Savings
In most schools the duty roster is built by a senior person, early in the morning, under pressure. These studies put a number on that using published UK leadership pay and US BLS administrator wages: a small primary, an elementary, a secondary, a high school, a five-school trust and a five-school district.
United Kingdom
UK primary school
In a small UK primary the duty rota is often owned by the head or the SENCO, though a deputy or office manager may hold it. Break and lunch cover, sick cover, reprinting the sheet and sending it round take at least 5 hours a week. SchoolRota cuts that to about half an hour a week, then emails the PDF and syncs Outlook.
UK secondary school
A typical 11-16 secondary has a much larger support-staff pool and lesson cover on top of break, lunch and gate duty. Cover supervisors print lists. The person who can decide who may cover a lesson is usually an assistant head. SchoolRota turns about 8 hours a week of that work into a short daily review.
UK multi-academy trust
A five-school trust mixes two small primaries, a larger primary, a junior school and a secondary. Each site is at least at the 5-hours-a-week primary floor, then a central officer chases PDFs. One SchoolRota organisation on the XL plan replaces about 35 hours a week of scattered work.
United States
Same weekly-hour floor, priced in USD on the matching annual plan. Open the US studies.
US elementary school
In a small US elementary the duty roster is often owned by the principal or an assistant principal, though an office manager or special education coordinator may hold it. Recess, cafeteria, car line, sick cover and reprinting the sheet take at least 5 hours a week. SchoolRota cuts that to about half an hour a week, then emails the PDF and syncs Outlook or Google Calendar.
US high school
A typical 9-12 high school has a much larger classified-staff pool and class cover on top of hallway, cafeteria and parking duty. Attendance clerks print lists. The person who can decide who may cover a class is usually an assistant principal. SchoolRota turns about 8 hours a week of that work into a short daily review.
US school district
A five-school district mixes two small elementaries, a larger elementary, a middle school and a high school. Each site is at least at the 5-hours-a-week elementary floor, then a central office chases PDFs. One SchoolRota organisation on the XL plan replaces about 35 hours a week of scattered work.
At a glance
Annual card subscriptions include two months free. Net saving is the loaded cost of hours no longer spent on the rota, minus the plan for that number of staff.
| Study | Staff on rota | Hours a month, by hand | Hours a month, with SchoolRota | Annual plan | Net saving a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK primary school | 15 | 22 | 2 | £790 | £13,646 |
| UK secondary school | 88 | 35 | 3 | £1,790 | £23,131 |
| UK multi-academy trust | 193 | 152 | 15.5 | £3,490 | £86,346 |
US hours and dollar savings
| Study | Staff on rota | Hours a month, by hand | Hours a month, with SchoolRota | Annual plan | Net saving a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US elementary school | 18 | 22 | 2 | $990 | $16,168 |
| US high school | 90 | 35 | 3 | $2,290 | $25,162 |
| US school district | 202 | 152 | 15.5 | $4,490 | $94,946 |
Worked example
Break and lunch cover, sick cover, then sending the sheet round, at least 5 hours a week in a small primary. SchoolRota publishes the day, emails the PDF and syncs Outlook, so the usual owner no longer has to be the only person who can touch it.
Specialist time spent building the rota, covering absence, rebuilding sheets and sending them.
Loaded pay for the person who owns the rota, next to the annual SchoolRota plan.
Beyond the hours
Availability, job level, first aid and teaching clashes are why the work so often sits with a head, SENCO, principal or assistant principal. Those checks become rules, so the office can prepare a day and leadership approves it.
Publishing emails a PDF staff can open without logging in, and pushes duties into Outlook or a personal calendar feed. That happens on every absence, not just in September.
A head on a course or an assistant head on interviews should not freeze cover. Rules, a draft-then-publish board and a full audit trail keep the morning moving.
UK pay is School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 2025, England excluding London, 2025/26. A Group 1 primary headteacher sits at leadership L13 (£69,596). Teaching roles add a 28.68% Teachers' Pension employer contribution and 15% employer National Insurance. Loaded pay is divided by 1,650 hours.
US pay is U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024. Elementary principals use the $104,070 national median for SOC 11-9032. Assistant principals use the $83,840 25th percentile of the same occupation. Certified roles add 7.65% FICA and a 16% typical public pension contribution. Health insurance is left out. Loaded pay is divided by 1,800 hours.
Hours cover the standing roster, same-day absence cover, rebuilding sheets and sending them. A small primary or elementary is modelled at 5 hours a week (22 hours a month). Larger schools sit above that floor. SchoolRota hours cover publishing and review only, priced on the matching annual plan from the pricing page. Last reviewed 17 August 2026.
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