TEACHING jobs in ENGLAND and Agencies!

wombleer · 02-01-2015 7:05pm

Hey,

I'm in england around 5years now, I've started with an agency and worked with and working with now a lot of irish teachers currently. And now the school is funding me to do a masters in oxford university so i don't regret moving over here at all.

Do your research is the best bet. The agencies recommend any school and will tell you facilities are great. Generally they are but it is much different to working in ireland. There is a lot of admin and some schools are worse than others. Book marking is a huge part of the job! The schools tend to throw you straight in and don't realise that the system are hugely different and it takes a bit of time to adjust to all the extra admin bits you have to do.

You will learn fast but it is hard at the start. Try to find a school in a smaller area rather than london. Agency pay is ok but you don't get holiday pay but you can claim back expenses. I worked in Buckinghamshire and now I'm in oxford.

You make friends fast and there are loads of irish who move over to teach so you won't be alone. It is costly at the start to be here but as soon as you get a bit of experience your pay will improve.

Subbing may work out but I've a lot of friends who stayed at home to try get subbing and they are no longer teaching at all. It's worth the jump and sure you can always just go home if it's not your cup of tea.

Send me a pm if you have any questions

Afroshack · 02-01-2015 8:49pm

LeonDen wrote: »

I'm finishing up my PDE in June and seriously considering a move over to England in Sept.. been talking to teachers who have been over there and some have loved it and others hated it and told me to wait around here for something. Is it worth waiting around here to get the odd week of subbing or should I move over and get the experience of teaching an actual class? Would also be going on my own so slightly worried about that aswell. Any advice would be much appreciated!

I'd move over if I were you. You'll get straight into fulltime teaching and you'll get a lot more experience in differentiation, behaviour management and AFL. Teaching in the UK promotes a lot more active learning and coursework/regular testing is currently a huge component, which is the way Ireland is starting to go so you'll get tons of experience in marking regular coursework. The CPD opportunities will be really useful to you when you decide to come home too

It is a lot to get used to at the beginning but once you are prepared to work a couple of evenings a week doing marking and planning, you get used to it SO quickly. Choose your school carefully and don't be afraid to ask EXACTLY how much marking and testing they do in your subject.

LeonDen · 02-01-2015 8:59pm

Thanks so much Wombleer and Afroshack good to hear something positive about being over there. Seriously considering it just hard to know which agency to go through..thinking uteach, been hearing some good things about them! Not too worried about the workload as I know I'll manage it somehow, more worried about not adapting to the different style of life but hearing the positive comments on the threads here eases the worry!

Afroshack · 02-01-2015 11:25pm

LeonDen wrote: »

Thanks so much Wombleer and Afroshack good to hear something positive about being over there. Seriously considering it just hard to know which agency to go through..thinking uteach, been hearing some good things about them! Not too worried about the workload as I know I'll manage it somehow, more worried about not adapting to the different style of life but hearing the positive comments on the threads here eases the worry!

I went with uTeach and found them really helpful. The pay wasn't brilliant, but they were very open to answering questions and emails and they offered to reimburse all my moving expenses - flights and ferry and so on. They also had a facebook page for Irish teachers in London/UK and organised a couple of small events for us to all meet each other. See it's not ALL bad stories

Hunter gatherer · 05-01-2015 2:25pm

I've heard mixed responses about agencies. Some people have found them really useful and others have realised that a lot more of their pay ends up at the agency than they originally anticipated. it does seem simpler to use an agency though in terms of the CRB check and schools willing to interview.

KS education and Engage education seem pretty prominent. What about Career Teachers? Does anyone have direct experience of them? Do they have training involved to help you get to grips with the UK curriculum?

rebel girl 15 · 05-01-2015 2:44pm

I went with Engage, and I've heard mixed responses about them - I found them okay to deal with. I did agency work for 2 years and now onto a permanent contract in my school. Engage's interview process is quite good, you meet 6/7 schools depending on your subject in one go, and its all paid for, including CRB checks. My CRB for my permanent position was done by my school. Now that they have an Irish office, it seems to be more supportive of people over here - because you are very much thrown into the deep end and expected to cope.

In terms of support, its much better than it was - Engage had a full day training for teachers in Ireland before they moved over, I delivered a workshop for it - when I moved over I had no support like that

Hunter gatherer · 05-01-2015 3:01pm

Lots of jobs seem to be based in London (though agencies do have posts in Kent, Essex etc)

I would be very interested in London but would be worried in terms of affording rent. Living expenses such as food would be manageable (inexpensive tastes, no stranger to a pound shop) But the rent can be an issue I have heard. Especially if you don't understand the claiming expenses process.

I suppose it would be wise to have savings to fall back on but it isn't always possible to have savings the way things are.

Do Engage help source accommodation or do you flat hunt yourself?

rebel girl 15 · 05-01-2015 3:08pm

Hunter gatherer wrote: »

Lots of jobs seem to be based in London (though agencies do have posts in Kent, Essex etc)

I would be very interested in London but would be worried in terms of affording rent. Living expenses such as food would be manageable (inexpensive tastes, no stranger to a pound shop) But the rent can be an issue I have heard. Especially if you don't understand the claiming expenses process.

I suppose it would be wise to have savings to fall back on but it isn't always possible to have savings the way things are.

Do Engage help source accommodation or do you flat hunt yourself?

They have a facebook group for people who are coming to the UK to find potential flatmates, plus the induction day helps people get to know each other beforehand so that they can plan for moving over. A few people did that, and it was fine, especially if you are in the same school or near each other. I used spareroom, did end up staying a few nights in a hotel, as I was moving from near Oxford to Slough, but found a decent place pretty quickly.

I probably didn't claim half the expenses I could, though they have made it much easier recently, and it is fairly straightforward. You do need some sort of savings to fall back on, especially when setting up as you would have a deposit on a place plus the first month's rent. It would also depend on whether a place is furnished or not. It also depends on how far into London you end up going, the rent will get more expensive.

MissSilly · 06-01-2015 12:00pm

Hi I moved over in September and went with UTeach. Couldnt speak highly enough of them. If you would like some help contacting them or even about the move PM me

Hunter gatherer · 06-01-2015 1:56pm

MissSilly wrote: »

Hi I moved over in September and went with UTeach. Couldnt speak highly enough of them. If you would like some help contacting them or even about the move PM me

What kind of fees are involved if you use an agency like UTeach? Once all of the paperwork and CRB checks are out of the way and you are placed in a school are there still fees involved?

MissSilly · 06-01-2015 2:36pm

No fees really I think we paid £54 for our Garda Vetting and that was it.

LeonDen · 06-01-2015 8:57pm

Thanks for all the info everyone, great to see that's it not all horror stories from everyone who has moved over. The more posts I read here the more positive I feel about moving over. I'm also thinking of going with uteach. What does their training week consist of? From looking at their website they seem have two different programmes- one where you do the weeks training in England and then 1-3 weeks of placement or the other is just a weeks training in Ireland. Is there any difference between the two?

Afroshack · 07-01-2015 12:24am

Hunter gatherer wrote: »

What kind of fees are involved if you use an agency like UTeach? Once all of the paperwork and CRB checks are out of the way and you are placed in a school are there still fees involved?

20 quid a week went to the people who calculated my wages - Clarity I think they're called. uTeach themselves don't charge anything.

Hunter gatherer · 07-01-2015 12:01pm

Afroshack wrote: »

20 quid a week went to the people who calculated my wages - Clarity I think they're called. uTeach themselves don't charge anything.

20 a week is very steep considering there is little to be done by them once you are placed. Did they give you some form of continuous professional development? Like, what are they actually charging for?

gubbie · 07-01-2015 5:10pm

Hunter gatherer wrote: »

Do Engage help source accommodation or do you flat hunt yourself?

They didn't help me with anything. My school sent out an email asking if anyone wanted to share a place and a few of us replied. Then I did the rest of the leg work.

Be aware that if you are being paid through Uteach or Engage, you're a contracted worker and you won't be paid for holidays or sick days.

If you are a Maths or Science teacher going over, I would strongly suggest that you don't go through an agency. Schools are crying out for these-I got hired just by a phone interview where as a colleague teaching Humanities had to go through the usual teaching a class, interview with the students, interview with the principal...

rebel girl 15 · 07-01-2015 6:23pm

gubbie wrote: »

They didn't help me with anything. My school sent out an email asking if anyone wanted to share a place and a few of us replied. Then I did the rest of the leg work.

Be aware that if you are being paid through Uteach or Engage, you're a contracted worker and you won't be paid for holidays or sick days.

If you are a Maths or Science teacher going over, I would strongly suggest that you don't go through an agency. Schools are crying out for these-I got hired just by a phone interview where as a colleague teaching Humanities had to go through the usual teaching a class, interview with the students, interview with the principal...

I'd second the bit about being science or maths, I started my maths post in my school and had an interview within 6 weeks for a permanent position

Afroshack · 07-01-2015 10:05pm

Hunter gatherer wrote: »

20 a week is very steep considering there is little to be done by them once you are placed. Did they give you some form of continuous professional development? Like, what are they actually charging for?

No and that was the one thing that I would have liked - I did email them during Sept/Oct of my first year asking for some sort of training on the English curriculum as I was totally overwhelmed by all the new stuff I had to cope with in school, and I felt like everyone was too busy in my department to REALLY sit down with me and explain it all. I felt like I was playing catch-up for months and it's only in my second year now that I realise how nervous I was. uTeach did a sort of introduction to the UK day back in Dublin which was embarrassingly useless. It was just stuff like 'join clubs' 'get out there' 'have fun' etc. There was nothing really concrete or practical about their training.

Hunter gatherer · 07-01-2015 10:12pm

That is a consideration. Other teachers will naturally be busy and you don't want to bother them too much even if they are helpful. Playing catch-up ad navigating through the curriculum yourself (though possible) is not ideal. A proper training course would be preferable. Wishy washy 'join clubs' advice is common sense so I agree with you there. Doubt you'd have the time to socialise with all the paperwork and marking in the first year. I'd say a lot of free time would be spent sleeping.

rebel girl 15 · 18-01-2015 4:24pm

dalalada wrote: »

Reading through the thread and im new to all this. Im a nqt. Qualified in 2014. Ye say that the agencys pay ye 120ish a week? Why are agencys paying ye? And for what? Does the dept of edu not pay ye for yer teaching

120ish a day, not a week!!!!!!

Unlike Ireland, schools in the UK are funded and managed in different ways. Some schools are run by local authorities, some schools are given funding from the government to spend as they like. The teachers are paid by the school rather than the government, so with agency workers, the school pay the agency, who take a fee, and they pay the agency staff.

My payslip for my permanent job at an academy is from the school, whereas at home, the hours I did were paid by the department of education

Afroshack · 18-01-2015 4:25pm

dalalada wrote: »

Reading through the thread and im new to all this. Im a nqt. Qualified in 2014. Ye say that the agencys pay ye 120ish a week? Why are agencys paying ye? And for what? Does the dept of edu not pay ye for yer teaching

Teaching agencies pay us for teaching in schools. Schools pay them, they pay us. I have no idea where you are getting the 120 a week from.

dalalada · 18-01-2015 7:16pm

It was a simple mistake garda i meant per day.

Y bother with the middle man agency?

dalalada · 18-01-2015 7:21pm

rebel girl 15 wrote: »

120ish a day, not a week!!!!!!

Unlike Ireland, schools in the UK are funded and managed in different ways. Some schools are run by local authorities, some schools are given funding from the government to spend as they like. The teachers are paid by the school rather than the government, so with agency workers, the school pay the agency, who take a fee, and they pay the agency staff.

My payslip for my permanent job at an academy is from the school, whereas at home, the hours I did were paid by the department of education

Can the school decide how much you deserve to be paid in a week or is the amount set at the start of the academic year in a contract?

Afroshack · 18-01-2015 7:22pm

dalalada wrote: »

It was a simple mistake garda i meant per day.

Y bother with the middle man agency?

Money was it for me - they help arrange your flights and accommodation and cover your interview and relocation expenses. Had I gone through the school that wouldn't have been an option.

dalalada · 18-01-2015 7:28pm

Afroshack wrote: »

Money was it for me - they help arrange your flights and accommodation and cover your interview and relocation expenses. Had I gone through the school that wouldn't have been an option.

I see. But thats a short term benefit. In the long term when you get the job would you be at a loss?

Afroshack · 18-01-2015 8:58pm

dalalada wrote: »

I see. But thats a short term benefit. In the long term when you get the job would you be at a loss?

No I got a permanent contract after my agency year and a pay bump with that.

rebel girl 15 · 18-01-2015 9:02pm

dalalada wrote: »

Can the school decide how much you deserve to be paid in a week or is the amount set at the start of the academic year in a contract?

It is a set salary that is reviewed every year, depending on your performance management data. It is an upwards scale, and to go up from one band to another, you have to have evidence that you meet certain criteria.

M1-M3 is one section where you are just starting to teach, then M4-M6 is a more towards you becoming a nearly a middle leader, leading other staff and contributing to the overall school life

dalalada wrote: »

I see. But thats a short term benefit. In the long term when you get the job would you be at a loss?

It gets your foot into the system much easier than having to apply for a load of jobs - and generally when schools like you, they want to cut out the agency, and offer you a permanent contract

dalalada · 19-01-2015 1:04am

Afroshack wrote: »

No I got a permanent contract after my agency year and a pay bump with that.

Would you not have got that anyway?

rebel girl 15 · 19-01-2015 1:08am

dalalada wrote: »

Would you not have got that anyway?

It's not like Ireland where you get an automatic pay rise, your pay is performance related, so if you don't hit your performance targets, your pay won't rise

dalalada · 19-01-2015 2:19am

rebel girl 15 wrote: »

It's not like Ireland where you get an automatic pay rise, your pay is performance related, so if you don't hit your performance targets, your pay won't rise

Sure but hitting your targets is down to you not the agency so i dont see any correlation? Seems a short term gain for long term loss. Unless upon the second year you can cut lose from the agency if your offered a full time job and not have them taking a cut?

gubbie · 25-01-2015 1:15pm

dalalada wrote: »

Sure but hitting your targets is down to you not the agency so i dont see any correlation? Seems a short term gain for long term loss. Unless upon the second year you can cut lose from the agency if your offered a full time job and not have them taking a cut?

Well this is just what happened in my old school, but the school enters into a contract with the agency to find someone for them who then gets paid through the agency. You're essentially a supply teacher and get paid similarly. If the school decides they want to give you a permanent contract then they have to buy you out of your current contract with the agency.

The agency do have a "Years Experience Pay Scale"

dalalada · 25-01-2015 2:11pm

gubbie wrote: »

Well this is just what happened in my old school, but the school enters into a contract with the agency to find someone for them who then gets paid through the agency. You're essentially a supply teacher and get paid similarly. If the school decides they want to give you a permanent contract then they have to buy you out of your current contract with the agency.

The agency do have a "Years Experience Pay Scale"

This is a whole different kind of conversation now! how long are you tied to an agency? Where can i see this years experience pay scale? Is it less than the standard pay scale like? And if one is getting 120 odd a day, is this for the days yoi work subbing or for days you work in a fixed term contract? This is getting more confusing as i delve into it.

allic · 26-01-2015 9:21pm

has anyone any experience with Tradewind/Sanza? What are they like?

gubbie · 27-01-2015 1:51am

dalalada wrote: »

This is a whole different kind of conversation now! how long are you tied to an agency? Where can i see this years experience pay scale? Is it less than the standard pay scale like? And if one is getting 120 odd a day, is this for the days yoi work subbing or for days you work in a fixed term contract? This is getting more confusing as i delve into it.

To be honest, I can't remember. I remember somewhere that you say how much experience you have and you get like £5 extra a day per year of experience. Roughly, I dunno, it was a while back and I don't work with them anymore.

You have a fixed term contract, but I likened it to subbing in that you only get paid for the days that you work.

You get paid more per week with the agency so if you're in good health, the most economically beneficial way is to work with the agency until Easter and then get changed to a permanent contract so that you get paid over the holidays

dalalada · 01-02-2015 2:58pm

Can anyonr explain how you claim expenses? And what exact expenses are we claiming here? for example my bus ticket costs 2.50 and 50pence of it goes towards the governement tax, is it this 50pence i get back in my net salary? Or wat

Afroshack · 01-02-2015 8:55pm

dalalada wrote: »

Can anyonr explain how you claim expenses? And what exact expenses are we claiming here? for example my bus ticket costs 2.50 and 50pence of it goes towards the governement tax, is it this 50pence i get back in my net salary? Or wat

give your receipts and travel tickets to the agency ; they reimburse you

dalalada · 02-02-2015 12:56am

Afroshack wrote: »

give your receipts and travel tickets to the agency ; they reimburse you

that adds nothing to what i asked

Afroshack · 02-02-2015 9:04pm

dalalada wrote: »

that adds nothing to what i asked

go ring them yourself then.

allic · 02-02-2015 10:23pm

can you register with multiple agencies? are you then tied to an agency it you complete forms but seek work from a different agency?!!
also agencies have sent me links to complete DBS login but what if I have already consented a different agency to carry out DBS do i get charged twice??

neevydillon · 06-02-2015 9:06pm

You shouldn't be charged for your CRB ? I came to the UK with engage three years ago and I never paid a cent for anything like that, however, once I went on the school's pay roll I had to have another one .

I signed up for several agencies to begin with, it doesn't matter how many you are with. I'd advise you to go to as many schools as you can and take your time choosing the right school! There are a lot of really bad ones out there!

Also, there's a lot to be said for applying to schools directly via TES or similar! This way, you can get straight on to the main pay scale and you have much less faffing about with agencies and expenses ect,.

Just a thought.

LeonDen · 12-02-2015 9:22pm

neevydillon wrote: »

You shouldn't be charged for your CRB ? I came to the UK with engage three years ago and I never paid a cent for anything like that, however, once I went on the school's pay roll I had to have another one .

I signed up for several agencies to begin with, it doesn't matter how many you are with. I'd advise you to go to as many schools as you can and take your time choosing the right school! There are a lot of really bad ones out there!

Also, there's a lot to be said for applying to schools directly via TES or similar! This way, you can get straight on to the main pay scale and you have much less faffing about with agencies and expenses ect,.

Just a thought.

How did you find engage? I'm thinking of registering with them and their iday event sounds quite helpful but I've also heard that they aren't that supportive after you've gotten a job.

rebel girl 15 · 12-02-2015 9:25pm

LeonDen wrote: »

How did you find engage? I'm thinking of registering with them and their iday event sounds quite helpful but I've also heard that they aren't that supportive after you've gotten a job.

Great for getting in the door, rubbish for supporting you afterwards. The CPD they ran in Ireland was okay, I gave one talk at it, don't know what the work shops were like after that, but some of the speakers were just about their experience, and sure at that stage everyone in the room has their job secured. The CPD they run is poor I have to say, but iday is excellent, all costs including DBS covered.

LeonDen · 15-02-2015 9:20pm

rebel girl 15 wrote: »

Great for getting in the door, rubbish for supporting you afterwards. The CPD they ran in Ireland was okay, I gave one talk at it, don't know what the work shops were like after that, but some of the speakers were just about their experience, and sure at that stage everyone in the room has their job secured. The CPD they run is poor I have to say, but iday is excellent, all costs including DBS covered.

So in terms of helping you with accommodation and setting up bank accounts etc you wouldn't recommend them? I think the iday event will be a good way to introduce me to the interview process and up schools but will definitely be keeping my options open with other agencies too. Thanks for the advice!

Dave0301 · 15-02-2015 9:27pm

LeonDen wrote: »

So in terms of helping you with accommodation and setting up bank accounts etc you wouldn't recommend them? I think the iday event will be a good way to introduce me to the interview process and up schools but will definitely be keeping my options open with other agencies too. Thanks for the advice!

The iDay is excellent. I got interviewed for 5 or 6 schools in one day, and got my top pick.

Once I got the job I sorted everything else out myself with the help of the school.

rebel girl 15 · 15-02-2015 9:27pm

Setting up bank account they will sort - but not looking for accommodation. Lot of teachers sourced it by themselves or with the help of their school - they have an accommodation facebook page but its not great. It would be a case of staying in the local area in a hotel for a few days and looking really.

rebel girl 15 · 15-02-2015 9:29pm

Have to remember at the end of the day those consultants are recruiters, and work on commission for every person they place, sure once you are placed, they move on

gubbie · 24-02-2015 11:56am

LeonDen wrote: »

So in terms of helping you with accommodation and setting up bank accounts etc you wouldn't recommend them? I think the iday event will be a good way to introduce me to the interview process and up schools but will definitely be keeping my options open with other agencies too. Thanks for the advice!

I remember my agency told me that HSBC was the best to go for for an Irish person. So I arrive in there and am told I need an interview which will just let me know if I'm even able to get an account there and that it'll take a week to get an interview.

I decide to try Barclays. Two days and all I needed was a passport. Nothing else. I told the agency and they'd never heard of it.

The agency were aloof with that stuff - the school helped more with accommodation.

My tip for the iday is when you get an in-the-school interview, the most important thing is the class teaching - TES is your friend. Get the kids involved (up and doing something or working together, and make it differentiated. I think what passes as Good in Ireland is different to what passes as Good in the UK

rebel girl 15 · 24-02-2015 12:02pm

gubbie wrote: »

I remember my agency told me that HSBC was the best to go for for an Irish person. So I arrive in there and am told I need an interview which will just let me know if I'm even able to get an account there and that it'll take a week to get an interview.

I decide to try Barclays. Two days and all I needed was a passport. Nothing else. I told the agency and they'd never heard of it.

The agency were aloof with that stuff - the school helped more with accommodation.

My tip for the iday is when you get an in-the-school interview, the most important thing is the class teaching - TES is your friend. Get the kids involved (up and doing something or working together, and make it differentiated. I think what passes as Good in Ireland is different to what passes as Good in the UK

HSBC have that type of passport account as well, thats how I was initially set up with them. Get changed from a passport account to a regular account as soon as you can if you want to apply for loans or credit cards etc. Changing banks now cos I've had a few issues with them. How long ago was that, that the agency said they didn't have a clue about it???

gubbie · 24-02-2015 2:23pm

rebel girl 15 wrote: »

HSBC have that type of passport account as well, thats how I was initially set up with them. Get changed from a passport account to a regular account as soon as you can if you want to apply for loans or credit cards etc. Changing banks now cos I've had a few issues with them. How long ago was that, that the agency said they didn't have a clue about it???

September 2013, so 17 months

phish · 24-03-2015 12:58pm

Has anyone any experience working with Tradewind recruitment? What are their day rates like?

Corkgirl18 · 18-04-2015 7:56pm

I'm a Science and Chemistry teacher qualifying in June this year and am strongly considering going to the UK.

I am trying to decide whether to go with an agency or not. I'd be going over by myself so would I be better off going with an agency for security?
If I don't go with an agency do I just directly apply for jobs on sites like tes.co.uk.
I'm fairly clueless.

TEACHING jobs in ENGLAND and Agencies!

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