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.

A good school which values its staff will recognise that a lot of them are parents themselves, and will need to support their own children's school community by attending some important events in the school calendar whenever possible eg by SLT covering a class for an hour or so while a teacher goes to their child's leavers' assembly or something. But yes, you would not be able to go to them all, but then again, in any other job it's unlikely you'd be able to manage that too.

Invigilating may not fit in with dropping or picking up your own kids at another school. Morning exams start at 9.00am and afternoons usually 1.30pm. Most invigilators need to stay for kids who have extra time too.

This could help a teeny bit https://www.gov.uk/parental-leave/entitlement

What about applying for non term time but flexible job and using a mix of holidays (yours and their dad's) plus some unpaid parental leave for each of you to cover the gap?

For many work places they just don't shut down for weeks at a time so it really doesn't work. I've employed a lot of people and agreed all types of flexible patterns but TT only wouldn't have worked for any of them

How about job share? Is there someone you could share roles and school pickups with and apply for roles together.

Businesses run all the time, they need full time employees or at least overlapping work schedules, who would work holidays only to cover your absences? Only schools work term time only and they are going to be very sought after jobs.

Hi @Monsooon I haven't rtft, and know you have a childcare qualification, but have you considered the civil service? I know it'd be a change of direction, but I work there and am term time and know plenty of others who are too. There are lots of different areas, DWP, HMRC, Homes England, Defra, OfWat, HSE, Insolvency Service etc, and lots of jobs. It may be worth looking into if you haven't already considered it. I have 13 weeks off unpaid per year to cover school holidays but my salary is averaged so I get the same pay each month.

The general job market is terrible at the moment. Term time jobs have always been difficult to get and prone to low pay and exploitation. Schools are in a very difficult financial position - mine is oversubscribed, very successful & for the first time in my teaching career being subject to larger classes and a recruitment ban. There is no money and we are fortunate - many schools are having to make staff redundant. There are people who manage to work term time effectively but they generally have planned it very carefully for years in advance. Retraining and building a reputation with child friendly companies. As a previous poster said, taking any job with any hours and building up from that maybe the only way in. In a school this used to be as a Teaching Assistant but schools are being forced to cut the number of positions available.

Have a look at local authority roles - governor services tend to be TTO and there are some other services that can accommodate these sort of hours. You can approach if you see a job advert you fancy to ask if it’s possible too. ‘For the right candidate’ etc. but some roles obviously can’t accommodate it.

Thank you to everyone that has posted and made suggestions. I’ve taken lots of screenshots and hopefully will be back with a positive update soon!

Could you be a childminder? That would work around school times.

a lot of people seem to claim they can’t afford wraparound care, but honestly, even in a NMW job, that seems unlikely. Once your child is in school, you’re getting a really significant chunk of the day - at least 6 hours - with no cost whatsoever. So say you need 3 hours wraparound care, an hour before and 2 hours after school, even if you only earn NMW, you’re still going to be better off than not working. Even 2 kids in wraparound care isn’t going to cost as much as you’ll earn in a full day.

and when it comes to school holidays, employees are entitled to 28 days annual leave as a minimum. So that’s nearly 6 weeks. 12 weeks between the two working parents.

for wraparound care, unless you literally choose to have loads of kids, it’s hard to see how you’re not making more money than you pay out in childcare. I think the reality is more that people seem to resent paying it, perhaps more so if they’ve been a SAHP until the kids are in pre school or primary. It always seems a shock to these people that they need to use childcare to work. Conversely, people who go back to work after maternity leave and are used to paying all day fees for nursery are delighted at how cheap wraparound care is in comparison!

Loads and loads of us don't have family help. You can afford wraparound care by working normal business hours.

Local authorities are screaming out for childminders and offering incentives for this. Also employability teams have funding to help parents into work so ask about No One Left Behind parental employability schemes. Generally starts with a work placement and often leads to a job.

It's definitely challenging to find a flexible employer. Other mums who found the same have ended up setting up their own businesses based on their skills or a niche area need. Baby and toddler classes, renting equipment that can be delivered between 9 and 3, sewing, ironing, etc. Worth looking into?

The Civil Service.
They offer term time only and you can work flexible hours, depending on the role.

The thing is with a lot of term time / part time jobs in schools is that the pay is low and schools are full on / stressful places to work. I think finding a job 2 or 3 days a week all year round is a much better option. You’d only need wrap around care a few days a week and actually benefit from time, rather than rushing all the time.

You're not looking in the right place. There are 4000 plus jobs in schools in UK TTO advertised on mynewterm.com.
Look.
On tes.jobs there are thousands.
Look.
I'm am termmtime only, I have no problem finding work.
Salary all year round.
It's not jmposdjble every single school of college in UK needs LSAs or TAs

It can be done. I was in your situation and get a TA job with no experience in education. You have to wow them at interview as they are generally sceptical about mum applicants being solely motivated by the hours. It’s hard work and the pays crap but also extremely rewarding. I feel very lucky every day. Working in a secondary school enables me to support my year 6 and 8 kids with their education too.

Yes, there really should, and although it won't be for everyone, some people would like to and could afford to (just about) spend school holidays with their children and work, contribute while their children are at school.

In our area there are always lots of midday supervisor jobs in schools. They can be a really good foot in the door for when other support roles come up.

Because most jobs other than those in education can’t afford to lose you for 13 weeks a year. Job with wrap around care is better

Legally you can take at least 4 weeks unpaid parental leave per child under 18 once you have 12 months service. Considering that term time jobs are pro-rata’d anyway you wouldn’t be worse off financially doing this. Lots of employers offer more than 4 weeks, Next used to.

I have a WFH freelance job that my old boss offered me last year. I've been incredibly lucky as it fits in perfectly both with my preferred hours and their needs.

It seems being self employed or freelancer WFH ideally is more likely to use these hours. As others say, you will need to work full time with school clubs etc if not.

Can you retrain as a painter/decorating or tiler or something OP? Then be self employed only working term time?