What's it like teaching in UK/Dubai etc

2017girl

...seriously considering about teaching in the UK/Dubai etc but I am nervous also...going over to the unknown I guess!What's it like teaching over there?My subjects are science subjects...

exteacher2

Depending on where you go in the UK it can be really good or really bad but in general you get quite a bit of support.
There is a lot of work involved but once you get used of it, it's like back home. Being able to teach science means you have access to quite a few schools and if working through an agency, a decent daily rate.
I have thought over here for 2 years and have since left teaching but can fill you in.
In terms of Dubai, it teaches the UK curriculum so I would say go to uk first.

2017girl

exteacher2 wrote: »

Depending on where you go in the UK it can be really good or really bad but in general you get quite a bit of support.
There is a lot of work involved but once you get used of it, it's like back home. Being able to teach science means you have access to quite a few schools and if working through an agency, a decent daily rate.
I have thought over here for 2 years and have since left teaching but can fill you in.
In terms of Dubai, it teaches the UK curriculum so I would say go to uk first.

I have some experience teaching in Ireland but I had to take time off due to serious illness which I have completely recovered from now.I want to get back teaching but am finding it awfully hard to get any interviews probably because of the gap in the CV I dont know☺ I just had no problem at all before,so have been thinking about the UK.The school I taught in over here was a really really great school and I don't want to go over to the UK feeling miserable in a not so good school in a not so nice area.I have never been to the UK so don't know anything about over there at all but I know it's a lot easier to get work but I am nervous that all the jobs being advertised by agencies etc would place you somewhere awful,I dont know.I dont know what areas are ok etc I dont know anything about the UK.I just want to teach and do what I love 😊 and if that means moving over then I will.If you could tell me anything at all about the UK areas to avoid etc anything at all would be really great.Thanks so much.

exteacher2

It depends on the type of place you want to live. Are you looking for a strong night life, busy, loads of things on or are you looking for something with a slower pace, similar to Ireland.
London is the place to be if you are looking for busy, with loads of things to do. However in general the schools are also very frantic and tend to have worse behavior issues,
If you are looking for a quieter area, Hertfordshire and Kent is quite nice. They are more village-type. Schools have a tendency to be more supportive and behavior tends to be better. There a lot of Irish teachers and Irish Head teachers in Hertfordshire. In terms of agencies, there are a lot of them, some will tell you everything you want to here and then leave you where-ever, however there is one or two that I have heard to be good. I worked with one who had a dedicated Irish person for the Irish teachers which I found handy as they kind of understood where I was coming from. I'm not sure if Liz is still there as it was over a year ago but I can dm you the details if you want.
It's just a case of telling them exactly what you are looking for in an ideal world and they will let you know if possible. I would wary anyone who tells you they can do everything but sometimes you get lucky.
Liverpool and Manchester are two other areas a lot of Irish teachers go but sometimes they don't have as many vacancies and money isn't as good.
London does have higher wages but also higher cost of living. The further out from london you go the wages drop but again, so does cost of living. But most home counties will offer fringe payments.

exteacher2

It depends on the type of place you want to live. Are you looking for a strong night life, busy, loads of things on or are you looking for something with a slower pace, similar to Ireland.
London is the place to be if you are looking for busy, with loads of things to do. However in general the schools are also very frantic and tend to have worse behavior issues,
If you are looking for a quieter area, Hertfordshire and Kent is quite nice. They are more village-type. Schools have a tendency to be more supportive and behavior tends to be better. There a lot of Irish teachers and Irish Head teachers in Hertfordshire. In terms of agencies, there are a lot of them, some will tell you everything you want to here and then leave you where-ever, however there is one or two that I have heard to be good. I worked with one who had a dedicated Irish person for the Irish teachers which I found handy as they kind of understood where I was coming from. I'm not sure if Liz is still there as it was over a year ago but I can dm you the details if you want.
It's just a case of telling them exactly what you are looking for in an ideal world and they will let you know if possible. I would wary anyone who tells you they can do everything but sometimes you get lucky.
Liverpool and Manchester are two other areas a lot of Irish teachers go but sometimes they don't have as many vacancies and money isn't as good.
London does have higher wages but also higher cost of living. The further out from london you go the wages drop but again, so does cost of living. But most home counties will offer fringe payments.

exteacher2

Caveat to that, there are some places in Kent which are quite rough.

williaint

I know the situation may be bad in Ireland but from someone who has taught in several countries, trained and is currently teaching in England THINK TWICE before you teach in England. Whilst I have amazing colleagues in my current school, the system is horrific over here...you are constantly observed, every page of their copies has to be marked and this is routinely checked, even the homework you set is monitored, what homework you give and how often. Every child has a target grade in ALL year groups (starting in Y7, equivalent of 6th class) and if they do not achieve their target you are told pupils are not making "rapid progress". There are meetings constantly after school and oh yea, you are still stuck in school until the END of July. And as for behaviour...the kids are defiant and so disrespectful even for senior staff. They all have "issues" and you become part-time social worker, part-time bouncer.

When I was teaching in Europe, I always heard horror stories about teaching in England and just dismissed them because I thought oh it must be a rough school or a deprived area. No, all of the above applies to "outstanding" schools.

But back onto the topic of shortage...there is possibly a shortage in Maths, Science and MFL because trainees get £30k tax free to train in England along with a very reasonable student loan, so understandably a lot of Irish are being lured over to England but BEWARE of all that glitters. Plus you also have to complete your NQT year (and possibly a MEd from 2014) in England in order to become registered in Ireland so it will take a while for Irish people to escape from the realm of Ofsted, target grades and one month of summer holidays, before they come back to Ireland. But believe me, they will eventually!

P.S. I have taught in mixed and single sex state schools in Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and now Greater Manchester.

2017girl

exteacher2 wrote: »

It depends on the type of place you want to live. Are you looking for a strong night life, busy, loads of things on or are you looking for something with a slower pace, similar to Ireland.
London is the place to be if you are looking for busy, with loads of things to do. However in general the schools are also very frantic and tend to have worse behavior issues,
If you are looking for a quieter area, Hertfordshire and Kent is quite nice. They are more village-type. Schools have a tendency to be more supportive and behavior tends to be better. There a lot of Irish teachers and Irish Head teachers in Hertfordshire. In terms of agencies, there are a lot of them, some will tell you everything you want to here and then leave you where-ever, however there is one or two that I have heard to be good. I worked with one who had a dedicated Irish person for the Irish teachers which I found handy as they kind of understood where I was coming from. I'm not sure if Liz is still there as it was over a year ago but I can dm you the details if you want.
It's just a case of telling them exactly what you are looking for in an ideal world and they will let you know if possible. I would wary anyone who tells you they can do everything but sometimes you get lucky.
Liverpool and Manchester are two other areas a lot of Irish teachers go but sometimes they don't have as many vacancies and money isn't as good.
London does have higher wages but also higher cost of living. The further out from london you go the wages drop but again, so does cost of living. But most home counties will offer fringe payments.

For me,somewhere similar to where I am slower pace etc certainly not a night life person more an outdoor up the moutain/hills type of girl,very quiet.Certainly would hate a city!Thanks very much for all of this,I appreciate it.

2017girl

williaint wrote: »

I know the situation may be bad in Ireland but from someone who has taught in several countries, trained and is currently teaching in England THINK TWICE before you teach in England. Whilst I have amazing colleagues in my current school, the system is horrific over here...you are constantly observed, every page of their copies has to be marked and this is routinely checked, even the homework you set is monitored, what homework you give and how often. Every child has a target grade in ALL year groups (starting in Y7, equivalent of 6th class) and if they do not achieve their target you are told pupils are not making "rapid progress". There are meetings constantly after school and oh yea, you are still stuck in school until the END of July. And as for behaviour...the kids are defiant and so disrespectful even for senior staff. They all have "issues" and you become part-time social worker, part-time bouncer.

When I was teaching in Europe, I always heard horror stories about teaching in England and just dismissed them because I thought oh it must be a rough school or a deprived area. No, all of the above applies to "outstanding" schools.

But back onto the topic of shortage...there is possibly a shortage in Maths, Science and MFL because trainees get £30k tax free to train in England along with a very reasonable student loan, so understandably a lot of Irish are being lured over to England but BEWARE of all that glitters. Plus you also have to complete your NQT year (and possibly a MEd from 2014) in England in order to become registered in Ireland so it will take a while for Irish people to escape from the realm of Ofsted, target grades and one month of summer holidays, before they come back to Ireland. But believe me, they will eventually!

P.S. I have taught in mixed and single sex state schools in Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and now Greater Manchester.

I really appreciate your reply,thank you.You have made me start thinking again maybe I should just stick around here a little longer,I don't know.I certainly don't want to be miserable over there and it doesn't sound too inviting anymore

exteacher2

I don't know about being miserable. Every person is different. If you know what you want, there is no harm having a look. I have plenty of friends over here who really enjoy teaching here. However yes I have friends that didn't like it at all.
I think it's your own temperament and the school's philosophies.