new and clueless!!!

[cint&mark]

Hello all! Been on this site soooo much during our whole immigration process - it's been great reading other people's experiences both this end and in Oz ... but i didn't dare introduce myself in case we never actually got our visas!!! Anyway - we now have - YIPEE!!! and so i thought it was about time for introductions! I'm Jacinta [35] an art teacher in former life and now full- time mum to three little horrors:goofy: - Hannah [3 n' half], Eva [just 2 ] and Luke [5 months]. Hubby mark [35] is an English and Media studies teacher and we're in sunny Oldham... grim grim grim!

Just got our visas last month and going through the chaos of getting shipping quotes, doing the hovel up ready to sell etc etc. It all feels pretty daunting! We're hoping to be ready to make the move to Adelaide in late July/ early Aug ... just keep having nightmares about the plane journey - i feel sorry for whoever lands a seat next to us lot with 3 kids under 4!! So many questions to ask... and so little time!

The main one we need to know is - what steps does my husband need to take now, to be able to try to get a teaching job asap when we get out there? Also - does anyone know if it is possible to apply for teaching posts from England? As you can probs gather we are pretty clueless so any advice or info anyone has would be muchly appreciated!

[Guest Django]

Hi Jacinta,

 

welcome (at last:)) to PIA.

 

Congrats on the visa. We know what you mean about the flight. We have 4 young ones so are dreading it.

As for teaching, Libby or muppetbro would be the best ones to ask. No doubt they will say hi when they see this. I believe short term its hard for teachers to secure jobs in Adelaide at the mo but I'm led to believe that the situation should improve over the next few years. Don't take this as gospel as its second hand info.

 

Good luck with selling the house and the flight;)

 

Pete

[Guest Nicky&Andy]

:jiggy:hi guys, congrats on the visa, sounds like were in a similar position to you, waiting on a house sale etc, sorry cant help with the job situation, we are just going over with no jobs to go to, want to chill and ajust before going on the job hunt, Im dreading the plane journey too , weve only been on a two hour flight with kids before, and they were really bored then, bit older than yours, but probly just as hard to please, good luck anyway, let us know how the house sale goes

 

nicky

[Guest lippy]

Congratulations on your visa!

 

Good luck for the future and here's hoping for a quick house sale.

 

Don't worry about the flights - your not alone!

[Guest ems]

Hey Jacinta.

I'm afraid i'm not able help on the job side of things, but just wanted to say congrats on getting your visas through.

 

Emma + Alicia(6)

[Guest Libby1971]

Hello and congratulations on the visa.

 

I just want to say I love the idea of people thinking that I know what I am talking about!!!

 

Teaching - LOTS to say on this one. And little of it good.

 

Before either of you can work you must complete 2 courses - your mandatory child protection course (state specific i.e. each state has different requirements) and a first aid certificate. You MUST have an Aussie first aid certificate.

 

Mandatory course costs about $75 although prices vary depending on where you go. The first aid course costs $99 although that was last year so prices may change by the time you get here.

 

You must contact the Teacher Registration Board - they will assess your skills (and you can submit that now from the UK). You also have to take certified copies of the mandatory and first aid courses before the registration process is complete. Anyone who wants to work in a school must have both these courses and you are not employable until they are done.

 

Then there are 2 other things to be done:

If heading for stae schools, take your certified copies of everything you have already submitted twice to DECS - Department of Children Services who will enrol as you as a teacher for state schools. They send you a TRT consent letter confirming you have permission to teach. This should be copied and sent/ delivered with your CV attached to any schools you wish to work at. They will contact you directly for day relief/ supply or for short term contract positions.

 

DECS will notify you of any permanent vacancies and they are by no means guaranteed.

 

 

If heading to private schools, contact the Catholic Education Office who want to see your passport for your visa, and your police certificate and then they issue a consent to teach in catholic schools letter.

 

I have heard of only one person getting a job from the UK and until his registration process was finalised he was supervised in the classroom like a trainee.

 

However for the vast unwashed, this doesn't happen. I tried and the school concerned told me repeatedly that until I was here and knew where I would be living then they would not consider me for the position.

 

There are quite a few teachers among my circle and that I know from the only 1 terms teaching I have done since I got here who are all having problems getting work.

 

The religious schools like religious teachers working in them and would rather have a religious unqualified person working there than a non-religious qualified teacher. I wish to heaven (no pun intended) that I was joking but alas no!

 

You don't say where you plan to go but if heading for out of town and I mean Hahndorf/ Murray Bridge you stand a better chance of getting jobs. If not, the wait may be a bit longer than you hoped. Try and get some experience now of teaching other subjects, especially Maths and Science.

 

I am qualified to teach RE, Philosophy of Religion as well as Contemporary and Moral Issues up to and including A level. I taught ICT as well in the UK and Sociology (Soc to and incl A level). Since here I have taught SOSE (History and Geography and a bit of RE - which is how I got it) and English (2 weeks supply and I can claim to be an experienced English teacher - laughable!). If you count, that's 7 subjects in total and I can't get an interview, never mind a job.

 

I wish I could be the bearer of better news but this is the reality. He can send his CV (resume) from the UK closer to the time of arrival and see what bites.

 

In the meantime keep an eye on www.careerone.com.au or www.seek.com.au also www.adelaide.catholic.org.au and www.teachers.on.net which should give you an idea of what is going on.

 

The teaching population is an ageing one in Adelaide and widespread shortages are anticipated shortly due to large numbers retiring but that isn't quite yet. Fingers crossed they all bloody retire in the next 2 months or I am going to be doing my nut.

 

On the plus side, British teachers are seen as better in terms of being able to do differentiation which is not standard in Aussie schools - pitching mainly at the middle ground, also allegedly better classroom management - which is funny as there is no nastiness in Aussie kids like some of the kids in UK. Here kids know their responsibilites as well as their rights.Planning is not as tight adn standards vary from school to scholl. I Aus I can have a social life!

 

My hubbie got a few days relief teaching in terms 2, 3 and 4 before getting 5 weeks work at the end of term 4 and then getting a perm job for Jan this year.

 

Libby

[the fishers]

Hi guys we are new to all this thread and forum stuff.. wot we have seen so far it is useful. well done on the visa good luck with job hunting xx

[scooterdan]

Hey guys!

 

Congrats on getting the visa!!! proabably the hardest thing most poeple will ever do!!!

 

Sorry that Libbys post wasnt all good news.... I hope all things pick up for all of you waiting for teachers posts!!!

 

Dan and Steph

[cint&mark]

Hi everyone -thank you all so much for your replies - makes me feel all warm and fuzzy with all your lovely welcomes:notworthy Thank you so much Libby for all of your fantastic advice -blimey.. it all looks a bit bleak for pom teachers - we never realised:confused: - oh well ... !

Better tell the other half the bad news, Jacinta

[Guest mOZzy]

hello and welcome to pia

 

i see libby has started you off already with some very good information!!

don't give up - you'll get there in the end!!!

 

good luck!

[Guest Andrew&Ren]

Welcome to pia! we are pretty new, also in the north west we live in Chorlton south Manchester.

Congrats on your visas...wow i cant wait to have ours!!

 

This site is just amazing, eveyone is very helpful and friendly, i cant praise it enough!!!

 

Good luck with the move!!

[Guest Libby1971]

I am feeling really guilty now!!!

 

I think the main thing to remember is that there are shortages but not really in metro areas yet. Mostly they are in the country.

 

But Victor Harbour is about an hours drive from us in the southern suburbs and we are 20 mins outside the city. VH is considered country so if you don't mind a drive there is an option. Likewise Murray Bridge and Hahndorf, Stirling etc. Pretty but a little further out.

 

Some schools have issues with recruiting staff and if you show a willingness to work there, you will get regular work.

 

PM and I will give you details of schools. This will at least potentially give you an initial if irregular cash flow.

 

What I was trying to say is that permanent work is not easy to come by. We got here in April last year and the employment situation has been changeable.

 

If I had known it would be like, I still would have come. I didn't expect it to be easy but the life my children have here more than compensates. Please don't let me put you off.

 

The jobs are starting to come through now. There was very very little in the weeks between Nov-Feb. Now a few are popping up so hang in there and go to the sites I gave you to see the type of stuff out there. Jobs appear each Saturday. The Catholic website is updated daily.

 

Libby