Maths teacher, uk to aus with family

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Dancha85 said:

No reason for Sydney, only that when I have asked re horses, most people recommend Sydney. 

I am happy to go regional, just want to make sure we are not too far out that we loose the horses competition part. Also want an area where it is good/safe to bring my own children up in. 

Ah, I was assuming you were thinking about the ease/cost of keeping the horses, but it sounds like competition is the most important aspect. What kind of comps?  

[benj1980]

1 hour ago, Dancha85 said:

I haven't always been a teacher, but being Maths in the UK has its advantages. However I am also not too young so want to get it started before its too late. I am 38 at the moment and I think that gives me 25 points for age. 

I did a 3 year degree followed by a PGCE so presume that is ok?

Was it at Uni or through a SCITT?

[Dancha85]

33 minutes ago, BendigoBoy said:

Yeah. 3 + 1 will be fine in terms of you meeting the 4 year training requirement, as I understand it.

Phew!! at least thats one box I can tick off.

[Ausvisitor]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

Ah, I was assuming you were thinking about the ease/cost of keeping the horses, but it sounds like competition is the most important aspect. What kind of comps?  

Melbourne is a much bigger hotspot for all horse competitions than Sydney.

[Bulya]

21 hours ago, Dancha85 said:

Hello, I’m looking for some advice please. We are in the early stages of considering a move to Aus. 
 

so far we are thinking NSW, north Sydney. This looks to suit our lifestyle outside of work, we have horses.

 

do you have any tips please? I am currently the head of maths at my uk school, should I be considering this for Aus or am I better going as just a teacher and moving up once settled? 
 

I have my own children, so will they be potentially offered places at the same school that I teach in? I notice a lot of schools aren’t co-Ed and I have a boy and girl, what’s the best advice on this please? 
 

Also, time of year, I think it suits us to move just after Xmas, so the start of the new term. Should I wait until sept ish to start looking/applying for jobs?

 

Ive spoke with people who have been offered jobs but don’t know the school until they arrive? Is this normal/advised? Or should I look at schools I want to work in and maybe contact them?

 

what sort of packages have you been offered to move and work? 
 

thank you, it’s such a minefield but we are very excited! 

Horse agistment in Sydney is very expensive.  Hope you have plenty of spare cash!

ps.  Long-time equine family 

[Bulya]

2 minutes ago, Ausvisitor said:

Melbourne is a much bigger hotspot for all horse competitions than Sydney.

It isn’t.  The Grand Nationals are held in Sydney and Tamworth, whilst not exactly Sydney, is recognised as the National Equine Capital of Australia.  

[Dancha85]

1 hour ago, benj1980 said:

Was it at Uni or through a SCITT?

It was at a Uni, I just went on placement to schools so not a SCITT

[Dancha85]

1 hour ago, Bulya said:

Horse agistment in Sydney is very expensive.  Hope you have plenty of spare cash!

ps.  Long-time equine family 

Could you define what you mean by expensive? We currently keep them at home in England, which probably (for us) works out cheaper than agistment. But I do need to factor in all of these things.

 

Thanks

[Dancha85]

1 hour ago, Bulya said:

It isn’t.  The Grand Nationals are held in Sydney and Tamworth, whilst not exactly Sydney, is recognised as the National Equine Capital of Australia.  

Yes I thought I had found quite a lot in Sydney

[Quoll]

Be aware that if you go for  a 482 in NSW your kids won't be entitled to a free school education, you will be up for around $12k pa for the pair of them each year.   As to having your kids in the school that you teach in - generally not too desirable and government schools dont like to keep teachers in one school for too long, they are all about mobility.  All schools have a priority enrolment area so the kids will be offered places in the local school based on where you decide to live - if you go private then that is a whole different ball game, fees will be much higher but a a teacher you could well get some discount and they may be accepted together.  I dont know where you got the idea that most are single sex schools - not so, most are co-ed although there are a few single sex, probably more so in the private system.  

As the others have said, I would have listed Sydney as the last place for a horse loving family.  Even Canberra has better options for horse lovers and you will find that many Australian sporting parents travel huge distances to enable their kids to compete.  I had friends whose kids would travel to Sydney and beyond for competitions from Canberra. Being the parent of a sporty child requires very deep pockets and that would be doubly so for horse people @Bulya may be able to help you there..

 To confirm 3 year degree plus University based PGCE is fine for qualifications.  Just aim for a job - put your hat in the ring for whatever you think you could be considered for.  Generally they do like local experience and you will see that selection criteria often include local sensitivities and areas of focus but in general Maths is quite in demand as Maths graduates find they can be more gainfully employed out in the public service or other industries and they dont stay long in teaching

[altymatt]

If horses are important then maybe check properties around Dural/Glenorie/Terrey Hills, then look for school positions within reasonable commuting distance.

[Dancha85]

56 minutes ago, Quoll said:

Be aware that if you go for  a 482 in NSW your kids won't be entitled to a free school education, you will be up for around $12k pa for the pair of them each year.   As to having your kids in the school that you teach in - generally not too desirable and government schools dont like to keep teachers in one school for too long, they are all about mobility.  All schools have a priority enrolment area so the kids will be offered places in the local school based on where you decide to live - if you go private then that is a whole different ball game, fees will be much higher but a a teacher you could well get some discount and they may be accepted together.  I dont know where you got the idea that most are single sex schools - not so, most are co-ed although there are a few single sex, probably more so in the private system.  

As the others have said, I would have listed Sydney as the last place for a horse loving family.  Even Canberra has better options for horse lovers and you will find that many Australian sporting parents travel huge distances to enable their kids to compete.  I had friends whose kids would travel to Sydney and beyond for competitions from Canberra. Being the parent of a sporty child requires very deep pockets and that would be doubly so for horse people @Bulya may be able to help you there..

 To confirm 3 year degree plus University based PGCE is fine for qualifications.  Just aim for a job - put your hat in the ring for whatever you think you could be considered for.  Generally they do like local experience and you will see that selection criteria often include local sensitivities and areas of focus but in general Maths is quite in demand as Maths graduates find they can be more gainfully employed out in the public service or other industries and they dont stay long in teaching

Oh I hadn’t thought about my kids not getting free schooling on a 482, yes I think my kids going to a different school would be better, the same as in the uk. 
 

In terms of showjumpinh, there does seem to be a lot around Sydney, even a girl I know from the UK who is a coach. But hoping we can continue this as we do in the UK. We do a lot of travelling but keep it to a minimum where possible. I have looked at fees for competitions and seems fairly in line with what we would pay now. 
 

yes I think I am going to have to just put my hat in the ring. My concern was timescales. When jobs say start term 2, etc, there’s no way I can know when I would be able to start so I didn’t want to apply knowing I can’t meet that deadline? How would that work? 
 

thank you 

[Dancha85]

51 minutes ago, altymatt said:

If horses are important then maybe check properties around Dural/Glenorie/Terrey Hills, then look for school positions within reasonable commuting distance.

Yes Terrey Hills has been mentioned, but then told it is expensive? 
 

I will look at the others though too, thank you 

[Quoll]

6 hours ago, Dancha85 said:

Oh I hadn’t thought about my kids not getting free schooling on a 482, yes I think my kids going to a different school would be better, the same as in the uk. 
 

In terms of showjumpinh, there does seem to be a lot around Sydney, even a girl I know from the UK who is a coach. But hoping we can continue this as we do in the UK. We do a lot of travelling but keep it to a minimum where possible. I have looked at fees for competitions and seems fairly in line with what we would pay now. 
 

yes I think I am going to have to just put my hat in the ring. My concern was timescales. When jobs say start term 2, etc, there’s no way I can know when I would be able to start so I didn’t want to apply knowing I can’t meet that deadline? How would that work? 
 

thank you 

Most people don't come with a job, they get the visa, start applying then budget for several months out of work. If you're applying to private schools then they are more likely to offer a position for you to walk into. The government system certainly used to have a process whereby they may offer you something in a hard to fill place rural or remote, you do your time there, then you can start applying for plum positions in popular places to live and if you've done your rural servitude then you get preference for those positions. I assume they still have this process - they have to have an incentive scheme to fill positions in places where people dont really want to live. To begin with though they may expect you to do time on casual relief before you can get a longer term contract. School vacancies are usually announced in the July /August for commencement end January, starting at other times of the year are usually short term contracts to see them through until the general placement round for the next year.

Just a word on private schools though, if your kids have things that require weekend travel you may find that private schools might also demand your weekend time as many have Saturday activities. On the plus side with private schools, you're more likely to get some longevity of contract.

It used to be the case that states suggested you come with enough savings to accommodate 6 months out of work although teachers, once registered can generally pick up casual relief to see you through. 

[Dancha85]

36 minutes ago, Quoll said:

Most people don't come with a job, they get the visa, start applying then budget for several months out of work. If you're applying to private schools then they are more likely to offer a position for you to walk into. The government system certainly used to have a process whereby they may offer you something in a hard to fill place rural or remote, you do your time there, then you can start applying for plum positions in popular places to live and if you've done your rural servitude then you get preference for those positions. I assume they still have this process - they have to have an incentive scheme to fill positions in places where people dont really want to live. To begin with though they may expect you to do time on casual relief before you can get a longer term contract. School vacancies are usually announced in the July /August for commencement end January, starting at other times of the year are usually short term contracts to see them through until the general placement round for the next year.

Just a word on private schools though, if your kids have things that require weekend travel you may find that private schools might also demand your weekend time as many have Saturday activities. On the plus side with private schools, you're more likely to get some longevity of contract.

It used to be the case that states suggested you come with enough savings to accommodate 6 months out of work although teachers, once registered can generally pick up casual relief to see you through. 

Thank you. 
 

yes I have seen some good incentives for coming over to more rural, but some of them wouldn’t be too bad. Just hard to apply as I don’t have a move date to give them? 
 

I know a friend came over with a job offer but didn’t know in which school, so I guessed this was because of timescales and they put her where needed once she arrived.

I did consider contacting some private schools and seeing if they had any offers available but again timescales are awkward and they won’t necessarily know what might come available. 
 

[Marisawright]

10 hours ago, Dancha85 said:

Could you define what you mean by expensive? We currently keep them at home in England, which probably (for us) works out cheaper than agistment.

Does that mean you'd want to keep your horses on your own property in Australia, too?  Acreage is expensive everywhere around Sydney.

Check realestate.com.au and domain.com.au for property prices.  Also check suburb reviews on Homely https://www.homely.com.au/find-places

Just in case you haven't found these resources for show jumping:

https://www.australianjumping.com.au/

https://www.equestrian.org.au/worldcupjumping

 

[BendigoBoy]

3 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Does that mean you'd want to keep your horses on your own property in Australia, too?  Acreage is expensive everywhere around Sydney.

Check realestate.com.au and domain.com.au for property prices.  Also check suburb reviews on Homely https://www.homely.com.au/find-places

Just in case you haven't found these resources for show jumping:

https://www.australianjumping.com.au/

https://www.equestrian.org.au/worldcupjumping

 

Heck, proper acreage for horses isn't going to be cheap regionally within 2 hours of Greater Sydney, either.

[BendigoBoy]

6 minutes ago, BendigoBoy said:

Heck, proper acreage for horses isn't going to be cheap regionally within 2 hours of Greater Sydney, either.

If it was large acreage within an hour or two of one of the capitals, at a reasonable price, I'd be looking north or south of Adelaide, myself.  
 

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Dancha85 said:

yes I have seen some good incentives for coming over to more rural, but some of them wouldn’t be too bad. Just hard to apply as I don’t have a move date to give them? 

If you are going for the 189/190 visa, there's no point in applying for any jobs until you have the visa grant.  Until you've actually got the visa in your hand, you can't have any idea of timelines, because delays can occur at any point in the process.  Employers are well aware of that, so they're not going to look at you.

1 hour ago, Dancha85 said:

I know a friend came over with a job offer but didn’t know in which school

That's normal in many states.  The Education Department will offer you a job on condition that you go wherever they send you.  Not surprisingly, that means you're likely to end up with the postings that no Australian teacher will accept.  I wouldn't recommend you taking that kind of offer, because you could find yourself in a remote location where there are no suitable schools for your children, or work for your partner.     You may find yourself in a rough school and with an unsatisfying role, too.

Edited March 1 by Marisawright

[Marisawright]

9 minutes ago, BendigoBoy said:

If it was large acreage within an hour or two of one of the capitals, at a reasonable price, I'd be looking north or south of Adelaide, myself.  
 

@Dancha85, if you're set on being close to comps in Sydney, then I'd recommend concentrating your search around Newcastle and the Hunter Valley.  Good schools, beautiful beaches,  housing is half the price of Sydney for an equivalent property, and Sydney is only two hours' drive away.  

Fifty years ago, Newcastle was a rough, working-class city and a lot of Australians (especially Sydneysiders) still think of it like that.  Like any big city, it does have its run-down areas, but nowadays it's transformed and has some lovely neighbourhoods.  I used to work with two executives who got transferred to Sydney from our Newcastle office.  They commuted all the way from Newcastle to Sydney every day, because they didn't want to move their family to Sydney.  They felt Newcastle was a much better, safer place to bring up their kids.  

Edited March 1 by Marisawright

[Dancha85]

19 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Does that mean you'd want to keep your horses on your own property in Australia, too?  Acreage is expensive everywhere around Sydney.

Check realestate.com.au and domain.com.au for property prices.  Also check suburb reviews on Homely https://www.homely.com.au/find-places

Just in case you haven't found these resources for show jumping:

https://www.australianjumping.com.au/

https://www.equestrian.org.au/worldcupjumping

 

Not necessarily, would be open to suggestions, just that is what we are used to here and it works out cheaper for us. Maybe if we had less horses Agistment wouldn’t be too expensive. 

[Dancha85]

3 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

@Dancha85, if you're set on being close to comps in Sydney, then I'd recommend concentrating your search around Newcastle and the Hunter Valley.  Good schools, beautiful beaches,  housing is half the price of Sydney for an equivalent property, and Sydney is only two hours' drive away.  

Thank you, got the websites etc and connected with a few yards in Sydney and some in vic too. 
 

I will have a look at Newcastle, I had been looking at moss vale, Hawkesbury and Kurrajong hills. No real reason, just a couple of recommendations. 
 

yes defintely need to think more about the job sitch, as having my children in a good school and area would be paramount! 

[Marisawright]

11 minutes ago, Dancha85 said:

Thank you, got the websites etc and connected with a few yards in Sydney and some in vic too. 
 

I will have a look at Newcastle, I had been looking at moss vale, Hawkesbury and Kurrajong hills. No real reason, just a couple of recommendations. 

Maybe connect with this Hunter Valley mob and see what they say.  

https://www.facebook.com/hvsjc

The advantage of Newcastle over the areas you mention, is that you have access to all the facilities of a large city (Newcastle) as well as being within reach of Sydney. 

Edited March 1 by Marisawright

[InnerVoice]

15 hours ago, Dancha85 said:

I did a 3 year degree followed by a PGCE so presume that is ok?

Yes, that's fine.

[Quoll]

2 hours ago, Dancha85 said:

Thank you. 
 

yes I have seen some good incentives for coming over to more rural, but some of them wouldn’t be too bad. Just hard to apply as I don’t have a move date to give them? 
 

I know a friend came over with a job offer but didn’t know in which school, so I guessed this was because of timescales and they put her where needed once she arrived.

I did consider contacting some private schools and seeing if they had any offers available but again timescales are awkward and they won’t necessarily know what might come available. 
 

I think you are putting the cart before the horse here.  Get your visa first, then think about jobs but be prepared to move to  go without a job in the first instance.  You decide on your timescale - whether you are going to quit or go on a sabbatical for example then, with your visa in your hand, you might be more attractive to employers.  There is not much point in them looking at you if you dont even have a visa.