Classroom Release TIME

Intent and purpose

The intent of classroom release time is to address teacher workload while maximising benefits for student learning.

The use of classroom release time will be professionally useful for the school's teaching and learning programmes, the teacher's professional growth and the learning needs of the students. 

Use of Classroom Release Time

Full-time classroom teachers who hold prime responsibility for the planning, implementation, assessment, evaluation and reporting of a sequential programme for a group or class of children are eligible for CRT.  This inventory contains a list of the most common uses for classroom release time in our school. The list may be amended from time to time through consultation with teachers. Principal and individual teachers may also agree to other uses from time to time.

Classroom release time will be used for:

Planning, evaluation, reporting, professional development, observations of other teachers, professional reading and research, assessment, resourcing, marking of work.

Allocation of Classroom Release Time

Eligible teachers will be entitled to the equivalent of five days per term classroom release.  In consultation with staff the school leadership will allocate the time accordingly. This will differ depending on the current needs of the teachers, students and school. To accommodate Classroom Release Time the school will provide a relief teacher. This will be reviewed each term in consultation with the staff.

NB: where school sessions prevent allocation of precisely 25 hours of classroom release time, the school shall endeavour to provide as close as possible to the 25 hour entitlement including, where needed, advanced or delayed entitlement across the 4 terms of each school year.

Teachers with permenant management units will also be allocated two days Release Time. This will occur at the discretion of the principal in consolation with the management unit holder/s and Senior Leadership.

When CRT cannot be provided for genuine reasons

Where for genuine reasons, during term planning or at short notice, it is not possible to provide CRT to an individual or group of teachers the school will:

• Record the reason for non-delivery

• Endeavour to reallocate the CRT at a later date in that school year

• Review the CRT policy if required

• Use the record of non-delivery when reviewing the policy

Review

Classroom Release Time will be reviewed annually or as required in the following instances:

• Staff turnover

• Recruitment/Retention Issues

• New education initiative e.g. introduction of specialism

• Concern about benefits to student learning

• Any other genuine issue or concern