School office job changing to before/after school playworker, should I do it?

[Notspeaking9363]

I currently work in a school office 25 hours a week plus unpaid overtime. Minimum wage pro rata .
I enjoy it but the level of work and responsibilities is insane for the wage. The data you are responsibile for is so important. If you make a mistake with something , even a miscommunication, it can have a big impact
On top of this , have to deal with angry parents, ill children, workmen, visitors, governors and organise and take part in events outside of school unpaid. You feel very overworked and very underpaid.
I have worked in 2 schools, the first you had a lot of involvement with the children which I loved and knew them all by name. Where I work now the office is very separate and I rarely see a child as I do not work on the hatch.
A job has come up at my local primary school which both of my children attended. Its for the before and after school club, no qualifications needed, 22.5 hours a week
The hours would suit me brilliantly and I would get the interaction with the children that I like.
My school now i am there all day, term time only
This would be 7.30 to 9 and 3 to 6 which is fine as my kids are older and i would have no commute as i live next door. I would have each day free 9-3 to do whatever i please.
They have offered me the job straight away to start in September . Am i doing the right thing?
There is only 1 week left of term so putting my notice in at my school now would mean they would not have time to recruit a new person for a September start, I feel guilty. Advice please

I have no experience in working in education but can give one piece of advice. Life is too short - if you will enjoy the new role, go for it!

If you think you'll prefer it, it's a no brainer. Go for it! Personally, I love the fast paced environment of the school office.

You should go for it. Your current school clearly doesn’t appreciate you and you are working for free for them and lowering your hourly rate massively if your overtime is unpaid.
They will find someone else to fill your role - that’s their issue to worry about, not yours!

If you are on minimum wage then you are below minimum wage if you have to work extra unpaid - that is breaking the law. This move sounds like the right thing to do, go for it.

If you think you would prefer the new job go for it. I wouldn't turn it down only because you feel guilty about giving short notice . They don't value you. You need to put yourself first and let them worry about finding a replacement.

This. Your employers are criminals. Everyone knows that if you pay minimum wage then all overtime must be paid.

And now you feel like you can’t leave? What is this - some kind of modern day slavery?

Working in a school is completely different than any other job
I've always done office jobs and you clocked out the minute your shift ended. Any overtime was paid. Lots of effort put into mental health of staff etc
Working in a school is so different. The teachers are salaried so of course do not have completely set start and finish times. But the same is expected of TA's and office staff even though they are min wage. As its pro rata and you work term time only your actual hourly rate goes down to about 9.60 an hour!
When you are sitting there working on highly complex spreadsheets and headteacher reports and sending out hundreds of communications, organising the whole school calender, admissions , new starters, plus all of the training you have to do in your own time unpaid it starts to become ridiculous.
I left the first school because I couldnt sleep at night because I couldn't stop thinking of everything I had to do. You also never get any thanks or praise. Never have one to ones or check ins as always too busy.
The schools I've worked at also have their own TA's working the before and after school clubs
This one is an external agency that comes in to do it so I wouldn't be employed by the school . I just feel that for the same wage I can sit and play with the children and do activities which sounds way more appealing and less stress

I’d change jobs.

Change jobs!

What reasons do you have for staying in the existing job?

Go for it.

Only potential problem I can see is that your notice period can’t normally be served in the holidays, so you need to get on this quickly

I would go for it. Your current school job sounds too stressful and who wants to work unpaid.

I’d go for it.
Where do you see your current role leading you, realistically, in the next 2+ years?

Take the new job.

Take the job!

How old are your kids?

If having no adult at home until just after 6 will be fine, ho for it. It sounds like you want the change.
Just a thought: are you likely to have to stay late when parents are late to pick-up?

Don't worry about school and the timing of your notice - its the way it goes sometimes.

My husband is at home. They are both teenagers. I would be 5 minutes walk away so no commute and still all school holidays off
Just hoping I haven't missed anything and i will not like it lol

I can only see reasons FOR the new job, OP. Go for it!

For those saying the employees are criminal, schools wouldn't be able to survive if it wasn't for staff working for free. Yes, it's wrong but working in a school is literally more like a way of life than a job.

People are saying they're criminal, for paying less than minimum wage.

Many school staff, including teachers are earning a lot more than the op (though often still not enough imo)

It sounds great - and if you don’t like it, you can look for something else!

Your current school is completely taking advantage of you - it’s disgraceful- there is no way you should be on minimum wage and made to do unpaid training! No point fretting about it now though as you’ll be leaving next week for that much better job 😁

Go for it. I work in an office at a private school. I do my hours and that’s it. It’s crazy busy as a role as I’d say I do more than my fair share of duties within the day, I make sure I taken my unpaid lunch hour as know they’d take the piss otherwise.

For minimum wage do what suits you/you will enjoy.
I'm sure they will have no problem recruiting a replacement for the office, hence the minimum wage!