Why is it so hard to get a term-time only job!

[Monsooon]

Honestly, finding a term-time only job feels impossible! My eldest just started primary in September and my youngest is in preschool, so I need something that fits in between school hours. Obviously the search is a lot more limited, but when you do get an interview, especially for ones in schools, they make you interview against other people at the same time. It’s just awful and really stressful. You’d think there’d be more options for parents in this situation, but it’s like we’re expected to just figure it all out somehow! I’m literally gonna have a breakdown soon.

Realistically the only place you should expect to find a term time job is in an educational establishment. Do you think that other businesses should accommodate that?

More sensible to get a normal job + wraparound childcare as required. Most workplaces need the work done all day and all year round… you can’t really blame them!

Because the only jobs like that will generally be in schools and colleges, and a lot if people will want them for the same reasons you do.

The only place you’ll really find a term time only job is a school….it isn’t good business sense for other employers to offer this …..it would be a nightmare in the school holidays fitting in all the other employees holidays as well….just get a normal job then wraparound care

Ha ha

There are more options. You get a full time job and have wraparound care. Plenty of those around and a lot of people do this.

So it isn’t an option thing but you would prefer to work term time only reduced hours which a lot of people also want to do and so it’s competitive. School or Amazon. No other company would want to employ term time only reduced hours - too much effort, faff etc when they can get someone full time.

I have recently seen an advert on tv, saying Amazon, have term time contracts!

Some places allow you to request term-time working patterns, but you'd really have to be able to make a sensible case for it (e.g. maybe the work dies down over the holidays when all the parents are taking annual leave!).

Can you look for a work-from-home job where you can more or less decide your hours, to accommodate pick ups/drop offs etc? This is what I have (and I still can't believe my luck).

YABU to feel entitled to a term time only job.
millions of parents before you figured it out without having a breakdown and you will too.

I agree with you. I had this problem right up until my youngest started secondary school and no longer needed childcare. It was only then that I managed to get a job that wouldn't have had me working for nothing.

When mine were at primary school I remember thinking that there must be so much talent going begging at the school gates.

I was amongst the many who had no local family support network and couldn't afford wraparound care. Term time jobs were as rare as hens' teeth.

Yeah, I get that schools and colleges are the main ones that do term-time, but even those jobs are like gold dust. I’ve been applying left, right and centre and half the time it feels like you need a miracle to even get an interview. My youngest is 2, his preschool doesn’t offer wrap around. I changed him from a day nursery to preschool so that drop offs would be easier at the same school, but I’m regretting this now as the job hunt is a lot more limited, and wouldn’t want to move him around again.

Hardly any of us get term time jobs. Your post is a bit odd - as if people need to provide TT jobs for parents.

As PP said, realistically in education/breakfast/ASC is the main area for these.

Lots of parents have to split the load, working around one person dropping off and another picking up, if they don’t work school hours and term-time.
Can their other parent share the load?

Nobody said anything about feeling entitled, calm down. Everyone’s situation is different. Some people have family help, some don’t. Some can afford wrap around care, some can’t. Just because you “figured it out” doesn’t mean everyone else has the same options. It’s not a competition in who can struggle the hardest, it’s literally just talking about how tough it is to make things work. Why are you even replying with such a response when somebody said they’re on the verge of a breakdown. Please get off this post.

What are your qualifications?
What kind of job?

Some retail might be flexible

I work in a school and there are several things at play.

1. schools have no money and most are operating with bare bones staff. Jobs are therefore few and far between.
2. schools are dealing with an increasingly high level of need so staff need to be good. In most schools I know, we don't have 'general TAs'. TAs are supporting high needs children and we need them to be able to cope with this.
3. it's a hard job and the pay is too low for what it is. You have to love it and have a passion for it because otherwise it's hard to carry on a lot of the time! Schools will avoid applicants who come with no experience but have primary age children, if they suspect they are just looking for a term time job!

Not sure you’re getting so defensive over someone saying it’s hard to find a term-time job. I’m not asking the world to provide me with one, just saying it’s tough, which it is. The only thing odd is people twisting a simple comment about how hard it is into some kind of entitlement speech. What happened to you?

I really appreciate this, honestly. It’s comforting to know I’m not the only one who’s struggled with it. You’re spot on about all the talent wasted at the school gates. I’m really regretting switching my youngest to preschool, but it’s the choice I made.

I’m not sure I understand what you mean by being made to be interviewed against other people at the same time?

Unfortunately term time jobs which fit into school hours are quite rare. Also, if your job is at a school which isn’t your child’s school you might still need wraparound care.

The only places I’ve been applying are term time only jobs but the jobs are again limited.

Yes, flexible working they call it. I use my new term for my jobs searches and TES they’re usually term time only roles.

A job share with a university or college student in hospitality or retail would work as your availability would be the opposite of each other so you could be full time between you.

I have a childcare qualification and a degree.

You're definitely not alone. When my son was in preschool, I didn't want him to have to be away for long days and would have loved a term-time job. All I could find to fit round preschool was low-paying casual/relief work where I could more or less choose when I worked. It was good to be able to keep my hand in, but we really had very little money during that time.

It's because everybody with children has them and are unlikely to leave.

I remember years ago lots of mums worked in banks as they closed at 3pm. So it is literally only education where they have a huge queue of potential people waiting.