to ask what job you do if you only work school hours

[chocnwine]

Hello! Mumsnet Jobs team here. We've noticed this thread is fairly old now, and some of the information is out of date. We've put together this article of advice, tips and tricks to finding a job that will allow you to work within school hours. We hope it's helpful!

-----------

....posting here for more traffic.

Looking for work.. one of my DC is severely autistic and we therefore cannot access childcare. So I can only work school hours. No evenings and weekends either (no family to support either) .

There doesn't seem to be a lot available. Or maybe I am looking in the wrong place.

so if you have a school hours job - what do you do? I need some inspiration.

In my experience the civil service will bend over backwards to be flexible with hours. You can be part time, compressed hours, just work term time (and pick your hours). The pay can be pretty bad though.

I am a nurse and have worked school hours in outpatients.
Where do you live? my partner works for a charity that provides out of school care for kids with disabilities, lots with autism and severe needs, in Surrey and Hampshire.

I could have worked school hours in my job in the civil service. You had to apply for a full-time job and ask.

I work as a science technician in a local secondary school. 18 hours per week, 3 days, 8.30am to 3pm (half hour lunch break unpaid) term time only.
This fits in with family life perfectly and I really appreciate how lucky I am although the money is crap. I also really like the work and have some wonderful colleagues.
There are four of us in the team, and all but one have degrees in science subjects - the job is much more involved than you might think. Understandably, these jobs are like gold dust....

I am self employed

Not working ATM as just had dc3

Don't want to say what I do as could out me but I can pretty much pick me hours

A friend of mine just got a job in a cafe school hours, might be worth checking around local cafés if they need anyone?

I'm also a science technician in a secondary school, have a degree in science, and I work 30 hours a week. It's low paid, but a nice job. My DS2 has ASD and I'm a single parent.

I was a TA before, working less hours, supporting a DC with ASD. Would that work for you? I found it much easier to use my skills gained with my own DS to support another DC, could keep my emotions in check.

What about doing something like dog walking (if you like dogs obviously!) a lot of people want their dogs walked at lunch time and you can charge £10 an hour. I know someone that does this, they have about 6 regulars each day and works quite well for the them. (Although you do have to register as self employed and pay tax) You can advertise on gumtree.

I work for the council, I don't work school hours but some of my colleagues work 20 hours a week which is M-F 10-2 which is school hours. It is working in housing benefit and council tax.

No real advice as I struggle with this myself having two dc with sen. However I have often thought that working as a Teaching assistant would work as they often work say 9 to 3 which would allow time to get kids off to school and be back in time for pick up or taxi drop off. Also usually no work to prepare at evenings or weekends with holidays off. Sadly pay is not great though.

I have just landed a gold dust job - admin for blood transfusion service, after 14 years away from work. 15 hours per week, can choose my hours/days I work. Flexi-time, and was offered term time working as well. Down side - it's a grade 3 job whereas I am qualified at grade 6, and the salary is half what I could get at that level. But no night shifts, no weekends, and I can leave the office at 2.30 - suits me fine whilst my youngest is in primary. Look around your local NHS job sites.

I work for a local authority in a customer service role and work 930-230. I started off doing 2.5 days a week when my youngest was a baby then changed my hours when he started school. They would not advertise these hours but certainly in customer services they always need cover over lunch and would consider it if they liked you

I work as an outreach worker for a charity. I do roughly 15 hours a week term time (flexible) plus whatever I can do from home in the holidays. I do some Saturday events though.

I work 22 hours flexibly (usually over 3 days, but whenever I want) in a mental health charity. My job is to evaluate the work we do, report back to funders and to use the evidence for funding bids. I love it now that I'm working, but did a psychology degree while my kids were small which was torture!

I did 10-2 every day when I was a cashier in a bank.

We offer school hours contracts - I work for a University.

I also have a severely disabled child who is autistic among other things. I couldn't access standard childcare, no chance, but I recruited the SENCO TA who was his one-to-one carer at school to cover for me after school until I got home from work, and in half terms and holidays. The great thing is she is always free when there is no school, by definition. It was good for her too as she needed the extra dosh, and she is still with us 16 years on.

I was a SE cleaner and just set my own hours, reduced them over the summer but had friends help with childcare as well which I know you don't have.

my friend is Admin in a youth centre and works 9-2.30 every day with all of august off.

sorry- 13 years on, for the first 3 years when I went back to work I had a normal nanny three days a week who was actually really keen to learn more about SN kids.

Nursery is hopeless but in-house care works OK in my experience. Only painful thing is the cost- now that DS is 18 the state pays for his care, but up to then it was up to us...

I work as a Teaching Assistant in a Primary school, 9.15 to 1.45 every weekday... I very much appreciate how lucky I am to work these hours!

I work 10 - 2pm every day for an arborist company. I'm an administration assistant. Perfect job, perfect hours. I was looking for full time work but took this as a temp and never looked back

I work for the local council, 30 hours a week, 9-3 - so literally drop the dc at school and rush to work, then leave work and rush to pick the dc up - I do always feel like I'm in a rush, but do realise I'm lucky to work those hours.

Wow. Thanks for all the responses. Lots of food for thought!

If you speak a variety of languages and have teaching experience, you could try contacting a few local primary schools. They have to teach a foreign language from September, and might consider using you to cover PPA teaching a foreign language.

IT servicedesk manager. Small companies can be way more flexible than people give them credit for.

I was working at my childrens school, before and after school clubs and lunchtime and a once a week cleaning job. I am now a self employed cleaner 26 hrs a wk but do miss having school holidays off, fortunately my mum is great at helping but will have to start doing the odd activity days as i have three boys and they are a bit of a handful

You could assess customer service and business qualifications. If you freelance you work your own hours. Look at FE careers there are loads of jobs!