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Press Release

PPA WILL BENEFIT PUPILS AND STAFF SAYS PAT

31 August 2005

The Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) has given its support to the introduction of guaranteed PPA (Planning, Preparation and Assessment) time in all maintained schools in England and Wales from 1 September 2005.

PAT Principal Professional Officer Deborah Simpson, who represents the independent union on the Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group (WAMG), said: "PPA will bring real benefits all round, as schools that have already implemented it are finding.

"Both pupils and teachers will benefit as teachers will have more time during the school day to plan lessons, prepare resources and mark pupils' work. Better planned and prepared lessons will help educational standards to rise.

"As a former teacher who now advises teachers, I know that teachers have always wanted time in the working day to prepare and plan and mark.

"With less marking and preparation to do in the evenings and at weekends, teachers should have more time to spend with their own families. Doing paperwork late into the night is not good for teachers, their families or the pupils they have to teach the next day.

"PPA time will also bring opportunities for schools to develop activities such as sports, outdoor activities and drama and introduce new foreign languages or other subjects for study. Pupils' educational experiences will be enriched, teachers will be able to develop their careers and there will be new opportunities for specialist support staff.

"There has been negative media coverage of PPA, with talk of teachers being replaced by assistants, but this is not what PPA is about. Teaching assistants will assist, not replace, teachers. Support staff with the appropriate qualifications, training and experience will enhance pupils' learning.

"Lessons will still be planned by the teachers and every class will have a designated teacher responsible for pupil progress. Teachers will teach and teaching assistants will assist or provide cover. There will be increasing opportunities for Higher Level Teaching Assistants or other professionals with specialist training in music, languages, drama and sport to support teachers and develop pupils' skills and knowledge.

"PAT has always promoted a whole team approach, with trained education professionals working together to provide the best possible education for their pupils."

Case Studies
For details of case studies, contact PAT Press Office below.
Notes:
1. From 1 September 2005, all teachers must be allocated a guaranteed minimum of 10 percent of their timetabled teaching commitment for PPA.

2. PPA is being introduced as part of the 2003 National Agreement Raising Standards and Tackling Workload signed by the Government, employers and school workforce unions: http://www.remodelling.org/downloads/9.pdf.

3. PPA in Practice: http://www.remodelling.org/ppa_intro.php
4. National Remodelling Team: http://www.remodelling.org/
5. Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group (WAMG): http://www.remodelling.org/who_wamg.php
6. PAT: http://www.pat.org.uk



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