PaulRaynor

Hello everyone. Can someone help me with my problem? I will be as brief as I can but its really doing my head in! I am a British teacher living in Brisbane where I have taught primary for the last 14 years. I am very experienced with responsibilities ranging from year group leader, curriculum manager, subject co-ordinator and a student mentor. I am divorced, my children have grown up and fled the nest and I now want to return home to England permanently and resume my career there. The thing is I took a PGCE in London in 1999 and left for Australia for visa activation reasons before completing my induction year. The NCLT say that Australian teachers are now exempt from induction but despite my experience I do not fall into that category having trained in Britain and I have to complete induction. I returned home twice and completed 2 terms in 2004 and 2005 and have glowing references but because of my kids I couldn't complete a third. I only need one more term but do you think I can get a school to support me for it? I'm finding it nearly impossible and agencies put it into the 'too hard basket' because they say schools find it an investment issue. I don't understand this either because every school invests in NQT's every year. I am now left in a catch 22 and the rather bizarre situation where my students, some of whom have just graduated are going to London and being placed by agencies straight into classroom teacher jobs in Key Stages 1 and 2 for their first ever professional engagement without any induction at all. Jobs that I, even though I helped train them cannot even apply for! I would be truly grateful if any colleagues out there can offer some constructive advice as I,m at my wits end. Many thanks. Paul

I used to be a police officer in Bristol, I remember being on duty in St Paul's on that fateful day, 2nd April 1980. Etched in my memory forever. Is it still the same though? St Paul's/Montpelier? I heard they became quite trendy although I've never been back.

I look forward to seeing you if you can make it!

Currumbin and Palm Beach are my favourites. Close to Tallebudgera and lovely walks in winter, beautiful views and fantastic restaurants.

Do you have a definite date for leaving? If that's the case that's your aim and that's your goal. I think I would count down the days and try and enjoy your last year. Try and see as much of Australia as you can, places that you haven't quite got to yet. Enjoy the differences in the times of year. Our hot, steamy wet summer in Brisbane that we have at the moment is unexpected. I've never seen it so green! You can almost hear the grass grow. I empathise about the social isolation. As immigrants we have no past, join a meet up group. I go to one, the Brisbane British Club, We meet at the Pig and Whistle at Eagle Street once a month. Next one 30th Jan. Why don't you both join us? Everyone is welcome. Paul

I think you might find they are everywhere Jas. One thing though, if you can cope with Brizzy's intense humidity especially at this time of year there are fewer flies and insects.

What a fantastic Christmas present Aunt Aggie! Congratulations

Cook? OMG that reminds me, fire insurance!

Oops pressed the wrong button. To continue: 1. Showing him what a lawn mower looks like 2. Before using a washing machine you first have to buy washing powder and fabric conditioner to go in it. 3. From April next year the beer one removes from the fridge and consumes will be one's OWN that one has PAID FOR! 4. As efficient as the garbage collection service is they won't actually come into your back yard and collect it for you, you have to take the bin out to the kerb. Quite easy really, it even has wheels on! 5. If one leaves one's bedroom in the state one usually leaves it. The environmental health department will eventually have to be informed! Then there are the mundane things for me to do before I go like A JOB, sign on with a teacher agency, accommodation, book flights, save money, renew passport etc etc. Trivial really ! Apart from that I'm stress free !!

Ha ha! I'm making a list and following all the advice on here. My greatest worry is letting my 21 year old son live here with his mate until I make a final decision at the end of the year. He has just moved out of his digs so I have dragged him back home where I can watch him run the place the right way. To date my trials are the following: 1.

Hey I have only 18 weeks left too! I'm so excited I'm running round like a headless chicken! procrastinating and doing naff all about the move, I can't think straight! Won't be long Helz. Goodbye sweat bucket city, hello easter eggs that don't melt ha ha!

Have a good one! 'paddick' the bookshop 'dymmicks' and the pain killer 'Nurofin' and a pack of 'durries' (cigarettes)

I so wish I could help. I have no family left in the UK either, my sons have grown up and moving on here in Australia so I am going anyway. If you can find a way of getting there I'm sure its as Chortlepuss says, the comfort of familiarity. I wish you nothing but all the good things in life.

After 23 years of marriage including 7 years in Australia my wife suddenly and without warning upped and left us for someone else. I have been living here for the last 6 years and our children are 22 and 19. Yes all grown up but now their mother has left Brisbane to move in with her partner and his family on the Sunshine Coast. I have longed to return home and start a new life, I have written down and filled two pages the reasons for going home. For staying I wrote two words. The Kids. I could go of course, but if I did they would have no one to turn to. It doesn't stop when they reach 18, it never stops.

Incredible weather in Brisbane yesterday. It was officially 32 degrees, nothing unusual about that you might say, I live in the suburb of Oxley, only 10 Kms from the City and it was 39 ! Ipswich yesterday was 41. Kids not allowed out at lunchtime in some schools due to extreme weather, haven't heard of that happening for years, especially in October.

Byron Bay? Drool on! Every teacher in Australia of would like to teach there. You have to work at what we call here "Back of Bourke" which means your country service, get in line. Sorry but its just not gonna happen! You can probably get regional sponsorship in Nimbin perhaps. LOL!

Tell me about it! I am a teacher and work in QLD and the Uk on supply when I go home. I fully understand the need for a Police check from the country where you have lived and worked but the DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check in the UK applies to everyone and you have to pay for it even if you have never set foot in the country all your life.

Hi, I'm a teacher working on the south side in a private school. I used to live in the central western suburb of Bardon and familiar with all the schools there having worked as a supply teacher in most of them. The area you mention, The Gap is or was the largest declared suburb in the council area. It comprises of medium density living bordering on land acreage as you move further out. The schools - The Gap SS, Payne Road, Ashgrove, Bardon, Ithaca Creek are all happy places. I'll tell you what we did. While we were waiting for our stuff to be shipped over we lived in a small town house in Paddington. We looked at all of these schools including some more central. Milton SS, Rainworth, Petrie Terrace. There are many of them. After visiting the umpteenth school we were about to leave, it was lunchtime and the kids were playing on the school oval. Two kids came up to my 7 year old at the time and asked him to play football with them. That was it. He decided he wasn't going anywhere else! He is now 21 and a physiotherapist. Those kids he is still friends with today. That was Milton State School and we planned everything around that, bought a place in Bardon and went on with our lives from there. Private? well as the government subsidises them the fees fall within reach of a lot of people. Some send theirs to a state school until year 5 or 6 and transfer them to the private sector at middle school age. The downside is some state schools are under resourced and although getting better there are places where access to up to date information technology is slightly antiquated, but they all have space, easy to move around and a playing field, a swimming pool in most cases and a good community atmosphere. Don't forget the south side though. Some great schools there, Graceville, Ironside, Sherwood. Good luck with your choice and your move! PM me if you want to know more. Paul

A man with an incisive mind and an innovative thinker. RIP Gough.

Brisbane! Getting hotter by the day. Jacarandas starting to come out, on holiday at the moment, finished my planning for term 4 next week. God is in his heaven and everything's alright with the world!

This is what I keep trying to tell myself every day Melza. Came here with a young family 16 years ago. Now they are 21 and 18 no OH anymore, trouble is no family left in the UK either. I get torn every which way all the time. Melbpom perhaps you could do another stint at home to find the lie of the land. I've been putting my return further and further back because I don't want to leave the kids alone here with no family. We live in Brisbane and their mother has moved to Melbourne. She says I should go because she is staying here in Australia so they'll be alright. That's like saying Im alone in London but that's ok because my mother lives in Barcelona!

My departure is moving further and further back. Now its July 2015 and no if's or buts this time. Hopefully to Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset or where there is teaching work. By the way I sent you a pm Chortlepuss!

Living in Brisbane as a primary school contract teacher is a merry-go-round. I am employed from the beginning of a term to the end of it. Then that is the end of my contract. Bye Paul and thanks! However I know they are going to call me back the following term its always been that way. Sure enough around about day 2 or 3 of the first week the phone rings and it's "Hey Paul how are ya going?, Are you coming back this term?, great come in tomorrow!" Luckily I have spent that unpaid holiday planning my lessons and termly schemes of work. Otherwise all those lessons would have to magically appear overnight. Apart from anything else those 12 unpaid weeks a year play havoc with your super contributions and you can't get anything from Centrelink because you are not actively looking for other work during 3 x 2 weeks and 1 x 6 week in the summer as much as I've tried.

Ping ponging? My God that robs the olympic gold medal from the Chinese table tennis team!