Term Time working is when an employee works during term times and takes a leave of absence during the school holidays.  These days are known as non-working days.  Employees who have parental responsibility can then work while their children are at school and spend time with them during the school holidays.

It is an operational requirement to work term time in a school.  In these circumstances, the post offered will be clearly advertised as a term time only post.

Term Time working is a specific arrangement where an employee is recruited on a term-time contract. 

Appendix 1 provides a table for Term Time only working. It consists of the:

• Number of weeks worked under the ‘weeks’ column
• Holiday entitlement
• Weeks paid per year (e.g. 38 weeks + 5 weeks holidays = 43 based on Range 1 - 3)
• Formula to assist when calculating a term time salary
• Definition that relates to inset and/or additional days worked

A term-time contract means the employee works only during term time but employment is regarded as continuous throughout the year

Employees will have their salary based on the number of hours worked plus their annual leave which will be paid in equal instalments across the year.  There is a table that shows the number of weeks worked and formula in Appendix 1

Annual leave is calculated against the number of weeks a potential term-time worker
actually works (see Appendix 1)

Term-time working employees must take their annual leave during the school holidays.

Term time only employees are treated the same as full-year employees in that they are entitled to six months full pay and six months half pay, after five years service, and that their entitlement is counted over the full year, ie to include school holiday periods. 

For example:

Full Year Employee – 5 years BCC service

Entitlement – 180 days full pay / 180 days half pay

• Continuous sick leave from 1 January
• Half pay on 1 July
• Nil pay on 28 December

Term Time Employee – 5 years BCC service

Entitlement – 180 days full pay / 180 days half pay

Including School Holidays

• Continuous sick leave from 1 January
• Half pay on 1 July
• Nil pay on 28 December

As a responsible employer and in order to preserve the continuity of employment, and to ensure that employees have received their full pay and holiday entitlement, schools should always endeavour to ensure that school employees on Bucks Pay who work a full-term, for example, from Easter to July, would be paid to the end of the school holidays, in this case, 31^st August.

Likewise, if a Bucks Pay employee commences work at the start of the Autumn term and works continuously through that term that they should be paid from 1^st September to 31^st December.

This also ensures that their employment is continuous for the purposes of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).

Should the school wish to end the employment before the end of the school holidays, for example, in the case of redundancy, our advice would be to make the termination date the final day of the school holidays, however, the specifics of the case can be discussed with the relevant HR Adviser. If necessary an earlier date may be considered, provided that the employee receives all salary and outstanding holiday pay owed to them in addition to any redundancy payment that may apply.

Where Buckinghamshire Council is not the legal employer, but employees are paid under Bucks Pay and Conditions, we would also strongly advise schools to follow this practice so that employees receive their full pay and holiday entitlement.

Appendix 1

Ranges 1 – 3	UP TO 5 YEARS SERVICE		OVER 5 YEARS SERVICE
Weeks	Holiday Entitlement	Weeks Paid Per Year	Holiday Entitlements	Weeks Paid Per Year
38	5.0	43.0	5.8	43.8
39	5.1	44.1	6.0	45.0
40	5.2	45.2	6.1	46.1
41	5.4	46.4	6.3	47.3
42	5.5	47.5	6.4	48.4
43	5.6	48.6	6.6	49.6
44	5.8	49.8	6.7	50.7

Ranges 4 - 5	UP TO 5 YEARS SERVICE		OVER 5 YEARS SERVICE
Weeks	Holiday Entitlement	Weeks Paid Per Year	Holiday Entitlements	Weeks Paid Per Year
38	5.1	43.1	6.0	44.0
39	5.3	44.3	6.1	45.1
40	5.4	45.4	6.3	46.3
41	5.5	46.5	6.4	47.4
42	5.7	47.7	6.6	48.6
43	5.8	48.8	6.8	49.8
44	5.9	49.9	6.9	50.9

Ranges 6 - 12	UP TO 5 YEARS SERVICE		OVER 5 YEARS SERVICE
Weeks	Holiday Entitlement	Weeks Paid Per Year	Holiday Entitlements	Weeks Paid Per Year
38	5.5	43.5	6.4	44.4
39	5.7	44.7	6.5	45.5
40	5.8	45.8	6.7	46.7
41	6.0	47.0	6.9	47.9
42	6.1	48.1	7.0	49.0
43	6.2	49.2	7.2	50.2
44	6.4	50.4	7.4	51.4

Formula (using the data from Range 1 – 3):

Hours worked (20hrs) x weeks paid per year (43) = 860

860 divided by full time hours (1924) x 100 = 44.7

Full time salary (£14,641) x 44.7% = £6544.53

Term time salary based on 38 weeks = £6544.53 paid in 12 equal instalments

Definition -  School Term, Inset, and/or Additional Days Worked:

38 weeks represents an actual school term

39 weeks onwards incorporates inset days plus any other additional days required by the school, e.g., for a bursar or caretaker