Teachers, come and tell me - would I ever find a nanny/nanny-housekeeper like this??

[Mummyinthedark]

I need a nanny, preferably a nanny-housekeeper in London for two primary school age DCs. Because of their age I was wondering if we might be able to interest an ex-teacher or ex-teaching assistant who would (hopefully) have strong skills in gently helping with academic and emotional and social development as well as the usual nurturing, playing, cooking for, looking after stuff.
This person would be following on from our lovely professional nanny, who is moving away after working with us for more than 8 years! Prepared to pay similar to a teacher's salary in early years in the profession although the person would NOT get all of school hols off, only the weeks when we go on family holidays.
I wonder, now the children are older if a different sort of care would be better suited to their developing needs and I thought someone with teacher training might be good. (I would also be prepared to look at someone wanting to bring their child with them) Am I mad to think this might appeal to a teacher looking for a more intimate environment and more flexibity?
any thoughts gratefully received.

Tavvy - sounds like you have a really bum job at the moment. Not all nanny psositions are treated like this.

I'm saddened that nannies really seemed to be looked down on by lots of people on MN (and probably in RL too)

Teachers seem to become quite indignant that nannies can be paid the same as they are, sometimes more.

Two very different jobs. Often the same pay. (Qualified and experience nanny working in private sector V NQT in state sector)

Get over it people.

OP - I think you are looking for a surrogate SAHM .

Only mothers have that level of devotion to task!

I wouldn't want to do it, but something like 20% of qualified teachers leave the proffession in the first 5 years so there must be a lot of qualified teachers out there who don't want to work in school. No idea where you would advertise though? I suspect housework would be the sticking point tbh. But having said that my mum is a teacher and she loves housework, she dreams of being able to afford to stop teaching and do something like cleaning, she would probably love a job like this.
Good luck in your search.

But the OP is looking for a nanny-housekeeper, which is not the same thing as a cleaner at all - the nanny-housekeeper I know manages the cleaner (it's a huge house) as well as builders/gardeners/other people who come and go around a house. It's a different (and a lot more responsible) job than some people are envisaging, I think.

I understand that, but just saying may be teachers who want a much lower stress job and would be happy to do housekeeping, wouldn't mind the drop in status. Housekeeper could cover a range of differnt job descriptions I imagine (though I have never actually met either a housekeeper or anyone who employs one, not really the world I live in).

I have school aged children and a nannyhousekeeper.

She is a trained nanny and maternity nurse. Has 3 grown up children who have all been through the private/prep system and is quite capable of dealing with homework even though she is not a teacher.

I also have a cleaner. My nannyhousekeeper does all the family laundry and household management. She also cooks for the family if asked. For instance this morning I asked her if she would make a choc cake for the weekend as we have guests. No problem she said.

I think you need to think very carefully about what you are looking for and remember IMHO that as parents its your job to make sure that homework is done and properly supervised. As they get older home work can be done later anyway and is in our house often completer well after the nanny has knocked off at 7.

I wanted someone who was 'me ' monday to Friday and managed all the palava associated with school and pe kit and food shopping and washing and ironing and sports matches etc so that I wasnt coming home at 10pm and unpacking school bags and finding out that DS had lost his blazer a week earlier ! I also wanted someone with bags of energy who would do fun things with them in the hols.

If I was able to stay at home then me helping with the homework would have to do and I am not a teacher albeit I have a degree and a professional qualification.

You maybe lucky. I certainly had some NQT's who applied for my job. There are not enough teaching jobs for them at the moment but I was looking for someone who was older and had experience of the housekeeping role as well. I didnt want someone who thought it was beneath them to wash our clothes ! LOL.

I think it was wise one suiff who said on here somewhere that most nannies are fab at childcare but not so good at the housekeeping bit and vice versa in some cases. It is rare to find someone who is happy and good at both. Someone who is a mum and has run her own house is probably the right mix.

HTH. Good Luck

wonderstuff - 'tis better that way (not knowing any). I know a couple of nanny-housekeepers (and their employers) but that just gets me close enough to know how much easier my life would be if I could afford to employ someone like that

Tavvy - your job does sound difficult! You certainly shouldn't feel belittled or incompetent.

Lynettescavo - I agree, teachers seem almost insulted by the suggestion that they could want to be nannies! I know lots of degree educated nannies, including ex-teaching assistants, nursery managers and one who trained as a French teacher in the UK. Nannies earn 20k - 30k too, which I guess is comparable to a lot of young teachers.

Yes but limonchik I think that top qualified nannies are comparably paid and educated to entry level teachers. I think its fair to say while some teachers may be attracted to the position, the career aspirations of most teachers is different to that of nannies. Also teacher package is attractive even if salary is quite low, nannies don't get final salary pension schemes or 14 weeks holiday (I imagine).

Thansk so much for all the posts. Really helpful.

Quick post to answer some of your questions:

Yes, I work FT, as does OH, and DCs are in school. Hours would be flexible but could be pm only in school term time. About 8 weeks holiday a year but only some (5- 6 weeks) in schools holidays at the same time as we take DCs away.

more later...at work,

and by the way, yes we do have a cleaner

It would appeal to me, I am a CM, have been in Childcare for 30 years, have a Early Years Foundation Degree.

I also have been there done it with my own kids who are grown up.

But I am also 50 and looking to move away from working from home, I really would like a job that I could leave at the end of the day.

Not so sure about The housekeeper part tho, wouldnt mind putting a wash on, doing the dishwasher, weekly shop errands, cooking meals sort of thing, but not cleaning the house through

In fact looking at the hours, Can I have the Job

at Shoshe!

As an aside, I am a bit taken aback that some teachers seem to be saying that a nanny job, or other home based job is "lower status" than being a teacher.

I guess I don't have a pecking order of professions in my head? I've come across people in lots of different jobs who I have been impressed with. I have an extremely accomplished nanny, and have met many other impressive childcare professionals.

Come on MN-ers, give everyone their due!

To me status isn't about doing a more or less difficult jobs or not being impressed by what someone does, more about better pay and conditions and maybe responsibility and pressure?

Nannynick,
You can train as a teacher and therefore ge QTS on the RTP without a degree. Thick you need a HND/C HTH

www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/thetrainingprocess/typesofcourse/employmentbased/rtp.aspx

Sorry for typos!

MITD. You will be suprised a pecking orders. Most nannies will only do child related household duties and some not even washing and ironing for the children just childcare.

That is why childcare for busy working parents with school aged children is a real headache. You may end up with a very expensive nanny paid full wages to sit around all day until the children come home and a cleaner and housekeeper on top !

be very specific in what you are expecting them to do. My job descriotion had 30 tasks on it so there could be no doubt. Will email you a copy if you like.

I've never known a nanny that won't do any nursery duties (though I have had a job that didn't require any laundry).

Yes, my nanny has a very clear line that she won't cross - on her side is nursery duties, on the other is household cleaning. I think that is true of pretty much all professional nannies and I wouldn't expect a nanny to take on cleaning.

Well it would appeal to me! But unfortunately I'm in Essex not London.

I'm a qualified and experienced teacher who left teaching through choice and now works as a nanny, and I'm sure there are others like me.This week I reluctantly registered with a supply teaching agency because I'm having trouble finding a permanent job, and not making enough through temping.

If you were near to me I'd be knocking on your door right now with my CV

There you go there is one who is looking. Obviously you are limiting your choice of employees but if you haved the time to wait for the right person they may well be out there.

It is the sort of job that would be more appealing to an older candidate. At the moment I am nannying with just child related chores, but when my charge starts school next year I may well look at nanny/housekeeper roles as I enjoy the company and stimulation of older children. Also being a Mum of older children and having run my own house for many years I'm not adverse to a bit of housework and house managing whilst the children are at school. As a younger nanny I wouldn't have wanted to take those roles on - and probably wouldn't have been that great at them as I didn't have the experience of running a house back then. I'm not quite what you are looking for as I'm not a teacher - but I think if you keep looking there may well be some out there.

Good luck

I would never expect a nanny to do cleaning and have a cleaner 3 full mornings a week as well as my NHK.

But I do expect the family laundry to be done as the children are at school all day and I pay very good wages for the area we live.

I had no problem attracting candidates but was upfront about what I expected.

A nannyHK role blurs the normal boundaries but form what I can see it has become much more popular of late in credit crunch times.

Governesses still exist, I was one until last week and I am a degree educated nanny with CACHE/MNT qualifications. There are plenty of nannies out there with degrees and in atypical subjects so not just Early Years etc.

I don't think you need a qualified teacher to do that job tbh, although you may well find one. Possibly someone looking to go on to a PGCE in a few years time would be a good compromise.

Incidentally I don't do any housework beyond nursery duties and in my previous job most of the cleaning was done by the housekeeper in any case. You would have to pay me more than I expect for a 'standard' nanny job to get me to do housekeeping and it probably wouldn't be done particularly well.