Flexible working options for teachers

Flexible working is commonplace in many sectors, yet education remains an area where such flexible options are few and far between. Despite this, there is a growing demand for flexible working both within teaching and the general workforce as 87% of all full-time employees either work flexibly already or would like to, and this number increases to 92% in young workers. 

Although they are less well-known, there is a range of ways that teachers can consider working flexibly. Read more about the benefits of flexible working and your options as a teacher:

Benefits of flexible working

Long, rigid workdays are becoming a thing of the past, and for good reason – excessively long hours can be detrimental to employee wellbeing as well as productivity. Flexible working, on the other hand, offers a host of benefits. It promotes a healthy work-life balance and is especially beneficial for those with caretaking responsibilities. 

Research from the Institute of Leadership and Management has shown that flexible working increases productivity which can reduce costs, and 82% of managers agree that offering flexible working benefits their business. In addition, 73% of managers say that flexible working increases employee engagement and motivation.

Job sharing

Job sharing is just one flexible possibility that Teaching Personnel can offer teachers. This sees full-time roles split into two or more part-time, flexible work options. This benefits not only teachers looking for a reduced schedule, but also students themselves.

By being exposed to more teachers with a diverse range of skills and experience, pupils with different learning styles can be better catered to. Sharing workloads through job-share or part-time work can also increase the accessibility of teaching as a profession for those looking to enter the workforce after a break or improve the retention rate for teachers looking to ease into retirement instead of stopping teaching altogether. 

Part-time working

Part-time work is the most common type of flexible working arrangement available as a teacher and includes working fewer days or fewer hours each day. Your pay will be pro rata to your working hours but can allow you to cater your job around your existing responsibilities. At Teaching Personnel, we regularly have a wide variety of part time roles available to teachers and teaching staff. 

Supply teaching

Supply teachers can benefit from a significant amount of flexibility. Supply teachers get paid for the number of days they work, which can be anywhere from a small handful through to weeks or months at a time, depending on the requirement from the school. Supply teachers experience variety in the schools, year levels and subjects they teach, and if the teacher wants to take a break, go on holiday or simply have a few days off, this is easily done. Teachers interested in supply work should partner with a dedicated agency that specialises in short-term staffing – find out what Teaching Personnel can offer you here. 

Staggered hours 

This is the same as full-time work but has different starting, break and finish times from a typical working day. This is useful for teachers with other commitments that don’t allow for a 9 a.m. start or require an earlier finish time. An add-on of this is ‘flexi-time’ which allows you to take longer lunch breaks or leave when you require as long as you make up the hours.

Tutoring 

Many people choose to work from the comfort of their homes, or remotely, in their free time by utilising the rise in popularity of online tutoring. It’s an incredibly accessible way for students to gain one-on-one support from an experienced teacher. For teachers, this involves planning and executing lessons online or face to face. Similarly, pupil interventions and one-to-one tuition can be a great way for education professionals to gain more flexibility in their careers. Teaching Personnel can offer this work in schools and their sister companies Fleet Tutors and toota offer private face to face and online tutoring opportunities.

Find a teaching job you’ll love with Teaching Personnel

At Teaching Personnel, we recruit dedicated teachers to fill a variety of enriching roles throughout the UK. We’re industry experts and pride ourselves on providing teachers with as much - or as little - work as they require. We offer a variety of flexible work options including job sharing, part-time roles and tuition, amongst others. 

View and apply for our jobs here or register with us to be updated on the newest vacancies as they arise. Let us help you take your career in teaching to the next level.