Flexible working

We know that when teachers have time to breathe, plan, and recharge, both they and their students benefit. That’s why we introduced a flexible day for all teachers across our trust; a flexible working approach designed to support wellbeing, balance, and sustained professional excellence. 

Jennifer Devine, English Teacher and Pioneer of Culture at Dixons Newall Green Academy, shared how her flexible day has transformed her working life. 

“My nine-in-ten day has had a major impact on my wellbeing, happiness, and the ability to do my job,” Jennifer said. “It allows me to catch up on work and feel ready and stress-free during my school days.” 

Jennifer uses her tenth day strategically. 

“I usually spend the morning catching up on lesson plans and presentations for the next two weeks. After that, I take time for myself, and enjoy pilates classes, meeting friends, catching up with family, exploring Manchester, or even attending theatre productions.” 

This blend of professional focus and personal time helps her return to school refreshed and fully prepared. 

“Not only do I feel caught up, but I feel more patient and able to engage with students. Any extraneous workload has been dealt with, so I can really focus on quality first teaching and pedagogy.” 

For Jennifer, the benefits extend beyond wellbeing. 

“Having a flexible day makes me more efficient and responsive in school. I feel I can engage in meaningful conversations outside of lesson time and have more to give to my colleagues. My teaching practice has improved because I can use my planning time more efficiently, delve into live marking, and focus on adaptive teaching.” 

Her role as a pioneer of culture also benefits from flexible working: 

“I have more time to catch up on communications with Manchester Citizens and to plan initiatives that will have the biggest impact for our students.” 

For Jennifer, the true value of the nine-day fortnight is being fully present, for students, colleagues, and herself. 

“I can enjoy my work knowing that I am prepared, fully rested, and able to give my students the attention and focus they deserve.” 

At Dixons, we believe that when teachers have the time and space to thrive, students do too.  

For Hamza Latif, History Teacher, Dixons Trinity Academy, the initiative has been transformative, both personally and professionally. 

“The nine-day fortnight has had a profound impact on my wellbeing and mental health,” Hamza said. “It gives me the time to slow down rather than rush through everything. It’s like a breath of fresh air.” 

Hamza explained that the rhythm of having that tenth day has changed how he experiences teaching. 

“It’s one of the reasons I chose to work at Dixons, it’s innovative and it puts the people who are changing lives at the forefront. This initiative has brought back the joy in teaching for me. I feel clear-headed, recharged, and ready to give my best to the students we support at Dixons.” 

For Hamza, his tenth day is a day for reflection, growth, and connection. 

“I love having a Friday as my tenth day,” he said. “It feels like an extended weekend, I can hit the gym, complete my 10K steps, and spend time with my loved ones. Sometimes I’ll go on a long drive with friends or a family cinema trip, knowing I’ve earned that reward for the hard work I’ve put in.” 

Hamza also uses the time to plan, prepare, and reset. 

“I’ll skim over lesson plans, catch up on emails, or think ahead to the next term,  but it’s all on my terms. Without this day, I’d be saying no to family or friends. Now, I can say yes more often and that balance makes a real difference.” 

While the other nine days are full, from lessons to duties to supporting students, Hamza says the tenth day makes it all feel more sustainable. 

“That tenth day is a life-changer. It gives me autonomy and flexibility. I can plan, reflect, and look ahead without the noise of a busy school day. I feel fresh and motivated when I return, like I’ve hit reset.” 

The benefits have rippled into every part of his role. 

“It’s supported my wellbeing massively. I’m more energised, more present, and more joyful in the classroom. I can give my students the best version of me, instead of what’s left of me.” 

At Dixons, our flexible working policy is part of a wider commitment to making teaching a sustainable and fulfilling career. It’s about valuing people, building balance, and reimagining what’s possible in education. 

For Hamza, that approach has made all the difference. 

When teachers have balance, students succeed, that’s why our flexible day empowers staff to recharge and refocus. 

Nick Rogers, Assistant Vice Principal for Personal Development) at Dixons Brooklands Academy, shared how the initiative has given him a new perspective on work-life balance.

“I look forward to my nine-in-ten day, not in the same way as a weekend, but as a working day where I can do valuable weekday activities, like taking my daughter to nursery; things that would otherwise be difficult for me.”

For Nick, his tenth day isn’t just about work, it’s a chance to participate in family life in ways he couldn’t do without flexible working.

“On my nine-in-ten day, I can drop my daughter at nursery, look after my son while my wife goes to the gym, and help out with domestic tasks. They’re small things, but they make a real difference and support my family in meaningful ways.”

This combination of personal and professional focus has changed how Nick approaches his workweek.

“I do work on my tenth day, but away from distraction. It gives me headspace to focus on larger tasks and important projects. It effectively becomes a work-from-home day, and I’m always grateful for that.”

For Nick, the value of our nine-day fortnight is clear:

“The biggest benefit for me is being able to support my family more, in small but meaningful ways. It’s given me a better sense of balance and control and that makes me more focused and present in my professional role too.”

Click here to read more about how the nine-day fortnight is transforming life at Dixons.

Click here to read the Tes article on flexible working, written by our school and college trust leader, Luke Sparkes, and click here to hear from a member of team Dixons discuss the positive impact of our nine-day fortnight for teachers.

Watch the below OpenSource videos to find out more about how we're making flexible working a reality.

EEF study highlights positive impact of Dixons’ nine-day fortnight

Teachers involved in the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) evaluation reported that the nine-day fortnight is supporting their well-being, job satisfaction, and work–life balance.
Introduced in 2024 across all Dixons schools, the policy gives teaching staff one day off each fortnight, while maintaining full teaching time for students. The approach was designed to address national challenges in recruitment and retention and to improve work-life harmony for educators.

The EEF commissioned Ambition Institute and IFF Research to explore early impacts through interviews with teachers and leaders at seven Dixons schools. Findings showed that teachers and school leaders report:

• improved well-being and morale among teachers and leaders

• increased job satisfaction and better work-life balance

• no negative impact on students, including those with special educational needs

• early signs of stronger recruitment and retention
  While the evaluation noted some practical challenges around timetabling and ensuring equity for part-time and early career teachers, the overall picture is highly positive, demonstrating how trusts can lead the way in redefining flexible working in education.

“It feels really good to be part of a school that is doing something for the staff,” said one leader quoted in the report. “The profession has become unattainably hard in the volume of work and expectation - this policy shows our staff are valued.”

The nine-day working fortnight will continue across Dixons schools in the 2025/26 academic year, with ongoing monitoring of its long-term impact on teacher retention and student outcomes. Read the full report here.

Twelve months on, the results speak for themselves:

• 43% reduction in staff turnover: meaning more experienced teachers staying in our classrooms

• 518 fewer sickness absence days: healthier staff, more consistent learning for students

• 12% increase in applicants: attracting great new talent into Dixons

Most importantly, our colleagues tell us the policy has made a real difference to their lives, from being there for school plays and family moments, to having the space to recharge and thrive.

This isn’t just about flexible working; it’s about valuing our people, reducing workload pressures, and keeping our brilliant teachers in the profession.

We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re excited to keep leading the way in making education a place where people want to stay and grow. Read the TES article here.

Our nine-day fortnight is just the latest step in our ongoing focus on flexibility and workload. Here's a look at some of the things we've been doing for a long time to support our staff.

• Whole class feedback: We are attentive to student outcomes, and as a result, we provide feedback that is often deliverable (live or through reflection) from the whole class or as part of adaptions to planning or to the curricular map.   

• Behaviour management: We have a highly consistent behaviour management approach across our trust that builds supportive mechanisms around children and adults.

• Cross cutting teams: We have a central curriculum and we collaborate across schools and departments to ensure we share resources and stop duplication and unnecessary work at all levels. 

• Limiting our meetings: We always limit the amount of meetings that our staff are in. We don’t want to waste any of their time and we expect them to tell us and feed back if they feel they could save time elsewhere. 

In line with our deep commitment to self-determination, we want to give our teachers more agency over their roles by finding ways to give them more time back.

• Nine-day fortnight: the nine-day fortnight does not impact student contact time.

• Remote working: we offer remote working during non-contact time, which includes giving more PPA and making it manageable from home or another remote location, and where our teachers want to do this, compressing the free hours or non-contact hours so that they can be away from school for longer periods of time.  

• Personal days: we offer personal days during term time so our teachers are not restricted to only take time off in the school holidays.  

• Artificial intelligence: we are looking at technology, where possible, to reduce teachers’ contact time and provide greater flexibility. We want to harness technology more widely to free up more time and allow our best teachers to influence more students than just those physically present in their classrooms.