How easy is it to get part time teaching positions?

[ceebie]

I can't wait to give up my current job. I'd like to train to teach but I'm well aware of the very heavy workloads involved. It seems to me that the only way of achieving any sort of a work-life balance is to teach part-time. My sister (who re-trained as a teacher a few years ago) reckons that even if I could do the PGCE part-time, I'm better off just getting the year over with as quickly as possible. But can the NQT year be done part-time? As far as I can tell, part-time teaching posts almost never seem to be advertised. The people I know with part-time teaching posts have done the job full-time and eventually persuaded the school to let them reduce their hours.

[Heirhelp]

It all depends on if you are primary or secondary, which subject and which part of the country you are in.

[ceebie]

Secondary Science, in the northwest.

[Doowrah]

I did my NQT part-time and work part-time, it is achievable.

[Doowrah]

Also, far more preferable on all fronts I've found.

[ceebie]

Doowrah was your NQT/current role advertised part-time? If not, how did you go about arranging part time, was there any difficulty doing this?

[fedup21]

I don't know anyone who did their PGCE or NQT year part time, come to think of it. That's not to mean it isn't possible, just that in my 20 years of teaching (in a cross selection of schools), I've not seen it happen.


50% of the teaching staff in my current school are part time, but all moved to pt after having a baby/maternity leave and requesting flexible working.

[Doowrah]

I did my NQT by applying for a part-time job...left that one went on supply picked up a long term supply which has gone onto a permanent job share. There are alot of part-time jobs where I am.

[MrsHerculePoirot]

I emailed about a full time job asking if they would consider part time for the right candidate. They said yes so I applied and then when offered the job negotiated how part time that was. Tbh there are big shortages in many schools so if you turn out to be quite good they would definitely consider it I should think.

[teacherwith2kids]

I did both my PGCE and NQT 'year' (obviously took longer because it needs to be a full year-of-teaching, not a calendar year) part time. Primary.

However, my perception is that part time PGCEs have become rarer than they were when I trained - certainly the one I did is no longer available, and many of the 'more highly regarded' PGCE providers will only do full time. The OU used to do one for secondary, but closed their course down a couple of years ago.

Once qualified, getting p/t working wasn't too bad, as I basically did the 'other' part of the job than someone returning fro maternity leave wanted to do part time. Similarly, when I moved to p/t working this year, after years of full time, the 'other' part of my job was advertised externally.

[MrsGuyOfGisbo]

Two friends who did training with me via School Direct PGCE two year s ago did their NQT induction as part time in the school s they did their training in (both secondary) - one did three days equivalent over four calendar days (so she had shorter days and never had to teach first lesson as she wanted to take her own DC to school); the other did four full days a week.