Teaching in London

[ninnypoo]

Are there any London based teachers here? I'll be moving from Yorkshire to London next summer to join my boyfriend (who works in the City). Am feeling completely overwhelmed with where to look for jobs etc. Any advice?

[viques]

Where will you be living? Work out which london boroughs are closest then have a look at their websites, most of them will list current vacancies. Also try phoning the teacher recruitment department in the borough to have a chat. Find out how they organise short term or long term supply. Tell them your availability, it might be that you have to be prepared to do supply or short term contract work to get yourself known. If you can do this through the borough they would not have to pay agency fees if they then pointed you towards a more permanent position. you need to get yourself known as reliable,efficient and good . Heads still have some leeway and influence in who they employ. If worst comes to the worse go through an agency but remember the pay will be on their terms.


Make sure you have up to date information,contact numbers for people who are willing to give you references etc. Sometimes the back door is the best way in.

[ninnypoo]

Thanks for the advice!

There is some flexibility on living. He currently lives in Clapham and I like the area but as he works centrally we could look for a flat somewhere else depending on where I get a job. It's a bit of chicken/egg situation- do I pick an area to live then find a job or find a job then live where is convenient?

I'm nervous about leaving my permanent position for supply but also wary of getting a permanent position when I won't be able to find out the school's reputation beforehand!

[SuperPug]

Is it possible to provide further details re: subject, level? TES jobs is normally the first place to look although most jobs for next academic year won't be advertised at the moment. This is more if you're looking for long term.
Short term, Smart Teachers appears to be good although I haven't worked with them. Guardian jobs also advertises a lot of vacancies.
For some subjects, schools are in despearate need of teachers and it may be worth contacting them directly.
I'm not sure if this is still the case- there may be key worker schemes for teachers in London, in terms of housing, services etc.

[SuperPug]

If you're based in Clapham, you're ideally placed for a lot of central London jobs. Look up their starting time and you're possibly commute before you commit to anything.
Unfortunately, you run the risk of not knowing what it is truly like, before you get there.
MN has been great in terms of honest parent reviews of various schools. I would also look at the Good Schools Guide and ask if you can visit beforehand- some schools actively encourage this.

[SuperPug]

Apologies - your possible commute - phone keyboard!

[viques]

If you are financially secure(but remember that london is a lot more expensive than Yorkshire) then doing supply for a couple of terms is a good way to find schools that you like in an area, try to get work in different boroughs, they are all slightly different . I would go permanent accommodation first then work, you do not want to end up travelling for hours everyday because you are in a fabulous school but can't afford to live anywhere near it.

[ninnypoo]

Thank you Super

I am currently an RQT so will have done 2 years in one school when I move. I am Primary trained with specialism in Early Years- i am teaching Reception in current school. I would like another Early Years job but would consider other year groups for the right school.

[eviloops]

I've been teaching in LA London schools for a decade now and currently on a secondment just outside London; the difference in children's attitude and behaviour for learning is tangible. I wouldn't say it's tougher working in an LA London school, but I would admit that you've got to be resilient, not at all put off by the vast plethora of needs (more so from the diverse nature of the community) and persevere with not always reaping the rewards for your efforts.

I teach the same lessons across both schools (inner and other london), using the same resources and approaches yet the outcomes in terms of progress is immense in the outer London school. Don't let this put you off as working inner London comes with terrific challenges which are somewhat exciting to tackle. I love my job but there are days when I think my efforts go unnoticed and a lovely little outer London school may just appreciate me more, allowing me to show great pupil progress and attainment.

Different areas have different needs, of course so take this as a caveat: London is an interesting place to teach!

[EvilTwins]

I moved from Warwickshire to London some years ago and did supply for a few months before taking on a permanent position in one of the schools I'd done supply in. The difference between leafy Warwickshire and inner city London was HUGE but once I got used to it, I really really enjoyed it. It made me as a teacher. I then moved back out and nothing I've ever faced since was as difficult - not that teaching in London was "difficult" but having done it for 4 years, I really do feel pretty confident than I can handle anything.

I had no issues at all finding supply work and it was definitely a good way of doing it. I lived in North London and ended up meeting DH and moving West but stayed in the same school.

Good luck!

[ninnypoo]

Thanks both.

I am anticipating a difference in level of challenge etc but hopefully I'll be somewhat prepared- my current school is 'inner city' with a huge spectrum of socio economic backgrounds and around 50% EAL- this year I have 9 different languages spoken in my unit!

Would doing supply affect likeliness of being approved for flat rental? My concern is that the housing marking seems quite competitive and if I don't have a permanent job I might get beaten out...