Tell me about Living and Working in the UK

[Miss_N]

Hi Everyone! :)

I have just graduated with my Primary Teaching Degree and am finding myself stressing so much about the prospect (or lack of) of employment in Queensland! Im not sleeping well, getting myself so upset over the fact that being employed in QLD will most likely mean being seperated from my DP for 2 - 3 years!

Anyway I got thinking about the Uni Career Fair that we had this year and the 2 or 3 recruitment agencies that place Aussie Teachers in UK Schools and thought to myself why am I worrying so much about having to work in a remote and rural area when DP and I could be living and working in the UK! Experiencing the world while we are still young and have no commitments in Australia!

These recruitment companies seem to have endless vacancies and are keen to place Aussie Teachers in a location of their choice!

So...the point of my post is to ask you all about what its like to live and work in the UK!

Where would you reccomend to live?

Are teachers paid well enough to live comfortably?

Would I need to buy a car over there or would public transport be suffecient?

What kind of employment opportunities would there be for DP? He is currently a manager for Hungry Jacks (Burger King) but has also worked for the Commonwealth Bank and as an Admin assistant in a QLD State School!

Thanks a bunch guys! :)

[kerrysinead]

Hi there

I live back home in the UK after 5years in Oz so I know that making a big move has its challenges but is a wonderful experience. It depends on where you want to live as to pay, transport etc. London is a amazing city, however much more exy with rent etc although the pay and employment prospects for you and your partner would be better and you could probably manage well with public transport. Theres so much going on in London, something to suit everyone whatever your into.

Mind you I always say, theres more to the UK than just London and thats so true. I live in the north west, near the beautiful lake district and not far from Manchester. The north is quite different to the south, but there are some great cities like Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Liverpool where there is loads of work, great music scene, nightlife, whatever your into and some beautiful countryside. Yes the weather is colder and wetter here up north, and we're a bit more rough and ready as they say! But being biased I think its great and the people are so friendly, i'd recommend it to anyone. A lot of the smaller towns dont have a great public transport so having a car is probably wise, you can pick up cheap enough cars but petrol is a bit pricey although it seems to have dropped a bit lately, about 95p a litre which is about just over 2bucks a litre I think. As probably is happening in Oz we are heading for a recession so everyone is tightening their belts but you just have to be sensible.

The good thing about anywhere in the UK is that compared with Oz everything is close by, i never moan about distance anymore after living in outback queensland!

As far as I know teachers pay has improved somewhat over here in the last few years and this has led to an improvement in the quality of teaching. However be warned I think there are some pretty tough schools in the inner city areas of most major cities, as is probably the same in Oz. But thats life I suppose. Hope this helps a bit, let me know if theres anything else you want to know. Good luck :)

[~Bec~]

Hi - I'm Australian but I lived in the UK for 8 years.

The cost of living varies a lot around the country. London is an extraordinarily expensive place to live. Personally I couldn't live there but it's a fabulous place to visit. I don't think there's another city in the world with so much to see and do.

In the mid 90s my bf at the time was an Aussie teacher, recently graduated and looking for work. He got work very quickly but it was in some very rough classes (ie delinquent students). I remember once he told me that he was close to bursting in tears by 9:05 after the second chair was flung out the door.

You don't need a car in London.

I lived mostly in Leeds and York in the beautiful county of Yorkshire. The north of England is culturally very different to the south.

When I bought a car in 1999 the car cost me 3200 pounds and the first year insurance (despite never having an accident in 12 years of driving at that point) was close to 1000 pounds for the year. Cars are VERY expensive to run over there.

There used to be a magazine that you could get around London called TNT. It was a free magazine especially for Aussie, Kiwi and South African people living and working around the UK. Try googling it, I think it went on line. It advertised places to rent and jobs so you might get an idea of costs and prices.

Good luck :)

[Miss_N]

Hi there

I live back home in the UK after 5years in Oz so I know that making a big move has its challenges but is a wonderful experience. It depends on where you want to live as to pay, transport etc. London is a amazing city, however much more exy with rent etc although the pay and employment prospects for you and your partner would be better and you could probably manage well with public transport. Theres so much going on in London, something to suit everyone whatever your into.

Mind you I always say, theres more to the UK than just London and thats so true. I live in the north west, near the beautiful lake district and not far from Manchester. The north is quite different to the south, but there are some great cities like Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Liverpool where there is loads of work, great music scene, nightlife, whatever your into and some beautiful countryside. Yes the weather is colder and wetter here up north, and we're a bit more rough and ready as they say! But being biased I think its great and the people are so friendly, i'd recommend it to anyone. A lot of the smaller towns dont have a great public transport so having a car is probably wise, you can pick up cheap enough cars but petrol is a bit pricey although it seems to have dropped a bit lately, about 95p a litre which is about just over 2bucks a litre I think. As probably is happening in Oz we are heading for a recession so everyone is tightening their belts but you just have to be sensible.

The good thing about anywhere in the UK is that compared with Oz everything is close by, i never moan about distance anymore after living in outback queensland!

As far as I know teachers pay has improved somewhat over here in the last few years and this has led to an improvement in the quality of teaching. However be warned I think there are some pretty tough schools in the inner city areas of most major cities, as is probably the same in Oz. But thats life I suppose. Hope this helps a bit, let me know if theres anything else you want to know. Good luck :)

Thanks for all that! :) Im thinking that having a car something Id like to avoid and living in London would be nice although it sounds like it has its ups and downs!

I have heard from many agencies that the schools in central london do tend to be a bit rougher though and dont particularly want to deal with that in my first year out so think I will look into living and working in one of the cities in the north that you mentioned!


Hi - I'm Australian but I lived in the UK for 8 years.

The cost of living varies a lot around the country. London is an extraordinarily expensive place to live. Personally I couldn't live there but it's a fabulous place to visit. I don't think there's another city in the world with so much to see and do.

In the mid 90s my bf at the time was an Aussie teacher, recently graduated and looking for work. He got work very quickly but it was in some very rough classes (ie delinquent students). I remember once he told me that he was close to bursting in tears by 9:05 after the second chair was flung out the door.

You don't need a car in London.

I lived mostly in Leeds and York in the beautiful county of Yorkshire. The north of England is culturally very different to the south.

When I bought a car in 1999 the car cost me 3200 pounds and the first year insurance (despite never having an accident in 12 years of driving at that point) was close to 1000 pounds for the year. Cars are VERY expensive to run over there.

There used to be a magazine that you could get around London called TNT. It was a free magazine especially for Aussie, Kiwi and South African people living and working around the UK. Try googling it, I think it went on line. It advertised places to rent and jobs so you might get an idea of costs and prices.

Good luck :)

Thanks for the tip of the magazine! Have found the website for it and will have a look! :)

[jaq]

Hi Amy,

My husband and I returned to Australia in 2004 after six years living in London. We were in Twickenham, on the south west outskirts, and it was a lovely place to live, and a lovely lifestyle. That said, we were earning megabucks, so money wasn't a problem - London isn't a city to be poor in!

Public transport is great, so you won't need a car if your school is within the M25 - usually its faster to train it, especially if its on the same line radially. If you want to live in London or nearby, I would suggest staying in a cheap travellers house for a bit (they are everywhere, particularly around Hendon, Kilburn etc) and once you have your posting, find a proper place to live. You will need quite a lot of cash upfront for the bond etc ... its usually the same as the first months rent ie if your rent is 1000 a month, you'll owe 2000 upfront before you move in.

Travel is also expensive. Try to keep your travel within one zone, and if at all possible, stay OUT of the central city. (Zone 1 is more expensive than all the others.) My annual tube pass, which let me travel zones 1-6 for a year, cost more than 1000 pounds. If you just need to travel in zone 2 or 3, (or 3 and 4) it will cost a LOT less.

Going up north to Manchester, Newcastle or York is a brilliant idea - but you will probably want a car up there. And its COLD compared to London ... REALLY cold. But you are so close to the countryside in the smaller cities, and the cost of living is much, much lower. Also, the train links to London are so good that you could come down for weekend, or even just a night out if you are in one of the nearby cities ie Birmingham.

The other option is live out in the counties - ie the villagey towns in between the big cities. Not sure how many vacancies would be in those places, and you would definitely need a car. Not exactly the bright lights of London or the northern cities, but would be quite a change of pace for you.

I used to dream of living in a village when I was crammed onto the Tube with three million other Londoners, but the city has its own attraction too.

You are definitely right about one thing ... the opportunity to go while you are young and have no ties is a wonderful one!

[Miss_N]

Hi Amy,

My husband and I returned to Australia in 2004 after six years living in London. We were in Twickenham, on the south west outskirts, and it was a lovely place to live, and a lovely lifestyle. That said, we were earning megabucks, so money wasn't a problem - London isn't a city to be poor in!

Public transport is great, so you won't need a car if your school is within the M25 - usually its faster to train it, especially if its on the same line radially. If you want to live in London or nearby, I would suggest staying in a cheap travellers house for a bit (they are everywhere, particularly around Hendon, Kilburn etc) and once you have your posting, find a proper place to live. You will need quite a lot of cash upfront for the bond etc ... its usually the same as the first months rent ie if your rent is 1000 a month, you'll owe 2000 upfront before you move in.

Travel is also expensive. Try to keep your travel within one zone, and if at all possible, stay OUT of the central city. (Zone 1 is more expensive than all the others.) My annual tube pass, which let me travel zones 1-6 for a year, cost more than 1000 pounds. If you just need to travel in zone 2 or 3, (or 3 and 4) it will cost a LOT less.

Going up north to Manchester, Newcastle or York is a brilliant idea - but you will probably want a car up there. And its COLD compared to London ... REALLY cold. But you are so close to the countryside in the smaller cities, and the cost of living is much, much lower. Also, the train links to London are so good that you could come down for weekend, or even just a night out if you are in one of the nearby cities ie Birmingham.

The other option is live out in the counties - ie the villagey towns in between the big cities. Not sure how many vacancies would be in those places, and you would definitely need a car. Not exactly the bright lights of London or the northern cities, but would be quite a change of pace for you.

I used to dream of living in a village when I was crammed onto the Tube with three million other Londoners, but the city has its own attraction too.

You are definitely right about one thing ... the opportunity to go while you are young and have no ties is a wonderful one!

Thanks Jaq! It certainly does sound like a fantastic opportunity! Especially when I have so many recruitment agencies that are willing to help me find a job, get a pank account, medicare number, find accommodation etc!

I love the idea of living and working in London! Both DP and I are city people and think that it would really suit us! Just have to weigh up the costs and if we could afford it! Im hoping that on a teachers wage and with DP bringing in another income it would be do-able!

I will be selling my car if I do decide to move which will hopefully help with the intitial expenses!

Thanks again for all your help! :)

[SPC]

I've had several friends teach for agencies and I'd strongly recommend you avoid London. London kids are hard and the schools using agencies tend to be grim. However, they are desperate and pay well. I grew up in London and have never learned to drive.

I'd recommend smaller cites like Bristol and Oxford for being really well connected in the rail network and having nicer schools. Edinburgh is also lovely. London is easy to visit from there too.

[SurNuage9]

I lived in Angel, Islington (north London) before moving here in May with my husband and I can totally attest that while London is quite expensive there are tons of opportunities if you are looking to move there, you don't have to live in the centre of the city to be in all the action! There are tons of schools, of course some areas are better than others (ie most south of the river, Brixton, Elephant and Castle, etc are areas I'd avoid) and even though the UK is in a recession I'd say you probably could find work rather easily.

Another option if looking to live close to London is to look at living in areas like Surrey and Essex and Kent which are close enough to get into the city but far enough away that you can still enjoy the not so busy life of the city.

I'd suggest not having a car in London, aside from public transport being pretty good the £12 a day or whatever it is now congestion charge to drive into the city is crazy expensive!

If interested I know of a fantastic forex company that we used when moving here and are goin to use when moving back mid to late next year. Just send me a PM, and if you do decide on London I'd be more than happy to give you any other tips, it's a great city, and even though I'm not from London originally it's my home and miss it! Good luck with whereever you decide in the UK!

[Miss_N]

I've had several friends teach for agencies and I'd strongly recommend you avoid London. London kids are hard and the schools using agencies tend to be grim. However, they are desperate and pay well. I grew up in London and have never learned to drive.

I'd recommend smaller cites like Bristol and Oxford for being really well connected in the rail network and having nicer schools. Edinburgh is also lovely. London is easy to visit from there too.

I think Id like the smaller cities! Even though they are considered smaller in the UK they are probably quite large for someone who is used to Brisbane and Gold Coast sized cites!

I like the Bristol and Oxford are connected to the railway! Will make sure I ask about that when choosing a school to teach in as I would like to avoid having to buy a car!

Edinburgh sounds great too! My Grandmother lives in Scotland so perhaps having family close by would help!

Thanks for your advice!


I lived in Angel, Islington (north London) before moving here in May with my husband and I can totally attest that while London is quite expensive there are tons of opportunities if you are looking to move there, you don't have to live in the centre of the city to be in all the action! There are tons of schools, of course some areas are better than others (ie most south of the river, Brixton, Elephant and Castle, etc are areas I'd avoid) and even though the UK is in a recession I'd say you probably could find work rather easily.

Another option if looking to live close to London is to look at living in areas like Surrey and Essex and Kent which are close enough to get into the city but far enough away that you can still enjoy the not so busy life of the city.

I'd suggest not having a car in London, aside from public transport being pretty good the £12 a day or whatever it is now congestion charge to drive into the city is crazy expensive!

If interested I know of a fantastic forex company that we used when moving here and are goin to use when moving back mid to late next year. Just send me a PM, and if you do decide on London I'd be more than happy to give you any other tips, it's a great city, and even though I'm not from London originally it's my home and miss it! Good luck with whereever you decide in the UK!

Thanks for your advice! Maybe living a little out of London and visiting often would be the way to go? Id like to be able to see as much of Europe as possible whilst living in the UK so perhaps living somewhere that is less expensive in terms of daily expenses would help with that!

Please excuse my ignorance...but what if forex? I will definately PM you for more information when I find out more! Thanks! :)

[SurNuage9]

No worries!

Yeah when hubby and I move back we are going to look in Surrey probably so that we are still close enough to the city for him to work (and all our friends are in the city) and also close enough to catch the Eurostar to the continent but be able to take advantage of the cheaper living outside. (nothing like having a 2 bed flat in the city for the same price as a 4 bed house outside the city!)

Forex is foreign exchange, when we moved here we had sold a house and it was the best way to get really good rates on currency as you can lock them in.

Good luck! :)

[Miss_N]

No worries!

Yeah when hubby and I move back we are going to look in Surrey probably so that we are still close enough to the city for him to work (and all our friends are in the city) and also close enough to catch the Eurostar to the continent but be able to take advantage of the cheaper living outside. (nothing like having a 2 bed flat in the city for the same price as a 4 bed house outside the city!)

Forex is foreign exchange, when we moved here we had sold a house and it was the best way to get really good rates on currency as you can lock them in.

Good luck! :)

Ah I see! It sounds good that you can lock in the exchange rate! I will definately PM you closer to the time! DP and I plan on selling our cars and all the new furniture DP just brought! Would like to have a couple of grand as back for bond and expenses like that!

Would Surrey be a good place to live in terms of not needing to have a car? I really want to avoid buying a car but also dont want to be paying huge amounts to live in London!

Do you know a round about figure that primary teachers earn? I tried to google it and came up with 35000 pound as the starting wage (which I would prob get as a Grad)

Also do they use the Euro in UK now or still the Pound?

Thanks! :)

[SurNuage9]

No worries!

If you are living in a town in Surrey (and not the outskirts) you'd probably be ok without a car as you'd be close to shops, transport etc. I think we'll get a car because of the baby and I wont be going into the city as often but otherwise you'd probably be fine. If you moved to the likes of Richmond, Wimbledon etc you'd definately not need a car, thats still considered London and has transport for London links.

That figure sounds about right for salary, as I believe average income in London is 25-30k. They use the £ still, don't think they'll ever go to the € to be honest as even though the currency has been fluctuating that last few weeks/months its still pretty strong!

[jaq]

If you are looking at Surrey, I strongly recommend Kingston (upon-Thames). Its much cheaper than Richmond (Mick Jagger and all the other celebs drive up the property prices) and Wimbledon (guess the tennis is responsible there...)

It has a good mix of housing, good links to the city (about 30 mins on the overland train - zone 6), and is in a truly lovely spot ... right by the river, in between the two royal parks. You can ride your bike right through Richmond Park, down to the Thames Path, right through the centre of Kingston, and keep going on the river path to Bushy Park and Hampton Court Palace. I used to do it most weekends ...

If you like the history etc, Kingston is also wonderful ... it is literally "Kings town" ... I once wandered into the old church yard to read a plaque near some gravestones and was amazed to find that it was the capital of the Anglo Saxon kingdom!There's a huge great modern shopping centre plonked in the centre of town, but lots of lovely little spots where historic Kingston surprises you ... the local Borders (bookshop) has a 14th century grand staircase!!

Surbiton, not far away, has similar advantages but better transport links. Not as much history though.