What's the teaching situation like in Wales?

[rollonthesummer]

Are you under as much data/observation/PMR scrutiny as in England at the moment?

Are there many jobs in primary?
Do you need to be Welsh-speaking to teach in Wales?

[MrsBartlettforthewin]

When I taught in Wales (secondary) our paper work was about on par with what I do now in England. We only moved to England as my DH couldn't get a primary teacher job where we were as he didn't speak Welsh. Wasn't an issue for me in the secondary school. Though Estyn (Welsh ofsted) gives you more notice of their visit. Or did 3 years ago this may have changed.

[rollonthesummer]

Thank you for your reply!

So, do you have to speak Welsh to teach in a Welsh primary?

[iluvsummer]

If you're in a Welsh medium school yes you do, it is also an advantage to speak Welsh as it is taught as a second language in English medium schools as well as being used incidentally throughout the school day

[rollonthesummer]

Thank you for the replies-sorry to keep asking questions, but I want to get a bit of a picture of the situation. DH would like to move to Wales (Pembrokeshire) where his dad lives and thinks that I could just pick up a teaching job, but I do not speak Welsh!

Are most schools in Wales English or Welsh medium? Is it the case that the ones furthest west are Welsh?

Is there currently a teacher recruitment/retention crisis in Wales? We used to have quite a few Welsh teachers come over here (south) in my school which made me think that they'd trained in Wales but been unable to secure a job there?

[iluvsummer]

Pembrokeshire is not a very Welsh area of Wales, the main towns are Haverfordwest and Pembroke and then smaller towns and villages. There are a combination of Welsh, English and Welsh/English schools there. The link for the council website is www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=973,974&parent_directory_id=646 this is where they advertise the teaching jobs. Vacancies vary, sometimes there are a lot other times nothing for a while, people tend to stay in their jobs once they secure one. He could sign up with an agency or do a cv drop around prospective schools so they have his details on file.

[iluvsummer]

www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/content.aspnav=973,974&parent_directory_id=646

[iluvsummer]

The link won't paste properly Google Pembrokeshire council teaching jobs and that will give you an idea! If you join the nut Wales Union they do occasionally run Welsh courses