TEACHER WORKLOAD POLICY
Updated: 2020 Review: 2024
Rationale
The Catholic Church has demonstrated a commitment to fair employment relationships over many years. Within the employment relationship, principals, teachers and administrators are called to embody the vision, values and outlook of the authentic Catholic school.
Principles
1. In determining a teacher’s workload, care must be taken to ensure teachers are not required to perform an unfair or unreasonable workload.
2. Within all schools, a duty of care towards students must be exercised at all times. In Catholic schools, duty of care extends to the provision of pastoral care of students which is exercised by all members of the school community and is an underpinning cultural determinant of Catholic schools.
3. In respect to teachers, the school also has a duty of care in the determination of the teacher’s workload which has as its purpose a fair and equitable distribution of the school’s professional, educational and pastoral care responsibilities. This should be determined with regard to these outcomes and the personal, professional and family responsibilities of the teacher.
4. It is recognised that it is neither possible, nor indeed desirable, to regulate all aspects of a professional teacher’s workload.
5. Professional duties that can and should be limited include: • Scheduled class time
• Supervision of students, including duties and pastoral care periods • Scheduled meetings
• School excursions /camps/trips
• Co-curricular activities, including sport sessions taken by a teacher outside of normal school time
Understandings
1. Hours of Duty
Teachers are required to be on duty each day before classes commence. Teachers are required to be on duty at least 15 minutes before and/or after classes each day.
2. Scheduled Class Time
The maximum scheduled classroom teaching load for a full-time teacher shall be 0.8 of the total number of scheduled teaching periods offered by a school per week/cycle but shall be no more than 1280 minutes per week (21 hours 20 minutes). Scheduled classroom teaching time shall be exclusive of the first 75 minutes per week of homeroom (however so called).
Note: All possible efforts will be made to ensure that teachers are not asked to teach additional periods/time. In situations where a teacher is asked to teach above the maximum scheduled load (in effect, teaching during their DOTT time or other responsibility
time) the Principal and the teacher shall hold discussions with a view to reaching an accommodation. Such discussions may include compensation such as, additional DOTT or reduced duties (eg yard/bus supervision). Generally, when such time is to be replaced with DOTT time, it will be on an equal basis and format (eg a teacher asked to teach additional one period per week resulting in a net effect of one less DOTT period) will receive in exchange an additional DOTT period to be taken at an agreed time, in lieu of their regular class teaching time. The conditions pertaining to such a DOTT period are the same as those which would exist for DOTT periods allocated as part of a regular teaching load.
3. Co-curricular Activities
Teachers are expected to participate in reasonable co-curricular activities dependent upon the requirements of the individual school and its mission statement. As such, principals may require all teachers to accept a share of those tasks that go beyond actual class teaching.
4. Class Sizes
The Principal shall determine class sizes within the following parameters. Years 7-10 Form Classes 32 students
Other Classes 32 students per class recommended with a maximum of 35 students per class
Years 11-12 Form Classes an average of 25 students per form class with a maximum of 28 students in any one class
Other Classes 28 students per class recommended with a maximum of 31 students per class
Practical maximum of 24 students per class
Note: In situations where an individual class size above the class maximum is required, the Principal and the Teacher shall hold discussions with a view to reaching an accommodation. Such discussions may include compensation, such as additional DOTT or reduced duties (eg yard/bus supervision).
5. Relief Supervisions
5.1 Where normal timetables are disrupted due to teacher absences, other teaching staff may be called upon to ensure students are afforded an appropriate standard of care.
5.2 In the case of a planned absence:
• Initially, staff who have lost their normal scheduled classes shall be allocated an in-lieu class, and full-time staff with an allocated teaching load of less than 1280 minutes per week of scheduled classroom teaching may be utilised, then
• Part-time staff may be offered paid supervisions, then • External relief teachers will be employed
5.3 In the case of an unplanned absence where no prior indication of the absence has been advised, or where the school cannot engage a relief teacher:
• Initially, staff who have lost their normal scheduled classes shall be allocated an in-lieu class, and full-time staff with an allocated teaching load of less than 1280 minutes per week of scheduled classroom teaching may be utilised, then
• Other teaching staff may be required to undertake a relief supervision. However, the impact on an individual’s planned activities for this time shall be considered, then
• Heads of Learning Areas and Heads of House, when no other suitable staff/casual staff can be arranged, then
• Assistant Deputies and Deputies, when no other suitable staff can be arranged
5.4 Apart from Assistant Deputies and Deputies, any teacher who is required to take a relief class in excess of their expected role will be compensated financially at the agreed rate.
5.5 Relief Procedures
Planned Absence
(Camps/Trips/Excursion/Incursions, Professional Development, Leave) • Enter leave into MyHR (if applicable) as soon as possible
• Email the Dean of Academic Services at least five days prior (if possible) • Prepare classwork according to the ‘Absent Teacher Notice’
• Prepare relief lesson (Upload to SEQTA/OneNote etc.)
Assume the relief teacher is not experienced in the learning area and will not understand brief notes/acronyms
Unplanned Absence
(Sick/Family Leave – Part/Full day)
• Enter leave into MyHR (if applicable) as soon as possible
• Contact the Dean of Academic Services on 0488 501 707 or [email protected] between 6.30am – 7.00am, to advise of absence and allow time for relief to be arranged
• Contact HOLA/COLA and advise of absence (if needed) • Prepare relief lesson (Upload to SEQTA/OneNote etc.)
Assume the relief teacher is not experienced in the learning area and will not understand brief notes/acronyms
• If a staff member is sick for three days or more, a medical certificate is to be provided to the Finance Officer.
Receiving a Relief Lesson
• The absent teacher will provide relief work to the Dean of Academic Services, by lunch on the day prior to the planned absence
• Generally, teachers will receive not more than one relief class per week (unless they are under load). Every relief over full load will be a paid relief, unless it is replacing a lost class
• In busy times, teachers may be allocated more than one relief class per week
• In case of absence or reallocation of relief, relief work is to be kept in the pigeonhole of the internal teacher until the day of the relief.
• Full time teachers (1.0 FTE) involved in organising/planning a major College event can request concessions in relation to relief, for the two weeks prior to the event. Such a request should be made directly to the Vice Principal, or via the Head of Learning Area to the Vice Principal, who will advise the teacher of the outcome.
6. Leave
6.1 Staff are granted leave in accordance with the relevant Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA). Teaching staff refer to The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Perth Teachers Enterprise Bargaining Agreement 2015 and Teaching staff refer to The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Perth Non-Teaching Staff Enterprise Bargaining Agreement 2014.
6.2 The types of leave available to staff are summarised below.
• Holiday leave: Staff will be allowed holiday leave, including Term and Christmas holidays • Leave without pay: Staff are able to apply for leave without pay
• Parental leave: Staff are able to apply for parental leave in relation to the birth or adoption of a child. Various entitlements are available to male and female staff members
• Sick leave: Staff will be able to access sick leave, when they are unable to attend or remain at the College, by reason of personal ill health or injury. If a staff member is sick for three days or more, a medical certificate is to be provided
• Family leave: Staff will be able to access family leave where they are responsible for an immediate family or member(s) of their household who need care. Such leave will be deducted from a staff member’s sick leave. Family leave cannot exceed ten days per year
• Bereavement leave: Staff will be able to access bereavement leave (up to two days per time) when a close family member die
• Ceremonial leave: Staff will be able to access ceremonial leave to meet their customs and traditional laws
• Special leave: Staff are able to apply for special leave when no other type of leave is available, no other arrangements can reasonably be made and the absence from duty is required due to a pressing necessity
• Family and domestic violence leave: Staff experiencing family or domestic violence have access to special leave for the purpose of attending medical appointments, legal proceedings and other related activities
• Long service leave: Staff who are eligible for long service leave are entitled to access this leave as per the following:
• Staff may access long service leave with extended notice, for a minimum of five (consecutive) weeks
• Staff may access long service leave at short notice, for a maximum of five (individual or consecutive) days. Such leave is not available at the commencement of or prior to the conclusion of any school term
• Extenuating circumstances will always be considered Requests outside of these parameters will be considered on a case by case basis. Should such a request be approved, it should be considered as an exception, rather than the norm
7. School Camps/Excursions & Time in Lieu
7.1 Certain camps and excursions necessitate the requirement for staff to sleep away from home, to ensure that duty of care is provided to students participating in such a camp.
7.2 Compulsory curriculum-based camps and excursions are required to be undertaken to enable students to complete the scheduled curriculum requirements of a course.
7.3 Non-compulsory curriculum-based camps and excursions are supportive of the learning intentions of a course but are not mandatory.
7.4 Compulsory pastoral care-based camps and excursions are those that provide experiences designed to develop a student’s awareness of themselves and the world around them. Students are expected to participate in them as a normal part of their schooling activities.
7.5 Non-compulsory pastoral care-based camps and excursions are those that provide additional experiences designed to develop a student’s awareness of themselves and the world around them. Student participation is optional.
7.6 Wherever possible and practical, camps and excursions should be scheduled during regular school days. Such camps and excursions should not be conducted in a manner that requires attendance on weekends, in addition to regular weekday school commitments.
7.7 Where staff are required to sleep away from home on a non-regular school day to enable the facilitation of a compulsory camp or excursion, a day in lieu shall be granted to the staff member for each non-regular school day attended.
7.8 Staff participation in non-compulsory camps and excursions is done on a voluntary basis.
7.9 Certain staff, as a result of the nature of their role, are required to conduct camps and excursions which will be scheduled during holiday periods. Such staff will be compensated with days in lieu on a day for day basis.
7.10 Entitlement to days in lieu is to be agreed to by the Principal before the camp/excursion/event. 7.11 Staff must apply to access days in lieu by completing the ‘Days in Lieu Claim Form.’
7.12 Days in lieu are to be used in the same calendar year as the camp/excursion/event. If the camp/excursion/event is scheduled in Term 4, days in lieu are to be used before Term 2 in the following calendar year.
7.13 Extenuating circumstances which are not covered in any of the above, will be considered by the Principal on a case by case basis.
DAYS IN LIEU CLAIM FORM
Please note that days in lieu are to be used in the same calendar year as the camp/excursion/event. If the camp/excursion/event is scheduled in Term 4, days in lieu are to be used before Term 2 in the following calendar year.
Name: __________________________________
Camp/Excursion/Event: __________________________________
Days in lieu available: ________ Day/s
Date/s of leave: __________________________________
Signed: __________________________________
Signed (HOLA): __________________________________
Please provide this completed form to the Principal’s Personal Assistant for Executive approval (at least 4 weeks before leave).
Executive Approval: YES / NO
After approval, please
Enter leave into MyHR
Notify the Relief Coordinator
Organise class notes and classwork
Provide this completed form to the Assistant Business Manager Enjoy your time off
DAYS IN LIEU ADDENDUM CAMPS & EXCURSIONS 2020
Learning Area Course Camp/Excursion Compulsory Days in Lieu Reference
Arts
Ministry
Ministry Ministry Ministry
Health & Physical Education
Health & Physical Education
Health & Physical Education
Health & Physical Education
Humanities & Social Sciences
