Hi, all
Does anyone know how difficult/easy for a qualified teacher from the UK to secure a teaching post at a South Australian primary school?
Many thanks in advance,
M.A

Hi - I'm not a teacher, so in that sense I'm the wrong person to be answering your question. However, this is what I have heard from other teachers I have known. It is difficult for find teaching jobs in Adelaide without first getting yourself experience in outback areas. It seems that as a teacher you earn your right to work in Adelaide by getting experience elsewhere. So, if you come here and are effectively starting your teaching career again (which will be the case for any migrant) unless you do supply teaching you will need to work out in the sticks for a few years before you are given the opportunity to work in the city. Sorry if that sounds depressing, but that's apparently how it works here.
Mandy
xx

You haven't mentioned what you specialise in . . . primary? . . . High school? . . . special ed?
Teachers in the S.A. State Education dep't will have worked in the countryside for at least three to four years before securing a job back in a school in Adelaide. They would have got priority on any school back in Adelaide after doing their "apprenticeship" in the countryside of South Australia.
Unfortunately, this seems to be the only way that the Education dep't can get brand new teachers to leave their comfort zone and teach in country schools . . . or the country towns wouldn't get teachers at all!
You may have years of experience in a particular topic that would be of interest to the S.A. Education dep't and not require you to go to the countryside first, but you'd have to approach the dep't for that information.
You can always teach "relief" on a day-to-day basis, securing a term contract perhaps to start with, but this wouldn't be secure by any means.
Another option is to teach at a private (in the U.K. they call these schools "public") school where the requirements are based on a need-basis only without any pre-requisite to have taught elsewhere at first.
The main private schools are run by the churches . . . Anglican, Catholic and Lutheran.

hi - i have pm'd you
but all the above seems about right
jax

Yep - all the above.
Been here 5 months as a primary school teacher and also qualified special needs teacher. No work... managing to do supply teaching and the pay is quite good but permanent or contract work is really hard to find. Definitely a case of having to get your foot in the door somewhere - or knowing someone.....

PM me if you need any more info!

Mandy

What about getting a job as a classroom assistant to start with?

Getting work as a teaching/classroom assistant is hard as the majority of them are voluntary. I have been scanningthe papers and on line carrer web sites with no luck.

Debs xxxx

To add to this depressing post we know teachers who have never had a permanent job and are still TRT-ing after seven plus years and some TRT's are thrilled to get three days work per week.

Yea I did vol work in Aberfoyle Park Campus , loved it but no pay, there again I didn`t expect it, I found the work most rewarding and I loved all the kids and it was great to see the kids reading well and doing all the usuall things, and they did have kids with disabilities I did it for 4yrs , and now I see the same kids some of them at Uni and its great, I never forget a face and some do part time work in Marion, I often have a chat with some of them if they have the time

Sheila

:( Wow this thread gave me a real 'cold feet day' today. Iam used to Clare being able to get well payed supply work almost at will and it being relatively easy to find a full time job. Its made me realise how much pressure will be on me to get a decent job when we get out there. (Im a design engineer).
I'm sure when we started the process the end of last year, everybody said how cheap the cost of living is in Oz and now everyone says its higher!
I think I'll get my CV out there to see if I can get some feedback to make me feel better.
Keep posting!
Siz

Siz,

Sent you a PM

Also, don't be disheartened by the lack of response you get from the UK, agents aren't generally interested until you arrive in the country. BUT send it round anyhow, you might get lucky and there is no harm.

Good Luck,

Nikki
xx

Yes Simon,I think its good idea to get the C.V's circulating asap, just to teast the water.
I recon i started emailing companys about 6 months before we arrived and got 3 or 4 positive replys.
Just try a google search for "design engineer" Adelaide .. yes include the speach marks,, see what company's come up and get emailing.

best of luck

Vince