Home Ec teachers and practical exams CCT
Renfrewshire Council · 31 March 2026
Back to Renfrewshire Council Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff — 31 March 2026 and its agenda
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Agenda Item .......... Renfrewshire Joint Negotiating Committee for Teachers To: Renfrewshire Joint Negotiating Committee for Teachers On: 31st March 2026 Report by Joint Secretary (Teachers’ Side) Practical Subjects: NQ Assessments and class contact time (SNCT 3.7) 1. Background It has been brought to the attention of teacher trade unions that during the SQA/ Qualifications Scotland practical examination period, Home Economics (HE) teachers are being directed, by some local management, to exceed their maximum class contact hours as stipulated in the SNCT handbook Section 3.7 : https://www.snct.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Part_2_Section_3) It appears that in some Renfrewshire secondary schools, HE staff are being directed to conduct National Qualification practical assessments with no consideration being given to calculating the impact of these assessments on the teachers’ hours of class contact. Teachers have thus lost allocated NCCT (sometimes all) and in some cases are being expected to work over break times including interval and lunch to accommodate and prepare for assessments. In addition, it is reported that these practical class teachers, some of whom would ordinarily have had availability to provide a cover period at other times in the week, are still being directed to cover for absent colleagues even though the NQ assessments have taken them beyond their maximum class contact time. Many practical assessments, e.g. for Practical Cookery, require subject teacher supervision. There is also often a need for intensive preparation and clean-up. The way these assessments are currently organised is contributing to teacher workload that is not compliant with SNCT terms and conditions Home Economics teachers and teachers of other practical subjects must not be placed in a position where their statutory class contact time is compromised. 2. Recommendations That clear unequivocal guidance is given to all Renfrewshire head teachers and BSOs or timetablers that it is not acceptable to direct any teacher to work beyond their maximum class contact time. Where Home Economics teachers- and any teachers of other practical subjects with similar arrangements- are required to undertake practical exams outwith
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their normal class contact allocation, that the time allocated is either paid back or is recognised as class contact for the purposes of school cover. Ensure that all examination arrangements for practical subjects comply with SNCT contractual conditions and, where necessary, additional resources are made available to schools during times of NQ practical assessments.