Oh Crap - where to start?

[Butterflyface]

4 dc's of 13, 9, 3 and 1. DH works FT and just about earns enough to keep us going without me working. I have a connective tissue disease, which means I don't have enough energy to work FT, but I do a little part-time music teaching at home. I'm really struggling coming to terms with not being able to have a full-time job, and because my playing is deteriorating, I'm thinking that doing further music-teaching qualifications are a bad plan. (I'm not going to be able to play well enough to keep doing it for years, assisted by a P.A. or otherwise.)
I'd love to teach English A-level, but I've no idea how I'd go about it - would I need a degree? DH says I wouldn't, but I find that hard to believe in this day and age that I wouldn't at least need a Masters. We don't have any money to fund it either, so I've no idea how pie in the sky this all is - am I just being incredibly unrealistic?
I have got points from doing the first two years of my music degree - 15 years ago, and some points from doing an English OU course a few years ago, but I'm not sure they'd be admissable. HELP!!!

If you want to teach in a school you need a degree, if you want to teach in an FE college you don't.

You can also work while doing the teaching qualification. I did mine (DTTLS) over two years, there was funding available via student loans.

You might be better looking for a music teaching post in an FE college and then look out for English teaching.

You will not have the luxury of teaching just English A Level, you will aslo teach key skills, GCSE and probably EAL students.

If you register with FEjobs.com they will send you a list of all vacancies in your area each month.

Yuo could also tutor in your own home.

Thanks for the info - I'll definitely look into it!

Tutoring at home, but subjects like English and Maths, could be a good option if your health will allow it? I presume that the problems with music are to do with dexterity and/or hypo/hyperflexibility, and that that is unlikely to affect your ability to hold a pen in the foreseeable future.

However, you will have to check out the sort of things that parents look for in a tutor - they are normally paying a fairly hefty sum, so many of them will be looking for degrees and PGCEs. Your lack of a degree may also hinder your ability to find work via an agency.

Perhaps you could dip your toes in the water by sounding out the parents of your current tutees?