Work in your late 50’s

I am in the same boat as you work in childcare in low paid job but have no other choice.my health is suffering just turned 59 and arthritis kicking in have asthma quite bad especially in winter. However I would probably go mad if I didn't go to work I'm trying to find a balance till 66?

Hang in there. I had several periods when I nearly jacked it in and now realise that it's a good job I didn't and I enjoyed most of the work. You could go part-time? Change schools? It looks as if DFE and OFSTED are calming down a bit and trying to retain teachers and reduce workload/data drops etc
incentives rather than constant stick! All jobs have their stress and boring bits you will know that from your previous life.

After having a 'sensible' job in education for 23 years. I decided, at 60, enough was enough so I've taken my pension and got a wonderful job, 2 days a week, as a Victorian shopkeeper at a living museum. I applied for 12 jobs in various organizations and got 6 interviews. I was accepted at my 3rd interview. No matter what your age, you should try for something else if you dislike your job. Life is too short to be unhappy xx

Well you wont know unless you try. Perhaps you could take early retirement and supplement your pension with a part-time job? Or reduce your current hours? Tutoring has been mentioned which would seem reasonable. There are lots of jobs that you could do, or you could try downsizing and reduce your expenses in return for a better work/life balance.

Have you actually checked with Teachers Pensions exactly how much you you would get if you were to retire and claim your pension immediately? At just 55 the lump sum which we weren’t expecting and our joint Teachers pension was enough to keep the wolf from the door. (I only had 13 years in!) DH got a casual job with a local undertaker for extras and I did a bit of private tuition and became a volunteer for the ambulance service as I needed to be active. I have just applied to work a couple of days a week in a cafe until we get our state pension at 66.

I was a teacher until I was in a redundancy situation and had no option but to leave as my job was cut . I was nearly 57 . It was a great shock to discover that despite working for 22 years only 11 counted towards the teachers pension . Part time years didn’t count I was told . So , after doing some private tuition and agency work I decided to retrain and be self employed. I have taken my pension to help me get by . I am also looking into claiming maladministration for the missing years .

There is some very useful and brilliant advice on here from others ... I feel sure that you will find a way to benefit from their wisdom and experience. Good luck!

Thank you all for your input. It has given me food for thought. I am not giving up, I will continue looking. I am going to look at other roles in education, this is what I know best. I am also going to work towards part time over the next 3 years so I have something to work towards. I think living frugally is probably the key.

Have you thought of leaving your permanent teaching position and doing Supply work?
I finished my teaching career in that way.
You will have no preparation or marking to do and you can decide when you want to work.
I loved it.
If you do that though make sure you have work for the pupils to do because often pupils are given unsuitable work because the Head of Department is too busy to sort things out and the absent teacher perhaps too ill to send work in.

I really feel for you with this one! I too am in my 50’s I had cancer surgery last year followed by sepsis and really don’t feel well enough to go back to my job however I can’t afford not to work! In my case I am the sole salary earner so it’s imperative that I force myself to carry on! Like you (despite the cancer!) I have always looked after myself and don’t feel that I look my age but am really starting to notice the cloak of invisibility that descends on ladies in their 50’s!!

liskazl - you like your job, your colleagues, you are fit and you look good - you are actually very lucky that it's just the workload you are finding too much. And do you really suffer from stress with all these good things in your life, or is it just a matter of having too much to do? Why don't you keep a diary of when you feel 'stressed' and what has caused that feeling. If you do genuinely have too much to do in your job then approach your head and provide the concrete information of where you are working over and above what you think your teaching contract requires. And again if you really are 'stressed' then you should go to your GP and have your blood pressure monitored because this is the evidence of stress. If your blood pressure is high then you will be prescribed medication and that will slow you down, you won't be able to do all the overloading things you find you have on your plate, and you could take early retirement due to ill health. Your pension will not suffer in anyway other than what you get will be a reflection of your last few years' earnings which may be less than what you would get if you stayed for another six years. Sorry to be so black and white about this, but you are either suffering from stress or not, and if you are then you can be declared medically unfit to continue without jeopardising your pension. It rather sounds, however, as though you are having some transference of your husband's position, and just encountering the feeling that comes to us all, that we are ageing and don't like it.

Being the cynic that I am. I am aware of several ‘retired’ teachers around me who have taken/accepted/applied for ‘medical’ retirement. All now seem to be fit and back to health now they have ‘retired’ - on good pensions. They have busy days/weeks or (and this is the cynical bit) no sign of the ‘medical’ complaint they had when teaching. Get my drift. I expect my post will bring interesting diverse opinions!

If you can afford it, make contributions to an AVC I threw in as much as I could (once we'd paid off the mortgage) so I could retire early and a better lump sum. Also, you could look at getting involved in initial teacher training or CPD, it's so rewarding and has a far better work /life balance. I don't envy any teachers nowadays.

^the cloak of invisibility that descends on ladies in their 50’s!!
It seems to have lifted now I'm in my 70s - I think young men offer to help because they see a poor old granny in need.

It's just that in between stage - 50 - 70.

Hope you can make a decision that suits you both financially and with less stress lizkaz

From what I understand you aren't obliged to give your d.o.b. on your application form anymore A friend, who is over 70 didn't, in fact the Head didn't find out until he had offered and she had accepted the job. Another friend got a lovely job lecturing at local college at 72 years. My cousin decided she had had enough of the stress of teaching and became TA.... She is well over 70 and loves it. What about approaching a private school they are much more lenient about age. Otherwise get your pension and lump sum and do some private tuition?

I applied for a job in my early 60s and was lucky. I was really relaxed at interview because I already had a job which was decidedly secure. I was simply finding the daily commute stressful. I always remember a company manager telling me why I had been selected. In my self appraisal I had written 'I am boringly reliable' Had no recollection of that. He said he had always wanted to meet just one employee of that ilk in his lifetime. Bingo! Guess my experience was secondary? Funny old world. Incidentally, I didn't retire until I was 74. That final job was decidedly enjoyable. I now keep busy with voluntary stuff and lunches (of course)

The current trend with CVs are not to put your age or DOB. Also most employers are only interested in what you have achieved in the last ten years. So again they should not be able to pre-judge without meeting you if you avoid putting your more distant work info.

I was advised by JobCentre that you no longer have to put your age/DOB on your CV.

I took Early Retirement at 50 from the Civil Service as DH had retired at 65 & was in poor health. At 57 I was widowed, so glad I had that time with him.

I am now 63 & have to wait until 66 for my State Pension, I am reliant on Benefits as I am classified as "limited work capacity" this limits my ability to find a job, however I have a fulfilled life, I moved 4 years ago to be closer to DD. I have never regretted taking Early Retirement as I had the 7 years with my DH.

Look at the pros & cons of your job, look at opportunities in other areas, no good to anybody having a great pension & then not being able to enjoy that retirement. Look into your Pension Scheme, can you get a forecast of your Pension & Lump Sum. Good luck. Remember thi don't put pockets i shrouds (they don't put pockets in shrouds)

Definitely don't put your date of birth on a CV.

I worked until I was over 70 by choice and really miss the
feeling of being useful that it gave me. However, it’s no good if you don’t like the job. Attitudes about employing older people are changing. Would definitely recommend that you look for something else

Have you thought of being a supply teacher? The money is good and you can choose when you want to work

lizkaz1
I have no idea where in the world you are as different countries would have differing options, however, in the UK, there is a magazine 'The Lady' which has f/t and p/t permanent and fixed term positions. I myself have gained various positions through them and have been well rewarded both financially and socially. My workplaces have always been most pleasant and my age has been an asset, not a hindrance. I retired from that type of work aged 68 and now do proofreading/editing from home after taking an accredited course for which you receive a diploma.
There are positions for couples too and I know of several who earned a combined weekly net wage of £800 with free top class accommodation and fully expensed car for a 5.5 day week.
These are variable and sometimes can entail weekend work. Of course you can pick those who only offer the hours you are prepared to work.
Failing that, how about registering with an agency?
Lots of luck. (should have 4 leaves for luck really)

Sorry to read you're feeling low, but you've had lots of great advice to mull over. Good advice up-thread about getting a health check and do tell the GP what you've told us.

The government has announced that they are going to reduce the excessive workload in order to retain teachers, but goodness knows when this reduction is likely to be felt in schools.

Supply teaching can be tough. There is still preparation and marking to do and in many schools you're lucky if there is even someone in charge of making you welcome and that the basic resources are at your disposal. Others have excellent resources and friendly, supportive staff but it's a chance you take when you do supply. I got out into teacher training and have worked in the EU and the Far East for over 20 years now.

How do you think the Government initiative to cut the workload will be implemented in your school? If management are reasonable, your job may change soon and the pressure will be lifted. However, I suspect it will be ignored in some schools without pressure to change.

Have you thought of supplementing income with something enjoyable to get some extra money in the bank so you can retire earlier, e.g. writing children's stories?

You worked hard to qualify for this career. Don't just give up on it until you've checked out all the options.

The Unemployment Office here says never write anything that gives out your age on your resume. There are different styles of resumes which don't call for writing in the dates you were with a company or when you began your working career. For instance, on the left side of the paper just make a list of your skills/abilities. Then on the right side of the paper list the names, addresses, phone numbers of the companies you worked for and a contact name. Below that, put references. Let employers read your qualifications without knowing your age and call you in for an interview. You will then be in a much better position to sell yourself. A resume is all about getting your foot in the door.
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If there is an unemployment office where you are, they should have free classes to assist older people. "How to write a resume for older job-seekers" would be at the top of their list. We were taught to keep resumes to one page with a cover letter highlighting key skills and abilities. Reason is most employers skim the cover letter and first page of a resume but don't have time to read more than that. Often they are swamped with hundreds of resumes. So, put the most important qualifications/ skills first to catch their interest. Employers save the in-depth questions for the interview and will use your resume as a starting point.
Don't know if any of this helps. Wish I could do more.

Granless

Great advice...not.
Reminds me of the playground chant
'pants on fire'.
Can't stand them.