Ending term time only contracts

The majority of school support staff are employed on Term Time Only contracts, meaning for 8 weeks a year they receive no pay. Term time only contracts require full time school support staff to work 190 days + 5 INSET days, which equals 39 weeks. Teachers also have to work 190 days + 5 INSET days (39 weeks) but they are not on 39 week contracts. Teachers work directed time of 1265 hours per year, which is 32.5 hours per week over a 39-week period. This is the same as full time school support staff. Directed time means teachers cannot be directed to work outside of these 195 days and 1265 hours i.e in the school closure periods. GMB is asking why one group of workers has a 39-week contract and one doesn’t.

Whilst school support staff receive pay 12 months per year this is only because their overall salary is divided between 12 months. The reality is they have to make 39 weeks pay (plus holidays) stretch over 52 weeks. In October 2023, the Low Pay Commission added Teaching Assistants to the Low Pay Occupation list and the primary reason for low pay is Term Time Only Contracts. Low pay is not just an issue for today and many school support staff will also experience financial difficulties when they retire because their pension contributions have been impacted by their pay.

Ahead of the reinstatement of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body, which will look at Terms & Conditions for support staff, GMB is highlighting the unfairness of Term Time only contracts and calling for an end of their use.  Look out for what you can do to support this campaign and how you and your colleagues can become involved.