Supply teaching with preschool children

[Milkandstars]

Has anybody done this? My main concern is that a nursery place might cost more than I earn!

I can't see how you can, unless you have family or friend who can look after your dc at very short notice.
Nurseries can't hold a place for you on the off- chance you need it, and I presume you can't afford to pay them when you aren't working.

A FT nursery place is £800 per month, so I’d need approximately 8 days work to not actually lose money, around 10 to make a small profit.

Wondering if that’s likely.

I think you need to go and talk to your local schools, or schools you have previously worked at and are known at.

My sister did it for about 10 years when hers were little, but
a) her dh's job meant that he never started work before 10am and often could be at home during the day, or part of the day if need be
b) she had both Grandma's local , capable, and willing to do some days
c) she had good relationship with the school she'd taught at before she went on maternity leave, and she quickly was recognised as being good (and flexible) at her most local school,
d) this was before the days when schools started using agencies - HTs used to talk to each other and hear of good supply teachers by word of mouth then hang onto them with both hands
e) this was before schools covered classes with TAs.
f) This was when there was money in school budgets for teachers to go on course, and there was an expectation that supply would be booked to cover courses

So much has changed, and, the way cover is booked has changed. Hence the need to speak to local schools and ask if they think they would use you. Or agencies.

One of our cover supervisors is a qualified teacher with two pre-schoolers. She enjoys the predictability and lack of any work outside school hours, though the money isn’t good.

I did this, but only one of my dc was preschool at the time and I was part time. My dc was in nursery 3 days a week and I asked for work on those days. It worked perfectly and I'm still doing it 5 years on ☺️

I also had the security of dh's job, so it didn't matter so much if there wasn't much work at the start of a term for example.