Term Time Salary Calculator
Free UK calculator — instant, accurate results for term time salary
🏫 Term Time Salary Calculator
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Term-Time Salary Calculator
Working during school term time means your annual salary reflects both reduced weekly hours (if applicable) and fewer working weeks than a year-round employee. This calculator applies the standard local authority formula used across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland for support staff contracts.
The key variable is how many weeks per year you actually work. Most teaching assistants work 38-39 term weeks, plus training/INSET days. Your statutory holiday entitlement (5.6 weeks for full-time equivalent) is added to your working weeks before calculating the annual fraction.
How Term-Time Pay Is Calculated by Local Authorities
Establish the FTE salary
Find the full-time, year-round salary for your grade on your council's pay scale. This is the starting point — typically between £22,000-£28,000 for support staff.
Apply the hours fraction
If you work fewer than full-time hours, calculate: Your Hours ÷ Full-Time Hours. Working 25 of 37.5 hours gives 0.6667.
Apply the weeks fraction
Calculate: (Term Weeks + 5.6 Holiday Weeks) ÷ 52. Working 39 term weeks gives (39 + 5.6) ÷ 52 = 0.858.
Multiply all together
FTE Salary × Hours Fraction × Weeks Fraction = Your Annual Term-Time Salary.
For part-time teacher pay (which uses a different formula based on STPCD), see our teacher part-time calculator. For purely hours-based pro rata without term-time, use the main pro rata calculator.
NJC Pay Scales for Term-Time Staff 2025/26
| NJC Grade | FTE Annual | Term-Time FT Hrs | Term-Time 25h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 2 (SCP 3) | £22,366 | £19,186 | £12,791 |
| Grade 3 (SCP 5) | £23,500 | £20,159 | £13,440 |
| Grade 4 (SCP 7) | £24,702 | £21,190 | £14,127 |
| Grade 5 (SCP 12) | £27,334 | £23,449 | £15,633 |
How to Use the Term Time Salary Calculator
Using our term time salary calculator is straightforward. Follow these steps to get accurate results for your situation:
- Enter your full-time salary — This is the annual salary for the equivalent full-time role, before any deductions. You'll find this on the job advert or your contract.
- Set the full-time hours — The standard working week for the role. Most UK employers use 37.5 or 40 hours per week.
- Enter your actual hours — Your contracted weekly hours. This is the number you actually work.
- Set your term weeks — The number of weeks per year you work (typically 38-39 for schools). Add your holiday entitlement weeks separately.
- Click Calculate — The term time salary calculator displays your results instantly, with annual, monthly, weekly, daily, and hourly breakdowns.
Worked Example: Term Time Salary Calculator
Let's work through a real example of using a term time salary calculator. Sarah is a school teaching assistant on a full-time equivalent salary of £23,500. She works term-time only (38 weeks) at 30 hours per week, while the full-time role is 37.5 hours per week for 52 weeks.
Step 1 — Calculate the hours pro rata: 30 ÷ 37.5 = 0.8 FTE
Step 2 — Calculate the weeks pro rata: (38 + 5.6 holiday weeks) ÷ 52.143 = 0.8356
Step 3 — Apply both adjustments: £23,500 × 0.8 × 0.8356 = £15,710 per year
This gives Sarah a monthly gross pay of approximately £1,309. However, because her pay is spread across 12 months, she receives the same amount each month even during school holidays.
Want to check a different scenario? Use our term time salary calculator above — enter your own figures to see your exact term-time salary.
Common Mistakes With Term Time Salary Calculator Results
- Forgetting holiday weeks: Term-time pay isn't just term weeks × weekly rate. You must add 5.6 weeks of statutory holiday to your term weeks before dividing by 52.143. Many employers include this in your annual hours calculation.
- Using 52 instead of 52.143: There are 365.25 days in a year (accounting for leap years), which gives 52.143 weeks — not exactly 52. This small difference affects your annual salary by up to £100.
- Confusing teaching and support staff scales: Teachers and support staff use completely different pay scales. Teaching assistants should use their local authority pay grade, not the Teachers' Pay Scale.
- Not including INSET days: Most contracts include 5 teacher training (INSET) days in addition to term weeks. Check whether your 38 or 39 weeks includes or excludes INSET days.
According to ACAS guidance, your employer should provide a clear breakdown of how your term-time salary is calculated. If the figures don't match, raise it with HR or contact ACAS for free advice.
Pro Rata Holiday Entitlement
Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, all UK workers are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks' paid holiday per year (28 days for full-time). If you work part-time, your entitlement is calculated pro rata based on your actual hours or days worked.
| Days Worked/Week | FTE Ratio | Statutory Days/Year | Bank Holidays (pro rata) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days (full-time) | 1.0 | 28 days | 8 days |
| 4 days/week | 0.8 | 22.4 days | 6.4 days |
| 3 days/week | 0.6 | 16.8 days | 4.8 days |
| 2.5 days/week | 0.5 | 14 days | 4 days |
| 2 days/week | 0.4 | 11.2 days | 3.2 days |
Holiday entitlement is always rounded up — never down — when the result is not a whole number, per ACAS guidance on holiday entitlement. Bank holidays may be included in or added on top of your statutory 28 days, depending on your contract.
All calculations on this page follow ACAS pro rata pay guidelines and are consistent with the UK Employment Rights Act 1996. Tax figures use HMRC 2025/26 rates. The April 2025 National Living Wage of £12.21/hour is applied where relevant.
Related Salary Calculators
Our term time salary calculator is just one of the tools available on ProRataCalculator. You may also find these useful: pro rata calculator, overtime calculator, holiday pay guide.
Last updated: February 2026. Verified against HMRC 2025/26 tax rates and April 2025 National Living Wage (£12.21/hour).
Frequently Asked Questions
Term-time salary = Full-time salary × (term weeks + holiday weeks) ÷ 52. For example, with 39 term weeks plus 5.6 holiday weeks: £30,000 × 44.6 ÷ 52 = £25,730.77.
Yes. Term-time workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks statutory holiday pro rata. This is usually built into the annual salary and spread across 12 equal monthly payments.
Most UK schools have 39 weeks of term time per year, split across three terms. Some academies may vary slightly. The remaining 13 weeks are school holidays.
Most employers pay term-time staff in 12 equal monthly instalments throughout the year, even during school holidays. This provides a consistent monthly income.