MANY of us have our dream job settled before we even reach our teenage years.
For Harriet Bermingham, she always knew she wanted to be a and become the third generation in her family to join the club.
However, Harriet soon realised that her job as a wasn't all it was cracked up to be, with a median salary and long work hours.
The mum-of-one was left overwhelmed and burnt out by overcrowded classes and long hours which left her feeling defeated as she couldn't give each child the attention they deserved.
That's when she decided to start a phonics playgroup and for students.
Harriet did both side hustles as she continued to work atFlixton Primary School inGreater Manchester.
But when her son Teddy was born in 2022, she decided to take a leap of faith and go all in with her projects, quitting her teaching job.
Two years down the line and with seven years of tutoring to her name, the 31-year-old owner of Bold Beginnings Tutoring says she has no regrets leaving the school system.
Now Harriet has 85 students whom she tutors in small groups, and she has found her motivation again.
The best part of all is that the busy mum now works half the time she did while at school and makes double the income.
“There just isn't enough funding for , and there's little job satisfaction,” Harriet said.
She revealed the challenges faced in large classrooms: “With the number of children in each class—often 30 children to one teacher, plus maybe a teaching assistant if you're lucky—you just can't spend that one-to-one time with the children without distractions.
“Now I can do really focused activities with them and they make so much progress.”
She would often start her days at 7am and not finish the school day until 4pm, in the evenings, she would be busy planning lessons and marking work.
With the planning on top, I'd easily be working 70 to 80 hours a week for a salary of around £35,000.” Harriet told Manchester Evening News.
“I knew I couldn't go back to that after having Ted. I now work four hours a day, four days a week, so it's helped me massively.”
“My mental is better and I can put so much more into teaching as I have the to do it, whereas before I was constantly burnt out,” she added.
“There's too much pressure in schools. It's become less about teaching and more about ticking boxes, admin and behaviour management.”
Now, Harriet works out of a garden room tailored to education, with seats for five pupils at a time.
Harriet revealed that COVID-19 has had a massive impact on children's education and confidence levels, but there is a way parents can get help with tutoring prices.
Harriet highlighted this financial aid, stating: “I find it's something people just don't know about. It's classed the same as tax-free childcare so it means anyone earning under £100k a year can use the vouchers to get 20% off.
“It's a huge help for many children and there's a definite increase in the number of kids needing specialist support. The work needs differentiating more and that's harder to do in a class with 30 children.
“Also has been a big issue since Covid. A lot of children were anxious about going back to that classroom environment and there's been a lot of separation anxiety from children in Year 4 as they were the ones at home during the and that's all they ever knew. I've been able to support kids with that side of things too.”
Harriet is even helping other to get out of the system and start their own educational courses with her online course named The Ultimate Teacher Exit Plan.
“The thought of leaving behind a steady income and secure job can be intimidating, but the course is all about helping them establish themselves as tutors while still holding onto their teaching roles – just like I did – before striking out on their own.
“It's a self-paced course, so there is no pressure, as teachers have little spare time. And it's a build up to going part time before eventually leaving, so there's that safety net for families.”
