Moving to the U.K. for a year? What do I need to know?

[hummmuna]

Posting here for traffic.
My job has asked me to move to the U.K. for the year. We were hoping for a September move to coincide with a new school year. My dh is ok with this and he has had permission from his job (in Ireland) to work from home, from the U.K.

So we have started to look for somewhere to rent and near schools so dh can collect dc. And then we won't need childcare. What do I need to know about bills in the U.K.? Our only bill is here electricity and mortgage. We don't have water bills. What is the average water bill for a 3 bed house? What else do I need to know?

We have 2 dc and one will be in what I can see as year2 as she is in her 2nd year of schooling here now so if she starts there in September it will be year2. The youngest will go straight to reception. Eldest is just turned 7 now and the youngest is 5 in July.

What else do I need to do/be aware of? Thank you

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but do you need to check where you’d be liable for income tax and whether National Insurance or equivalent would be covered, also access to private health care if provided? May be be an issue for Ireland/UK but definitely can get tricky between other European countries and UK. Also do tax years align? I’d definitely say not moving family for a year would be easier, as long as lockdowns don’t result in you being cut off/having to quarantine etc.

Hi
I'm Irish and a teacher in the UK. I think it will be a huge jump for your children to go into Year 1 and 3. Children in Ireland start later and there is a far more relaxed approach, especially to writing. I am always amazed by the expectations that I have as a teacher for the 5 year olds in my class. I know my friends children have barely started junior infants at 5 and the ones in my class are fully writing stories.
If I was in your place I would claim that they have been educated in a Gaelscoil to help convince the local authority to place them in Reception and Year 2

@C8H10N4O2 yes I have commuted before, last year I spent 3 days of the week in another county to do a course for work. The children adapted just fine.
@FinallyFluid my dh is not Irish he is Canadian, although I have met many an Irish man who have not been spoiled by mammy.

I had a quick chat a work today and we are veering towards my being in the U.K. Monday- weds and being in Ireland for the rest of the week.

My pay/tax will remain in Ireland/euros

Thank you everyone for your help and input.

@Piapea

Hi I'm Irish and a teacher in the UK. I think it will be a huge jump for your children to go into Year 1 and 3. Children in Ireland start later and there is a far more relaxed approach, especially to writing. I am always amazed by the expectations that I have as a teacher for the 5 year olds in my class. I know my friends children have barely started junior infants at 5 and the ones in my class are fully writing stories. If I was in your place I would claim that they have been educated in a Gaelscoil to help convince the local authority to place them in Reception and Year 2

That’s a brilliant idea 😁

My dd skipped reception due to international move, it was fine, I just taught her the reception curriculum before we moved (it's online).

You might find a rental with everything included if your company arranges it, otherwise it's rent, council tax, water, gas & electricity (usually same bill), tv licence if you want broadcast tv. Mostly bills are cheaper if paid direct debit so a U.K. bank account in advance is handy.

Kids are super adaptable so just slot them into where they should be. You can't apply for state school places until you have your address sorted, and as it's in year transfer it will be where there's places, most primary's are ok so don't worry too much. The reception curriculum your dc missed is mostly play based but they learn letters, numbers and a few high frequency words, easily achieved by September

I wouldnt move your family op. UK is a very different place to Ireland.

When considering properties, this website will tell you exactly how much the council tax is for the current financial year, as long as you know the postcode of the property:

www.mycounciltax.org.uk/content/index

Rents vary massively between and within regions. Where I live, in the SE, a 3-bed house would be £1,500 a month or more, 30 miles away you could find one for £1k. You'll have to pay at least one month's rent in advance, and at least the same again as a deposit against damage, which you'll get back when you move out, providing everything is ok.

In most built-up areas, water meters have been fitted to almost all properties, so you pay for what you use. For 2 adults, our water bill is £37 a month.

Gas and electricity is pretty variable. I pay £70 a month for a 2-bed semi-detached house, but I'm hoping that might go down a bit now I've got new windows and doors.

Public transport is expensive outside of urban areas.

Great idea as long as coronavirus not stop weekly flying.

Am I the only one now looking at relocating to Ireland from England after reading this thread? It sounds great.

I know a child that came from an eu country and he was put in year below so worth speaking to school

@hummmuna When DD was at school there were a few families who had moved over from Ireland (Catholic school) One of the boys in her class should technically have been in the year above, but the family moved when he was just 5 so the school allowed him to go in to reception instead. All through his school career he continued with this year group. It is worth checking with the school, they might allow this

@Londt

Am I the only one now looking at relocating to Ireland from England after reading this thread? It sounds great.

There was a mahoosive thread a couple of weeks ago about schools in Ireland!

@Londt it does sound great doesn't it. Don't be fooled by no council tax, water charges etc our school fees are astronomical!

@Poppystars it is an extremely essential business so we might(most probably) can go under essential worker rules to be honest

I had a quick chat a work today and we are veering towards my being in the U.K. Monday- weds and being in Ireland for the rest of the week

Three days a week is different, I'd also veer toward the weekly commute in that situation which mainly leaves you with the risk of quarantines being in place. (infection risks aside - no idea how that would compare).

So what area are they moving you to in the UK?

Also you get 25 days annual leave and Bank holidays as standard you may get more. But its better than the USA 2 weeks!

Amazed by people suggesting putting a child new to school who does not even know letter sounds into y1.

Where I live most children have learned their letter sounds during preschool. Around 50% of the 3-4yr olds in my sons community run preschool can also write their own name. Y1 a lot of children will already be comfortably blending a lot of words and will know a decent chunk of high frequency words by sight, plus will be being encouraged to write short sentences etc

Around 50% of the 3-4yr olds in my sons community run preschool can also write their own name. Y1 a lot of children will already be comfortably blending a lot of words and will know a decent chunk of high frequency words by sight, plus will be being encouraged to write short sentences etc

That makes me quite sad to read. Teaching such young children to read and write age 3 or 4 when all learning should be play based :(

5 and 6 is standard in Ireland but granted this has been a more recent progressive change. When I was going to school, sending 4 year olds was the norm.

I would bring them with you. It will be an experience that makes a huge impression and that they will remember forever. I lived abroad for a year aged 6 and it was definitely a formative experience.
Hopefully your employer can assist with some of the moving costs etc. Don't worry about school, I started unable to speak the language and still caught up in 3 months. And schools will be back to normal by September, probably long before that. A lot of children will need to catch up having missed a lot, which might not be a bad thing if yours are starting in a year above .

@Christmasfairy2020 I'm not moving contracts as such. I will still work for the same company under pretty much the same contract. I am just going over to gain experience in a specific dept on a specific project in order to make the next jump career wise. I will still be paid in euros into my Irish bank.

that makes me quite sad to read. Teaching such young children to read and write age 3 or 4 when all learning should be play based sad

They aren't taught . Lots of pre academic skills can be learned through play Children that age are like sponges. DS picked up most of the letters from me reading him stories, from songs, games and things like I spy on car journeys.

Many children learn the basics of reading in this way, very slowly, absorbing it from their surroundings, which I think is much healthier than going from 0-60 on starting school.

And as for writing its not a huge leap from drawing. 4 year olds love to write their name on the pictures they make. Why are people so astonished that some children (often many) love to learn? If a child loves stories and books they will WANT to learn how to read. Of course a 3 or 4 year old who isnt interested should absolutely not be pushed but are you suggesting a child who is interested should be discouraged?

I think it's a wise move not to uproot the children for a temporary contract which could be less than a year. It would extremely disruptive for them and would just be getting settled in a new system that sounds very different to them be moved back again. I think your new plan makes much more sense. Good luck with your job move and the subsequent promotion.

[quote hummmuna]@C8H10N4O2 yes I have commuted before, last year I spent 3 days of the week in another county to do a course for work. The children adapted just fine.
@FinallyFluid my dh is not Irish he is Canadian, although I have met many an Irish man who have not been spoiled by mammy.

I had a quick chat a work today and we are veering towards my being in the U.K. Monday- weds and being in Ireland for the rest of the week.

My pay/tax will remain in Ireland/euros

Thank you everyone for your help and input.[/quote]
Good call, OP. I commuted weekly between Galway and London for six months of the year for several years, and, while mentally tiring, it was perfectly manageable, and isn’t that unusual.

I also left England (no longer London by then) in 2019 because it was rapidly becoming somewhere no longer particularly pleasant for Irish people to live. Good luck with it all, and hope it pays off in terms of career progression.