My mum is a primary teacher in the UK, she works from around 8am until 5pm most days, but at least one night a week will be closer to 6 or 7pm. She also dedicates one day a weekend to lesson planning and admin. I've had 4 friends train to be teachers in the last 5 years, only one is still doing it, it is very hard to have a life and teach in the UK at the moment.

I have just finished my probation year after doing the PGDE and secured my first permanent post.

Both times I have found myself busy for about a week during the summer holidays prepping for going to school (looking at plans, class lists and gathering resources). I have then spent a further 3ish days in class sorting it. So roughly 1.5 weeks of the 6 week summer holiday done.

Over Christmas, Easter and October I barely get time as forward plans are due for going back and they can be time consuming. I also have normal prep work to do.

During actual term time I find myself leaving at 7.45 to get to work for 8.15/8.20 to set up the class and run errands, then I work until almost 5pm each night (if I work through lunch it's about 4.30pm). Once I'm home I have two to three days where I work for another hour and a half/two hours once DS is asleep. Possibly the same for one day over the weekend.
We've just been inspected and I worked 7 hours for the Saturday and Sunday before it, in school.

Any meetings etc obviously affect how long I stay after school/work at home. Parents night's I typically don't get home until 9pm and I don't get to see DS at school events.

If you have a good class then it can be a breeze to teach but I have a multi-composite difficult class and I have went home crying almost every night for two weeks and my voice has almost gone - we're only 3 weeks in.

Teaching is very rewarding but even though DS and I go to school in the same authority I feel like I barely get to see him. I spend more time with and worrying about 24 other children. I am seriously considering a career move. I love teaching and working with children but the paperwork and bureaucracy of teaching is getting out of hand. When you add up all the extra hours over the contracted 35 hours you work, then take time away from your holiday, I spend about 4-5 weeks a year on 'on holiday': the same as any other parent I know.

I'm in Scotland.

I am a UK primary school teacher and am just pregnant with my first. There is no way I can continue my current lifestyle with a child. I get to work for between 7-730 and leave at 6pm daily.

Sadly I think the expectations have continued to grow over the years and this ultimately means you live to teach. Even when I finish at 6 I am at home planning, assessing or even marking.

I'd love to know how parents juggle their families as this is a real concern of mine. I've struggled to get to this stage and want to make the most of it all...not squeeze them in around my busy schedule.