Page 5 | Just retired from teaching at 55!

Foxymoxy68 · 2023-07-27T19:58:23+00:00

I've just retired from teaching at the earliest possible opportunity.....55 next month. I thought it would never come as the last few years have been utterly horrendous! But I made it and it's just starting to sink in. Does anyone have any retirement tips for me? Particularly if you were involved in teaching? I'm keeping a very open mind on what to do going forward. I'd like to earn a little to boost my reduced pension but would rather not have a contract and at the moment feel like I never want to set foot in a classroom ever again! For context, I taught for 31 years and was deputy head and SENCo for the last few years. Thanks.

Zoda8 · 31/07/2023 18:19

One I look at from time to time is fostering. Although the expenses are good, the professional fee even from a private agency is pin money, and from a local authority is zero. However, I imagine you can take as many or few children as you choose, and the job satisfaction must be off the chart (with the right agency/support). It would enable you to benefit from your years of wisdom as a SENCO. As to fears about stealing/breaking/stress/domestic arguments, you can always change your mind. Wistfully, I don’t think it would work in my family and you may be the same, but I think it’s worth asking the question if only to answer ‘no’.

Original poster

Foxymoxy68 · 31/07/2023 22:12

maxandru · 31/07/2023 14:50

Congrats on your retirement!
Were you in primary or Secondary ?
I’d suggest:

exam invigilation
tutoring online/face to face - perhaps specialise in something specific like reading for students with dyslexia or maths skills for those with dyscalcula?
perhaps do some training to become a counsellor ?

I was primary. Yes, I think I quite fancy exam invigilating. I often see vacancies for local secondary schools and I like the fact that it's casual.

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Original poster

Foxymoxy68 · 31/07/2023 22:15

AnneElliott23 · 31/07/2023 09:02

I am so envious but also pleased for you. This is the age they said we'd all be able to retire at when I joined the workforce as at the time many people were retiring, on very comfortable workplace pensions indeed, since the early 1990s some of them have never had to worry.

I'd retire now if I could (12 more years to go, assuming the government doesn't move the goalposts again of course), by the time I get there I don't know if I'll have enough energy to do the travelling I'd like to do.

As it's a major life event, wouldn't the general advice be to take a year off to recover? There have been some great ideas on the thread so far, though my sister and her husband seem to have ended up being (very willing) unpaid full time carers for the grandkids as the actual parents have to work every minute just to keep their heads above water..

Enjoy your freedom, whatever you decide.

Thank you. I think it makes sense to take some time to regroup and not rush into anything. I hope you can do the same thing before too long.

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Original poster

Foxymoxy68 · 31/07/2023 22:19

marbeth · 31/07/2023 08:23

I retired at 55 from nursing. Now do casual work as an exam invigilator. Works really well , as the school uses invigilators for all the mocks and live exams. Most of the invigilators are retired .

Can you tell me exactly what invigilating involves? All I can remember from when I did exams was invigilators walking up and down the aisles! I'm sure there's much more to it though!

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Original poster

Foxymoxy68 · 31/07/2023 22:20

ididntwanttodoit · 30/07/2023 10:33

paid jobs you can do now you've retired from teaching:
supply work (ok, I know its the same old same old, but you take jobs where and when you want to! and no extra duties!)
become a registered storyteller
private tuition
check with the education dept of your local university - they often need associate tutors to visit students on school placements, or to mark assessments
Open University tutor jobs
art/drama/music/maths/science/dance lessons (or whatever is your speciality)

Lovely ideas! Thank you.

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marbeth · 01/08/2023 08:21

Hi Foxymoxy 68 I invigilate in a large secondary . Have a casual contract.
From November to June always some some mocks or live exams each month.
We put papers out and photo cards of students on tables. Ensure all equipment is on each table. Set up lap tops for students that have access arrangements. Do the register. Supervise students during exam .Collect papers. Sort out for teachers in mocks. Live exams put into candidate number order. One invigilator will check all papers with exam officer for sending off to different boards in live exams. We always set up ready for next day ( except papers)
Always a number of rooms depending on access arrangements. Could be in small room or main hall. Also invigilate practical exams art, photography, catering .
Most of our invigilators are retired. Have a lot of banter together when we are setting up and after exam finished . We always professional during the exams.
Hope that that helps .

MrsPuddle · 07/08/2023 23:34

Hey I could have written your post. Am now sitting here idly looking for a job…I say that but I have already been offered some cover work for September. I had to stop myself automatically saying yes, as I need a break to decompress from the madness and strict timetable that is life as a teacher. In fact I don’t want to go in a school again for a long time. So am interested in the ideas being raised here. @Foxymoxy68 I will keep an eye on this thread, good luck and enjoy!

Original poster

Foxymoxy68 · 07/08/2023 23:55

marbeth · 01/08/2023 08:21

Hi Foxymoxy 68 I invigilate in a large secondary . Have a casual contract.
From November to June always some some mocks or live exams each month.
We put papers out and photo cards of students on tables. Ensure all equipment is on each table. Set up lap tops for students that have access arrangements. Do the register. Supervise students during exam .Collect papers. Sort out for teachers in mocks. Live exams put into candidate number order. One invigilator will check all papers with exam officer for sending off to different boards in live exams. We always set up ready for next day ( except papers)
Always a number of rooms depending on access arrangements. Could be in small room or main hall. Also invigilate practical exams art, photography, catering .
Most of our invigilators are retired. Have a lot of banter together when we are setting up and after exam finished . We always professional during the exams.
Hope that that helps .

This is so useful! Thankyou! Definitely something I'll be looking into.

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Original poster

Foxymoxy68 · 08/08/2023 00:13

BG2015 · 30/07/2023 07:10

I'm a 54 year old teacher. Been teaching 27 years and looking to retire at 58. My pension will be about £16k with a lump sum, so not an amazing amount. If I stayed until 60 it would be about £19k. Luckily teachers pensions are index linked so this is a guaranteed pension for life. Once I get to 67 I'll get another £9k state pension.

I'm planning on downsizing my 4 bed house & be mortgage free.

I had breast cancer in 2021 so life has a different meaning now.

If I need to boost my income I'll get a part time job, but maybe not in teaching.

Have a great retirement OP

Thankyou. Still getting my head around it!
A family tragedy last year helped me make my decision so I understand where you're coming from.
Hope you're well and fully recovered now.

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Original poster

Foxymoxy68 · 08/08/2023 00:14

fizzandchips · 30/07/2023 07:11

My husband works in a sector where they retire at 55 on full pension. He is currently fit & healthy. He will be VERY bored if he doesn’t work for the next 30 years. BUT my advice to him has been to see the first 3-5 years as a sabbatical to travel whilst he’s fit and do things he’s always wanted but never really had the time - hill walking, car mechanics - then when he’s 60 he can think about some part time, seasonal or consultancy roles. Reframe it, take time now with your husband and enjoy your health and happiness. Congratulations OP you’ve worked hard, you deserve it.

Thank you so much.

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MistressIggi · 09/08/2023 00:30

Sorry if this is a rude question, but does exam invigilator pay ok? I know roughly what I'd get for tutoring, but not for this..
You might be able to keep exam marking for a year or two after retirement (I know they like recent experience).

Chewbecca · 09/08/2023 09:10

About £11ph round my way.

socialdilemmawhattodo · 09/08/2023 09:57

@2bazookas

Would you have details of any organisations that offer these roles:
Travel Auntie; escorting rich foreign students home.
Holiday Auntie, cultural enrichment for rich foreign pupils who have nowhere to go in school holidays.

I work in education (non-teaching) and also very close to (early) retirement. These sound fun!

MistressIggi · 09/08/2023 10:01

Thanks Chewbacca

WalkAway7 · 27/03/2026 19:55

BaroldBalonz · 28/07/2023 03:43

Has working for 31 years really paid enough into the pension pot for you to retire for the next 31 years?

It seems an insane concept that people are able to retire so young.

When the pension was introduced it was paid only at 4 years past average life expectancy. It's no wonder that the whole pension thing is completely buggered now, why on earth hasn't retirement age been raised higher as life expectancy has increased so much?

The NHS is floundering under the weight of all of the treatments for all of the people that are living far longer due to the treatments and everyone wants to stop working earlier. Madness.

What do you work at OP?

BG2015 · 28/03/2026 08:43

Gosh this is an old thread. I commented on it back in 2023.