Written Statement of Employment for Teachers & School Staff (UK)

Schools, academies, colleges and nurseries must give every teacher, teaching assistant and support worker a written statement of employment particulars under Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. The principal statement is due on the first day of employment, and the wider statement within two months. Term-time only is a working pattern, not a separate legal status, so the requirement applies exactly as it does to a full-year employee. Build the statement below, then read the education-specific clauses and examples.

✓ Updated September 2026

Employment Rights Act 1996, s.1

STPCD & NJC Green Book

England, Scotland & Wales

✓ Required for teachers, TAs and support staff✓ Covers term-time only and academic year pay✓ Free wizard, paid clean PDF from £9.99

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Enter employer, employee, pay and working pattern details and watch the statement build. Free download with watermark, or £9.99 for a clean copy. Add the education-specific clauses from the checklist below before you issue it.

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What Is a Written Statement of Employment for a Teacher?

A written statement of employment particulars is the document that sets out a teacher's main terms of work: who the employer is, the job title, start date, pay, hours, holiday, place of work and notice. GOV.UK states that it is not an employment contract, but a statement of the main conditions. It applies to employees and to workers alike.

📌 Key facts

Principal statement: due on the first day of employment.
Wider statement: due within two months of the start date.
Changes: the employee must be told within one month of the change.
Who: teachers, teaching assistants, admin, site and support staff, whether full-year, term-time only, fixed-term or part-time.

Sources: GOV.UK, written statement of employment particulars ↗ · Employment Rights Act 1996, s.1 ↗

Do School Employees Need a Written Statement?

Yes. Every teacher, teaching assistant, administrative worker and support worker employed by a school, academy trust, college or nursery is entitled to a written statement, whether the role is full-year, term-time only, fixed-term or part-time.

Term-time only describes when the work happens. It affects how pay, hours and holiday are calculated, but it does not create a separate legal category of employee and does not remove the requirement. A term-time only teaching assistant working 38 weeks a year has the same right to a day-one statement as a full-year site manager.

For more on the requirement itself, see our written statement of employment particulars guide and the Section 1 statement explainer.

Term-Time Only vs Full-Year vs Fixed-Term Contracts

The written statement requirement is identical across all three. What changes is how weeks worked, pay and holiday are described.

Factor	Full-Year	Term-Time Only	Fixed-Term
Weeks worked per year	All 52 (pro-rated for part-time hours)	Usually 38–39, matching the school term dates	Set number of weeks or until a defined end event
Pay basis	Annual salary, paid monthly	Annual salary averaged over 12 months, or paid only in working weeks	Annual salary, pro-rated to the fixed term
Written statement required	Yes, from day one	Yes, from day one. Same requirement, not a separate status	Yes, from day one
Holiday entitlement	Statutory 5.6 weeks, or contractual equivalent	Usually built into the non-term weeks; must still meet the 5.6-week statutory minimum	Pro-rated to the length of the fixed term
Notice period	Statutory minimum or contractual, whichever is longer	Same as full-year staff. Term-time status does not shorten notice	Per contract, subject to any break clause

Academic Year Contracts Explained

An academic year runs from the start of one autumn term to the start of the next, rather than a calendar year. Most school staff work to this cycle whether their role is full-year or term-time only. It affects the working pattern, and is separate from whether the role is permanent or fixed-term.

Two pay methods are common for term-time only roles. The first pays the actual weekly rate only in working weeks, so pay pauses during school holidays apart from accrued holiday pay. The second averages the annual salary across all 12 months so pay stays consistent. Both are lawful; the statement should say clearly which applies, because they produce different monthly figures for the same role.

Either way, the holiday built into the arrangement must still meet the statutory 5.6-week minimum. Checking only the total annual salary can leave holiday pay under-provided.

Teachers vs Support Staff

Teachers and support staff sit under different national pay frameworks. The statement should reference whichever one actually applies.

Teachers

Teachers in maintained schools in England are covered by the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD), published by the Department for Education. It sets pay ranges, directed time and induction requirements. Academies are not legally bound by it, but many adopt equivalent terms. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own teacher pay and conditions arrangements.

Support Staff

Support staff, including teaching assistants, administrators and site staff, are usually covered by the NJC National Agreement on Pay and Conditions of Service, known as the Green Book, for local government services. Most maintained schools and many academies use its pay spine even where not required to.

Sources: GOV.UK, School Teachers' Pay and Conditions ↗ · LGA, NJC local government services and the Green Book ↗

What a Teacher's Written Statement Must Include

These are the core particulars under Section 1, applied to an education role. Some, such as sick pay and pensions, may sit in the wider statement.

Clause	Why it's required
Employer name	The school, academy trust, college or nursery the employee is contracted to.
Employee name and job title	Confirms who the statement covers and the role, for example class teacher, teaching assistant or exams officer.
Start date	Fixes the point continuous employment begins.
Pay and pay interval	Monthly is standard in education. State whether pay is spread across 12 months or paid only in working weeks.
Hours of work and working pattern	State the actual weekly hours and whether the role runs the full year, term-time only, or to a fixed end date.
Holiday entitlement and holiday pay	Must meet the statutory 5.6-week minimum, however the school's holiday periods are structured around it.
Notice period	What notice either party must give to end the contract.
Place of work	The school or site the employee is based at, including whether they can be required to work at other sites within a trust.
Sickness absence and sick pay	Reference to the applicable sick pay scheme, whether STPCD, the Green Book or an academy's own policy. This can sit in the wider statement.
Pension scheme	Teachers are usually eligible for the Teachers' Pension Scheme; support staff are usually eligible for the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Full list: GOV.UK ↗ · legislation.gov.uk ↗ · Our written statement checklist

Education-Specific Clauses

Beyond the standard particulars, a school statement should cover points specific to working with children and to school pay frameworks.

1. Safeguarding responsibilities

State that the role is subject to the school's safeguarding policy and to Keeping Children Safe in Education, and that continued employment depends on maintaining a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

2. Probationary period

Many schools use a longer probationary period than standard, particularly for early career teachers completing statutory induction. State the length and what happens if the induction period is not passed.

3. Pay framework reference

For teachers in maintained schools, reference the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document, which is binding on the school. For support staff, reference the NJC Green Book, which most maintained schools and many academies adopt even though academies are not legally bound by it.

4. Directed time and TLR payments

Teachers' contracts under STPCD are built around directed time, the hours a teacher can be required to work under the head teacher's direction. Where a Teaching and Learning Responsibility payment applies, state the TLR level and what it is paid for.

5. Term-time only working pattern

Set out the working pattern as a description of when work happens within an otherwise ordinary contract, not as a separate legal status. State the weeks worked and how annual pay is calculated across those weeks.

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Teacher Written Statement Example

A worked example for a full-time class teacher at a primary academy. Names and the school are fictional; bracketed figures must be replaced with current published rates. See also our general written statement example.

1Employer— Ashfield Academy Trust, trading as Ashfield Primary School.

Where a school is part of a multi-academy trust, the employer is usually the trust, not the individual school.

2Employee— Rebecca Hollis, Class Teacher (Year 4).

Job title matches the role actually being performed, not a generic label.

3Start date— 1 September 2026.

Matches the date the employee actually begins duties, usually the start of the academic year.

4Pay— £[annual salary at the relevant point on the current STPCD Main Pay Range], paid monthly on the last working day of each month.

Insert the current figure from the STPCD for your region. Pay points are updated by the Department for Education, so never copy an old figure.

5Working pattern— Full-time, 195 working days per year including 5 INSET days, in line with the school's published term dates.

The 195-day figure is the standard STPCD teacher working year.

6Holiday— Built into the school holiday periods; confirmed as meeting the statutory 5.6-week minimum.

Even where pay is spread over 12 months, holiday entitlement must not fall below the statutory floor.

7Safeguarding— Employment is conditional on an enhanced DBS check and compliance with the school's safeguarding policy.

Standard for any role with regular contact with children.

Teaching Assistant Written Statement Example

A worked example for a term-time only teaching assistant at the same school. Names are fictional; bracketed figures must be replaced with current published rates.

1Employer— Ashfield Academy Trust, trading as Ashfield Primary School.

Support staff are usually employed by the same entity as teaching staff within a trust.

2Employee— Michael Osei, Teaching Assistant (Level 2).

Level and grade match the NJC pay spine point the role is graded at.

3Start date— 1 September 2026.

Confirms when continuous service and any probationary period begin.

4Pay— NJC pay spine point [x], £[current hourly rate], paid monthly, under the Green Book.

Take the hourly rate from the current NJC pay table or your local authority scale; it changes with each annual pay award.

5Working pattern— Term-time only, 32.5 hours per week, 38 weeks per year.

Term-time only is the working pattern here, not a separate employment status.

6Holiday— Calculated at 5.6 weeks pro-rated to the weeks actually worked, paid as an addition to term-time pay.

Where hours or weeks are irregular across the year, check the calculation against the statutory minimum rather than assuming.

7Safeguarding— Employment is conditional on an enhanced DBS check and compliance with the school's safeguarding policy.

Applies equally to teaching and non-teaching roles with pupil contact.

Common School Employer Mistakes

1. Treating term-time only as a different legal status

Term-time only describes a working pattern within an ordinary employment contract. It does not remove or alter the written statement requirement.

2. Averaging pay without checking the holiday entitlement underneath it

Spreading an annual salary evenly across 12 months is common practice, but the statutory 5.6-week holiday minimum still applies. Checking only the headline salary can leave holiday pay under-provided for a genuinely part-year role.

3. Applying STPCD terms to an academy without checking its own policy

Academies are not bound by the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document. Many choose to mirror it, but the statement should reflect what the academy has actually adopted.

4. Leaving out the safeguarding and DBS clause

A role involving contact with children should state that employment depends on a satisfactory enhanced DBS check. Omitting it leaves the position unclear if a check later raises a concern.

5. Confusing directed time with total working hours

Directed time is the maximum hours a head teacher can direct a teacher to work; it is not the teacher's total working time, which also includes preparation and marking outside directed hours. Avoid stating a single figure as if it covered everything.

6. Issuing the statement after the autumn term has started

The principal statement is due on the first day of employment. A start date tied to the start of the academic year is still a specific date, so have the statement ready before it, not once term is underway.

7. Forgetting to update the statement when terms change

If a teacher's hours, pay point, TLR or working pattern changes, the employee must be told about the change in writing within one month.

Education Compliance Checklist

✓Confirmed whether the role is full-year, term-time only or fixed-term

✓Employer, employee and job title stated correctly

✓Pay basis stated clearly: averaged over 12 months, or paid only in working weeks

✓Working pattern states actual weeks or days worked per year

✓Holiday entitlement checked against the statutory 5.6-week minimum

✓Correct pay framework referenced: STPCD, the NJC Green Book, or the employer's own policy

✓Safeguarding and DBS clause included for roles with pupil contact

✓Probationary period stated, including statutory induction where relevant

✓Notice period stated and matches the employee's length of service

✓Principal statement issued on day one; wider statement within two months

✓Dated copy kept on file, and changes notified within one month

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About This Guide

🔄

Updated September 2026

Checked against Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, GOV.UK guidance on written statements, the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document and the NJC Green Book.

🇬🇧

Where it applies

Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 applies in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has an equivalent under its own employment rights order; see NI Direct. STPCD applies to maintained schools in England.

⚠️

Not legal advice

This page gives general information. For a role with unusual terms, or a dispute already underway, get advice from a qualified employment solicitor.

OfficeDraft Legal Team

Written by cross-referencing the primary sources listed below against the fields the generator collects. We cite the statute and government guidance directly, mark worked examples as fictional, and leave current pay figures for you to take from the published scales rather than quoting numbers that go out of date.

Primary sources and further help: Employment Rights Act 1996, s.1 · GOV.UK written statement guidance · GOV.UK STPCD · LGA NJC Green Book · NI Direct (Northern Ireland) · Acas · Law Society solicitor directory

Published: July 2026 · Last updated: September 2026 · Author: OfficeDraft Legal Team

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a written statement of employment for a teacher?▾

It is the document a school, academy trust, college or nursery must give a teacher setting out their main terms of employment: employer and employee names, job title, start date, pay, hours, holiday, place of work and notice. It is not the same as a full employment contract, although a contract can contain the same information.

When must a teacher receive their written statement?▾

GOV.UK explains that the principal statement must be provided on the first day of employment, and the wider written statement within two months of the start of employment. Changes must be notified within one month of the change. Issue both before the autumn term starts rather than after.

How do I create a written statement for school staff?▾

Use the generator on this page to enter the employer, employee, role, pay and hours. For a term-time only role, state the actual working pattern and how annual pay is calculated across the year. Then add the education-specific clauses from the checklist, such as safeguarding and the applicable pay framework.

What clauses should education employers include?▾

Beyond the standard particulars, education employers typically add a safeguarding responsibilities clause, confirmation of an enhanced DBS check, a probationary period, and a reference to the pay framework that applies: the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) for teachers in maintained schools, or the NJC Green Book for support staff. Academies are not legally bound by either but many adopt equivalent terms.

How should term-time only contracts be documented?▾

Record the actual weeks worked per year, whether annual pay is averaged across 12 months or paid only in working weeks, and how holiday entitlement is calculated. Describe it as a working pattern within a permanent or fixed-term contract, not as a separate employment status.

Does a supply or agency teacher need a written statement?▾

Workers as well as employees are entitled to a written statement from day one. Agency arrangements have special rules, so see our agency worker page for the particulars that apply to them.

Is there an education employment contract template?▾

This page provides a generator built for education roles, covering teachers, teaching assistants, administrative staff and support workers on full-year, term-time only, fixed-term and part-time patterns. It produces a written statement of particulars, which is the legal minimum, rather than a full contract.

Related Guides & Tools

⚠ Legal disclaimer

OfficeDraft's education written statement generator helps schools, academies, colleges and nurseries produce a statement covering the particulars required under Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. This page and the generator provide general legal information and are not independent legal advice. Names and figures in the worked examples are fictional. If a role has unusual terms, or a dispute is in progress, get advice from a qualified employment solicitor via the Law Society directory. See our Terms, Privacy Policy and Refund Policy.

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