Any teachers going/gone part time?

[becstar]

I am HATING being full time and I really feel I can't cope. Husband is not likely to find something that pays as much as my job so our only other option is for me to go part time and him to find something part time too.

How did you find it logistically, especially if you and husband work different days so one of you is always home? How was your boss? How easy is it to go full time again if you need to?

How huge is the pay cut? And what about pension - I worry about that not being as high, especially since husband still doesn't have a pension scheme.

 

[Mrs Dot]

I'm a teacher and I think - but don't quote me! - that if you went down to say 3 days it's classed as 0.6, with a full 5 days being 1.0 so wages would be 0.6 of what they are now depending on where you are on the pay scale.

I would approach your union and ask them before asking the headteacher at your school - they will probably be better placed to give advice on how to approach it with your school too, also they can advise you on your legal rights etc.

I would imagine that your pension payments will be re-assessed if you did go part time to a percentage of what you would be earning, unless you choose to top up each month.

 

[Jchihuahua]

I agree, check with your union first. Are you NUT?

I'm going back full time after summer half term and dreading it . I love the job but obviously love spending time with my baby more! We can't afford for me to go part time so my husband is going to go part time instead which means we'll barely see each other as he will work 6-9 Mon to Friday and also Sundays.

What year group do you teach? I'm a Reception AST and FS coordinator.

I want another baby next year so dreading telling the boss that too as I know he won't be pleased!

 

[mumtosam]

I went back part time in January (0.5 which was 5 days a fortnight) so was paid half of my full time wage. I didn't last long though as found it too difficult ( for lots of reason which I won't go into now!) I am doing supply now 2 days a week which I am loving so far. The money is good but there are drawbacks such as no holiday and sick pay and I am worried about my pension.

I would ask to have a meeting with your head and maybe consult your union before you have it.

 

[jacs]

I'm going from full time to 3 days when I go back. I was told that they only pay you for the actual teaching hours, i.e. not for break/assembly etc. Is that right? If that's the case I'll end up on about 2 days pay, but bet I still have to do yard and assembly duty!
My head was great about me choosing part time, but more to do with reducing the budget I reckon!

We're lucky to have 2 sets of retired grandparents close by, so they will share the care of Evan when I'm at work. Sometimes DH is off on a Mon and Fri, so there's that as well.

Well done for managing full time this far, must be so hard, as it's more than full time when you still have planning/marking to do.

Have you looked on the TES forums? there's a section for part time and maternity questions.

 

[billybump]

Hi ladies, sorry to hijack and ask a related question I'm considering going back part time but don't want to decide until I've tried full time, is it possible for me to apply for pt after returning? From what I know you get paid a percentage of ft wage, pension contributions will be reduced though I think you can top up (not sure though)

 

[history_girls]

I'm goin back full time at easter until the end of the summer term. In September I plan to 4 days a week. I'm a secondary school head of department and feel if I went 3 days - 1 the pay cut is too much and 2 i would do work for the two days i wasn't there.

The link is to an excel document where you can type in your salary and then do what % of time you will work and it works out your gross pay. The second link is to a salary caculator which will then work out what your net pay will be. Really helped me realise i could do 4 days but also the reality of the pay cut.

https://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=12828

https://www.thesalarycalculator.co.uk/salary.php

Your pension is a % of whaterver you earn. I have been buying AVCs for a few years to help minamise the missing money of bringing up kids. There is nothing to say when your kids are older and at school that you can't pay extra into your pension.

A school must consider a request for part / flexible time and it is really hard for them to say no. The right to go back full time is not the same. When you go part time you change your contract and the school is under no obligation to put you back to full time. i work in a church school and they are really good employers (crap at most other stuff lol
) and they are great at allowing the switch between part and full (and vice versa).

I'm the NASUWT rep at my school and know quite a bit about employment stuff so any questions just ask!

 

[history_girls]

Hi ladies, sorry to hijack and ask a related question I'm considering going back part time but don't want to decide until I've tried full time, is it possible for me to apply for pt after returning? From what I know you get paid a percentage of ft wage, pension contributions will be reduced though I think you can top up (not sure though)

Anyone with a child (up to 17 i think) is entitled to ask to go part time at any point. I'm planning on requesting part time about two weeks after going back (many reasons for this including the fact that we wanted to ensure that they employ another history teacher for my department)

https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/members/members_faqs.htm

Great info here on pensions - topping up is under AVC (additional voluntary contributions)

 

[bjl1981]

I'm going back at the end of may part time (0.4-0.6 timetable, depending on classes).
I know I couldn't cope full time. Before LO I never brought any work home, so did all my prep and marking at school (normally stayed til 5.30/6pm). That gave me the work/life balance I needed for spending time with OH. My mum is looking after LO when I go back, so I don't think its fair for her to have him till that late, so will probably pick him up at 4.30. Over the course of a FT week that would mean abour 7-8 extra hours I would have to make up at home (after LO went to bed!) and I wouldn't feel like I was getting any rest.
If I left him at my mums till 6pm we would get home and then I'd have to start bedtime routine immediately and not get any quality time with him
We can live on my PT salary, but not have any luxuries, but I'm prepared for that
My OH works full time btw.

 

[harmonybunny]

I just qualified a few months before i found out i was pregnant so had to defer my probation year until this August. I'm dreading leaving my LO and teaching after being out of practice for so long! I'll be on a 0.7 which isn't too bad but i'm so nervous, it's not like me.

I really hope that going part-time works out for you, hon x

 

[New2Bumps]

I really want to go back 3 days a week but I know for a fact my head wont like it. I'm KS1 co-ord and I think they will use this as a reason for me not to go pt.

History_girls - people keep telling me I'm entitled to go back pt but I think they can refuse - am I right?

 

[history_girls]

They can refuse if it is really detrimental to the school - but if you were prepared to fight it a little you have a right to appeal it.

My mum is an assitant head at a primary school (7 classes) and they said no to part time because it would have meant all the junior teachers were part time and I think they couldn't afford it. They had to really prove why she couldn't go back.

The offical line is:
the right to apply to work flexibly (this includes part time) to the following:
• parents of children aged under six;
• parents of disabled children aged under 18;
• the carer of a person, aged 18 or over, who lives with them or who is a near
relative.
There is no automatic right to work flexibly, only the right to make the request, but
employers have a statutory duty to consider these requests and follow a set of
procedures.

basically they could be accused of discrimnation if they let someone else go part time in the same circumstances and not you.

I know lots of people don't like making a fuss because it makes work awkward, especially in small primary schools - i think we have it easier in secondary as there is more staff and a much more flexible timetable.

 

[becstar]

Thanks so much!

I made a fuss before I went on ML as they wanted to put me on PPA when I got back but I wanted a class. They told me they can do it and technically they can but they have never ever taken a man out of class and put them on PPA, so I had a case for discrimination. It never got that far as a colleague offered to do part time PPA but cover my class for the term I was off on ML>

After that I'm scared of asking to goaaprt time! I know they won't let me do job share as the head hates them, so it will be PPA cover. Meh.

 

[becstar]

PS Yikes, I'd be losing nearly 700 a month in pay... GULP.

 

[history_girls]

well my school tried to tell me to do cover for a term and I refused and insisted on my job - which they had to give me.

Off the top of my head i think up to week 18 of maternity leave you are entitled to your job back as you left it - i.e as you left it. after that it must be very similar with same status. I'm going back after 7 months maternity leave.

some heads just try it on assuming you won't challenge

 

[becstar]

They said as PPA is still class teaching then it was the same, but the union said it was still discrimination if they've never made a man do it (and lets face it, they wouldn't!)

ETA that's not to say there's anything wrong with PPA cover, but they would never ask a man to change from having a class to doing cover. Not at my school! men are revered as gods at my school, as they never go on ML.

 

[Mrs Dot]

thanks for the other info! I'm a primary teacher but work at an education centre so I'm imagining that I'm more or less entitled to the same rights. I'm still with my union even though I'm not in a school, so think they will have to consider my request carefully as they know I'm in a union and not afraid to use them as I did in my last school - hence why I'm working in an alternative Educational setting!

I want to go back at the most 4 days, possibly 3 days from September to January if they will let me and if the figures add up - baby brain too much atm to even think about it but know I need to get my backside in gear to get it sorted and sort my KIT days out too. My bosses are lovely so I'm hoping they will consider it, but I know that they would only accept a colleague going back 2 days if she changed her role entirely, which I know they are legally entitled to do if you go back after 6 months.

 

[Cattia]

I am a teacher and also a Head of Department. I requested to be allowed to return three days a week from June and four days a week from September. They have never allowed a Head of Department to go part time before, but we have a new boss now who is a woman. They took a long time to consider it but since there is a precedent for it at other local schools and colleges they have agreed to it. Ideally I would prefer to work three days but like you Becstar, I am the main breadwinner, DH hardly earns anything and just by dropping one day I will be losing over £500 per month I also don't think I could do a HODs job on less than four days. I am pleased they have agreed to it but will have to see how I manage when I go back as I have always gone the extra mile, done a lot of extra work and run clubs / trips etc. I love doing all those extra things as it makes the job worthwhile to me but I know I am going to have to be really organised and cut right back on the extras. I was telling DH this morning how I am so tempted to just go and get a job in Starbucks and we can just survive on the minimum wage!

 

[Jchihuahua]

I was just thinking the other day we should have a teachers group/chat thread as there are quite a few of us and might be helpful as well as stress relieving when we're all back at work !

 

[wishingonastar]

just a quick note for those going part-time...make sure you stipulate in your written request and in any subsequent contract changes that it is for a specified period only (e.g. until your LO is XXX age) as otherwise it can result in a permanent change to your hours...if you want to eventually return to full time make sure you stipulate a date now!!!