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Original poster

Childcare options for INSET days

31 replies

OutandAboutMum1821 · 21/04/2025 09:18

Do any teachers/TAs have any advice about paid childcare options for INSET days?

Breakfast/after school clubs don’t run on those 5 days, I only have 1 GP alive who works, a local childminder told me she can’t accommodate ad hoc days. Friends I trust work themselves/don’t live locally. I feel a bit stuck.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated 😊

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fartfacenotfatface · 21/04/2025 11:49

My DC’s teachers / TAs and even the office lady used to bring their children in to school when their kids (attending different schools) had inset days. They just used to sit in with the class appropriate to their age. It was a small village school though so possibly a bit more flexible than most.

Icecreamandcoffee · 21/04/2025 10:51

Try nanny agency or scour your local FB page for babysitters. There are a lot of young adults/ childcare/ teaching students advertising babysitting services. Due to college and university holidays and days they are at college a lot of them are available for school holidays and inset days.

fiorentina · 21/04/2025 10:48

Not a teacher but definitely share care with other working parents to help each other.
When I was a child I went in with my mum on inset days and ‘helped’ in the classroom, cleaning lego etc. 😂

BitterTits · 21/04/2025 10:45

Chewbecca · 21/04/2025 09:34

If you get a job in a different school to your DH, usually you would have different inset days and the other parent would still be available for the DC?

No they wouldn't because the other would be teaching and can't just book a day off.

Original poster
OutandAboutMum1821 · 21/04/2025 10:43

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to reply 😊

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Whyisitsobloodycold · 21/04/2025 10:21

OutandAboutMum1821 · 21/04/2025 09:25

Thank you, that’s a helpful suggestion.

Show quote history

Get in touch with local private nurseries and enquire if any of the girls do babysitting on their days off. Our local nursery girls do evening babysitting.
The girls in our nursery tend to work long days similar to nursing, so often do a 4 day week.

Will work best if your children are school aged I’d assume, as they won’t know a babysitter well. But at least she’ll be trained in first aid, safeguarding, childcare etc

Do your TA’s also work inset days? They might be interested in babysitting if not

lavenderlou · 21/04/2025 10:16

Just realised part of my post earlier only makes sense if you and DC both have inset on the same day. When my DC were older primary age, my HT has let them come into my classroom on days when DC have had INSET at their school and my school is open.

Jk987 · 21/04/2025 10:08

Play date at their friends then return the favour another time.

MoggetsCollar · 21/04/2025 09:37

DH and I are both teachers and we had this issue when DS was little. There would be 5-10 days a year we couldn't cover as we had no local help. We used sitters.co.uk. The people they sent were always great. In the end one person picked up most of DS's days (he was easy to look after and we paid over the odds). DS loved her- it worked really well.

modgepodge · 21/04/2025 09:35

drspouse · 21/04/2025 09:25

We usually find the school's own holiday club runs on Inset days.

This has never been the case at any school I worked at or my child attends. In most cases the hall would be needed as the only room big enough to accommodate all staff, and would also usually be where the holiday club would run. It might happen in some schools but would be unusual.

If you’re a TA you may find you’re not actually obliged to attend all insets. They attend some but I’ve definitely been to some which were teachers only.

If you live close to a county border and work in a different county to your husband then term times may not perfectly align so
you may find one of you is off when the other has an inset. I speak as someone who worked in an independent school and had to find 4 days of childcare at the start of one term as my state educated child went back that much later than me - I couldn’t believe it 🤣

Chewbecca · 21/04/2025 09:34

If you get a job in a different school to your DH, usually you would have different inset days and the other parent would still be available for the DC?

lavenderlou · 21/04/2025 09:34

I have had this difficulty as DH and I are both teachers. My Mum was usually able to have them but I have used the 18 year old daughter of a friend. You could look at a website like sitters or childcare.co.uk. When they were 8+ my school was sometimes OK with them sitting in my classroom for the day and I could check on them periodically.

Original poster
OutandAboutMum1821 · 21/04/2025 09:28

Thank you to several posters for the suggestion of reciprocal care.

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OhHellolittleone · 21/04/2025 09:27

Sherrystrull · 21/04/2025 09:26

Reciprocal care is your best bet. Offer to have your children’s friends for a couple of days in the holidays in return.

Yep find one of your children’s friends with 2 kids and offer to have them both for a day or two in the hols. Then the parent can work that day and take the inset off.

ThingsgetbetterwithalittlebitofRazzmatazz · 21/04/2025 09:27

Swap with friends, you are in a good position to help others during the school holidays in return for help to cover inset days.

Original poster
OutandAboutMum1821 · 21/04/2025 09:26

Lolloped · 21/04/2025 09:25

When I’m stuck for an odd day I hire a nanny for the day. I use an agency and the ladies she’s sent have always been brilliant.

Thank you for this idea.

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Sherrystrull · 21/04/2025 09:26

Reciprocal care is your best bet. Offer to have your children’s friends for a couple of days in the holidays in return.

Original poster
OutandAboutMum1821 · 21/04/2025 09:26

drspouse · 21/04/2025 09:25

We usually find the school's own holiday club runs on Inset days.

Thank you, I’ll look into that.

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Original poster
OutandAboutMum1821 · 21/04/2025 09:25

TwentyTwentyFive · 21/04/2025 09:24

These days are set out in advance so if you don't have local childcare like grandparents etc or friends you can rely on for reciprocal care and your partner also can't accommodate caring for the child on these days then you'd need to employ a babysitter for the day.

Thank you, that’s a helpful suggestion.

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Lolloped · 21/04/2025 09:25

When I’m stuck for an odd day I hire a nanny for the day. I use an agency and the ladies she’s sent have always been brilliant.

drspouse · 21/04/2025 09:25

We usually find the school's own holiday club runs on Inset days.

Original poster
OutandAboutMum1821 · 21/04/2025 09:24

TeenLifeMum · 21/04/2025 09:20

How old is the dc? I had friend’s dc on some insets and they had mine in the holidays as they were teachers.

6 and 3 (7 and 4 from Sept when looking into this from).

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Simonjt · 21/04/2025 09:24

Soontobe60 · 21/04/2025 09:21

Surely you’d just take a day off work? INSET days are arranged up to a year in advance.

School staff don’t get bookable annual leave, they can’t just opt out of a working day.

TwentyTwentyFive · 21/04/2025 09:24

These days are set out in advance so if you don't have local childcare like grandparents etc or friends you can rely on for reciprocal care and your partner also can't accommodate caring for the child on these days then you'd need to employ a babysitter for the day.

Original poster
OutandAboutMum1821 · 21/04/2025 09:23

Soontobe60 · 21/04/2025 09:21

Surely you’d just take a day off work? INSET days are arranged up to a year in advance.

I meant as in I am considering returning to teaching/TA work myself, so I would need to be in for meetings on the INSET days. DH is a teacher, so zero flexibility.

I just wondered if there was something obvious others do that’s I’m missing 🤔

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