Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement
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Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement [PDF, 1.1 MB]
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Email: employment.relations@education.govt.nz
Changes to the agreement
Read about the recent changes in the Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement.
Changes to the Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement 2023-25
Part Four: Hours of Work
Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement
Effective: 3 July 2023 to 2 July 2025
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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:
- 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;
- the counselling and pastoral needs of students;
- 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;
- the responsibilities of individual teachers arising from their appointment to a Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako Teacher role; and
- 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.
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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:
- the implementation and administration of the maximum timetabled classroom teaching provisions of clause 4.2.3 to clause 4.2.5 below;
- reference to other matters including class sizes and hours of duty outside of timetabled hours which impact on timetabling practices;
- 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, which are subject to clause 4.2.2, apply to teachers who are timetabled to teach 80% or more of their teaching time in year 7-13 classes.- A full-time teacher’s maximum timetabled classroom teaching time shall be 20 hours per week, which may be a combination of differing periods of time but may total no more than 20 hours.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.
- No part-time teacher shall be timetabled to teach more than the maximum timetabled classroom teaching time limits specified in clause 4.2.3(a) above as appropriate.
- Until the start of the 2025 school year, the maximum timetabled classroom teaching for a part-time teacher employed 0.72 FTTE or more is outlined in the table below:
FTTE Maximum 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 - From start of the 2025 school year a part-time teacher’s maximum timetabled classroom teaching time may be a combination of differing periods of time but must be proportionate to that of a full-time teacher, based on their FTTE. The balance of their timetabled week shall be non-class contact time.
Examples: A teacher who is employed in a 0.75 FTTE position will be timetabled for no more than 15 hours classroom teaching time i.e. three-quarters of the maximum classroom teaching time of a full-time teacher. The balance of their timetabled week shall be non-class contact time. A teacher who is employed in a 0.5 FTTE position will be timetabled for no more than 10 hours classroom teaching time i.e. half the maximum classroom teaching time of a full-time teacher. The balance of their timetabled week shall be non-class contact time. - The maximum timetabled classroom teaching time of teachers who hold permanent units shall be reduced by the following
- one hour per week for holders of one permanent unit;
- two hours per week for holders of two permanent units; and
- three hours per week for holders of three or more permanent units.
The employer may continue to provide for less timetabled classroom teaching time for senior management positions in accordance with school policies.
- Transitional Arrangements for part-time teachers who predominantly teach years 7-13
Part-time teachers who predominantly teach years 7 – 13, who are employed at the end of the 2024 school year and who continue to be employed in the same school on 28 January 2025 will have their FTTE as at 27 January 2025 increased by 11 per cent and their maximum timetabled classroom teaching hours will be based on that increased FTTE. The balance of their timetabled week will be non-class contact time.
From 28 January 2025 part-time teachers who predominantly teach years 7-13 will not receive the 11 per cent salary loading.
Note: The parties agree that this clause will be deleted in future Agreements.
4.2.4 Teachers predominantly teaching year 1 - 6 classes.
The following provisions apply to teachers who are timetabled to teach 80% or more of their teaching time teaching year 1 to 6 classes.
- Full time teachers shall, subject to clause 4.2.2 above, have an average of 24 hours maximum timetabled classroom teaching time per week. The average maximum timetabled classroom teaching time shall reduce on the following basis:
- From term 1 2024, the maximum average timetabled teaching time shall decrease to 23.5 hours per week.
- From term 3 2024, the maximum average timetabled teaching time shall decrease to 23 hours per week.
- From term 1 2025, the maximum average timetabled teaching time shall decrease to 22.5 hours per week.
- Teachers employed part time for 0.80 FTTE per week or more and who are predominantly teaching year 1 to 6 classes shall have an average maximum timetabled classroom teaching time equivalent to 0.96 of the hours for which they are employed.
- From term 1 2024, the maximum average timetabled teaching time shall decrease to the equivalent of 0.94 of the hours for which they are employed.
- From term 3 2024, the maximum average timetabled teaching time shall decrease to the equivalent of 0.92 of the hours for which they are employed.
- From term 1 2025, the maximum average timetabled teaching time shall decrease to the equivalent of 0.90 of the hours for which they are employed.
- The maximum timetabled classroom teaching time referred to in subclauses (a) and (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.
- 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.
- From term 1 2025, the maximum average timetabled teaching time for a teacher who holds one or more permanent units shall have their average maximum timetabled teaching time decreased by an additional one hour per week. This is additional to their entitlement set out in 4.2.4a and 4.2.4b.
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.
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4.3 Definitions
4.3.1 For the purposes of this clause, unless the context otherwise requires:
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- “Half day” (HD) shall have the meaning implied by its use in section 10 of the Education and Training Act 2020.
- “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 legislation.
- 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.
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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.
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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 legislation 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.
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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.
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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 legislation.
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.