Flexible working

The education sector offers great flexibility. More than 50 per cent of part-time entrants are returning teachers.

The national agreement

In January 2003, the Government, employers and school workforce unions signed the national agreement on raising standards and tackling workload.

The agreement acknowledged the pressure on schools to raise standards and tackle unacceptable workloads for teachers, and introduced a series of significant changes to teachers' conditions.

Two significant areas that would positively affect you when you return to teaching are the workload agreement and planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time.

Workload agreement

Phase one of the national agreement was launched in September 2003 and stated that all teachers, including headteachers, should enjoy a reasonable work/life balance.

The national agreement defines work/life balance as being "about helping teachers combine work with their personal interests outside work", and cites working hours and workload as key, but not exclusive, elements of this.

Other benefits of the agreement to you include:

a sense of control
personal fulfilment
career development
work flexibility
physical and emotional wellbeing, and
the will of both employers and employees to ensure staff enjoy a reasonable work/life balance.

PPA time

The introduction of PPA could potentially have a large impact on the aims of the national agreement: raising standards and tackling workload.

Since 1 September 2005 all teachers have had an entitlement to a guaranteed minimum of 10 per cent of their timetabled teaching commitment for PPA. This time cannot be used for lesson cover or management responsibility time.

Nearly 80% of teachers say PPA time means they spend less time working at home.