Moving from Cardiff to Canberra

[AoifesMum]

:wacko:Hello! Just registered on this site and it looks great.

 

I am moving to Canberra in the next few months with my partner and 4 year old daughter (who will be 5 when we move). We are also expecting our second child in July, so he/she will also be coming along. I have done some research already but am still a little confused and have some questions I thought some of you experts could answer!

 

Job situation is sorted and I will not need to work, at least for a year or so.

 

Renting - good areas? Also, all the properties seem to be unfurnished, does this mean that we will have to ship our furniture out and, if so, what would this cost? How long does it typically take?

 

Education - Our daughter is in reception class here. As we plan to return to the UK in a 3-4 years we want to ensure she keeps to the same level as she would be returning to (if that makes sense!?) Here, she has had one year of full time school and knows her phonics/alphabet, can read a little and has done a lot of maths work. What year would she go into in Australia (she will be 5 in August)?

 

Any help appreciated!

 

Helen

[Quoll]

:wacko:Hello! Just registered on this site and it looks great.

 

I am moving to Canberra in the next few months with my partner and 4 year old daughter (who will be 5 when we move). We are also expecting our second child in July, so he/she will also be coming along. I have done some research already but am still a little confused and have some questions I thought some of you experts could answer!

 

Job situation is sorted and I will not need to work, at least for a year or so.

 

Renting - good areas? Also, all the properties seem to be unfurnished, does this mean that we will have to ship our furniture out and, if so, what would this cost? How long does it typically take?

 

Education - Our daughter is in reception class here. As we plan to return to the UK in a 3-4 years we want to ensure she keeps to the same level as she would be returning to (if that makes sense!?) Here, she has had one year of full time school and knows her phonics/alphabet, can read a little and has done a lot of maths work. What year would she go into in Australia (she will be 5 in August)?

 

Any help appreciated!

 

Helen

 

Good areas to live - really depends on where you will be working and how much you can afford to pay in rentals. You are correct, most of them are unfurnished although if you go to QLD real estate properties & homes for sale, rent and share | allhomes you can do a search for furnished properties. Not too many on offer and usually the more expensive short term/holiday options. Some places to avoid would be Richardson, Charnwood, Narrabundah (the Fyshwick side). If you can let us know where you will be working we can be more helpful.

 

Education is going to be an issue. As she hasnt yet turned 5 your daughter will be in preschool (15 hours a week) for the rest of this year (if you can find a place) and in kindergarten (first year of full time school) in 2011. ACT doesnt like to accelerate kids in its gov schools and to get her accelerated you would need to have her assessed both psycholgoically and academically to prove giftedness. They dont really care if you say you are going back in 3 - 4 years because you may not and they will place her with her age cohort. You might have a slightly better chance with a private school - somewhere like BlueGums which AFAIK has a full time preschool program but if you like a more traditional approach with solid teaching of basic skills then that probably wont be for you. You might get some joy from the Catholic system but that would be very much at the school's discretion. Alternatively, if you can afford it, the Grammar preschool and kinder program is pretty good. She will be well ahead of most kids going into kindergarten (and phonics is a dirty word in this area btw) but in early primary it probably isnt going to make much difference by the time she has reached year 3 or 4 and when you go back she should be able to catch up. Some schools have a gifted and talented program (Garran and Kaleen PS spring to mind) but AFAIK they dont start until year 2-3. ACT is very PC and egalitarian and chopping down tall poppies is a favourite pastime.

[AoifesMum]

Thanks Quoll!

 

If we were not returning to the UK then I would not be at all concerned about the education side of things. I actually think the system over there seems less stressed, more relaxed and pupil-focused than over here. However, I absolutely don't want to return to find she is a year behind her peer group, especially as she has such lovely friends with whom she will be re-starting school and in the same class. She will be 5 when we move, so I presume she would be in Year 1? I think I maybe need to contact the Education Department to see what is taught and how that compares with over here. We are in no way 'hot-house' parents, but I really don't want her at a disadvantage when she returns. Obviously, if we intended to stay longer term these things even themselves out. I think in Scandanavian countries kids don't start until 7 yet they have a world class system - it just would disadvantage a child leaving such a system after a year or two. Thanks for the advice!

 

I'll check that site out too. Such a lot to think about!

[Quoll]

Thanks Quoll!

 

If we were not returning to the UK then I would not be at all concerned about the education side of things. I actually think the system over there seems less stressed, more relaxed and pupil-focused than over here. However, I absolutely don't want to return to find she is a year behind her peer group, especially as she has such lovely friends with whom she will be re-starting school and in the same class. She will be 5 when we move, so I presume she would be in Year 1? I think I maybe need to contact the Education Department to see what is taught and how that compares with over here. We are in no way 'hot-house' parents, but I really don't want her at a disadvantage when she returns. Obviously, if we intended to stay longer term these things even themselves out. I think in Scandanavian countries kids don't start until 7 yet they have a world class system - it just would disadvantage a child leaving such a system after a year or two. Thanks for the advice!

 

I'll check that site out too. Such a lot to think about!

 

No, she will be in kindergarten. Kids in year 1 will be turning 6 before 30 April. I dont know about pupil focussed so much as aiming for the lower middle (although no one of course is going to actually tell you that). There is a developing national curriculum still under consultation Home | ACARA but at the moment all Canberra schools have their own curriculum (odd, huh). There is also national testing at years 3, 5, 7 and 9 and the results can be seen on the myschools website Find a school | ACARA which give you basic literacy and numeracy levels compared with the national average and with a socio economic equivalent average.

 

I think you have to pretty much accept that she is going to be behind her UK peers when you return, if only because she will have had just over a year less full time education and a less formally taught curriculum. However the major difference is likely to be in those subjects with a cumulative knowledge like maths and she may well have to have a bit of help catching up with them. Reading probably wont be much different, spelling will be behind.

 

Should have said too, try to avoid arriving here November to February as the rental situation at that time is really really tricky with all new public servants, defence personnel, students etc arriving for the new year. There is a bit more leeway in the market from March to October but rentals are generally very tight.

[AoifesMum]

Hi Quoll,

 

My partner will be working in Symondstown (hope I've got that right!) and we are looking around the $550-$700 per week mark. We're still a little unsure as obvioulsy we have to factor in a number of things (health care, education etc).

 

Just one more thing - do you know much about employment opportunities. My partner has a job arranged (which is why we are coming over) and I may look to work part time at some point. I am a social worker over here and wouldn't mind something in that field, but ideally I would like to change careers and have just completed a journalism diploma - though have no experience yet. I was thinking of trying freelance in that area.

 

Thanks again for your previous reply.

[Quoll]

Symonston is out to the south east and is an industrial area - I'd probably look at Garran, Hughes, Griffith, Red Hill (but check out the neighbours), Forrest (may be outside your budget) Curtin, Yarralumla (at a pinch), Campbell (on the other side of the lake but probably not too bad for travel). Narrabundah is closest and whilst some parts of 'bundah arent too bad (up on the Griffith side, around Caley Cres) other bits of it are a bit dodgy although it is up and coming with quite expensive properties there now. O'Malley and Isaacs are very nice but probably outside your budget and neither has a neighbourhood school. A bit further out, Torrens and Farrer are OK as well.

 

It is also close to Queanbeyan (Jerrabomberra) but be warned that NSW residents dont always have rights to ACT services - schools for example MAY take a NSW kid but only if it has spaces after it has taken all the local kids that want to enrol. Some other services are state specific too but probably not ones that you will want to use.

 

Social work shouldnt be a problem to get a job - they are always looking out for child protection officers and if you can get recognition from the AASW AASW - Australian Association of Social Workers you should be fine. If, for some reason, you dont want government then there are always NGO vacancies for case managers and support workers although the pay isnt as good. You have to have permanent residence to work for ACT government by the way. Journalism - not so sure, would think it is pretty much a cut throat environment.

[AoifesMum]

Thank you! We will take a look at the areas you have mentioned. Wonderful site by the way.

 

Helen

[Guest cat woman]

Hi Helen, I too am a Social Worker living in Canberra, you could get a job woking in child protection there is always a shortage and with UK experience you should not have a problem. You would not need to be registered with AASW as the criteria means you do not necessarily need a Social Work degree as the child protection workers are known as Caseworkers, this does leave a bit of a sour taste with the UK recruits like myself who was sponsored from the UK because we had a social work qualification and are not employed as social workers. if you want to work in other disciplines as a social worker then you would need to have a SW degree recognised by AASW which has some costs attached.

Good Luck :hug::hug:

[Guest cat woman]

let me know if you want to make contact with CP dept and i will give you the contact details:wink:

[AoifesMum]

Thanks Cat Woman! I have no experience at all in child protection, so would be a bit of a liability! I have the old DipSw as I qualified in 1998, and I also went on to complete the MA in social work (my degree is actually in Education and Psychology). My experience has been as a Care Manager for adults with learning disabilities and as a Tenant Support Officer for a housing association, which is kind of like old style social work with a generic caseload of clients with mental health, alcohol and drug issues and younger people and was very housing/homelessness based. Do you get similar issues with social work in Oz as UK? Funding, workload etc? I would hopefully not have to work for a little while but, to be honest, I think I may get a bit bored after a while and would look to do some part time maybe. That is strange that you need a social work qualification to work in all areas of social work in Australia except child protection!!?? How bizarre! Thanks for the advice!

[Quoll]

Thanks Cat Woman! I have no experience at all in child protection, so would be a bit of a liability! I have the old DipSw as I qualified in 1998, and I also went on to complete the MA in social work (my degree is actually in Education and Psychology). My experience has been as a Care Manager for adults with learning disabilities and as a Tenant Support Officer for a housing association, which is kind of like old style social work with a generic caseload of clients with mental health, alcohol and drug issues and younger people and was very housing/homelessness based. Do you get similar issues with social work in Oz as UK? Funding, workload etc? I would hopefully not have to work for a little while but, to be honest, I think I may get a bit bored after a while and would look to do some part time maybe. That is strange that you need a social work qualification to work in all areas of social work in Australia except child protection!!?? How bizarre! Thanks for the advice!

 

Ah, education and psychology - do you have an honours in psych perchance? You might be able to squeeze into education as a school counsellor if you do. There are usually vacancies there. However you do have to be eligible at least for provisional registration as a psych.

 

Homelessness is a big BIG issue here and there are a whole raft of new initiatives to change the specialist homelessness sector into a more wrap around type service than the current specialist crisis refuge services. There are always jobs going in the specialist homeless sector and as the move is to a more centralized intake service for placements and more outreach type support I think there will be a constant need.