Work in your late 50’s

Could you go self employed and do tutoring?

Ilovecheese the problem here is that the OP would lose some of her pension. She started later in life and needs to work until she is 66 to get as much pension as possible.

At least she is employed, that is a bonus.

Ah, yes I see. So, lizkaz1 you either need another job with a similar pension scheme to a teacher, or would have to earn enough to start a private pension which would not be as good. neither of which are easy to do.

I suppose you have to just keep trying to find another job, or hang on until retirement, but try to find enough enjoyable things to do with your colleagues, or outside of work, that you are not "wishing your life away". I do feel for you with the stress etc. but liking your actual work and colleagues is a big plus in a job.

It's tough on working women. At 66 I had my very first hospital admission, so if I'd waited until 66 to retire my life would have been completely finished ! Where would the enjoyment of retiring come in ?

I think it's an awful decision to have to retire at that age. I'm aware that we're living longer but there'll be many who won't enjoy their retirement if they're bogged down with ill-health------or worse come retirement !

Also I can't imagine having to remain in a job that you hate. I think at this stage in your life it's a case of better the devil you know than to give it up, lose your pension and end up without a salary for the sake of a few more years. Decent paying jobs are thin on the ground and even at up to 45 you're certainly bottom of the list unless you look for work in the NHS where age isn't a problem.

Spare a thought for the Aussies------it's 67 for a woman at the moment and age increases every two years so by the time it comes for my D to retire, the age will be 70 !
Also, after a couple's retirement, if their assets, including their home is in excess of £400,000 odd,give or take, they don't get a pension !!

If you can afford to would downgrading your role be an option? I know several teachers who have downgraded to TAs or support tutors and love being able to still work in education without the stress (and with your experience you would be snapped up as a TA.

You would also have your evenings and weekends freed up as no more marking and planning so you would have the energy and time to top up your income with some tutoring or babysitting.

We use Sitters the agency a lot, there are a lot of over 50s on there who are ex teachers.

Could you work part time in your school, or do a job share? I was a deputy head, but dropped from 5to 4days, then 3, then 2 1/2 over five years. I retired at 66. Granted, this reduced my pension, but I found I had a much better life working part- time ( I also gave up deputy responsibilities, and some other management responsibilities.)

I also know a nurse who became a HCA in her 50s. She works on the same ward & is still in the same pension scheme. She loves it, all the perks of her old job without the stress. And being less stressed means she is more likely to do bits n pieces of overtime so she says that had brought her income up to a similar level as before!

I decided to make a decent work/life balance as my partner retired at 65, he is now 67. I have another 6 years to work until I'm 66.
I felt it was crazy me working until he would be 73 - who knows what may happen to either of us?
I applied for and got a summer job and in fact started it on my last employed day at previous job as I was using up my leave at the end of my notice.
I then applied for another temporary 9 month job which I got and then a temporary 12 month job which I also got.
I spent hours and hours online reading CV's, how to succeed at interview etc etc. I wrote and rewrote my application ensuring my strengths matched what was needed. I'm sure I would not have been employed if I hadn't put in the work.
I don't think interviewers are allowed to know candidates age. I know my latest manager didn't know my age until we were all discussing it one day.
Give it some thought lizkaz1, TA/tutor as mentioned by others sounds as though it could be a way forward.
I'm probably in the minority (and stupid) but have decided enjoying life now is more important than worrying about future pension.

I've been told the site Indeed is really good, I have no need to try it but my friend who did found it really helpful

I retired from a very stressful job in NHS mental health in 2016 at 62. I took my pension a year early as I couldn’t stand working there any longer. Like you loved my clinical work and colleagues couldn’t stand the ever increasing pressure and targets from managers.

I moved nearer my family had a planned 6 months off and applied for and got a part time job in counselling down here, did that for 18 months left because job changed and now work part time in another counselling job nearer to where I live and am very happy. I took a 10% cut in pension leaving early which when I worked out the difference was not worth staying for. A year later I also got my state pension so live alone with an accumulation of pensions and salary. I wasn’t penalised in either job regarding my age and and got the second one at 64. If you are well qualified keep trying I wish you luck

I understand the stresses of teaching, but at least you have a pensionable job at the moment. Hold onto that while you look around and see what else is out there.

In the meantime future proof your life as much as posdible. Pay off your mortgage as soon as you can. Save like mad. Make yourself live as frugally as possible. Contact your pension providers (state and teachers and others) and find out what you can expect at whatever age.

This will let you see what you need to live on. What you don’t want is to retire in a few years time and struggle.

Re the stress and workload there are ways to minimise these. Do what needs to be done so you are teaching effectively and no more. This is not a vacation any more as this government has given up the right to expect public service workers to work themselves into a nervous breakdown.

Spare a thought for the Aussies------it's 67 for a woman at the moment and age increases every two years so by the time it comes for my D to retire, the age will be 70 !
Also, after a couple's retirement, if their assets, including their home is in excess of £400,000 odd,give or take, they don't get a pension !!

Yes, that is right. Is it $A400,000 or £? EllanVannin?

When DH wanted another job in his 60s he just didn't put his dob on the CV - trusting that, if they interviewed him, they would look at his experience etc and disregard his age. It seemed to work and, after changing jobs he was headhunted again aged 65.

I don't know if that would work now.

In Oz your home is not included in assets test but assets over $570,000 for a single person and you get nothing. Im just over limit and the only thing I get is cheap prescriptions, and this after paying tax here for 35 years. The British are lucky.

Can you go part-time?

What about tutoring and investigating paying into a private pension? My friend, who is over 60, retired from teaching and did this. It seems to work for her.

I wish you well.

Have you considered applying to LA to be put on their books for Home Tuition. This is not the same as private tuition.

You say in your opening post There are so many other jobs I could do. Could you tell us a little more about what you would like to do.

Lizkazi - have you thought of building up a tutoring business . You could do this from home and build it up while still teaching, cutting down your hours as you build up pupils. You have my sympathy. I escaped school to work in higher education. Have you tried looking at jobs in your local FE/HE provider? You have to work to 66 to get your state pension but can’t you get your teaching pension earlier and do something else to supplement it? By the time I left school teaching I was ready to work as a cashier in Tesco.

You don’t have to put your age on your CV. Let employers read it then they will only know roughly how old you are when you have an interview. Employers read the CV’s first and only offer interviews based on that and your experience. Good luck in your careers.

At 57 I saw an advert in the Evening Standard for work as an immigration officer. I phoned and said 'I suppose I'm too old?' 'No, just send in the application and we'll consider it' came the reply. Quite a few months later that was my job and 20 months further on I was promoted. Two years further on I was working in Paris, then after I retired three years later I was asked to do additional work abroad as a manager in visa sections in a number of UK embassies.
So DON'T rule out the civil Service, it changed my life and I'm certain with your background in teaching they would consider you!

Just to support what others have said. DH and I are/were both in the teaching profession, and dealt with the strain in our later working years by changing to part-time contracts. Pension still accumulates, albeit at a slower rate and you may find you are able to carry on for longer this way. Just be careful you aren't landed with full time responsibilities for part-time pay!

I was a deputy head and SENCo and by the time I left, hated going to work everyday. I know you cannot cut down and do only what is required or management will be all over you, making things even worse.
I escaped into the private sector, where my experience was more important than age. As DH still works, I took early retirement and I still do some supply.
I do hope you can find something that works for you.

I was also a late employed full time teacher in a state school. When I was 66 I applied for a job as a lecturer in an FE college working with classroom assistants/early years workers. Irregular hours but plenty of them, I managed my own diary and put in a payclaim at the end of each month, most of my students were mature and keen to learn.Money not quite as good but I was contributing to my pension. I loved the flexibility and retired at 72. I am now 75.

In Aus the family home doesn’t count in the assets test