Feeling so down about how much I earn

Cel77 · 2026-02-08T22:41:28+00:00

I am a supply teacher in primary schools. I have been qualified for 23 years. I am on the highest point of the main payscale. I do not want to be a permanent school teacher for many reasons. One of them is having two children and one of them is autistic. We have no family support whatsoever for childcare. Our autistic child can not access most after school clubs and holiday clubs. He's actually never attended a holiday club. I am off 7 weeks at the summer to look after the children. I'm not paid then so have to save for it. I'm in debt. My husband works full time in a very stressful job for £43 000. He does most pick ups from school as he works from home and can manage his time flexibly. I am still at school when my own children finish, obviously. I feel very down that I'm only paid £150/day, which works out at a £16 000/£17 000 gross salary per year. I've worked very hard all my life, I've studied for 4 years at uni, I'm a good teacher but I feel so undervalued. My husband feels undervalued too. I'd like to know what I could do in our situation to improve my/our finances...

BellesAndGraces · 08/02/2026 22:47

The obvious answer would be to go back to a permanent role. You said DH does school pick ups and drop offs so I don’t see why you wouldn’t?

Besidemyselfwithworry · 08/02/2026 22:52

Teaching jobs are term time only and you said your husband can work flexibly and do school runs??? So you don’t rely on wraparound or holiday clubs.
I think I’d be looking for a permanent role in a school then you’d get all the benefits as a salaried teacher as you’d still be doing the same hours as a supply teacher.
Now is the time to be applying for September roles they’re starting to be advertised - if just go for it.

MidnightPatrol · 08/02/2026 22:53

The issue isn’t your day rate as such, it’s that you are working part time.

tedx · 08/02/2026 22:57

You would earn £39k per annum which is above the average salary. You earn circa £16k as you work only around 22 weeks of the year.

Blondeshavemorefun · 08/02/2026 22:58

You work part time.

work full time and be £40k ish

Original poster

Cel77 · 08/02/2026 22:58

BellesAndGraces · 08/02/2026 22:47

The obvious answer would be to go back to a permanent role. You said DH does school pick ups and drop offs so I don’t see why you wouldn’t?

He does but it's far from ideal. I have to take days off when he has to be at the office or attending a training day as he can not drop off or pick up the kids from school. On a "normal" day, he goes home after pickup and turn his laptop on until 6 pm . The kids are on their screens until I'm back from school as he can not be with them at all.

I don't want to be permanent as I know all too well there will be meetings after school, parents evening, planning in the evenings and at the weekend.

I have done it all for years but since having children, I've quickly realised it wasn't working for us in our specific situation.
And I am trying to get out.

Any ideas are welcome.

OP posts:

BellesAndGraces · 08/02/2026 23:06

What did you do on those days your DH has to be in the office before you switched to supply teaching?

There’s no easy answer. I earn a shit ton of money but work ridiculous hours and average 4-5 hours sleep most nights. I could take a less pressured job but it would obviously pay less. You’re making the choice to do supply for greater flexibility and, similarly, that comes with a pay cut.

Overthebow · 08/02/2026 23:11

You won’t find something with the hours you want, term time only, for much more pay than you’re on unless you’re a permanent teacher which you don’t seem to want.

Besidemyselfwithworry · 08/02/2026 23:13

I think you have 2 choices here

take a perm job and have more money

or

stay as a supply teacher on less money

you have to make the choices as to what is best for you and your individual circumstances.

my friend is a teacher and she earns extra money marking exam papers - is that an option?

Besidemyselfwithworry · 08/02/2026 23:14

Or give teaching up and register as a childminder so you’re about for your kids?!

ChocolateHobbit · 08/02/2026 23:29

I think I can relate as I'm a qualified teacher and was on UPS3 before I left last year. I left partly due to mental health reasons, partly due to toxic leadership. Being honest I want to get out of classroom teaching altogether.

I could be a headteacher by now. I'm qualified and experienced enough to do it, but I just can't. It would ruin me.

Now I work as a tutor doing a handful of hours a week because it's all I can get, no holiday pay, no sick pay. I'm very well paid for what I do so I don't feel anything has been wasted (my degrees etc) however it's not something you can easily do full time, so like you I bring in a very low salary. The plus? It's low stress, which is what I needed after the hideous time I had at my last job.

I'm very fortunate that financially we are very comfortable and I don't have to go back teaching full time. I know that's not the case for most.

If you want more money, then you have to go back into a permanent job. But what's the sacrifice?

RosesAndHellebores · 08/02/2026 23:30

@Cel77 might your autistic child ever be able to access childcare/clubs?

Could you earn more as a specialist tutor for the army of homeschooled children? Could you tutor outside school hours? Could you switch to a specialist SEN role?

WindyW · 08/02/2026 23:34

What about creating content? I just bought an ebook about PDA written by a teacher,

distinctpossibility · 08/02/2026 23:40

I think you should think of your salary in terms of its full-time equivalent. It's not dissimilar from your husband's in those terms.

The thing is, you can't be part-time, term-time with full flexibility in another role. It just isn't going to happen. You "earn" (or more accurately, don't need to spend) what, £60 per day in the holidays by avoiding holiday clubs. Your value isn't contingent on how much you earn.

Ilovesshopping · 08/02/2026 23:41

Do some private tutoring in the evenings or weekends.

curliegirlie · 08/02/2026 23:47

Besidemyselfwithworry · 08/02/2026 22:52

Teaching jobs are term time only and you said your husband can work flexibly and do school runs??? So you don’t rely on wraparound or holiday clubs.
I think I’d be looking for a permanent role in a school then you’d get all the benefits as a salaried teacher as you’d still be doing the same hours as a supply teacher.
Now is the time to be applying for September roles they’re starting to be advertised - if just go for it.

If he’s working FT he probably can’t do the childcare when he returns from the school run though, and being supply means that OP doesn’t need to worry about planning and marking etc, which would ordinarily leech into the evenings and weekends.

I’d suggest the Civil Service, which is great for flexibility (I work 0.75 over 5 days - school hours only - and AL covers a lot of the school holidays. I also have a DC who cannot attend wraparound), although there are big recruitment freezes at the moment. Still worth looking into though. Good luck!

curliegirlie · 08/02/2026 23:49

I also know a former teacher who works from home for Twinkl!

SallyDraperGetInHere · 08/02/2026 23:52

It’s difficult to advise without knowing the extent of your children’s needs, and how much time you can create around those needs. Supply teaching needs a degree of flexibility to be where you’re called, and that’s really hard unless you’ve a watertight tag-team setup at home. And the uncertainty, and unpaid holidays don’t help. What would it take to enable you to apply for FT jobs? And/or could you do evening tutoring, training up and specialising, eg in maths, when your DH is home? Is job-share an option? Would a minder to your house 4-6pm help? Really I’d be targeting something permanent, even if PT, to plan for your longterm income - but only you know your children’s needs.

AutumnAllTheWay · 09/02/2026 00:04

You should be able to negotiate a higher day rate as a good supplement teacher.

Try a different agency

Original poster

Cel77 · 22/02/2026 20:49

curliegirlie · 08/02/2026 23:47

If he’s working FT he probably can’t do the childcare when he returns from the school run though, and being supply means that OP doesn’t need to worry about planning and marking etc, which would ordinarily leech into the evenings and weekends.

I’d suggest the Civil Service, which is great for flexibility (I work 0.75 over 5 days - school hours only - and AL covers a lot of the school holidays. I also have a DC who cannot attend wraparound), although there are big recruitment freezes at the moment. Still worth looking into though. Good luck!

Show quote history

You read my posts really well. He just sits in front of the laptop when he gets home from pick up. I arrive about 30 minutes later and it's full on . Taking kids to activities, making dinner, walking the dog, tidying, homework...He finishes work at 6 and it's an evening of tidying after our meal. We are so shattered but try to engage the kids into playing games etc...Our son would never leave screens if he was left unsupervised.
I feel I have to be home for 4 at the latest so I can pick up all the bits my husband can't as he works FT. I don't want to take work home in the evening or at the weekend as it doesn't work ( I tried this before. It didn't work)

OP posts:

Original poster

Cel77 · 22/02/2026 20:51

ChocolateHobbit · 08/02/2026 23:29

I think I can relate as I'm a qualified teacher and was on UPS3 before I left last year. I left partly due to mental health reasons, partly due to toxic leadership. Being honest I want to get out of classroom teaching altogether.

I could be a headteacher by now. I'm qualified and experienced enough to do it, but I just can't. It would ruin me.

Now I work as a tutor doing a handful of hours a week because it's all I can get, no holiday pay, no sick pay. I'm very well paid for what I do so I don't feel anything has been wasted (my degrees etc) however it's not something you can easily do full time, so like you I bring in a very low salary. The plus? It's low stress, which is what I needed after the hideous time I had at my last job.

I'm very fortunate that financially we are very comfortable and I don't have to go back teaching full time. I know that's not the case for most.

If you want more money, then you have to go back into a permanent job. But what's the sacrifice?

Edited

Exactly. You nailed it. The sacrifice is too much.

OP posts:

Barnsleybonuz · 22/02/2026 21:00

You don’t want to work more than you do and you want to be home for 4pm so quite frankly what do you expect, seriously? Your day rate isn’t bad and if you worked full time with 5 weeks unpaid for leave you would earn £35k. If you want more you need to go permanent. You can’t have it both ways

ellesbellesxxx · 22/02/2026 21:03

How about sats marking? It’s obviously only a few weeks and being honest, it’s not very exciting BUT from home, evenings/weekends… I used to earn £1000 for the marking I did which would help towards summer.

Dutchhouse14 · 23/02/2026 00:06

I do understand the stress and flexabilty required if you have a disabled child. Full time teaching would be challenging .
But your day rate is ok and as a teacher you also have opportunities related to your skills to supplement your income such as exam marking, invigilating and tutoring, so i would look into these.
You have made sacrifices for your family and life perhaps hasnt turned out as you thought. You do have lots of skills and earning potential but your caring responsibilties make it all much harder.