I don't know what to do.

[Oakmaiden]

It was always my dream to be a teacher. I came to teaching as a mature student, worked bloody hard with 3 small children to get a first class degree and PGCE. And I just can't get a job.

Other than a short period at an independent school, I have been supply teaching for 3 years now. This academic year I have been able to earn about £5,500 so far. That is with working full time in the same school for one term, and doing all the normal teacher stuff like after school clubs, parents evening etc. The pay around here is shit. I am lucky to take home £60 a day.

There are no "proper" teaching jobs - or rather, very few. Most schools laid off staff last summer, rather than taking on, and many are doing the same this year. Even without this situation the city I am in is notoriously difficult to find teaching work in - people just don't move around, and when they do Headteachers inevitably bring in "known" teachers, rather than random applicants. Often they don't even advertise. I have never even been offered an interview in the city I live in, despite applying for pretty much every job that is advertised. My only hope, I think, is that one of the schools I supply for and who know me well decide they need someone. But I do always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I can't afford this any more. I can't afford the long holidays with no money coming in, and frankly I hate waking up in the morning and not knowing if I am going to be working, let alone where...

But I'm not sure what else to do. I am playing with the idea of keeping on at supply for a while, and trying to build a base of private tutoring students (I do have 2 GCSE maths students I tutor). But again, holidays are likely to be quiet with very little money coming in. Finding a "holiday job" seems a bit fruitless at the moment as I would be uncomfortable leaving my youngest two unsupervised for day after day at the moment - in a couple of years it might be OK, but at 11 and 12 I just feel they are still quite young for it to be a regular thing. So I would need to find some sort of childcare for them - which would almost certainly devour any wages I might be earning...

My other idea is to set up a sewing business, mostly making dance costumes, but also possibly fancy dress/LRP costumes and similar. I could fit this around the days I am working supply, and if I end up being particularly busy with sewing at any stage I can just take a week off supply... But I am anxious about the whole idea - it will take some finance to set up (not an enormous problem really, but an issue if I end up either not selling anything or not earning any money from it).

I just don't know what to do. I am just fed up of constantly bumping along the bottom of our bank balance...

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

I'd go with what Susan said. I trained in primary, went into SEN and ended up as SENCo in a secondary school. Do some secondary or special school supply if you can and try to get into it that way perhaps.

[RTKangaMummy]

Or if your area has a fb group you could advertise on there or at any of the primary school uniform outfitters or at the school

Or local shops like post office or even tesco which our local one has community notice board

[RTKangaMummy]

You could advertise in paper or local shop to sew in name labels to new school uniform

Work out how long it would take per label and then work out how much to charge (using living wage value which I have no idea what it is per hour)

It could be a very easy way to earn some money during the school holiday, parents drop them off at your house with he labels and a note saying where they want it sewn in, if not the obvious collar

Then return to collect few days later

[Scarydinosaurs]

I hope you can make a go of the tutoring and after school club.

Do you make a thing of your sewing on your CV? I imagine at this time of year, a seamstress in a school is pretty desireable!

[Oakmaiden]

Childcare lecturer. Hm. I could phone and chat to them about it...

[Oakmaiden]

I do a bit of tutoring, but it is something I could probably build up.

There isn't really much call for 11 plus here - no grammar schools, and only one inde school which is at all selective. the rest will take anyone :)

Which doesn't mean there is no call for primary tutoring... and I don't have any primary students at the moment, just GCSE.

[PreAdvent13610]

How about this? You have a PGCE and experience of children child care lecturer

[Kennington]

Hi
How about tutoring a little bit? Private tutoring for 11 plus gets a fair return where I live.
To be honest the drama is quite niche for primary so that might be an issue.
Could you afford to do a part time masters in a core subject?

[Oakmaiden]

Moving is difficult - ignoring the fact that I love where I live, and we have already moved the children from Dorset to South Wales for dh's work (he was originally working in Swansea, naturally 2 years after we moved they moved his office to Cardiff) - eldest son is in the middle of his A levels, so couldn't move for another 14 months at the earliest. But by then middle child is just getting started on her GCSEs, and I'm not sure I would want a huge amount of upheaval for her then either.

We did give serious thought to moving abroad a year or so ago - there was a job in a Hong Kong international school which included a serviced apartment, school fees paid for my children, flights to and fro etc. In the end we decided that it wasn't something we would like as a permanent move, and we were worried that when we came back to the UK we would be in a position that neither of us would have jobs...

For exam marking you need to teach the subject you are marking at the level you are marking it...

Just fucked off really.

[SisterViktorine]

Where does your DH commute to? Could you move to there- it would cut his commute and maybe open up new pastures for you.

It seems bonkers that this is the situation in South Wales when there are many areas in England getting no applicants for jobs. South Wales must be amazing if everybody is so content in their job!!

[RTKangaMummy]

What about exam marking?

Some of my friends used to do it, it is hard work but it does get some money coming in

IIRC there was an advert on MN Jobs for examiners for schools overseas and you only needed O level or GCSE in that subject to be allowed to mark the exams

In the old days the exams came to the house as paper copies but now it is done online so you can do them from home while your children are at school

The other options are as an invigilator for exams in Uni or senior schools

I realise none of these are what you actually want to do but it might earn you some money while you wait for your dream job

[Rezolution123]

You could tutor Primary Maths and have enough work to keep you ticking over until you get a permanent job. Try the internet : First Tutors is a good place to begin.
Free for tutors to register.

[Tidypidy]

I trained in Swansea and applied for literally hundreds of jobs across South Wales after I qualified. Had one interview in 12 months. Eventually decided to look further afield, applied and got job in Somerset. I was told primary teaching jobs in Wales are like hens teeth. Was certainly my experience. Could you move nearer to your husbands job and apply around that area?

[HRHinthroughtheoutdoor]

South Wales is rubbish for primary. Nobody moves on. It's a job for life, although those mainly women are coming up to retirement.

The problem was/is that Swansea, Newport and Cardiff were doing teaching and PGsE courses without the jobs to fill.

I knew lots of friends that ended up teaching Herefordshire, gloustershire because they couldn't get jobs.

Two teaching agencies have been onto me about roles they have and I'm not looking!
Have you tried a different agency?

You have my sympathy with supply though. It's awful and the money you could never make a living from, having done it.

[IHeartKingThistle]

I teach adults now. I love it but where I am the hours can be ad hoc and the pay is nowhere near as good as school teachers' pay. But worth finding out about it in your area.

[Scarydinosaurs]

Would you consider something big like a move abroad? TES is full of international jobs- and in my experience you could find a better work/life balance.

It's a huge move, but the bravery could pay off?

[tethersend]

A couple which may or may not be suitable:

definitely no secondary?

Tutor posts

part time?

would you work in a PRU?

[Oakmaiden]

Hmmm. that is an interesting idea too.

And also reminds me - I have been asked by a couple of schools I have worked for if I would set up (paid) afterschool maths clubs to offer extra support to their children... I haven't done it because obviously it would impact the amount of time I am available to work in school as a teacher if I have to get back to another school to run a club at 3:30. But if I make a decision that I am only going to supply for 3 days a week (or whatever), and then run clubs on the other days... it would probably help build up my tutoring too...

[jellyfrizz]

You mentioned that you sew and make costumes. Could you set up an after school/ holiday club workshops making soft toys/puppets? You could also do 'make a soft toy' parties.

[Oakmaiden]

I'd love to go back to uni and do education research, but I don't have the experience for that either.

Plus the local uni has moved west and is getting very "Welsh language".

[Mishaps]

Learn the piano!?

Seriously - have you thought of adult ed - or perhaps TEFL? You have clearly worked your way up and put a lot into it. It must be very frustrating for you. After all that effort you must be heartily pissed off.

[PreAdvent13610]

FE colleges have large SEN departments. Have you looked at your local ones?
Here is Manchester

[Oakmaiden]

We've got a prison prison, don't know about young offenders.

Will have to look around.

[Vaara]

Not sure to be honest, local authority? Teachers go into hospitals to assist the long term sick kids, making sure their education doesn't suffer. I imagine prisons etc are also somewhere that most teachers wouldn't consider, but which have to provide educational opportunities. Are there any young offenders places near you?