From full year to term time

vm1468

Has anyone made the leap from full year working to term time?

Considering applying for post with local school which is full time but term time only.  

Are there pros and cons to this way of working aside from the obvious drop in pay and having school holidays off?

Spendless

Do you have school aged children as that may alter whether something is a pro or a con?

Cost of holidays in school hols (irrelevant if you have school aged children). 

If you do have school aged kids and will be working 5 days with no flexibility, not being able to have time off to attend sports days/xmas plays. I know someone working as a TA who could never see her kids in Nativity plays as unable to get time off - though that might depend on the school, because later she switched where she worked, one of her kids went to a specialist performing arts boarding school a few hours drive away and the new Head would grant permission for the odd day off in order for her to attend an event.

74jax

I'm temporarily in a school, been volunteering for the last year elsewhere, and as it was only temporary I thought I'd give it a whirl. I'll never do it again.

To me it's full time work for part time pay. I'm working 38 hour weeks but the pay doesn't reflect that if it makes sense.

I don't have children in school or grandkids, so having unpaid weeks off to me is a waste.

I think I'd prefer part time over the week, so the pay is the same as now but the days instead of weeks unpaid are just a day or two a week unpaid so more spaced out.

I also totally miss being able to take the odd day off. I've already missed something with my husband and something with my friend. And hubby doesn't want a week off in October so I'm losing a week's pay for nothing.

Like I say it's only temporary so I keep my hand in an office environment but I wouldn't do it again. My old job was very very fast paced and I worked evenings / weekends and very stressful.  I stopped working last year and was very happy volunteering, but thought I should keep the odd bit of office environment working up. This is much more relaxed but still full time, less than half the pay and no paid time off. 

It's not for me purely as I value my free time to much and being able to do what I want when I want.  At least I've tried it though and I'll see my temp contract out, the place is lovely, the work is stress free, but I like to control my free time more. 

Mrsn

I did in 2019 and it worked well for me.

However as other posters have pointed out it really depends on your circumstances as to whether it’s the right fit for you. I have school aged kids so it’s a no brainer really as allows my husband to use his annual leave for proper family time rather than using it cover childcare between us. I also worked out whether it was financially viable for me to have 13 weeks unpaid each year but by the time I had deducted childcare costs we would otherwise pay it balanced itself out.

Im rather fortunate that my boss has kids and understands that despite our hours we would like to see nativities etc so for special occasions and as long as we don’t take the biscuit we can have bits of time where needed. There is also policies regarding house moves/family situations, medical needs and other bits but they are usually determined by each school individually for those.

Marcon

If you're:

1. keen to have school holidays off
2. don't mind the fact that you can't have much (if any) flexibility in terms of days off during term time
3. can cope on the reduced salary

then it can be ideal.

If not, then it may not be for you.

bartelbe

Read the terms of the contract very carefully. Some schools, especially academy chains use such pro-rata contracts as a way of getting round employment law. What they do is give a series of temporary contract that end at the beginning of the summer holidays. Re-hiring you as a new employee at the beginning of the next school year. I know someone who was actually told by her school to apply for unemployment benefits over the summer.

If the school you apply for uses such underhand practices you will never have a secure job. It takes two years to build up minimal employment protections, unless you're in a protected group. I would avoid such employers if you possibly can.

getmore4less

74jax said:

I'm temporarily in a school, been volunteering for the last year elsewhere, and as it was only temporary I thought I'd give it a whirl. I'll never do it again.

To me it's full time work for part time pay. I'm working 38 hour weeks but the pay doesn't reflect that if it makes sense.

I don't have children in school or grandkids, so having unpaid weeks off to me is a waste.

I think I'd prefer part time over the week, so the pay is the same as now but the days instead of weeks unpaid are just a day or two a week unpaid so more spaced out.

I also totally miss being able to take the odd day off. I've already missed something with my husband and something with my friend. And hubby doesn't want a week off in October so I'm losing a week's pay for nothing.

Like I say it's only temporary so I keep my hand in an office environment but I wouldn't do it again. My old job was very very fast paced and I worked evenings / weekends and very stressful.  I stopped working last year and was very happy volunteering, but thought I should keep the odd bit of office environment working up. This is much more relaxed but still full time, less than half the pay and no paid time off. 

It's not for me purely as I value my free time to much and being able to do what I want when I want.  At least I've tried it though and I'll see my temp contract out, the place is lovely, the work is stress free, but I like to control my free time more. 

You are entitled to 5.6 weeks paid time off(prorata  for the contacted period, not weeks worked).

Any pay should factor requirement.