Should I quit to accommodate childcare?

[flowerbirdie]

I'm a part time teacher with two DC (1 and 3) who both attend nursery. My school have just informed me that they can't accommodate the working days I requested next year. This means that I will have to ask my elderly mother to do a 4 hour round drive to look after my DC on one day and my DP will have to drop to 4 days a week to look after them the other.

We live in an area where there is a huge shortage of childcare places. I had to sign both DC up for this nursery when I was 20 weeks pregnant with each of them because of very long waiting lists. So there's no way I can find another provider or get the nursery to change days by September.

Additionally I don't just want to pull them both out of nursery as my eldest will be starting her preschool year in September which I am really keen for her to experience and I feel is very important to her development.

So please can people give me their experience and opinions:

1. Is it worth taking to my union? Has anyone been through similar? Did you manage to get a change of days? Or is it just a waste of time?

1. If I can't change the days which is better - quit at earliest opportunity (Christmas I think?) and work supply for the rest of the year so I can actually work the days I wanted?

1. Or do I stick it out for one rubbish year and ask my mum and DP to go out of their way to supply childcare?

Many thanks in advance and sorry if I'm overreacting. The school have been reasonable with part timers in the past and I've given them a lot of years of loyal service and going above and beyond. This feels like a real slap in the face and it's really upset me.

She's willing to do it but not particularly happy and I'm not particularly happy asking her. My partner's job recently asked if anyone wanted to cut their hours as a cost saving measure so we think it should be quite straightforward. I'm currently working 2.5 days a week.

I've requested to remain at 2.5 days next year and to keep the same days I'm on now. The school says that they can't accommodate that because it doesn't fit with the timetable.

Hold on. Have you actually asked nursery if they can change the days? You might find there is more flexibility than you think.

Could school accommodate you if you were to drop to 0.4 or go up to 0.6?

Also, have you checked your contract to see if it says anything about the notice period for changing your days? It is very late in the term for them only to tell you now.

Thanks I will check my contract tomorrow. I seem to remember that as long as they show they've made an effort to accommodate my request that's all they're required to do. At our school our hours are contracted but not our specific days. I will also ask about altering the number of hours - that hadn't occurred to me, thank you.

I haven't asked the nursery yet but it says repeatedly over the communication sent to parents that it has to be long in advance. The last time I requested a change I had to wait 8 months.

Can you afford for your partner to drop to 4 days a week? Will his employer accommodate that? And realistically, is your mum going to cope with the round trip once a week? What happens if she's ill or doesn't feel up to the drive?

I do think it's worth asking your nursery, not least because if you haven't even asked (even if you know it won't happen) your head will probably expect you to do that as a first step. I think you probably also need to show willing by contacting a few other nurseries, so you can show nowhere has places for September.

Then go back to the head (ideally with union support) and tell them this is the situation you're in, you simply can't work the days they have requested. Don't mention your husband dropping his days, or your mum, just say you rely on nursery and you can't change the days or get another place in time for September. Therefore, you can't work the days that they want you to work- it's impossible for you to work those days.

In terms of talking to your union, if you don't have a rep in school, ideally you'd get in touch with your branch and ask if they can send an officer to help you- going via the advice line is often slow/difficult.

If nothing else, your union will very likely be able to negotiate you an early exit from your contract (if that would be helpful to you) with an agreed reference and possibly a pay off of some kind. You may have to sign an agreement with the school that you won't pursue them legally, and possibly that you won't talk about the situation.

It's also possible if your school realise they may be without a teacher from September, they'll suddenly be able to accommodate you after all!

This will likely lead to at least a term on supply (although maybe not depending on what you teach) but if you can manage financially, then that may help you get an "in" at a school which can accommodate your working days.

That is all such helpful advice - thank you so much!