In our local primary, all the ks1 classes, and some ks2 are now job shares, on a merry-go-round that alters with the various maternity leaves. Whilst it might be more difficult for the HT to work it all out, it is otherwose win-win, as the teachers get the flexibility they need to enjoy their own small children without being completely exhausted by FT work, and the puils have the advantage of being taught by different people, wiht differtn intests and aptutdes. The school retains experienced teachers they might lose if they isisted on Ft only, and teh teachers retain theri foothold in th working worl and Pension rights. So what's not to like about it? And it appears that teaching is one of the most suitable careers to be flexible.

I think I tend to agree that it's pretty much impossible, that's the trouble. As it is for anyone who is in a job where they have to be timetabled to be in a certain place at a certain time.

I guess I just think it's a bit narrow-minded to be cynical about a great concept purely because it doesn't fit in with your particular set of circumstances.

Many people will benefit from the legislation and many teachers will have benefited by being able to do jobshares or part-time working - maybe that particular solution doesn't suit your wife but does that honestly mean the whole concept is "crap anyway"? (your original point)

BTW lots of my friends and family are teachers so I do sympathise - I'm not anti-teachers or anything!

I'm not suggesting you are - I am just wondering what you'd like to see happen, or what options you think there should be. Not being a teacher, I dont know these things. I'm not attacking your opinion, I just want to explore it

So did my DD's Y1 teachers. I don't think I've ever said job-sharing can't be done. But (I've said this several times now) in order to do it, you have to be in the position to do half a job.

My DD's Yr 1 teachers work on a job share basis.

I think she's perfectly entitled to be cynical. She doesn't moan about it - she knows she gets good holidays. It only comes up when "flexible working" is mentioned.

I haven't missed your point - I was pointing out that you can't always have exactly what you want and that flexible working is about finding something that works within the parameters of your job.

Yes, if you are in certain fields and are not prepared to cut your hours or jobshare then flexible working is not going to be possible. That's why it's called flexible working - not rearrange-your-timetable-exactly-how-you-like-but-without-taking-a-cut-in-pay-or-hours working.

I would love to only work term-times - that's completely impossible in my job, it simply couldn't be done and it's not worth thinking about. I could be complaining that my job therefore doesn't offer truly flexible working because I can't have exactly what I want out of it - but I accept that that solution will be open to some people, but sadly not me if I stay in my current field.

Your DW chose a career where she can only work termtimes - but some other forms of flexible working are closed to her. I can't see why that means she shoudl be cynical about the whole concept, just because one particular form of the idea doesn't work for her.

youngvisiter - demand is perhaps the wrong word, I know. But you've missed my point - it's near-impossible for a full-time teacher (or anyone else who is in a job with a fixed timetable determined some months ahead) to ask for that kind of flexible working.

yes but I couldn't just "demand" to have whatever I liked off from work either. I had to find a solution that worked for me and my employer. I'd much prefer a slightly different setup in fact, but it would have had disadvantages for the rest of the team so I've got a compromise that gives me some of what I want and some of what work wants.

Flexible working isn't just about marching up and rearranging your worklife exactly how you want it.

I realise that you were just giving an example UQD, but say in that situation your DW really needed Monday mornings off for some particular reason, she could perhaps negotiate a jobshare so that another teacher took Monday and Tuesday, and she took Weds, Thurs and Fri. Sure - it wouldn't be the exact solution she'd demanded - but it would have the result she needed.