Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement (STCA)

5.This part of the agreement includes the requirement that schools must have a timetabling policy developed in consultation with staff, and that this policy must consider class size and your right to non-contact time. This section also includes call back days, and the length of the school day, school week and year.

Note -  If your school policy on timetabling is the SchoolDoc policy this will not be compliant with the STCA and you should seek advice from your field officer.

5.1 Days and Hours of Work

5.2 Timetabling Policy

5.3 Timetabled Contact and Non-Contact Time

5.4 Length of the Timetabled School Day, School Week and School Year

5.5 Class Size

5.6 Term Breaks and Other Times When Schools Are Not Open For Instruction

5.1 Days and Hours of Work

5.1.1 Teachers’ work is any activity required to fulfil the expectations of their role or to undertake the duties assigned by An individual teacher’s hours of work are influenced by factors such as:

(a) The classes the teacher is timetabled to teach, which for a fulltime teacher will comprise no more than 20 hours per week or a combination of periods of time equivalent to 20 hours per week;

(b) Timetabled non-contact hours, which for a fulltime teacher will be at least five hours per week or a combination of periods of time equivalent of five hours per week;

(c) Whether it is a week/day students are required to attend school;

(d) 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;

(e) The counselling and pastoral needs of students;

(f) 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; 

(g) The responsibilities of individual teachers arising from their appointment to a Kāhui Ako role; and

(h) The extent to which individual teachers may participate in the extra-curricular programmes of the school.

5.1.2 Teachers’ days and hours of work will largely reflect the variable flow of work during the school year, where workloads are higher during school terms and lower during term breaks and/or other times when student attendance at school may not be Teachers will work such hours as may reasonably be required to enable them to properly fulfil their responsibilities. For:

(a) full time teachers, this is expected to average 40 hours per week across the year.

(b) part time teachers, this is expected to be proportionate to their FTTE (e.g. a teacher who is 0.5 FTTE is expected to work an average of 20 hours per week across the year).

Examples:

5.1.3 If a teacher receives a unit(s) or allowance(s) for additional responsibilities the employer and employee will agree any requirements that some or all of these responsibilities be worked at a specific time or place and any hours that are additional to those in clause 5.1.2. The agreement must be recorded in writing.

5.1.4 Employers will recognise the importance of setting and allocating reasonable and safe workloads for teachers including allocating duties that can be reasonably completed within the overall expected average weekly hours across the It is recognised that the workload will vary taking into account the factors set out in clause 5.1.1, and teachers will be required to work such hours in any week as may reasonably be required to enable them to properly fulfil their responsibilities.

5.1.5 Teachers will have flexibility in how they manage their allocated workload across the year, provided that they will be responsible for drawing to their employer’s attention any situation where their pattern of work or workload allocated under 5.1.1 is such that they may exceed the total expected average weekly hours set out in clause 5.1.2. In this circumstance teachers should provide appropriate supporting information to demonstrate their work pattern and/or that their total expected weekly hours averaged across the year may be exceeded.

5.1.6 Where a teacher raises an issue with their employer in accordance with clause 1.5 the employer and the teacher will consult in relation to managing the teacher’s workload. If the employer accepts that there is a workload issue they will be required to take reasonable steps to manage it.

5.1.7 Where a teacher raises an issue with their employer in accordance with clause 5.1.5, and the employer:

(a) has genuine reason not to accept that there is a workload issue, or considers that insufficient supporting information has been provided by the teacher, the employer will provide the teacher with the opportunity to provide further information. After consideration the employer will advise the teacher of their decision, and will provide reasons in writing; or

(b) considers that the workload issues have arisen as a result of performance issues or other default by the teacher, the employer will advise the teacher that they are initiating the process outlined in clause 3.3.

5.1.8 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 its policies and any specific legal requirements, including teachers’ statutory entitlement to rest and meal breaks as applicable. The clauses which follow (clauses 5.2 to 6) identify the requirements upon which the decisions in individual schools are made.

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5.2 Timetabling Policy

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

(a) The timetabled contact and non-contact entitlements of clause 3 below;

(b) Class size matters, including the class size provisions of clause 5 below;

(c) Reference to other matters, including duties outside of timetabled hours, which impact on timetabling practices;

(d) A process providing for circumstances where, for genuine reason during timetabling or at short notice, it is not possible to provide the minimum non-contact time entitlements described in 3 and where the employer has used reasonable endeavours and is unable to achieve the class size provision in clause 5.5.

5.2.2 For the purposes of 5.2, non-contact time is based on individual teachers’ timetabled hours comprising a total of 25 hours or a combination of periods of time equivalent to 25 hours per week.

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5.3 Timetabled Contact and Non-Contact Time

5.3.1 During periods when students are not in attendance or when teachers have no timetabled hours or other duties that require them to be at school, teachers have a lot of flexibility about where and when they carry out their duties.

5.3.2 Within a teacher’s weekly hours of work as outlined in clause 1, a full-time teacher’s timetabled hours will comprise a total of 25 hours or a combination of periods of time equivalent to 25 hours per week to be worked on days that the school is open for instruction.

5.3.3 The placement of a teacher’s timetabled contact and non-contact hours will be discussed with the individual teacher and the employer will consider the distribution of the individual’s timetabled hours across the week.

5.3.4 A Until the start of the 2025 school year, and subject to clause 5.2.1 (d), a teacher cannot be timetabled for more than 20 hours per week class The balance of their timetabled hours will be non-contact time of which for:

(a) Full-time teachers must be a minimum of five hours per week;

(b) Part-time teachers FTTE is made up of their timetabled class-contact and non-contact hours as described in clause 4.2(a). The employer will endeavour to provide non-contact time for part time teachers who are employed between 0.48 FTTE and 0.89 FTTE that is proportionate to that provided to full-time teachers. Notwithstanding, the minimum timetabled non-contact time that must be provided is outlined in the table below:

5.3.4 B From start of the 2025 school year and subject to clause 5.2.1 (d), a teacher cannot be timetabled for more than 20 hours per week class The balance of their timetabled hours will be non-contact time of which for:

(a) Full-time teachers must be a minimum of five hours per week;

(b) Part-time teachers must be proportionate to that provided to full-time teachers, based on their total Where the non-contact time is less than one student class the non-contact time must be included in the teacher’s FTTE but is not required to be timetable.

5.3.5 The following time allowances shall be in addition to the non-contact time entitlements provided above:

(a) the individual time allowances set out in clauses 3.7 (Te Atakura), 3.8A (Head of Department Beginning Teacher Time Allowance), 3.8B (Specialist Classroom Teacher) and 4.22, 4.23 and 4.24 (Kāhui Ako time allowances).

(b) The minimum time allowances for Permanent Unit Holders as follows:

(i) one hour per week for holders of one permanent unit;

(ii) two hours per week for holders of two permanent units; and

(iii) three hours per week for holders of three or more permanent

(iv) For the fourth and subsequent permanent unit(s) the employer will endeavour to provide one hour for each additional permanent unit.

(c) the Beginning Teacher Time Allowance (clause 3.8), which should reduce the teacher’s contact time before any other time allowances or non-contact time entitlements are considered

(d) any additional non-contact time for senior management positions that an employer may provide in accordance with its school policies.

Transitional Arrangements for part-time teachers

5.3.6 Part-time teachers employed at the end of the 2024 school year and who continue to be employed on 28 January 2025 will have their FTTE as at 27 January 2025 increased by 11 per cent and their minimum timetabled non-contact hours will be based on that increased FTTE. From 28 January 2025 part-time teachers will not receive the 11 per cent salary loading.

Note: ‘Employed continuously’ means was employed part time in the same school in the 2024 school year.

Note: The parties agree that this clause will be deleted in future Agreements.

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5.4 Length of the Timetabled School Day, School Week and School Year

5.4.1 The length of the timetabled school day is determined by the requirement that students are normally required to be in attendance for two half days, one before noon, the other after noon.

5.4.2 The length of the timetabled school week is determined by the requirement that students are normally required to be in attendance for 10 half days per week, except where interrupted by any public holiday or any other holiday allowed for in accordance with the Education and Training Act 2020 or regulations made under that Act or by any provision in this agreement authorising the absence of The 10 half days will usually be timetabled from Monday to Friday inclusive, but they may be timetabled on a Saturday or a Sunday.

5.4.3 The length of the timetabled school year is determined by the requirement that schools must be open for instruction for at least the minimum number of half days in any one calendar year, as set out in relevant The number may be reduced by any lawful decision of the employer to close the school for instruction.

5.4.4 The normal timetabled teaching load in respect of any one day, one week or one year is related to the requirements outlined above, taking account of the normal timetabling practices of each school.

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5.5 Class Size

5.5.1 In accordance with its timetabling policy, it is expected that employers will use reasonable endeavours to achieve, for each individual teacher with more than one class, an average class size (based upon the teacher’s timetabled classes and the roll of each of those classes) of no more than 26 students and where this cannot occur clause 5.2.1 (d) will apply.

Note: This does not preclude averages of less than 26 students.

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5.6 Term Breaks and Other Times When Schools Are Not Open For Instruction

5.6.1 Except as outlined in clauses 6.2 and 5.6.3 teachers will not be required to attend school:

(a) before approximately 8:30 am and after 4:30 pm on days that the school is open for instruction (or such other hours of opening that may be agreed under 5.1.4);

(b) on days that the school is not open for instruction at all, such as term breaks or public holidays.

5.6.2 The employer may require teachers to participate in professional development opportunities at times when the school is not open for instruction, provided that:

(a) teachers cannot be required to attend during a closedown period under clause 1.3; and

(b) teachers are not required to attend for more than five days, or equivalent, per school year; and

(c) the employer takes account of individual teacher needs; and

(d) teachers’ own initiatives in undertaking professional development during time when the school is not open for instruction are considered.

5.6.3 The employer may require teachers to attend school or elsewhere when the school is not open for instruction, provided that:

(a) the time is used for all or any of the following purposes – school administration, preparation and coordination, departmental or related activities and community, parent and whānau contact and liaison; and

(b) teachers cannot be required to attend during a closedown period under clause 1.3; and

(c) teachers are not required to attend for more than five days, or equivalent, per school year; and

(d) the employer endeavours to arrange matters at the school in such a way that any requirement under this clause is not unreasonable; and

(e) the employer takes account of teachers’ individual needs; and

(f) teachers’ own initiatives in undertaking work for the above purposes are counted.

5.6.4 Where teachers are required to attend school or elsewhere when the school is not open for instruction pursuant to 5.6.2 and 5.6.3 above, they shall be reimbursed for any actual and reasonable costs incurred.

Note: This provision does not apply to teachers in Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu. The provisions applying to those teachers are contained in Part Eleven of this agreement.

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