St Patrick’s Catholic School
Classroom Release Time (CRT) Policy
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if working for the Lord.” Colossians 3:22
Purpose
Classroom Release Time is granted to teachers as per the Primary Teachers Collective Contract and is intended to address issues of teacher workload.
Guidelines
The school will consult with teachers on this policy.
Entitlement
CRT applies to all teachers bound by the Primary Teachers Collective agreement
Every full-time permanent teacher, or long term reliever employed for at least one term, shall receive classroom release time per term per term as follows:
Until the end of Term 4 2023, 10 hours per term
From Term 1 2024, 15 hours per term
From Term 3 2024, 20 hours per term
From Term 4 2025, 25 hours per term
Every part-time teacher employed for at least 0.8 FTTE per week who is either permanently employed or a long term reliever for at least a term, shall receive a pro-rated amount of classroom release time (e.g. 0.8 FTTE = 80% of the allocation)
In a job-share position, teachers share the CRT allocation on a pro-rata basis according to their contracted hours
CRT does not apply to the principal or to teachers already fully released by entitlement staffing
Allocation
The school will allocate CRT on a clear timetable that is available to teachers from the beginning of each term.
In the allocation of CRT, the school will consider school events that might impinge on a teacher’s ability to fully make use of the time for their own planning and development.
The school reserves the right to make decisions about whether CRT is allocated as whole days, half days, or small blocks of time. This will be dependent on reliever availability and cost.
All teachers will receive CRT as per their Collective Contract except where it is not possible for genuine reasons arising at short notice
If CRT needs to be cancelled due to reliever sickness or other unavoidable issues every attempt will be made to re-allocate time missed unless it is not possible for genuine reasons arising at short notice.
If a teacher is sick on their CRT day, every effort will be made to make up the day but this may not always be possible
Utlisation
CRT can be used for planning, evaluation and assessment, reporting, personal professional development, research, coaching and meetings with parents or colleagues and outside agencies such as RTLB.
All teachers must take their CRT time on the school grounds unless the principal agrees otherwise
Teachers should work in consultation with their CRT teacher to plan and implement a programme for their CRT day. Sometimes this will mean that the classroom teacher needs to leave planning, at other times the CRT teacher may provide a specialist programme.
CRT hours must be used within the term they are given and will not carry over into the next term or year.
Ratified: 13 December 2023