Can you work as an au pair and do an undergraduate degree?

[yesway]

Our live in nanny is in two minds about leaving us. We would love to keep her and she wants to stay as she is part of the family now.
What makes her want to leave is that she wants to get qualified and become a teacher. She hasn't got a definite plan about how to go about this yet - or even what ind of teacher she wants to be.
In theory we could keep her on as an au pair by making other childcare arrangements for the day time. If we did this and she couldn't do school pick ups once or twice a week that would be fine and if she had to do school placements for a few weeks a year meaning she was working 9-5pm those weeks - that would also be manageable. But I need to know if it might be much more of a commitment than that.

Does anyone have any idea?
Also if you get a teaching qualification in the UK is it transferable across the EU?

If she is an EU citizen, there are no leagal work/study restrictions which would prevent this. But, obviously you would need to think about her hours of availability.

I would think it's doable, and may even take you out of the burden of being an employer (if she is live-in and you pay her less than £90 something per week).

She remains a live in nanny and reduces her hours and pay accordingly.

Where in the EU? Some countries will accept, some won't. Sone will insist on extra training but not the full teacher training. Sone insist on a masters level qualification so a BEd or BA education with QTS won't cut it.

International schools (IBO) should recognise it though, as will British schools abroad.

Thank you both.
She is slovakian and ultimately wants to work there but may want to work elsewhere in the EU too in the future.
I think I would pay her slightly more (?£97) so that she gets her national insurance paid for a pension (she's already 30 and cares about this understandably).

Another idea would be to do a BA in English rather than a BEd - with my prejudice that English students have less time commitment on their courses...

I would say to her to do a degree and PGCE tbh. That way, with a degree, she prettty much meets the requirements for teacher training anywhere if she decides a UK qualification isn't the way to go. Plus PGCEs often offer M level options.

Education is a funny area. To teach at a state school in France, for example, you need to train in France, take a 'concours' or 'aggregation' and it's moving towards a masters in your subject as well but you could teach in a private school (in theory).

Whilst there's a theoretical equivalency there's a get out for teacher training on the grounds that different countries have differing curricula.

'the training covered substantially different matters from those covered by the evidence of formal training required in the host Member State;'

From Europa's summary on equivalency for professional qualifications

If you search euro-lex there are lots of cases on it where people have challenged decisions, some successfully some not. Teacher training is something to research very carefully if you plan to move countries.

I would not do it. You need someone who can meet your needs, she will need to attend classes (even if going PGCE route), prepare for exams, etc. Sounds like a headache for you tbh

I am a nanny. I work 27 hours a week presently (combination of one long day and school pick ups) and have worked more hours in the past.

So far I have completed a Bachelor of Psychological Science and have now started my second degree and am in my second last year of a Bachelor of Laws. I've managed to do this with no trouble. I am a high achiever I guess you could say, so I like my life quite scheduled - this works in well with having a full time study load and job. As long as your nanny is willing to plan her time accordingly, au pair hours would be a doddle. Also, I really enjoy being a nanny and spending time with children, so even though I have less 'free' time than most students, I am OK with that because I enjoy the time I am at work - it doesn't feel much like 'work' to me.

During my Psyc degree, some of our electives were shared with teaching students (Ed. Psyc etc). From what I could tell, their course work wasn't particularly onerous. It'd be easier for your nanny than it has been for me as she is considering a live in role while studying (no traveling to and from work / less demanding course).

I find my life very manageable. Universities are extremely flexible 'these days' (and I am comparing them to when I started in 2004 - so not even long ago!)... Most things are available online which makes flexible timetables like mine the norm.

Good luck.

Or if she's doing degree + PGCE could she consider doing some by distance and transferring credits? How long you need FT care for?

School placements are longer than 9/5....

I have been working a full time job and done a degree through Open University (evenings and weekends). I haven't yet looked into PGCE, so I don't know what hours that would entail.

I am working an uber full time job and about to embark on a pt post graduate course. I think its all about time management tbh. If she can fit your hours and her uni and study hours together then it should work fine.

I am working an uber full time job and about to embark on a pt post graduate course. I think its all about time management tbh. If she can fit your hours and her uni and study hours together then it should work fine.

Thank you for all your replies - especially smupcakes.

Sadly, she has just told me that she doesn't want to do it. She doesn't want to be committed to living with us for the length of a degree course - which is entirely understandable - and if she wanted to leave after a year or two she'd be committed to London and all the expense that entails.

I shall start looking for a new nanny....

That's a shame :(

Best of luck to her though

Oops hit post.

Meant to say that even if she applies now she's probably not going to be leaving fir another 10 months! Uni in many places has only just started for the year so no need to panic - you've got a while.