Can't find a part-time teaching job. Feeling stupid for thinking I would...

[40andproud]

I have 2 dds, one 12 and one 8. I have been able to be a SAHM since they were born and work with husband p/t in his own business. After years of volunteering in everything from pre-school upwards, I decided to do a flexible PGCE and qualified as a teacher last December. I was offered a f/t job whilst doing my last placement and decided to try it although younger dd still at lower school. My husband was brilliant and a friend also helped with childcare and it worked but I was made to feel by the school as though any thought of work/life balance was ridiculous and I felt like I never saw my dcs. I asked to go p/t, they said no and after deep thought, I left.

I am hoping for a p/t job for this year until younger dd moves schools but there's nothing out there. Similarly, I can't seem to get any supply and whilst I keep trying to look at it from all angles, I can't come up with a solution. I know in my heart that I did the right thing by leaving but in my head, I wonder if I did. Please cheer me up .

Part time jobs are out there - you just need to keep searching!

I work part time as a teacher (2 days per week) - it is part of a job-share arrangement, where one of the original pair left. Part time jobs quite often come up as maternity covers when teachers go off on maternity leave with their second child.

No advice really - just wanted to express some support.

Thanks Littlefish, feeling a bit sorry for myself today. I know there are jobs but none on my doorstep as yet. How nice would that be?

Congratulations on your PGCE, good for you, that's a serious achievement.

You are absolutely right to want to have a balance betwen work life and home life, which mother, and most fathers too, don't want that?

It's so difficult to find work, in any sector, that allows you spend any serious amount of quality time with your kids and your kids are only kids once, you only get each day once, each year once, no more chances and then thats it, they're adults and you've missed their childhood, whilst you were at work!

Having said that, most of us, unfortunately have to work, we have bills to pay and we have to eat, so work it is.

Teaching, at least, has the long holidays and shorter working days than a lot of industries so you've made a good choice.

Is it primary you're teaching? Are you trying to get a job share or something similar?

Whereabouts are you? Maybe I could have a quick look for you too? Two heads, better than one and all that

there is a lot of teachet p[osts coming up in childrens centres, have you tried there? Our CCteacher is part time
Plus DD1s teacher has job share so she has 2 teachers, so is possible.
Good luck and well done

Thank you all so much for your replies. They really have cheered me up .

I am proud of my PGCE, thank you, and it is in primary. A job-share would be ideal as you say, because I have got 1 term of my induction year still to do and I am keeping my eyes peeled everywhere for jobs. I'm in Beds, seededbiatch but close to Herts/Luton/Cambs. I am almost obsessed with looking at all the job sites now . Thanks for your offer to look - you might be miles away of course!

Where are jobs for Children's Centres advertised Lisa? I haven't come across any for those yet.

Thanks again everyone.

how odd, im in herts, the jobs for our cc in the area are normally placed here www.hertsdirect.org.uk

i will check tomorrow forany on the intenal websie too if you like
And just a quick not I know our cc teacher contract is PT atm and is meant to go FT in April, BUT they will be looking for job share if you want to email me I can give you more details and maybe you could ring, but dont say i said

I have been a Children's Centre teacher. It was advertised with all the other teacher jobs on the County website. Just a word of caution - some Children's Centre teacher jobs are advertised as being on the Soulbury Scale (like LEA advisers), rather than on teacher terms and conditions. This means that it does not follow school terms.

Not miles away at all. In Herts as well.

Obviously you'd like something in Beds though, part time.

Will have a quick gander and will report any findings back here.

,waves at seeded and begins to wonder if she knows any of these fab ladies in RL, and therfore should run and hide>

Have you registered with recruitment agencies?

Hi again Lisa, that is a coincidence. That website is one of my bookmarked ones! I guess cc jobs come up in the support vacancies? I had a quick look and there's nothing at the moment. Now I realise what a cc is because my dcs are older, I don't know if I would have enough experience for a job in one as all my teaching experience has been in KS2 so far. I am trained in KS1 but have not taught in reception as yet. Thank you for the offer though, that was kind of you. There is a cc near me so I will keep my eye out and try to build up some experience if I get some supply.

Sorry crossed posts with some of you. How about that for location then? Sends a wave to Lisa and seeded

Thanks for that Littlefish. I had wondered what the Soulbury scale was. I thought it was just the old teachers' payscale.

So far, I have registered with 2 county supply agencies and 1 commercial agency (pittance of pay). I have had the grand total of 4 days work since the start of September and one of the county agencies doesn't let you freelance so you have to have all worked booked through them and that obviously includes a fee. Most schools are on a tighter budget this year, I know, and also they tend to have supply 'regulars' and I can't seem to break in to that as yet.

Thanks for looking out for me.

Would Northwood be too far from you?

jobseekers.direct.gov.uk/detailjob.aspx?sessionid=dd9dda12-3f43-4d92-88e8-805715ab4f54&pid=1&j=HKH/1 0437

Sadly, Northwood's an hour away from me. I have seen a p/t job about 35 mins away and I am going to visit the school later this week but tbh, even this seems quite far and probably longer at 8am.

How far do you travel Littlefish? Is this something I should just accept that I might have to travel some distance?

Shame your not secondary - dh is 3 teachers down in his faculty this term (in Luton).

I took him to a party Friday night and he was trying to wheedle 2 other teachers to join his school - can't take him anywhere

A friend of mine used to do PPA cover, she's a drama specialist, and the way she used to get most of her work was to email the head and offer her services.

It's an unconventional way of doing things but from that she landed herself her last three part-time roles and the job she just started in September is a full time one which again she got through emailing the head.

Worth a try to your local primarys, offering your services as supply or for PPA cover?

Lol LaurieScaryCake. I have seen a few jobs in Luton although all full-time but I'll keep looking.

I did send off some CVs to local schools at the end of last term but didn't hear anything back. Part of the problem is that if they book me, they have to pay a fee but it's also the fact that I'm a NQT perhaps. Anyway, maybe I should approach them again after half-term to see if they have any new developments. If there were something longer term, I could go on a contract and cut out the agency! Yes, that's a good idea. Thanks .

Ugh! Don't you just hate the sad muppets who don't have a work/life balance? It drives me mad. Don't get sucked into all that crap. Decide what you want then go for it.

How about posting on the TES forum? My friend worked part-time as a primary teacher but she said she found her oppo first who was returning after maternity leave and only wanted to return part-time.

Keep clear on what you want in your mind and stay patient. The right thing will come along. After all, there must be plenty of teachers with children who only want to work part-time. Also, stay proactive. Maybe try writing to schools directly. Who knows what will come up? It might take a lot less effort than you think.

I have just started as a tutor in the one-to-one tuition scheme - it's £25 an hour and you have to be a qualified teacher to do it. I'm in a secondary school, but it started as a primary school scheme and I thought it was everywhere-I'm in Notts. They need 700 tutors in my area alone. I have been able to specify school hours only and I'm doing 7hrs a week to start-it's perfect for me.
Perhaps it could tide you over?

Thanks Speckledeggy for your positive vibes . It is hard to stick to your principles sometimes, especially when it means leaving a full-time job in a good school. But I did feel it was just the wrong time for me and I was expected to fit in with all those who didn't have children and didn't seem to want to go home! I'm not having a go at them for that but it should work both ways, as long as I am doing a good job, I think. I just hope that I can be patient and that the right thing will come up for me. I am on the TES btw and saddened by the number of people in exactly the same boat as me . Yet the govt still does its ads recruiting new trainees .

Hi Defineme, yes I have signed up for one to one tuition too which is centralised in Herts but I haven't been contacted for anything yet. I also signed up nationally which I hoped would mean that schools in my local area would contact me - but not a word. What have you got to do, eh?

Thank you all so much for your posts and ideas. It has really helped me to get things in perspective

At the end of the day, you have to be true to yourself. Sometimes it can be impossible with all the demands at work and the only way you can do anything about it is to vote with your feet.

Keep in mind that you only need one part-time teaching job. Forget the fact that there are few of them about at the moment and try to avoid all the stories that re-inforce that message. It's a good tactic to use.

Also, never doubt the fact that you have made the wrong decision. For personal reasons, I chucked my job in at the end of last year just as the recession was kicking in. I took five months off, got myself and other things in my life sorted and after a month or so of looking found another better job for a nicer organisation for more money. You really just need a bit of faith in yourself. All will be fine...

Hi 40andproud.

I travel between 30 - 40 minutes per day to get to work. For my previous part time job, I travelled about 15 minutes each way.

I'm contemplating looking for a new job at the end of this academic year, so I'll start keeping an eye out now!

Hiya 40andproud,

I was browsing the jobsgopublic website, looking for part time work for myself, and came across this-
www.jobsgopublic.com/jobs/one-to-one-tuition-ed-036-09/from/1ozhky3oi4rs1y/28/of/28/opening_at/desc

Is Barnet too far?

And this?

www.jobsgopublic.com/jobs/level-1-teaching-assistant-ed-136-09/from/1ozhky3oi4rs1y/2/of/28/opening_a t/desc

Also in Barnet?

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your new posts. Sorry not to have got back to you before now. Amazingly, I had a day's teaching today. It was the only day of the whole half-term that I had not got dressed (I was going to have a bath) and I asked my DH to take my DD to school. So what happens? Last minute call from my old school! Anyway, I was very grateful and had a lovely day - knackered now though .

Firstly, bless your heart, Speckledeggy! I am quite a principled person and I am really enjoying taking my daughter to school again. I know you are right, I just have to be strong. I am so pleased that things worked out for you.

I am going to see a school tomorrow which is about half an hour away and they have a p/t teaching job on offer. I had been thinking that it was maybe too far but maybe not from what you said, Littlefish. I would definitely start looking for that job now .

I also have another iron in the fire at another school, speaking to the Head about that one tomorrow although this may be full-time. What would be lovely, would be to be able to ask for slightly flexible PPA time this year so that I could do the school run twice a week but still work full-time or is that just ridiculous of me to consider?

I did also see a HLTA job locally but feel uncertain about this because I am a qualified teacher after all - what do you all think? Would I be selling myself short? It's so hard when the hours would fit but the pay would be rubbish and it wouldn't count towards my NQT year.

Unfortunately, Barnet is a good hour away down the A1 for me. I am about 10 mins drive west of the A1 at J10. Thanks for looking though Seeded. What are you up to yourself?

You guys are all fantastic. Thank you.