My DSis did her PGCE as a secondary art teacher when she was 40. She is an artist who prior to that had previously done a FE PGCE, had wide community experience with workshops, playwork, environmental art, lots of things. After qualifying she struggled to find a job but then managed to get cover for two terms although I think only one in the end counted towards her NQT. Since then she has been doing supply, sometimes a lot, sometimes not so much and trying to find other work or doing her own business type thing, which involves more workshops/community art etc (and some more new agey type stuff, which I'm less keen on but that's my own opinion). In the past year she's done a lot of supply, and last term and I think the one before it was full-time effectively. She has also got quite disheartened with secondary and has been doing lots of primary supply, and has considered doing the crossover course for it. During her time teaching and previously, she has worked in special needs with difficult children and she has really enjoyed this and I think is very good at it. However she is now 46, and thinks, and I believe has been told by other teachers in a similar position to her, that she is now too old to get a permanent job. She would take a part-time permanent post. She lives in south Wales, and has told me that only one in three teachers actually gets a job there. I don't know how true that is. She is not in a very good financial situation as she is a lone parent with two dcs 12 and 10 and absolutely no support from their dad as he is foreign, poor and a selfish c* and lives overseas for half the year in a developing nation. She has to sign on for holidays or times where there's not much supply and it's always a struggle.
If there are any teachers out there, like heads etc or just those in the know, can you tell me if her assessment is right? She doesn't really have anyone much she can talk to about this and I'd like to be able to give her some informed support. Any advice?