H.E but I'm the nanny

[AMcoffeeLover]

I hope you can offer some advice. I'm a nanny due to start with a new family in the summer, children both infant school age.
However the mum just called to tell me they haven't got into the private schools they wanted and have a years wait.
Background on me - qualified nursery nurse, in my 20s, qualified dietician (degree), various smaller qualifications in speech and language ect, this being my 4th nanny job. Role was to be nanny/housekeeper, 55 hours a week.
Basically I've I
Been asked to home school the kids for a year. My initial thoughts being "no, I don't want to get it wrong/confuse the children". The mum can't do it as she doesn't want to give up her work. They've offered to double my (already amazing) wage, but honesty its not a hugely deciding factor (as I'm sure if I mess up the kids I'd get fired)
Realistically what dues it involve? Never experienced this before

ask any home education parent

My dd is just finishing yr2. She knows some grammar (difference between their, they're, there; you're, your for example), she has spellings every week. Has learnt letter groupings, tion, sion, the differences between verbs, adjectives etc.

In maths she has learnt some times tables: she is secure at 2's, 5's and 10's and can cope with 3's and 4's. She is learning basic division. And the relationship between dividing and multiplying. She has learnt 3d shapes and how to describe them. She can successfully use money and measure things.

She can build a very simple electrical circuit, and understand basic energy.

She can read fluently.

The things yr2 children learn far exceeds other years to date, but they have more interest, more attention span; and more importantly, these kind of 'lessons' won't be outside of your comfort zone. I'd take the job

Have sent you a PM

From our conversions they had "back up" schools planned but those are also full.
Regarding the money - its not a big deal. I could get the 70k but loose the role for doing a bad job. Or say no, stay at 35k for potentially 12-15 years. I really want to keep this role as others like this one outside of London are hard to find.
I think so far I'm still swaying towards the I Can't Do It side of the argument. But they would like my answer by Monday so torn. Id love a chance to give it a go but the risk to my career is high if it goes wrong.

Good point about not getting into the schools! Will email and ask why. Thanks

I agree that you need to get a better understanding of exactly what the parents are expecting, and what they want you to achieve. It's a big responsibility, and you would need to know what you're taking on!

Will you definitely still have a job if you say no? Or will they look for someone else who is willing to do everything?

Do they have a concept of how you might be spending your days - doing worksheets? Going on trips? Building dens? Using a home ed curriculum? Going to home ex groups? Or are they expecting you to plan everything?

Its all very confusing, I've only ever been support for eduction and a nanny, never a full educational role. I can make a fort out if sticks in a wood, dress up with the best of 'em but teaching math/science I have no idea about!

I think you are way overthinking this.

Are you insecure about your own literacy and numeracy?

If I say no now them my job is safe, stays exactly as it is, have Emails stating this. If I say yes and mess it up then it could also be ok......but I highly doubt it.

I've just always thought: nannies = love/fun/safe
Teachers = learning/achieving ect.
I considered a teaching degree but decided it wasn't for me. I get bored of ridged structure.

I'd suggest a tutor for 2 hours each morning plus some planning time with you to sort out what you would do with them in the afternoons to cover other areas or reinforce with activities. I'm sure that qualified tutors exist. You'd then get 2 hours for the housekeeper bits. You'd also need to consider how you'd cover the 'specialist' areas of the curriculum like a language, music, technology, science.

You'd also need to consider the social aspects that school would normally bring. I know that people who HE often network with other HE families and this brings an extra dimension to their experiences. I'm not sure if those who accidentally HE and for a fixed period end up providing the same for their children as really committed HE parents.

I don't think you're overthinking it. You're obviously focussed on your career, qualified accordingly and your future employer is expecting you to do something you're just not qualified to do. There's a reason early years teachers have qualifications. And yes, I'm not sure where you're expected to do prep / research if you're working 55 hours a week.

I'm surprised your employers are able to pay £70k and don't consider it a problem to have an amateur teaching their children. They could employ you AND a fully qualified experienced teacher for that. It just doesn't make sense.

Its also that the parents have such high expectations of the children (they talk about going to Oxford!!!!) That I don't want to be in any way reasonable for holding them back.

Mary I think that's exactly my point - why ask me?
agh the more I think about it the crazier I think I am for even considering it

Thank you everybody, my decision is made! Its a No from me but will say I'll fully support a tutor.

I home-edded a 6 year old (& he re-entered top of his class preen ).

My formula was to have a daily slot (about 30mins) for literacy and numeracy. Numeracy I did by enrolling him on an online maths club thing. Literacy - I had workbooks - but the thing we really worked on was story writing. I printed off some worksheets from TES explaining the idea of a 'story mountain'. He wrote some cracking little stories - and we'd focus on different aspects in different weeks.

Beyond that we had a project roughly every 6 weeks. I let him pick the topic - and then we bounced ideas between us to make it fab. So we went to museums together, or cooked authentic recipes, or made little models - I let him run with it, and it naturally ended up developing lots of wider skills.

I had a babysitter who spoke a foreign language, and I paid her to take him out once a week to woods/playground/town. It gave me a break - and it gave him a second language. I enrolled him in a couple of after school activities (scouts etc) - and every holiday I booked him into holiday clubs - generally sports based (eg football club).

Can anyone saying that Y1 state education is just playing look at mrz threads referencing creative writing referencing "The Tempest"
There is a new curriculum...it's prescriptive in expectation and a bit of a tall ask to deliver if you're housekeeper as well and the kids are potentially dependent on you to get into their parents preferred school.
As op has posted she would prefer this role to be long term, not a one year, well paid, failure set up..with prob all future references compromised.

My concern would be that they haven't really thought through what they are doing and vaguely think they are employing Julie Andrews to silve all their problems.

That might all work out fine, but I would be wanting to pin them down more on how many hours they expect you to be 'teaching', when you would do preparation and what you are supposed to cover.

I'm sure you are capable of home edding, but at least when you home ed your own children you know what you are trying to achieve.

I think you'll end up with the parents throwing money at tutors - which probably means having to stay in every morning facilitating someone delivering turgid worksheets to your charges.

Home-ed is not the same as 'being a teacher'.

I don't think for a moment you wouldn't be able to HE these DC if you put your mind to it. I'm sure you are resourceful enough to research, plan and deliver what they need to learn.

I totally understand that you have hesitations, though.

I don't think anyone will be able to answer your question. Only you know if you really want to do this.

I have never, ever, ever heard on any one hoping a nanny stays as long as this. Two years, and then a massive incentive to stay longer, yes....but until the children leave for uni....the job will be totally, totally different then to it is now.....Do you really want to be nagging about GCSE revision, advising about girl/boyfriends, stalking them to make sure they don't have any body piercings, monitoring their social media and collecting from Nandos in 12 years time?

Obviously I don't know you OP, but this sounds like a job where you couldn't ever have your own DC?

I your situation I would take on the HE role, but make it clear to the parents you will step down, and ask them to recruit someone else should you feel it's in the DCs best interests.

Booksnark, you're the parent though aren't you? I think there's a world of difference between HEing your own child and paying a professional in another discipline to do it. I'm sure the OP could find a way to do it (though not with 55 hours of other work to do) but it seems such an odd thing to ask.

The more I think about it the more amazed I am that the parents would consider this a good move. Huge burden of responsiblity.

See you have made your decision. I think in the circumstances nanny + tutoring does sound more suitable - although they won't need a tutor every week day from 9-3 so they will still need more childcare than if children were at school.

Honestly all I want is a long term role. And yes I want nagging over homework and messy rooms, Collecting from seeing movies with friends, proms ect.
After 6 MCs/pg losses, 7 babies in total I'm giving up hope of having a live baby of my own.
The family want someone who will take this on and I'm happy to. Should I ever be blessed with my own then the wage I earn (even with all the bills) is enough to save to be a SAHM for a bit. Plus dp wage which.is more than mine.