May be offered a perm position at a teaching job from September but it’s a 55 mins drive each way

[Sk999]

I’ve been the many schools and don’t easily like most places, not over the moon here either but I’ve come to know that there is no perfect place really.

I started as supply end of March and can continue as perm from September. Bit the distance is far, doable but I’m losing almost 19 hours a week travelling.

The point here is me and husband are planning to try for baby next Christmas and if it did happen I can get maternity pay and if I was very unwell I could have paid time off etc.

Then I would also be off for a year and could go back 3 days. Has anyone ever gone back 3 days to a school that was this far ? I think that is the hope that I will eventually go 3 days meaning I stay home 4 days and only travel 3 days.

My commute is 1 hour each way. I work FT with two children. I leave at 3.40 most days, 4.45 when it's a meeting day. It's not a big issue at all.

You must be shattered by the weekend!

Haha yes but I don't know if that's the job or the two little children! Curse of teaching a subject that isn't offered at many schools.
Benefit is that I never bump into children or parents outside of school.

NRTFT but I worked FT for 2 years at a school an hour's drive away after I got married. Then got pregnant with dd1 and took a year off for mat leave. Then went back 3 days a week, which was more manageable with the commute.

Eventually, the 1 hour started to become closer to 1h15/1h30 on the way home due to road works etc (London traffic) and after more than 10 years of doing that, I finally found a school closer to home (under half an hour drive).

I can't tell you the difference it has made to my mental health! I did have to take a small pay cut, but have saved money on petrol. The time gained is the biggest benefit that has no price!

Surely there are loads of teaching jobs around atm and you could find something closer to home?

Factor in open events, nativity, parent’s evenings etc.

I was a secondary teacher when I had DS, I did 3 days when I went back. This is only my experience, but it was clear my school begrudged me being part time, I got a lot of crap from other staff. I couldn’t go for ant promotions.

Plus the guy I shared my week with had an awful time. He was new to teaching and the kids did not respond well to him. Sharing the marking etc was very difficult. I still took lots of work home.

Same here, when I had dd1 I taught secondary. I remember saying to people it was career suicide going PT.

Pretty easy to work out. 110 minutes there, (1 hour 50 minutes) and the same time to get back = 220 minutes (3 hours and 40 minutes travel a day.) Multiply that by 5.

That's 1100 minutes of travelling in a week. That's almost 19 hours!

(Actually it wasn't that easy to work out, and I did need a calculator!)😆

.

Didn't the OP say 55 minutes each way? So that's 1h50 there and back each day x5 makes 9h10m no?

This is a perfectly normal commute time!

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We'd all rather spend money on things other than commuting to work though. But each individual has to weigh up the pros and cons of a particular job.

When DH and I used to work in London (and not in particularly high-paid jobs), we spent nearly £1k a month between us on train fares, which was more than our mortgage.

We no longer work in London and our commuting costs are minimal (and we have more flexibility around family life), but that's weighed up against less prestige, fewer (if any!) chances of promotion and lower job stability.

Bit the distance is far, doable but I’m losing almost 19 hours a week travelling.

How? 55 minutes there and back again every day for 5 days doesn't add up to 19 hours?

Then I would also be off for a year and could go back 3 days.

I wouldn't count on it...what if they say no?

We are very lucky with parents, his parents actually live 7 mins away from this school and mine are on the way although it would delay me by 20 mins or so - I leave at 7:20 in mornings - I would probs have to leave 7 am instead.

Do they want to do childcare from 7.30am instead the morning though?

If the current job is in Inner London, is driving feasible/tolerable when you take into account the congestion charge, traffic holdups, parking availability, etc?

Is there is a minimum period you have to work before qualifying for enhanced maternity pay? Everywhere public sector I have worked (not teaching) - it is 2 years. I agree that commuting as a parent is a bit of a pain - particularly when you have school aged children but not so bad if the other parent works locally.

Well not when they've said its 55mins so 1 hour 50 round trip. 👍

Pretty easy to work out. 110 minutes there, (1 hour 50 minutes)

@LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway

But it's not 110 minutes there, is it?!

Maybe, the truth is - because I could not make up my mind- I did not speak to them, I had a day of today and was feeling poorly - I saw they posted the job online. Although they sent another email out to all staff asking if anyone would like to discuss the role, so maybe they are trying to see if me or anyone else would go for it. I think I’m just going to leave it. Either find somewhere closer. Or worse ways just long term supply… which most won’t give me benefit of maternity when I need it and sick pay. I guess all happens for a reason.

I have a 50 minute commute to my teaching job but I work part time. It’s perfectly doable for me.

If you were doing that journey everyday? Do you work 2 or 3 days a week?

I do four days.