UK Teachers May See Four-Day Weeks and Pay Raises Under Government Proposals

Teachers in council-run schools in the UK could be permitted to work four-day weeks, a move that could also include pay raises, according to government plans.

Education Secretary Lucy Powell has received recommendations from an independent body advising ministers on how to make the current requirement of 195 teaching days per year more lenient. Under the proposed changes, full-time teachers could fulfill their contracted hours over four days, though schools would still need to remain open for the entire week.

This flexibility aims to address concerns that inflexible working hours are driving experienced teachers away from the profession. The School Teachers’ Review Body had previously suggested that four-day weeks, nine-day fortnights, and remote work could aid recruitment and retention.

While academies already have some flexibility in working hours, the government aims to clarify and potentially amend the framework for all schools. Ms. Powell noted in an open letter to Mike Aldred, the chairman of the School Teachers’ Review Body, that there is ambiguity regarding schools’ ability to offer flexible individual teacher working patterns within the existing 195-day framework.

"We are proposing a targeted amendment to clarify that teachers may be available to work their directed hours up to 195 days (or pro rata equivalent), with the intention to provide leaders with greater flexibility to choose to depart from the 195-day requirement to respond to evolving workforce needs," Ms. Powell wrote.

The proposals would not mandate a four-day week for all staff nor reduce the number of days schools must be open. Teachers would not be expected to work more than the current 195 days annually, and the 1,265-hour limit, which includes lesson time and meetings, would not increase. Preparation and marking done outside of contracted hours are not included in this limit.

Broader reforms to working hours beyond these specific proposals were ruled out by the Education Secretary as part of the review. The review also highlighted that some schools have been slow to adopt flexible working arrangements despite their popularity in other sectors.