Want to go term time only

**Curly Quavers** · 30-01-2010, 04:28 PM

Hey Ladies,

I have been giving some serious thought to going term time only. The more I think about it the more I want to go for it.

However I am really not sure how to go about approaching parents about it.

My set up is as follows

LO1 - mum is a teacher still sends LO all year. Only stays at home when I am on holiday.

LO2 - mum is teacher and LO is term time only anyway (no probs)

LO3 - mum has an auntie who lives with them in schools hols to care for older siblings. (should have no problems)

At the moment I charge 46 weeks full fee & 6 weeks half fee for my holidays / 52 weeks = weekly rate.

If I go term time only I want to charge 40 weeks full fee & 6 weeks half fee then 6 weeks free / 52 = weekly rate.

So the only difference it makes to everybody's yearly bill is they are getting 6 weeks free.

Do you think this sounds fare? How would you go about the subject with parents. Letters home or face to face. Bearing in mind if I can put it in writing I far prefer to becuase I am a push over!

**Zoomie** · 30-01-2010, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by Curly Quavers

I want to charge 40 weeks full fee & 6 weeks half fee then 6 weeks free / 52 = weekly rate.

I don't think you can charge the half fee, surely you won't be open ??????

**The Juggler** · 30-01-2010, 04:48 PM

sound like it won't be too much of a problem, only thing I'd say is that for state schools t-time is only 39 weeks.

so I'd suggest you only charge for 39 weeks if that's all your planning to work (insets are included as they are term-time). You would (I guess) take all your holiday during school hols so you wouldn't really then charge anything for them. If you take holidays during term-time then I guess you'd need to negotiate with parents how much you would have and whether it's full or half rate.

good luck. hope it works out for you.

**carol cameron** · 30-01-2010, 04:49 PM

I love the idea of being term time only but personally couldn't afford to as I thought you couldn't charge when your service wasn't available. That's what is common practice where I am anyway so if you can get parents to pay anything when you are off then go for it! Carolx

**HELEN10** · 30-01-2010, 05:01 PM

Hi surely the 14 weeks or whatever the hols are would not be charged for at all if you only work term time?

HELEN10

**Curly Quavers** · 30-01-2010, 05:40 PM

I would take my holidays the same time as the schools are closed and yes I would work for in-service days becuase as you say that is within the term. Up here it's 2 weeks Xmas, 2 weeks Easter, 6 weeks summer and 2 weeks October = 12 anything outwith this I will be working. thanks juggler x

I have always charged for my 6 weeks holidays at half fee. All my customers agreed at time of signing this is fair. (they get holiday pay and becuase I give plenty notice for my holidays which are always within school holidays I feel it is perfectly fair for them to arrange their holidays to co-inside)

We don't put a gun to parents heads and force them to use our service. Parents come in, have a look at our set up and terms and make a decision on if they think our terms are fair and sign from there. I personally disagree with taking a deposit. Where some may think I should not charge for holiday pay. Just my opinion. x

**Ripeberry** · 30-01-2010, 06:43 PM

I'm term-time only and don't charge for my holidays as I would not be available anyway. OK they get paid for their holidays, but we are self-employed and most self-employed people don't get holiday pay.
Anyway, that's just me, if your parents are happy then do what you said above, seems fair to me.

**sonia ann** · 30-01-2010, 06:47 PM

I can understand you taking holiday pay if you take your holiday when your service is normally available ie during term time but if you decide to work term time only I cannot see how you you can charge your parents holiday pay for holidays during the school holidays when your service is not normally available anyway..........

**zillervalley** · 30-01-2010, 06:59 PM

if you choose to work term time only, you are saying that you are not available in school holidays, then payment should be nil, if the parents then have holidays or days off in term time then you can charge

thats what I do

**Alibali** · 30-01-2010, 07:03 PM

Afraid I agree with the rest, term time only workers get paid for term time only! You could increase your fees to compensate.

**FizzysFriends** · 30-01-2010, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by Alibali

Afraid I agree with the rest, term time only workers get paid for term time only! You could increase your fees to compensate.

I agree with this too

**The Juggler** · 31-01-2010, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by The Juggler

sound like it won't be too much of a problem, only thing I'd say is that for state schools t-time is only 39 weeks.

so I'd suggest you only charge for 39 weeks if that's all your planning to work (insets are included as they are term-time). You would (I guess) take all your holiday during school hols so you wouldn't really then charge anything for them. If you take holidays during term-time then I guess you'd need to negotiate with parents how much you would have and whether it's full or half rate.

good luck. hope it works out for you.

oh yes, your holidays are different to ours down here. 'fraid I agree with others though you can't really charge for holiday pay outside of the contract period. I DO charge for my holidays as I always had. but i would say that say you have 15 days full pay, if someone is on a term-time contract you would need to pro-rate that:

so, divide 15/52 then multiply by 39 - that will give you your holiday entitlement BUT i would say you would then need to take that in the term-time.

If it's too much to drop and offer 12 weeks free why not say you would prefer to have some of the holidays off and just charge and be open/closed for the number of weeks that suits you financially. doesn't sound like the mums will mind if they are off/have cover in the hols anyhow.

hope things work out.

**mushpea** · 31-01-2010, 10:27 AM

cant really see how you can charge if you arent going to be offering the service, if i was a parent and being charged then i would want to be able to use that service,
why not do all school holidays for free but put up your hourly fee to compansete a bit.

**The Juggler** · 31-01-2010, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by mushpea

cant really see how you can charge if you arent going to be offering the service, if i was a parent and being charged then i would want to be able to use that service,
why not do all school holidays for free but put up your hourly fee to compansete a bit.

that's a good option too.

**Curly Quavers** · 31-01-2010, 12:51 PM

putting my hourly fee up sounds OK but do you think customers would be OK with price increases?

I haven't had all my customers for a full year yet. Should I wait till they have been with me a year before putting prices up - or would you put rates up when it suits you? IYSWIM

**The Juggler** · 31-01-2010, 12:59 PM

i would wait at least twelve months, until the review. so if you want to do term-time now I would just drop to work the number of weeks that suits you in the holidays. What about working only half of everyholiday?

**Twinkles** · 31-01-2010, 01:05 PM

I didn't work in the school holidays when my own children were young. But I only took on teachers children and at the time it didn't occur to them or me that they would use the place in the school holidays ( they still paid half fees ). If I took holiday during that time I didn't offer a refund but if I took holiday during term time they didn't pay.

**grindal** · 31-01-2010, 02:18 PM

I only work term time as I mind teachers children, but still charge half fees as a retainer in school holidays. I am still available to work should the parents want me to!