Childcare for inset days

[niclw]

I'm hoping that someone has some wisdom about childcare for inset/PD days. My child starts reception class in September and isn't in school until Wednesday 6th Sept. I'm a solo parent and a teacher so I'm expected back in school Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th for inset days. I don't have childcare for for the inset days. I've looked at holiday clubs but they all finish the Friday before. I don't have any friends who can help. My parents are moving in to help with the week of half day starts to reception so I don't want to add two whole days to this as they live 90mins away. Does anyone have any suggestions for childcare for these inset days? Is this a constant juggle for teachers as we can't take the time off?

Are those days INSET days in DCs school? When mine were in reception they didn’t all start on the same day so I was in the same situation. I phoned the school and arranged for the DC to start on the first day. Failing that can you explain the situation to your head and take the DC in to school with you if need be? I took mine in quite a few times when they were too young to be left. They actually quite enjoyed it.

We tend to have one whole day sat in the hall listening so my son would get very bored. The other day is usually a combination of being in the hall, in departments, in year teams but most of the time we are in meetings. Plus my headteacher is not a fan of having children in school. He is making an exception for the day he starts school but will reassess once the timetable is written. If I'm teaching year 7 or 11 he won't be allowed to be with me. Thankfully someone else has offered to have im him in their classroom if this happens. But I need to find an childcare option for the inset days. I'm teaching that point that I'm thinking I'm going to have to quit teaching in order to manage his primary school stuff. I've already had wrap around care issues to handle.

I don’t think you need to give up your career to get him through the primary years.

Being a teacher means the obvious pro of having the holidays with him, so whilst he might have to do wrap around every day before and after school, you won’t have to do holiday clubs. As a solo parent, this will be a good money saver and much easier. Remember most other jobs will be all year round.

I mean obviously most parents are not teachers and make it work. Im just saying unless you really are miserable being a teacher I don’t think it’s worth throwing your career away just because of a few inset days.

Right now, tricky yes. But what may well happen is, as your son makes friends, you might be able to ask for favours. Offering another family a day of childcare in the holidays (which you have as a teacher) in exchange for help on inset days. Im sure something like this can be worked out as you go through. Not all insets will collide with his and some will.

Does he have any nursery friends or such you can ask for the first lot? Anyone you can offer taking their kids out a couple of times in the summer if they can have them on those insets?

Failing that, is he at preschool / nursery now? Could they have him those two days? At my old nursery we sometimes took new receptions starters back for those as hock days in the first term if we had space.

Do you have any connections via friends or family to students who would be willing to babysit for the couple of days?

Second the nursery suggestion. Ours kept her place til the second week in September last year, on some occasions doing a morning in school then an afternoon in nursery. She was the last of her cohort to leave.

Do you teach 6th form? Former student might be glad of the money?

Can you afford short term childcare just for those days? Maybe try a website like sitters.co.uk? Alternatively, ask around in your local community if anyone would do it as paid for childcare?

I'm assuming on INSET you can get in for about 8.30, and be out by 3.30? So you wouldn't need to pay for a full day?

I now have a brilliant childminder who is open on INSET days but I didn’t when DC1 started reception. She had a TTO place at a private nursery and she went back for the INSET days before she started at reception full-time. If your son is currently in a nursery that’s option 1. Option 2: presumably you have wraparound care organised for when he starts full days. Have you approached them to see if they are offering INSET day care? Finally I’m afraid option 3 is using grandparents, and I have done this too.

We use grandparents…they also did all the reception half days for us…and go to the concerts, sports days etc.

Term time is hard as a teacher parent but the trade off is all the holidays together. And my dc are super close to their grandparents as a result of their involvement / interest in their school life.

I paid a friend to look after mine. You could also try parental leave.

I'm not sure parental leave would work! School would obviously say no as INSETs are known about well in advance and the content is often stuff the school must legally ensure all staff have covered like child protection.

OP's going to have to pay someone if she can't call in a favour.

The reception half days aren’t legal - they have to take the children for full days from the get go. Our local council actually did a huge campaign about this last summer. I’d make sure DC was in full time from day one and then ask your DP to cover the inset days etc.

Thank you for all of you replies.

Unfortunately they nursery have said no. Probably due to their staffing issues.

Just year 7 to 11 unfortunately.

I'm not sure. I'll look into it but I'm struggling money wise as I live in an expensive area. I've considered moving back to my parents area but that's even more expensive. I'm hoping the the cost of living crisis will be over soon.

My child is in the waiting list for wrap around care in September (another headache of mine) but unfortunately they don't offer holiday clubs or inset days. I know that another local school does so I am considering approaching them but they only have one inset day rather than two so it would only solve the Monday although that would be helpful.

I will use the grandparents as a last resort but I don't think they would cope with two days plus 3 half days. They are in their 70s and are exhausted after just a day of childcare. Plus they would insist on my son staying at their Sunday and Monday night so I would have to do a 70 mile round trip after the inset day to collect him for his first day at school. They are then coming here for the Thursday and staying overnight (I'm sleeping on the sofa ☹️).

I wish our council had done this too. My second choice school has students full time from the first day but it is the only school in the area to do this.

No DP just me as a solo mum.

Speak to your employer as you may not have to be there for INSET. Part time colleagues, people sick or on mat leave won't be. Most INSET can be caught up online.
Parental leave is agreed in advance. I have used it as a teacher before.
Have you tried asking neighbours?

Single mum teacher here too. The first few I paid for child minder/ babysitting service - expensive but worth it to keep my job. Then as friends are made swapping days of childcare. As many others have said - you are free when others aren’t. Term times are hard and constant juggling but then it gets better. Having said that there is an inset today that I have not managed to cover!

Childminders, definitely. They're also great for any type of wraparound care and some offer term-time only places.

I'm a single mum and have had a few of those over the years - nursery was rarely as accommodating.

Zombie thread. The child will be in Y1 by now.