The days of the week on which meetings will be held at end-of-school sessions should be identified so that teachers can plan their personal activities.

This is critical for teachers with carer responsibilities.

Once published, the days and dates for meetings should not be changed unless there are exceptional circumstances and then only in consultation with staff and the NASUWT.

The number of meetings per week

The NASUWT recommends that teachers not paid on the leadership pay range should attend only one meeting per week outside pupil session times.

Those teachers paid on the leadership pay range should also seek to agree a limit on the number of meetings they attend per week outside school session times.

All teachers are entitled to a satisfactory work/life balance.

Timing of meetings

Scheduled meetings, such as staff meetings and year group/departmental meetings, should normally be no more than one hour in length and should have published agendas, be effectively chaired and have clear outcomes. The time of the meeting counts as directed time.

Teachers should not provide ‘secretarial support’ at meetings by taking formal minutes or verbatim notes.

Meetings during the lunch break

All teachers are entitled to a reasonable lunch break during the day.

Teachers cannot be directed to attend meetings during the lunch break and meetings should not be arranged during the lunchbreak.

They should not be encouraged to attend or volunteer to do so.