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Original poster

Parents who work in nurseries plz help

11 replies

Cottagegal · 05/01/2025 05:12

tldr: what happens if you work full time in a nursery and your baby attends that nursery, how much £ do you take home?

I desperately need a job, and I’m a fully qualified primary teacher with some training and experience in eyfs. My baby is 9 months old and im not ready to return to primary teaching. The problem is I can’t drive (working on it) so if I were successful in getting a job in a nursery I’d have to get a taxi £7 ish each morning. Assuming most of these jobs are £11.41 an hour, 5 days a week, 7:30am - 6pm (30 mins unpaid break I assume) I have no idea what I’d take home at the end of the month or more importantly how much I’d have to pay for my baby to attend the nursery, and whether it’s worth me going back to work yet???
i know all nurseries are different but I just want some estimates to gauge a little bit.

my partner works full time and we’re managing okay for money, but my maternity allowance has stopped now and I can’t stand being financially dependent on someone anymore. I have to ask for money to pay for my driving lessons or to get the bus into town, he’s also supported me financially the past 4 years because I was at uni then doing my post grad then worked part time when pregnant and honestly I'm over it.

OP posts:
MyBigFatGreekSalad · 05/01/2025 05:16

I have a few friends who work in nurseries. The pay isn't great and it is hard work. (Just above minimum wage and even if you're a room manager it's only a pittance more)

You get discount on fees if you send your child to the nursery though. Sometimes up to 50%.

Do you have any family to help with childcare or would you be fully reliant on paid childcare?

TwirlyPineapple · 05/01/2025 06:37

I don't work there, but I know our nursery offers a 50% discount for staff who are qualified teachers.

So that would be around £650ish a month for a full time place (as they do a 20% discount for all full time places), then your free childcare hours would come off on top if you qualify for that (we save around £200 a month from our 15 hour entitlement).

Original poster
Cottagegal · 05/01/2025 12:11

MyBigFatGreekSalad · 05/01/2025 05:16

I have a few friends who work in nurseries. The pay isn't great and it is hard work. (Just above minimum wage and even if you're a room manager it's only a pittance more)

You get discount on fees if you send your child to the nursery though. Sometimes up to 50%.

Do you have any family to help with childcare or would you be fully reliant on paid childcare?

I’m okay with hard work and low pay is more than im making now haha. Unfortunately not, all of both our families work full time, mine are too far away anyway and his work funny hours (pub landlords) so sleep until 9/10am work from 10-12am until 11pm so we can’t even work it so I go to work when they’ve finished

OP posts:
Original poster
Cottagegal · 05/01/2025 12:16

TwirlyPineapple · 05/01/2025 06:37

I don't work there, but I know our nursery offers a 50% discount for staff who are qualified teachers.

So that would be around £650ish a month for a full time place (as they do a 20% discount for all full time places), then your free childcare hours would come off on top if you qualify for that (we save around £200 a month from our 15 hour entitlement).

That doesn’t seem too bad (better than the nothing I make now). Using a pay calculator I think I would take home around £2000 a month after tax. Take of fees and cost of travel I’d keep £1100 ish maybe a bit more

OP posts:
ReginaPhalange92 · 05/01/2025 12:30

I worked in a nursery for years and when DC was born I went back after maternity leave. I was given 20% staff discount on nursery fees and came away with next to nothing each month. If I didn't love my job I would've left to earn more money. It was hard going but I really loved that job and my kid loved nursery.

Sprogonthetyne · 05/01/2025 12:54

Do you have a partner who works? If your pay would be your only income then universal credit could cover 85% of your childcare.

IamSmarticus · 05/01/2025 14:36

I think you've overestimated your take home pay - surely you wouldn't be contracted for 50hrs pw? (10hrs per day, 5 days a week).

Original poster
Cottagegal · 05/01/2025 16:10

ReginaPhalange92 · 05/01/2025 12:30

I worked in a nursery for years and when DC was born I went back after maternity leave. I was given 20% staff discount on nursery fees and came away with next to nothing each month. If I didn't love my job I would've left to earn more money. It was hard going but I really loved that job and my kid loved nursery.

This is the thing, until I can drive (having lessons at the moment but who knows how long) working in the same place as my son is kind of the only option, but if I’m not bringing anything home really it’s worth more me staying home with him until I can drive, but then it’s the being financially reliant on someone else

OP posts:
louisl8 · 05/01/2025 16:50

I worked in a nursery before my DD and then while she was there, I left two months before she finished nursery for school.

I was given 30% off due to working there and used the childcare scheme with that (20%) she attended 2 1/2 days, I think we paid around 300/400 a month with the discounts!

Grandparents had her two days and I compressed my full time hours so I was given 1/2 a day off to spend with her a week.

Pregnant with second and when she's due to attend nursery, the 30 hours will be in effect! Thank God! Something finally for working parents Grin

louisl8 · 05/01/2025 16:57

Actually just checked, payments to nursery were £300 so I came away with just under 1k a month working 45 hours a week 3 years ago!

CutFlowers · 05/01/2025 18:24

Have you thought about nannying or being a childminder as other options?

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