How lunchtime supervisor pay works
Lunchtime supervisors are usually on the lowest grade of the NJC pay spine, and work short daily hours during term only. Pay is worked out in the same way as for other term-time staff:
FTE salary × (your hours ÷ 37) × (paid weeks ÷ 52.143)
With so few hours, the hours fraction is small. 7.5 hours a week is about 20% of a full-time week, so the annual figure looks low even though the hourly rate is the same as other staff on that grade.
Since 2026/27, the lowest NJC spine point is SCP 3, worth £13.28 an hour. That’s above the National Living Wage of £12.71.
Hourly-paid or salaried?
Some schools pay lunchtime staff by the hour, only for the hours worked. If so, your holiday pay should either be paid when you take leave (in the school holidays) or added to each payment as rolled-up holiday pay of at least 12.07%. Check your payslip: rolled-up holiday pay must be shown as a separate item.
If you’re salaried, your holiday is built into the 12 equal monthly payments. Use the holiday pay checker to compare either method with the statutory minimum.
Common pay problems for lunchtime staff
- Paid 10.77% instead of 12.07%. On 10 hours a week at £13.28, that underpays you by about £67 a year.
- Not paid for wet-play or extra cover. Extra hours should be paid. If you work them regularly, they may also count towards holiday pay.
- The 30-minute unpaid break assumption. If you supervise through the whole lunch period, that’s working time.
Worked examples
Calculated with the same method as our term-time pay calculator, using 2026/27 NJC pay spine values. Your council or school may put the role on a different spine point.
1.5 hours a day, 38 weeks: SCP 3
7.5 hours a week over 38 weeks (190 school days, no INSET days).
FTE salary £25,614.00, 7.5 of 37 hours a week, 38 weeks a year, holiday: Green Book (pro-rated).
Actual pay: £4,332.10 a year, £361.01 a month.
See the working
Working
- Hours fraction 7.5 ÷ 37 hours = 0.2027
- Full-time leave (all-year employee) 23 + 8 + 2 days = 33 days
- Full-time leave in weeks 33 days ÷ 5 = 6.6 weeks
- Term-time holiday weeks (pro-rated) 38 × 6.6 ÷ (52.143 − 6.6) = 5.507 weeks
- Paid weeks 38 weeks worked + 5.507 holiday weeks = 43.507 weeks
- Paid-weeks factor 43.507 ÷ 52.143 weeks in a year = 0.8344
- Actual annual pay £25,614 × 0.2027 × 0.8344 = £4,332.10
- Monthly pay (12 equal instalments) £4,332.10 ÷ 12 = £361.01
- Hourly rate £25,614 ÷ (37 hours × 52.143 weeks) = £13.28
- Weekly pay in a week you work £13.28 × 7.5 hours = £99.57
Worked at full precision and rounded only for display (money to 2 decimal places, factors to 4). Some employers use a days-based method or round at different stages, so your payslip may differ by a few pence.
2 hours a day, 39 weeks: SCP 3
10 hours a week, including the 5 INSET days.
FTE salary £25,614.00, 10 of 37 hours a week, 39 weeks a year, holiday: Green Book (pro-rated).
Actual pay: £5,928.14 a year, £494.01 a month.
See the working
Working
- Hours fraction 10 ÷ 37 hours = 0.2703
- Full-time leave (all-year employee) 23 + 8 + 2 days = 33 days
- Full-time leave in weeks 33 days ÷ 5 = 6.6 weeks
- Term-time holiday weeks (pro-rated) 39 × 6.6 ÷ (52.143 − 6.6) = 5.652 weeks
- Paid weeks 39 weeks worked + 5.652 holiday weeks = 44.652 weeks
- Paid-weeks factor 44.652 ÷ 52.143 weeks in a year = 0.8563
- Actual annual pay £25,614 × 0.2703 × 0.8563 = £5,928.14
- Monthly pay (12 equal instalments) £5,928.14 ÷ 12 = £494.01
- Hourly rate £25,614 ÷ (37 hours × 52.143 weeks) = £13.28
- Weekly pay in a week you work £13.28 × 10 hours = £132.76
Worked at full precision and rounded only for display (money to 2 decimal places, factors to 4). Some employers use a days-based method or round at different stages, so your payslip may differ by a few pence.
1 hour a day, 38 weeks: SCP 3
5 hours a week covering just the lunch hour.
FTE salary £25,614.00, 5 of 37 hours a week, 38 weeks a year, holiday: Green Book (pro-rated).
Actual pay: £2,888.07 a year, £240.67 a month.
See the working
Working
- Hours fraction 5 ÷ 37 hours = 0.1351
- Full-time leave (all-year employee) 23 + 8 + 2 days = 33 days
- Full-time leave in weeks 33 days ÷ 5 = 6.6 weeks
- Term-time holiday weeks (pro-rated) 38 × 6.6 ÷ (52.143 − 6.6) = 5.507 weeks
- Paid weeks 38 weeks worked + 5.507 holiday weeks = 43.507 weeks
- Paid-weeks factor 43.507 ÷ 52.143 weeks in a year = 0.8344
- Actual annual pay £25,614 × 0.1351 × 0.8344 = £2,888.07
- Monthly pay (12 equal instalments) £2,888.07 ÷ 12 = £240.67
- Hourly rate £25,614 ÷ (37 hours × 52.143 weeks) = £13.28
- Weekly pay in a week you work £13.28 × 5 hours = £66.38
Worked at full precision and rounded only for display (money to 2 decimal places, factors to 4). Some employers use a days-based method or round at different stages, so your payslip may differ by a few pence.
Covers England and Wales. Northern Ireland not covered. Northern Ireland did not adopt the 2024 holiday changes for part-year workers, so these results don't apply there.
- Scotland: council staff are on SJC terms, not the NJC Green Book, and many Scottish councils use a 35-hour week. Change the full-time hours and holiday to match your contract.
- Academies: most academies follow the Green Book, but they don't have to. Check your contract for your full-time hours and holiday entitlement.
- Gross pay only: no tax, National Insurance, pension, overtime or allowances.