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Original poster

"Gold dust" school jobs

457 replies

Smartsub · 18/05/2022 19:14

I am currently trying to recruit for support staff in school. I need kitchen, staff, admin and TAs. All term time only and all school hours. The jobs I've previously seen referred to on here as "gold dust".

We are getting hardly any applications and those we do get a poor. Admittedly the money is poor, but that's always been the case. Until a couple of years ago the difficult part was sifting through the 100s of applications we'd get for such jobs, now we rarely get more than a handful.

What's changed?

OP posts:
ChiswickFlo · 18/05/2022 19:17

Worst cost of living crisis since 1950s...
People can no longer afford to work for "poor" wages!!

PandaOrLion · 18/05/2022 19:17

I agree. I’ve worked in pastoral roles in school for years and have experienced the same. However, there is now much more responsibility than ten years ago yet the pay doesn’t reflect that. I’ve also had to do two peoples jobs because there isn’t the funding for two posts, so I think more people are realising although the hours are good there is a lot to do.
Perhaps more roles being WFH recently means it’s easier to fit it around school hours?

ChiswickFlo · 18/05/2022 19:18

The money vs responsibility for these roles is ridiculous.

Pay a decent wage ffs

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General education
DingDongBellPussysInTheWell · 18/05/2022 19:19

I want a job just like this at my dc school … I have relevant experience, I'm a perfectly nice person, have had no negative contact with the school (barely any contact actually!) and yet I've applied twice and not so much as a dicky bird as a reply.
It's a smack in the face that I'm not even deemed good enough to be a dinner lady, frankly. Quite the ego dent.

actiongirl1978 · 18/05/2022 19:19

We are struggling to recruit too.

When someone says they are leaving everyone's heart sinks at the idea of being able to recruit again quick enough.

Office staff and LSAs

heliosfountain · 18/05/2022 19:19

ChiswickFlo · 18/05/2022 19:18

The money vs responsibility for these roles is ridiculous.

Pay a decent wage ffs

This.

I am job searching but couldn't afford to work for this money.

I appreciate its probably not your call though.

Onionpatch · 18/05/2022 19:19

There are more opportunities for flexible working in better paid environments so its easier to fut around chikdren. Particukarly if you have a partner that can now pull their weight on drop offs and pick ups as they hybrid work now.

OhIKnow · 18/05/2022 19:20

I think flexible working since covid has changed things. People can earn more not working in schools and are able to better manage their work around their families, there isn't the same need for school hours, term time only any more.

bambi1132 · 18/05/2022 19:21

I desperately want a school hour job so I can work around my DC and DH (military family so no other help) but I never see any where we live. I had an interview for an office assistant a while back but I feel like being out of work for nearly 8 years didn't go in my favour

bambi1132 · 18/05/2022 19:22

To add - I even asked my DCs school and another nearby if they need volunteers and I never even had a reply

Original poster
Smartsub · 18/05/2022 19:22

ChiswickFlo · 18/05/2022 19:18

The money vs responsibility for these roles is ridiculous.

Pay a decent wage ffs

I don't think there's a lot of responsibility, the responsibility sits elsewhere.

I'd love to pay more but 1. the LA sets the payscales, 2. School budgets, to pay more, we have to cut something else.

OP posts:
TomatoorChips · 18/05/2022 19:23

All minimum wage jobs (technically more but only paid for 44 weeks a year). Blame single status

DuckDuckMousse · 18/05/2022 19:23

For us it's as Pp said. DH and I both have some flexibility now. He drops off and I pick up. It's great. Before the pandemic I'd have killed for a school role.

EvilEdna1 · 18/05/2022 19:23

I worked in a school office until recently. I left because the they wanted too much for too little. You had to be super administrator, super receptionist, super safeguarder, super first aider, and put up with rude parents ...and the money was crap. As soon as my children got old enough to not rely on me in school holidays I left.

Saucery · 18/05/2022 19:28

Reasons amongst my colleagues for leaving have included:
Can’t live as a single parent on the money.
Covid and being left to it with no mitigations.
Children no longer of school age so looked for a full time job.

We can’t recruit Lunchtime Supervisors in our area. Our parents are either working already or happy with being a SAHP. Could it be the demographic of your area? With fuel costs and public transport costs being what they are now, it might not be worth people travelling to your school for a 15-25 hr job.

pokerdone · 18/05/2022 19:32

bambi1132 · 18/05/2022 19:22

To add - I even asked my DCs school and another nearby if they need volunteers and I never even had a reply

You could try contacting the caterers that run school meals etc.

ChiswickFlo · 18/05/2022 19:33

You don't think being a TA is a responsible job?
Wow.

RoyKentsChestHair · 18/05/2022 19:34

I don't think there's a lot of responsibility, the responsibility sits elsewhere.

bullshit. Any job in a school has a massive amount of responsibility and all the safeguarding training etc is expected whatever your role.

I have one of these jobs and it’s intense, stressful, poorly paid (the salary quoted was already low but when pro rata-ed to take account of holidays my tax credits claim said it was under minimum wage and shouldn’t be entered, so the holidays aren’t some big bonus, they’re just unpaid time off.

My school doesn’t even line up with my DCs’ school on holidays which would be annoying if they were young and needed me at home. I also have to leave for work before they start school and get home after them, so not really as family friendly as they first seem.

Lunchtime jobs just tie you up in the middle of the day so you have no flexibility but still only get 2 hours work a day. Not useful for many of us.

ChiswickFlo · 18/05/2022 19:34

EvilEdna1 · 18/05/2022 19:23

I worked in a school office until recently. I left because the they wanted too much for too little. You had to be super administrator, super receptionist, super safeguarder, super first aider, and put up with rude parents ...and the money was crap. As soon as my children got old enough to not rely on me in school holidays I left.

But your job is NOT a responsible one!!!

Singleandproud · 18/05/2022 19:34

When I first started in a school role my low income was topped up to a livable value through working and child tax credits, Universal credit does not top it up to a livable rate.

How many hours are you offering? TA or admin jobs under 16 hours won't be accessible for single parents as you need to work over 16 hours.

The school holidays are lovely as you don't have to pay for childcare but 13 weeks at home with no money is not fun and parents would be better off working at a supermarket with flexible shifts.

ChiswickFlo · 18/05/2022 19:35

RoyKentsChestHair · 18/05/2022 19:34

I don't think there's a lot of responsibility, the responsibility sits elsewhere.

bullshit. Any job in a school has a massive amount of responsibility and all the safeguarding training etc is expected whatever your role.

I have one of these jobs and it’s intense, stressful, poorly paid (the salary quoted was already low but when pro rata-ed to take account of holidays my tax credits claim said it was under minimum wage and shouldn’t be entered, so the holidays aren’t some big bonus, they’re just unpaid time off.

My school doesn’t even line up with my DCs’ school on holidays which would be annoying if they were young and needed me at home. I also have to leave for work before they start school and get home after them, so not really as family friendly as they first seem.

Lunchtime jobs just tie you up in the middle of the day so you have no flexibility but still only get 2 hours work a day. Not useful for many of us.

💯
The ops obvious disdain for these roles may be why they can't recruit?

Original poster
Smartsub · 18/05/2022 19:35

Saucery · 18/05/2022 19:28

Reasons amongst my colleagues for leaving have included:
Can’t live as a single parent on the money.
Covid and being left to it with no mitigations.
Children no longer of school age so looked for a full time job.

We can’t recruit Lunchtime Supervisors in our area. Our parents are either working already or happy with being a SAHP. Could it be the demographic of your area? With fuel costs and public transport costs being what they are now, it might not be worth people travelling to your school for a 15-25 hr job.

Mid days have always been a problem. Who wants to go out in the middle of the day for one hour at minimum wage. The only school where I saw it work well, they gave morning TAs and extra hour.

We're not losing staff to other jobs. The vacancies are retirements or people giving up work altogether because of family issues. Only the cook had another post, but that was at a larger school so promotion for her.

OP posts:
cansu · 18/05/2022 19:37

The only people who do these jobs are people who do not financially need a decent wage. Many of the people I know who do them have well paid partners but want to do something which fits in with their kids. Many more people need decently paid jobs so there is less demand for this kind of work.

BerryPieandCustard · 18/05/2022 19:37

I am experiencing the same.. I am trying to appoint a catering assistant 9:30-2:30 term time. Admittedly we pay just 35p above minimum wage. We have a £15 per week staff meal allowance that can be used on drinks/sandwiches/pre packed snacks like cereal bars, biscuits, popcorn and lentil crisps take home (some staff use this to stock their kid’s lunch boxes) or it can be used to purchase the main meal (again can be taken home). We also have access to the swimming pool Easter-September and can take our kids/family or friends and access to our schools gym Monday/Wednesday/Friday until 8pm.

in previous years I would be inundated with applications but now the few I do get are poorly written, half arsed attempts at an application.

cansu · 18/05/2022 19:38

I would also agree that there is much more responsibility in these roles than before. LSAs are often asked to take groups and cover PPA.