time teacher predominantly teaching year 7-13 classes shall, subject to clause 4.2.2, be timetabled to teach more than the maximum timetabled classroom teaching time limits specified in clause 4.2.3(a) above as appropriate.
        2. The maximum timetabled classroom teaching time of a part-time teacher appointed to a 0.72 or higher FTTE position shall be established in accordance with the table below:
          FTTEMaximum timetabled classroom teaching time
          0.89 19.50
          0.83 – 0.88 19.25
          0.80 – 0.82 19.00
          0.77 – 0.79 18.50
          0.74 – 0.76 18.00
          0.72 – 0.73 17.75
          Less than 0.72 Actual hours
        1. Nothing in clauses 4.2.3 (c)-(d) shall operate to reduce current agreements around the proportion of a full-time position to which a part-time teacher is appointed. Fixed-term arrangements with respect to all or part of a part-time teacher’s hours of work shall continue according to their current basis, including any agreement to revision of these hours.

      4.2.4 Teachers not predominantly teaching year 7-13 classes
      The following provisions apply to teachers who are not timetabled to teach 80% or more of their teaching time teaching year 7 to 13 classes.

        1. Full time teachers shall, subject to clause 4.2.2 above, have an average of 24 hours maximum timetabled classroom teaching time per week.
        2. Teachers employed part time for 0.80 FTTE per week or more and who are not predominantly teaching year 7 to 13 classes shall have an average maximum timetabled classroom teaching time equivalent to 0.96 of the hours for which they are employed.
        3. The maximum timetabled classroom teaching time referred to in clause 4.2.4(a) and clause 4.2.4(b) above may be averaged out on a per term per teacher basis in accordance with the maximum timetabled classroom teaching time policy formulated under clause 4.2.2.
        4. Where possible, the school shall endeavour to reduce the maximum timetabled classroom teaching time of unit-holders or their equivalents where they are required to carry out specific management and/or additional responsibilities.

      4.2.5 The individual time allowances provided under clauses 2.10 and 2.11 of this agreement shall further reduce the maximum timetabled classroom teaching time per week applicable to individual teachers in accordance with clauses 4.2.3 and 4.2.4.

      4.2.6 Inquiry Time
      A board in an approved Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako will be entitled to allocate a number of hours of inquiry time in each school year which will be generated by the relevant Staffing Order. The board will determine the allocation of the inquiry time following consultation with its teaching staff and the person in the Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako Leadership role.

  • 4.3 Definitions
    • 4.3.1 For the purposes of this clause, unless the context otherwise requires:

        1. “Half day” (HD) shall have the meaning implied by its use in Part 7 of the Education Act 1989.
        2. “Overtime” shall mean any timetabled teaching time in excess of two HD on any one day, or in excess of 10 HD in any one week, and shall include any timetabled teaching time scheduled on a Saturday or a Sunday except where the timetabled teaching time is correspondingly reduced, and any timetabled teaching time scheduled for any statutory or other full holiday specified in this agreement or during any vacation fixed in accordance with Part 7 of the Education Act 1989.
        3. The term “teaching time” can include supervision, non-scheduled supervision time of students, teacher non-contact time, administrative duties or other directed or non-directed duties.
  • 4.4 Length of School Day
    • 4.4.1 For each school the length of the “school day” shall be determined according to the requirement that students are normally required to be in attendance for two HD, one before noon, the other after noon.

      4.4.2 The normal teaching load in respect of any one day is therefore related to that requirement and takes account of the normal timetabling practices of each school.

  • 4.5 Length of School Week
    • 4.5.1 Except where interrupted by any public holiday or any other holiday allowed for in accordance with Part VII of the Education Act 1989 or by any provision in this agreement authorising the absence of teachers, the length of the school week for each school shall be determined according to the requirement that students are normally required to be in attendance for 10 HD on the days Monday to Friday inclusive.

      4.5.2 The normal teaching load in respect of any one week is therefore related to that requirement.

      4.5.3 As noted in subclause 4.2.1(b) of this agreement the 10 HD in any one week may include timetabled teaching time scheduled for a Saturday or a Sunday.

  • 4.6 Length of School Year
    • 4.6.1 Except where reduced by any lawful decision of the employer to close the school to students, the length of the school year for each school shall be determined according to the requirement that schools are required to be open for at least 380 half days in any one calendar year.

      4.6.2 The normal teaching load of teachers in respect of any one year is therefore related to that requirement.

  • 4.7 Division of Year into Terms and Holidays
    • 4.7.1 For the purposes of organising their educational programmes it is noted that schools are permitted to divide the school year into teaching terms and holidays (vacations) in accordance with Part 7 of the Education Act 1989.

      4.7.2 The employer may require teachers to attend school or elsewhere when the school is not open for instruction for up to five days or equivalent per annum for all or any of the following purposes – school administration, preparation and coordination, departmental and related activities and community, parent and whanau contact and liaison. The employer will endeavour to arrange matters at the school in such a way that any requirement under this section is not unreasonable and that teachers’ individual needs are taken into account. Teachers’ own initiatives in undertaking work for the above purposes shall be counted when applying this clause.

      4.7.3 The employer may require teachers to participate in professional development opportunities at times when the school is not open for instruction provided that no teacher shall be required to attend for more than five days or equivalent per annum and provided also that the needs of the individual teacher are taken into account and the teacher’s own initiatives in undertaking professional development during times when the school is not open for instruction are considered.

      4.7.4 Where teachers are required to attend school or elsewhere when the school is not open for instruction pursuant to clause 4.7.2 and clause 4.7.3 above, they shall be reimbursed for any actual and reasonable costs incurred.