Getting back into teaching

[Loandbeholdagain]

I’m primary qualified and have taught in a mainstream and soecial needs school. I’ve had a 5 year career break due to little ones. Taught for three years before that and completed my NQT year.

How easy/hard is it to get back part time? Looking for 2-3 days ideally. Can’t do short term supply as I have to pay for two under nursery age children in childcare. Can’t afford to volunteer either!

I see local schools continuously advertising and governor friends suggest there is a really bad shortage of teachers in our area, but don’t know if that translates to a job for someone in my situation.

Is it worth applying or do I need to wait until my youngest is in school and I can get some supply done (by that time will be 9 year break!!).

IME, the vast majority of teachers I know who have got a Part time job, are people who are already known to the school, or to the HT. So, they go part time when they are already working there, or they have got a job after doing supply there.

That was my experience previously as well. Was hoping the ‘teaching shortage’ might work to my advantage but I suppose they will still have NQTs coming through.

Might ring some agencies and see if any have any fixed days maternity cover roles or PPA on the books. I could do supply if I know I can afford the childcare.

I know many teacher friends who went back after having children as TAs. One of them was gradually given more responsibility and got a part time contract the other went on to doing supply then got a part time contract. The others are still TAs. I did 3 years of supply work before being given a part time contract. I did do a few part time maternity contracts before I got a permanent contract.

I did supply in one special school - it meant I knew the students and staff and they were amazingly flexible. Often pleased that I just turned up! I would start a bit late, finish a bit early, so I could do the drop offs and pick ups. My youngest was at pre school so I worked the days he was there. I usually got plenty of work and often booked in advance. It was the ideal job when my dc were young. Unfortunately we needed the stability so I had to take a permanent contract. I wish I was still doing supply!

We couldn’t afford for me to do TA work and pay childcare, and to be honest I think I’d be a pain for the teacher, too many ideas of my own

Supply might be doable though.

I did supply after a career break and asked for long term part-time posts only, and they did find something (in an awful school behaviour-wise, but that's another story!).

I teach a secondary shortage subject though, so tons of supply around, but by the sounds of it there are vacancies around.

Just sign yourself up to a few agencies and see what happens - be VERY firm though as to what you want, both in terms of the actual work and the pay - they are very persuasive and will try to talk you into doing all sorts of things. You can choose to not bother doing any work for them if it turns out that they don't have what you want.

If you are in a shortage area, at this point in term, I would apply for the jobs at schools you would like to work at but write 'please only consider this application if the position could be 0.6' or similar.

I have done this and got jobs before.

If schools are looking at going into the summer holidays with vacancies, perhaps needing to go to recruitment fairs to pick up staff from overseas for September, then they are likely to consider you.

I'm struggling to do it - for various reasons I need to go back in via supply (I need the flexibility at the moment while I get one of my own kids' medical appointment barrage if we ever hit the top of all the waiting lists over) and agencies are demanding a reference history from the career break to raise a family... so I'm trying to work out a way around it myself at the moment.