Hi, Can you tell me if it is common practice for primary probationers to teach full time during their last term ie Easter to summer?

This happened in our school last year and is happening from March this year. We have staff absence again this year and it is happening again.

Posted by: Anonymous User

(This was posted on our previous discussion forum. It will not be possible to contact the user direct.)

Probationers on the Teacher Induction Scheme are contracted to teach 0.7 sole responsibility.

No one should be teaching a full timetable as this is against their conditions of service.

Anyone put in this position should contact their union.

Posted by: GTC Scotland

I am experiencing the same problem in secondary, having found my PT and SMT unsympathetic to the fact that I am working at over 0.8FTE this entire year. The only time I can get down to 0.7FTE at all this year is when senior pupils go on study leave in May!

I was put under a lot of pressure not to involve a union and simply accept the situation. I felt I had not choice but to comply. It is unacceptable that new members of the teaching profession are exploited in this way during their induction year.

Posted by: Anonymous User

(This was posted on our previous discussion forum. It will not be possible to contact the user direct.)

As previously advised, probationer teachers employed on the TIS are employed on a specific training contract which means that they should be teaching to a maximum of 0.7 FTE in their timetable.

When this is not occurring they should initially discuss this within the school.

If concerns still remain, the local authority probation manager should be alerted to the situation. Ultimately it is within the rights of the probationer to involve their union because to be expected to teach more than 0.7 is a breach of the training contract.

Posted by: GTC Scotland

What about if you choose to teach full-time? I took back my part day after the Christmas break and have now taken back most of my full day with the aim of taking it back completely in a few weeks. I hope to be working full-time next session and wanted to see if I would cope with all the planning, evaluations, CPD etc and a full-time class.

Posted by: Lins

(This was posted on our previous discussion forum. It will not be possible to contact the user direct.)

It is our understanding that the local authority should not impose an increase from the 0.7 as this is in breach of contract.

However if an Induction Probationer chooses to work more than the 0.7 maximum this will obviously have an impact on the remaining 0.3 CPD/Support time and this would need to be taken into consideration should the probationer teacher wish to pursue full-time working.

GTC Scotland probation team

probation@gtcs.org.uk

Posted by: GTC Scotland