Term-time-only (TTO) contracts are everywhere in school support roles — teaching assistants, admin staff, catering, midday supervisors — and in council services that follow the school year. They are also the contracts most often misunderstood at offer stage. This guide explains how they work so you can compare adverts accurately.
What term-time-only means
You are employed to work only during school weeks — typically the teaching weeks plus training (inset) days, so adverts describe contracts like "38 weeks" or "39 weeks per year". You do not work, and are not building new pay, during school holidays. Crucially though, most employers smooth your pay: the annual amount is calculated for the weeks you work (plus your holiday entitlement) and then paid in twelve equal monthly instalments, so you still receive a payslip in August.
How the pay is calculated
TTO roles are usually advertised against a full-time-equivalent (FTE) salary on a council-style grade. Your actual pay is that FTE figure pro-rated twice: once for your weeks per year, and once for your hours per week if you are part-time. Your paid annual leave does not disappear — it is priced into the calculation, because you take it in the holidays. The exact formula varies by employer, which is why two adverts on the same grade can produce different take-home amounts.
Comparing adverts without getting caught out
- Check whether the advertised salary is the FTE figure or the actual (pro-rated) amount — adverts differ, and this is the single biggest source of confusion.
- Note the weeks (38, 39, sometimes more with holiday clubs) and the weekly hours; both change the real pay.
- Ask how many inset days are included and whether any holiday-period work is expected and paid separately.
- Confirm pay is spread over 12 months — almost always yes, but worth confirming for budgeting.
Holidays, leave and the things people ask
- You generally cannot take paid leave in term time — your leave is deemed taken in the school holidays.
- You are still a normal employee: sick pay terms, pension membership (usually the LGPS in council-maintained settings) and continuous service all apply.
- Bank holidays falling in term time are handled inside the calculation, not as extra deductions.
- Working a second job in the holidays is common and normally fine — check your contract's outside-employment clause.
Who term-time-only suits
The pattern is built around the school calendar, which is exactly why it suits parents of school-age children and anyone studying or combining seasonal work. The trade-off is straightforwardly financial: you are paid for the weeks you work. If you are weighing a TTO role against a 52-week one, compare the actual annual amounts, not the grades. See our guide to becoming a teaching assistant for the most common TTO route in.
This is general information, not financial advice — the employer's HR team can show you the exact calculation behind any offer, and it is a completely normal question to ask.