15 jobs that fit around school hours in the UK (2026)

Juggling work and the school run is one of the hardest money problems parents face. The good news is that school-hours jobs are far more common than they were, and since April 2024 you can ask for flexible working from your first day in a job.

What hours are you actually working with?

Most UK primary schools run from about 8:45am to 3:15pm. Take off the time it takes to get to and from work and the realistic window is usually 9:15am to 2:45pm, around 27 hours a week if you work every day.

Breakfast and after-school clubs stretch that window if you need them. Tax-Free Childcare can also cover part of the cost: the government adds £2 for every £8 you pay in, up to £2,000 a year per child (£4,000 for a disabled child).

Jobs in schools

These are the most obvious fit because your holidays line up with your children's.

Be realistic about teaching assistant hours. You will normally start before the bell and finish after it, so it suits families where someone else can do one end of the day, or children old enough to walk home.

Jobs with daytime shifts

• Care worker: home care runs in short daytime calls, and many agencies let you choose school-hours rotas. Expect visits to run over sometimes.
• Cleaner: domestic and office cleaning is very flexible. Going self-employed lets you set your own hours and charge more than an agency pays.
• Retail and supermarket: many stores have 9:30am to 2:30pm contracts for stocking and tills. Ask for "school hours" or "term time only" contracts at interview.
• Hospitality lunch shifts: cafes and restaurants need cover for the lunch rush, roughly 11am to 2:30pm.
• Driving and delivery: pharmacy deliveries, school transport and some courier rounds fit the daytime window.

Jobs you can do from home

• Admin and virtual assistant work: inbox, diary and bookkeeping support for small businesses, often fully flexible.
• Customer service: many contact centres now hire home workers on part-time daytime shifts.
• Freelance skills: writing, design, social media, web work and tutoring older students online.
• Selling online: making or reselling things on Etsy, eBay or Vinted. A friend of mine who is good at woodwork makes a solid living selling his pieces on Etsy, all done in school hours.
• Pet care and dog walking: most dogs need walking in the middle of the day, which is exactly when you are free.

Freelance beauty and wellbeing

Nails, lashes, brows, hair and massage can all be booked around school times. Training costs money up front, but you set your own prices and diary. Check your local council for any licence you need for treatments.

How to ask your current employer

Before you job hunt, ask the employer you already have. Since 6 April 2024 you can make a flexible working request from day one, and you can make two requests a year. Your employer has to deal with it within two months and can only refuse for one of a set list of business reasons.

1. Put the request in writing and say it is a statutory flexible working request.
2. Suggest exact hours, for example 9:15am to 2:45pm Monday to Friday, or compressed hours over four days.
3. Explain how the work will still get done and offer a trial period.

Read the GOV.UK guide to flexible working for the full rules.

Money and tax

The minimum wage from April 2026 is £12.71 an hour if you are 21 or over. It rises to £13.21 (and £11.27 for 18 to 20 year olds) from April 2027. Five school-hours shifts of 5.5 hours at that rate is about £350 a week before tax.

If you work for yourself as a cleaner, dog walker or beautician, the first £1,000 (£3,000 from April 2027) of income each tax year is tax free. Above that you need to register for Self Assessment.

Free toolSide hustle tax calculatorSee how much tax and National Insurance you owe on side income, and what to set aside each month.→

Common questions

What job fits best around school hours?

A teaching assistant or school administrator matches your children's term dates. For pure flexibility, self-employed work like cleaning, dog walking or freelancing lets you set hours to the minute.

Can I work during school hours and claim Universal Credit?

Yes. Universal Credit tops up low earnings, and you can claim back up to 85% of eligible childcare costs if you are working. Use a benefits calculator on GOV.UK to check what you would get.

Are term-time-only jobs paid in the holidays?

Usually the yearly salary is worked out pro rata and spread over 12 months, so you are paid every month, including the holidays. Check how each employer does it before you accept.