Going back to University as a mature student to be a teacher - bad idea?!

[Lostwelshlady]

Does anyone have any experience of going back to University as a mature student?

I’d love to hear your experiences, especially if you have young children. Also, any primary school teachers with young children- how do you make it work?

For context, I’m 40 years old with a 9 month old baby, and my maternity leave is going to end soon. I’ve told my current job I won’t be returning to my previous hours/schedule as I have zero childcare options, and I don’t want to put DC in nursery. (There are no good options locally and I’d basically be working to pay a nursery bill)

I’m paid well for the area I live in (decent jobs are hard to come by in my locality- it‘s one of the most deprived rural areas in the UK) so I know in one respect I’m foolish to leave my job as I won’t get the pay anywhere else for a few years. It’s a fairly standard admin job in the private sector which I just kind of fell into, but not something I particularly enjoy and has been quite toxic at times but pays above average as I’ve had a few pay rises over the years to stop me from leaving.

I have no realistic childcare options as DC gets older, so I’ve been thinking of career options which would work around being able to be home with him. My local university offers a primary school degree, and despite the deprived area is actually one of the top 25 in the UK to offer this degree. Am I being ridiculous to even consider it?

At the moment my thoughts are to get a basic job in the evening so that DH can watch DC, and then once DC is old enough to go to nursery school in two and a bit years, I could enroll in university and gain the teaching degree. Then if I got a job as a teacher I would be working the same hours DC would be in school? I know there would be additional hours but I could do breakfast club/after school club, and most importantly I’d be home to care for him during the school holidays? I feel like I’m being ridiculous even considering it but I cannot think of any work I can do that pays well enough and also means I can look after DC myself. We have family nearby but none are not viable options for any more than an hour or two of childcare for special occasions (elderly, health issues etc)

Can any mature students give me any insights? Or teachers with children give me a reality check as to why this would be a stupid idea? Or the practicalities I haven’t considered? Or does it work well for your family?! My head is spinning trying to figure out if it would work or is totally ridiculous. Thank you x

I went back to university at 40. There were a mixture of age ranges on the course. The UK is crying out for teachers so I would go for it.

Can't speak about the other side.
But I'm doing it!
I have 3 children 10 and under.

Do it!

I started teaching at 22, so can’t comment on the re-training side of things, but I have always felt so privileged to be able to be at home in the holidays with my children.

I did a primary PGCE when I was 42 and my children were young (but not as young as yours- both at school.) It was only a year but it was a tough year, as was the NQT year (now 2 years and newly qualified teachers are known as Early Career Teachers- ECTs). There was a wide mix of ages and backgrounds and I wasn't the oldest by a long chalk. The holidays are very helpful when you have children but I'll be honest- I constantly feel guilty that I'm not round enough during term time. The hours are long and expectations are high. Maybe things will be better under the new Labour government? Who knows? I couldn't have done it (or continue to do it) without the support of my husband who takes up a lot of the slack at home.

have zero childcare options, and I don’t want to put DC in nursery.

I’m a teacher with kids. You still need childcare.

I’m in at 7.25 and home at 6-I wouldn’t be able to do these hours without childcare or my DH who works from home or my parents who Had/have them when I’m ill/they’re ill/Inset/snow day. There is a breakfast club at my kids’ school but that starts at 8 so is no good to me. My school isn’t near my house so my kids couldn’t have gone there easily as we are not in catchment for it (and my school has no after school club).

Assuming you will definitely be able to get a job where your kids will go to school is not realistic-it may just not be possible. If you’re at a different school, the hours won’t be the same as you have travel/breakfast club times and after school club availability issues to think about.

It’s fairly normal for teachers to be in at 8 am after dropping off dc. However after school care is usually needed. So child minder is normal. You might get a place at school you work for but this might have a “qualification” period of employment. It’s very difficult to juggle all of this. If you have no childcare how do you expect to manage working anywhere?

Most working parents need to make sacrifices somewhere. Either by working part time or paying for childcare. Your dc presumably has a dad. What’s he doing?

Then if I got a job as a teacher I would be working the same hours DC would be in school?

Children are in school for 32.5 hours a week and the average primary school teacher works over 55 hours a weeks. It sounds like you haven’t really looked in to realities of teaching.

Teaching is incredibly inflexible.
You won't ever be able to drop off or pick up, attend a nativity play or a celebration assembly . The school you work in might have different holidays to the school your children attend.
You will have staff meetings after work. Marking, planning, data to sort, etc etc

Most of my colleagues work at least one day every weekend. We all work extra days during the holidays.

Whilst the holidays are an undeniable benefit with young families, the hours during the term mean an insane workload and you would need robust and reliable cover for that.

While nationally there is a teacher recruitment crisis, this is mainly in secondary teaching, and there are areas where it is still difficult for primary school teachers to get a job. In addition, there is a projected fall in pupil numbers due to low birth rates which means fewer teachers will be needed, hitting primary schools first.

Primary teaching is long hours so assuming it will be family friendly will not be true at all during term time. Training is also incredibly intense and quite difficult with young children.

Before committing to training you should definitely research the job situation in your area.

Then if I got a job as a teacher I would be working the same hours DC would be in school?

I think if this is your main reason for going into teaching, you need to think again.

Apart from the fact that teachers are at school many more hours than the pupils each week meaning you will still need childcare before and after school each day, what about other things?

parents evenings
inset days
different term dates
illness

I have no realistic childcare options as DC gets older, so I’ve been thinking of career options which would work around being able to be home with him.

Yes, you might be home with him in the holidays in teaching-but if you have no childcare for the rest of the year, what is your actual plan, @Lostwelshlady ? I have seen too many people decide to go into teaching as they thing it’s ‘family friendly’ and then fall at the first hurdle as they haven’t actually thought anything through.

You will need childcare.

I needed wrap around as my kids had to be dropped off and then I had to drive to my school.

There are regular meetings after you finish teaching so you will need after school club as well.

You will be able to do marking etc in the evenings and at the weekend but it is a very long hours job.

Nobody is a teacher only for the holidays or the money.
It's a lifestyle, not a job - you will probably be working late / evenings / weekends for no extra pay.
As PP said - v v inflexible - you'll find you can't just be 'late' or 'off' - you'll have 30 littles sitting on the carpet waiting for the register. In teaching, your own DC really do come behind the 'cause'.

More importantly, you haven't even mentioned if you like / have a commitment to teaching and learning!

It sounds like you are considering teaching because "Then if I got a job as a teacher I would be working the same hours DC would be in school? I know there would be additional hours but I could do breakfast club/after school club, and most importantly I’d be home to care for him during the school holidays?"

Teaching is a vocation, and you don't stop being 'Miss Blest' (subst your name) because the school day is over.

I have no realistic childcare options as DC gets older, so I’ve been thinking of career options which would work around being able to be home with him.

Teaching, especially primary does not work this way. It is in flexible and the draw on your time outside of school is excessive.
Also child care is not a reason to teach.

I started teaching in 1995 and it became clear to me in 2002 when my DC was 3 that I was expected in at 8 (nursery drop-off was at 8) and after-school meetings until 5 twice a week (nursery pick-up was 5.30.) DC had to attend before and after school club until the end of Year 6. I never got to see my DC in a school performance or Y6 leavers’ day and lost pay when DC was unwell with the usual childhood illnesses. I missed so many milestone events - even prom night because it clashed with my school’s Open Evening. Looking back 29 years later, I wish I had been a teaching assistant until DC started secondary school. DC is now 25 and I spent more time with other people’s DC.

If you want to go into teaching I would look into "on the job" options aimed at older people rather than studying for a PGCE.

www.ucas.com/teaching-option/school-direct-salaried

My local university offers a primary school degree

Is that a BA (qts) type degree?

Have you been into any primary schools to shadow/gain experience @Lostwelshlady ?

Have a look at the threads in The staffroom | Teachers forum | Mumsnet | Mumsnet

This is precisely the reason for my post- to gain insight into the realities so I can make an informed choice.

I have no childcare so I’m trying to explore long term options to work around this/ that’s the purpose of this thread.
My DH is self employed in the agricultural industry and whilst lots of men in his line of work
take their children with them during holidays etc to “learn the trade” we won’t be doing this as we’ve seen too many awful accidents happen. He works 12 hour days, 7 days a week (it’s the family business) so he’s not able to do any more than he currently does.

That’s the exact purpose of my post, to ask for the realities of being a teacher with small children at home preferably from actual teachers/mature students 🙄

I have no childcare

Well, most people ‘have no childcare’ until they start to need it when is when they then start paying someone to do it. You would just have to go and find a childminder/wraparound care like everyone else if you became a teacher. Obviously you can’t drop your child off at their classroom at 8.45 and pick them up at 3.30 and then nip off to be a teacher between those hours.

Thank you for the honest reply, I appreciate it.

@Lostwelshlady My DH didn’t take dc to work either. Nor get home early. I was just wondering if you were on your own.

I think changing to a new career is going to be difficult and you would need to pay for childcare. Lots of childminders take dc to school and many nurseries are open to 6 or 6.30. Or you get an au pair. Lots of options but all need money.

I went back part time and had a nanny. It took a big chunk of my money. DH did very little but kept his business going. Self employed is relentless. Children made no impact on his life or earnings. You might be in the same boat so could you work part time with less paid for childcare? I think you will find a teaching course and working in a school really difficult with a baby. I would negotiate with my employers. That’s what I did.

If it’s a family business, where’s the rest of the family?