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.

Yeah that makes sense, thanks for explaining it. I didn’t realise schools were that stretched tbf. I’m going to give it another month and if nothing, will have to think of other options.

Keep an eye on local authority jobs. Some in Education and Children's services are term time only.
Alternatively local authority part time can be quite flexible. I'm a social worker and worked flexi 18.5 hours over 4 days when my 2 children were young then upped my hours to full time when they were at secondary.

Yes, and when I ran a v small organisation I offered school hours only jobs for this reason. Needless to say I had v loyal staff and frankly the pick of them. Good business sense if your work can be done at varied times.

Have you tried the Civil Service? They sometimes offer quite flexible hours, including term time working.

Also, look out for Invigilating jobs. It's very part time (only during exam season, which does include several sets of mocks and resits each year at most schools), but probably an easier job to get into than TA work, and once you're known to the school you're better placed as an internal applicant for school jobs with more hours.

I get loads of education jobs through on Indeed. Most from alternative provision providers. Not as good hours as the Maintained sector but usually a little more money at the TA level.

Where is your partner in this? Could he work flexibly, drop a day a week? It shouldn't be up to one partner to bear all the load.

It's a difficult juggle most of us have. We survived with generous family help, and very flexible employers.

No problem and, to be clear, I'm not saying you wouldn't be an asset to a school! Just wanted to give a picture from the other side.

I totally understand the predicament, in fact I'm looking for ways out myself because I have a send child myself and I'm supporting very high needs children at work all day. I'm burned out but can't see how I can manage a regular job because my child would not manage holiday clubs and wraparound care. This is something a lot of people don't realise is the case for a lot of parents! Best of luck to you!

Civil service offer term time and flexible working. I've been able to change my working pattern many times over the years to fit in with family life.

I’ve just had a look, thanks!

At the secondary school where I work, they always struggle to find term time staff. We never get that many applications and when we do the calibre of applicants often falls well short of what is needed. Pay for entry level admin roles in schools is pretty rubbish - once the salary is pro rata’d down, a lot of people get a shock when they find out how little they’ll be taking home each month.

You don’t say what your degree is in, but obviously unless you’re looking to teach or work as a TA, you’re looking at admin roles, so your childcare experience wouldn’t help at all. When I set out to get a term-time job, I volunteered in the office of my DC’s primary school as much as they would have me, both for the experience and reference I’d get from it and it worked.

Good luck finding something that suits.

Just look for part-time and then childminder or nursery.

Definitely look at public sector, civil service and local authorities.

Term time jobs are usually limited to established members if staff. I work for a big organisation, and would not give a term time only job to a new hire - being off every 6 weeks or so plus annual leave us just way to disruptive.
Ok for a limited time (like 1-2 years) for an established members of staff, but impossible for a new person.

The irony is everyone I know that works in a school doesn’t get to do pick ups and misses out on eg coffee morning, cake sales, plays because their school won’t let them take time off!

Some civil service jobs can be term time only. Parliament recess matches school holidays so work can be quieter in some bits of the civil service and allow for this flexibility.

Become a teacher /teaching assistant ?

Some charities and course providers offer only term time but definitely very few, school admin roles seem to be year round now too

I worked in a bank years ago and although they closed the doors at 3pm, all of transactional balancing was done until at least 5pm (often much longer if there was a discrepancy).

I worked in school kitchens for years while dd was young. Having the school holidays off was great but I missed nearly all the assemblies, plays etc and never managed to go to one sports day because I couldn't take time off.

Because most services and business also run outside of term time?

Maybe rethink your current child care arrangements? If you need to work, you need a daycare nursery, not pre school.

I'm actually surprised at the amount of people saying it's hard to get work in school. I'm a primary school teacher in Northern Ireland and we are crying out for classroom assistants. No special qualifications needed. There is one of our school's parents in my room this year and last year I had another classroom assistant's son (who was placed with a special needs child and had no training and wasn't up to it at all but we really needed someone). It might be different in other parts of the UK. A cleaner might be an option or childminding?

I found it easier to get a job in private childcare, then after 9 months I put in a flexible working request. I waited until we were fully staffed and put my request in then. Went down to 3 days a week in one chunk and use wraparound care.

I barely earn anything anymore. But it suits my ND children.

when they’re older and I no longer need the wrap around care. I’ll either up my hours or look for something else that pays higher.

Term time work never appealed to me as then I wouldn't be earning over the holidays, and we had no family help. Pop the little one back into nursery, get a 'normal' job and pay for wraparound care/take turns with your other half picking up - one of you drops off, the other picks up and starts work early. Yes, you'll spend money on wraparound care but it's only for a few short years and it's worth it getting back into a long-term career where your salary will only increase.

I think the best option would be to look for part time work with flexible hours.

I used to work 3.5 days worth of hours over 5 days to allow me to do school drop offs and pick ups and earn some extra hours to be used up flexibility to attend assemblies, sports days etc. It all had to be planned a month in advance.

For school holidays you then need to work things out carefully with your other half to cover school holidays and find some good out of school clubs. I was fortunate to be able to increase the length of my days to work 3 long days in holidays so that was less days to find childcare for.

These jobs do exist but you have to be extremely well organised and reliable to make it work for your employer as well as you.