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Top Up Learning hits the top for summer school pay

Offering £900 a week – before holiday pay – a relative newcomer to the UK summer school scene has leapt into the lead as the top-paying summer operation. Top Up Learning haven’t so much blown the doors off the traditional summer school business model as nuked it into oblivion.

Other single centre operators also advertised top-end wages: KKCL are offering £646 a week net of holiday pay, while Severn Vale have gone to £700. But at £900 a week net of holiday pay, Top Up is in a field of its own.

Their work schedule is simple but intense: two 12 day periods of work with two rest days in between. In each 12 day period teachers have three teaching days, which include afternoon activities, interspersed with three excursion days. The total weekly teaching load is 10-20 hours. The one day on-site induction programme is covered in the salary.

Like most residential work providers outside of EFL their daily schedule is simple: a single on-duty shift pattern and a single hourly rate for all working time.

Top up teachers are on duty from 8:30am to 6:30pm every working day, with an hour ‘break’ for lunch. Top Up say this is a nine hour day, but the HMRC compliance unit may not concur if they are required to supervise the children in a meal break or are required to be in the same room as them and available if needed. This would deem them to be on-call and it would therefore be working time.

On-call time is the hidden minimum wage iceberg for most summer schools because on-call time at the workplace is generally deemed working time. To quote HMRC: ‘a worker required to spend their “on-call” time at an employer’s premises may be treated as working, even if they are relaxing or watching television.’

At £900 a week, however, staff would have to be on duty or on call for 85 hours a week, once the accommodation offset is added in, to have a case for non-payment of national minimum wage. For a 60 hour week it comes in at £15 an hour.

When I contacted CEO Sam Malafeh, he seemed surprised that they were the best paying summer school and shocked when we asked if he was including holiday pay in the headline rate or deducted any amount for food and accommodation. It had never even occurred to him.

I asked him if staff were on-call when they were off duty, and thus planning, preparation and marking time would be payable. ‘Of course not,’ he said. ‘They are off duty.’

I sent Sam Malafeh an email outlining the contents of this article and offering him a comment. There was no reply.

Top Up Learning is a business which wants to make a profit while following employment law to the letter. They are not interested in what the press, or their competitors, think. They are interested in making money while attracting and retaining good, qualified staff.

Some summer schools are more prestigious, others will promise fewer hours. But, if you can cope with working 12 days at a stretch and want to walk away with £4000 (including holiday pay) after four weeks, then Top Line Learning is the place to work this summer.

Image courtesy of Library
Melanie Butler
Melanie Butler
Melanie started teaching EFL in Iran in 1975. She worked for the BBC World Service, Pearson/Longman and MET magazine before taking over at the Gazette in 1987 and also launching Study Travel magazine. Educated in ten schools in seven countries, she speaks fluent French and Spanish and rather rusty Italian.
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