In response to 'A Forester, Drybrook'. He needs to get his facts right if he is to talk about teachers. I was pleased to see in this week's Review a letter from a retired teacher and this supports my following comments.

My partner is a teacher. She arrives at work at 7.45am and leaves at 6pm, 10 minutes to eat lunch – break times are spent getting previously prepared resources out for the next lessons. So this makes for a 10 hour day at work.

Once home, an additional two hours are spent on school-based work extending the working day to a 12 hour shift (rounding numbers for ease).

Then we have the weekends. If we go out on a Saturday it is often for a school-based reason – resources – or if not she is always looking out for learning opportunities for her children.

Sunday is traditionally the start of the working week and this is still the case for us. She works from 10am to 6pm (often later but I'll say 6).

In total then 4 (Mon – Thurs) x 12 = 48, Friday she actually comes home at 4.30 so this is 8.5 hrs = 56.5 + 8 hours on Sunday = a working week of 64.5 hours. Multiply this by the 33 week academic year = 2128.5 hours per year. This does not include the parent's evenings, extra test marking or report writing nor the directed time as mentioned in 'retired teacher Soudley'.

Now for the 'holidays'. Half term this week, she has worked 3 full days eating lunch whilst working 9 - 4, all the other holidays are about the same, working 3 full days each time (except the summer, I will come onto that) this makes an additional 105 hours per year (3 x 7 x 5 - Oct, Christmas, Feb, Easter, June). In the summer a full two weeks are spent on school work, not to mention when on holiday the teacher in her never switches off, as previously stated. This is then 7 x 10 days = 70 additional hours, making an annual total of 2128.5 + 105 + 70 = 2303.50. Divide this by 52 and you have an average working week of 44 hours, EVERY WEEK OF THE YEAR!

As for the salary, a primary school teacher's top salary is £31,668, it can raise to £37,124 if an experienced teacher decides to apply for additional payments, the lowest is £21,804. The average salary 'A Forester' stated includes management salaries as well in order for the average to be substantially above these amounts.

Her role is about teaching but does include social work, parent negotiations, disco organising, fund raising, being a chauffeur (her own car with additional insurance to carry children), child minding, behavioural specialist and being the obvious nose wiper, sick clearer upper.

As for 18 children in the class, oh what joy this would be!. She has and always has had about 30, a TA is often 1:1 with a child so 29 ON HER OWN!

All of the above is relevant to my partner but I know from her work colleagues that these 'facts' are pertinent to most teachers. There are those however, who are not so conscientious (fool hardy??) but in my experience the majority follow the above. Interestingly, applying the same idea to 'Retired teacher, Soudley', the average working week would be more – (23.09 x 195) ÷52 = 86 hour week, EVERY WEEK! So my calculations fall short of her working week!

So, why does she do it? It is more than a job, it is a vocation. She enjoys her work and knows that she is making a difference. Many people would not do this job - where would we be without the teachers then? The pension is important. You try having 30 children for 40 years working those hours! However, we both agree that things have to change. But for those teachers who have worked in the system under specific pay and conditions, to have details change at such a late stage leaves them with no option but to fight it. She and I would welcome Michael Gove insisting on a working day of 9 – 5, bring it on!

– Dave Fisher, Bream.