Teaching-not compatible with own kids?

[Ella1980]

I'm needing to get back into teaching ft from a financial pov. Problem is, don't know how I can work teaching hours e.g. realistically at least 8-5 when I have a child in primary and one in secondary. No before/after school club provision for youngest and eldest attends a school 10 miles from home with no direct bus routes. Moving them schools isn't an option.

Also OP don’t forget that some schools have a salary sacrifice scheme for childcare. So you could pay your childminder from your pre tax salary. This makes a difference.

Applied for loads of teacher roles but didn't even get shortlisted. Strongly suspect this is due to budget cuts and loads of NQT's. Applied for a TA role yesterday and got called today to be offered an interview. Will at least mean I can collect my eldest from school and not be stressed about loads of extra work at home. Pay isn't great but I'm questioning whether the stress of teaching is ever worth the extra income tbh.

How true about TA roles and not getting a chance against nqts.
How will your younger child manage after school regardless of your job?
I'm fascinated when I collect my children from high school and see teachers leaving at the same time. Primary definitely has an unwritten rule and whilst they can't enforce it, it's very frowned upon.
I'm also fascinated by the posters on here who say choose the right school and it won't be too workload heavy. How do you know it is the right school until you're in it?

@millimat

My dad has said he is willing to do the school runs for youngest, bless him. I really didn't want to ask him or put upon him as my mum has been really poorly, but he knows there's no out-of-school provision and also that my ex wouldn't ever consider a school change for either boy to make things easier.

I think in the main primary is different to secondary in that every primary I've worked in there is definitely an expectation to stay on for a couple of hours most days after school. Then of course there's the work from home on top of that.

If I get this TA job money will be really tight as fiance doesn't earn lots (£24k pa) but at least I can pick up my son around 4ish and time at home is family time. I only have my kids for half of the time as it is, and know that it would bother us all (fiance included) if evenings were spent with me working.

If we can cope financially I think I will leave teaching. Sad after 15 years. I don't think teaching is much about children any more which is ultimately why I entered the profession in the first place. I know my TA salary will be around 17k less than if I was a teacher but I'd rather be happy and poor than wealthier and miserable.

Ultimately my family are more important than any job (I feel this even more keenly since my mum became ill last year) and I really don't think teaching lends itself to a reasonable work-life balance at all.

I work as a full time HoD with two young children. I use a childminder and my DH does a couple of pick ups then works from home for a couple of hours. If there are parents evenings then DH sorts them out.
I don't find it that stressful - obviously there are peak times but generally I find it okay and I'm glad to have the holidays

@tomhazard

Aw that's reassuring to hear. Are you primary? How much work do you normally do in the evenings?

Perhaps I wouldn't begrudge working every evening so much if I had my kids full-time but I think time is extra precious when sadly I only have them for half iyswim? This was never my choice btw 😢

Make sure you calculate the take home TA salary accurately-what have you worked out you’ll be getting?

My friend who did as you’re doing, took home much less than she’d thought as she hadn’t taken into account the TA salary stayed in the ad was based on 37.5 hours (which the job wasn’t-it was only actually 5 hours a day as breaks were unpaid) and also 38 weeks a year.

@Holidayshopping Yes I have as you're right-it's based on 27.5 hours which is their "full time" if that makes sense? It's a 1:1 SEN TA so a little bit more than classroom TA.

That’s good-I would love to do that! Much less stressful than my current role :(

What will you be taking home if you don’t mind me being nosey? Feel free to PM if you want to chat about the miseries of teaching! All the best with the interview!!

Hours per week: 27.5
Annual Salary FTE: £18,426 - £18,795

So yes, taking a huge drop but it's better than the 0p I'm currently earning as can't get a teaching job!!

It's also fixed term so if they like me and opportunity to stay on I could boost pay doing HLTA. Did that before at another school and it worked well.

So, I presume the FTE mean you’d earn £18,000 if you were working 37.5 hours, but will take home more like £13/14,000?

That's correct. Bit pants but no teacher pension on top of that (sort of good for us atm at least) and definite bonus of no student loan repayments!!!

A school getting a qualified teacher for the cost of a TA salary is so unfair and just not right. But I do understand you feel stuck for options.

You say your dc have 50% time shared with your ex. Does he do drop offs and pick up himself on his days? Does he have a very flexible job? Or does he use childcare that you could both share? Is there no way you can work this out amicably?

Surely it is in everyone's interest to have you working and earning a salary you are correctly qualified for?!

Having your children away for 50% of the time would also mean you have more time on those days to spend planning at home. So on the days you have your dc with you you can spend more time with them.

@GeriGremlin Unfortunately not. He's a vile man who gets his kicks from control and hurting me in whatever way he can. He doesn't want to help me at all, just hinder. He runs his own business on £105k pa and finds it highly amusing that we struggle financially. It's my "punishment" for leaving such a wonderful man!

He tells my boys I should get a "proper" job like him. He also says that teaching is "9-3.30" so if I can't collect my eldest every day that makes me a "terrible mother".

@millimat

How do you know it is the right school until you're in it?

You don't - you just have to take a job and see what it's like, then leave fairly quickly if it's shit. I've left 2 schools recently after 2 terms.

It's impossible to tell - there's no correlation with Ofsted rating and workload, or type of area. I love my current school, and until I did some supply there, I'd written it off as a school to avoid. It doesn't have a great reputation because it's in a relatively poor area compared to surrounding areas. It's results aren't great, but if you dig deeper, it's progress 8 is actually pretty good - it's just that the average ability of the kids is low (ish). Also, the kids are lovely, very easy going, much less confrontational that at previous schools. The staff are also lovely, and best of all the Head doesn't give a shit about OfSted - he as good as said that (without the swearing) in the interview. OfSted is never mentioned.