What is directed time?
By George Wilks · Updated 31 Oct 2026
Short answer
Directed time is the time a headteacher can direct a teacher to be at work and doing specific tasks: up to 1,265 hours a year across 195 days for a full-time teacher in a maintained school. It includes teaching, meetings, parents' evenings and training days, but not planning or marking done outside those hours.
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Key facts
- Full-time limit: 1,265 hours a year
- Spread over: 195 days
- Part-time: pro rata (0.6 = 759 hours)
- Not covered: headteachers and others on the leadership pay range
- Set out in: the STPCD
What counts as directed time
| Usually counted | Usually not counted |
|---|---|
| Teaching lessons | Planning and marking done at home |
| Registration and form time | Voluntary clubs you choose to run |
| Staff meetings and training (INSET) | Time before the school's directed start |
| Parents' evenings | Personal admin outside directed hours |
| Duties the school directs (e.g. break duty) | |
| Directed PPA time during the school day |
Each school publishes a directed time calendar showing how the 1,265 hours are planned across the year.
Part-time teachers
| Contract | Directed hours a year |
|---|---|
| 1.0 (full-time) | 1,265 |
| 0.8 | 1,012 |
| 0.6 | 759 |
| 0.5 | 632.5 |
| 0.4 | 506 |
Part-time teachers shouldn't be expected to attend everything a full-time colleague does; schools should plan meetings and events within their proportion.
Does directed time apply in academies?
Academies can set their own terms, but many follow the STPCD or similar limits. Check your contract.
Checking your school's calendar
Ask for the directed time calendar at the start of the year. If directed hours add up to more than your limit, raise it with your line manager or union representative.
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Frequently asked questions
Is directed time the same as working hours?
No. Teachers also do reasonable additional hours to fulfil their duties, which aren't capped.
Do training days count as directed time?
Yes.
Can I be directed to cover lessons?
Teachers should only rarely be asked to cover for absent colleagues.
Sources
Related answers
How many days and hours do teachers work a year?
Full-time teachers in maintained schools in England work 195 days a year: 190 days teaching pupils and 5 training (INSET) days. Within those days, a headteacher can direct them for up to 1,265 hours. Teachers also do work outside those hours, such as planning and marking, so their real working week is longer.
How much PPA time do teachers get?
Teachers in maintained schools in England must get at least 10% of their timetabled teaching time as planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time. It must be during the school day and in blocks of at least half an hour. Early career teachers get extra non-contact time on top.