Page 31 - Handbook for House Staff Aug2024

House Assistant: Spring Cleaning Hours and Overtime
• House Assistants are contracted to work 34 weeks + 3 additional (‘spring cleaning’) weeks per year
• For example, if a House Assistant is contracted to work 30 hours per week, then they have 30 spring cleaning hours per term
• As well as opening and closing the houses, spring cleaning hours can also be used for other purposes such as attending meetings, training or House events.
• House Assistants should record these hours on the ‘Spring Cleaning Hours’ sheet in their House Team (in a ‘Spring Cleaning’ Channel). Please see below for an example template.
• Once Spring Cleaning hours are completed, then this sheet should be signed off by the HouseM, stored on the House Team, and the Pastoral Assistant should be informed. Further hours can be claimed as overtime.
• Overtime should be authorised by the HouseM beforehand.
• If House Assistants are covering for another House Assistant (i.e. not a duty swap) then these should be claimed as overtime hours, even if spring cleaning hours have not been completed.
• Overtime should be submitted via iTrent.
• The start of term is defined as the arrival time for boarding pupils on the published term dates.
• The House Assistant on-duty should be in the House until 2pm on the day of Leave Outs, Half Terms, and the end of term. They may leave sooner if all pupils have left the House.
• Cover should always be organised within the House first if possible i.e. duty swaps.
• Please contact the Pastoral Support House Assistant (Annabel Hepworth) if cover cannot be organised in House.
• Human Resources should always be informed of any staff absences.
• When off-duty, House Assistants should use their email ‘Out of Office’, directing people to use the House email address.
Spring Cleaning Hours
Opening of Houses
• Autumn Term – House Assistants should be in work:
– One day prior to INSET day to prepare the House
– INSET day
– 12.30pm on day of new pupil arrivals (usually a Sunday afternoon)
• Spring Term – House Assistants should be in work:
– INSET day (including training, early pupil arrivals and preparing the House)
• Summer Term – House Assistants should be in work:
– INSET day (including training, early pupil arrivals and preparing the House)
Closing of Houses – all House Assistants should be in work on the final day of every term until the House is closed down.
– Spring cleaning can be used for setting and clearing away all House events as agreed with the HouseM e.g. birthday suppers, Christmas supper. If you are invited to an event as a guest, you should be able to enjoy the event without working.
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