Relocation To Suffolk

[Guest]

Hey everyone,

 

My partner and I have been thinking of moving to Suffolk for a while now but it has all come to a head now as my partner is in the final stages of sorting out a new job. Whilst I am really excited we currently live over 90 miles away and I am unsure about the best option in terms of my job. I have been teaching Reception for the past three years but not sure whether to apply for teaching jobs or do supply teaching, obviously both have positives and negatives andI was wondering whether anyone has experienced something similar or have any pearls of wisdom?

 

Many thanks

 

Clarew

[Guest]

ooh, new year new horizons

 

You have experience of working within one school, have you had experience of supply work? if not maybe some of our experienced members can give you an incite into what supply is like.

 

Not much help, but wishing you a happy move and good luck.

 

Peggy

 

maybe you would also like to post questions to members within the suffolk forum??

 

You can do that HERE

 

Peggy

[hali]

good luck with whatever you decide and on your move

[mundia]

Hi Claire, difficult one isnt it? In a similar boat in that we have been wanting to relocate for some years now but one of us needs a job before we can do that, as we just cannot afford to go and take a risk on not having a job at all. You're one step ahead in that your partner has sorted out a job, and I think your decision will depend very much on your finances. For example can you afford to live on your partner's income for a few months whilst you look around, see what jobs are there etc, or is your income essential to your new life? Supply work has many advantages in a new location, as it gives you the chance to find out what makes schools tick in that area and you can often fall into a job off the back of supply. Downside it isn't regular, which is back to the money question. Personally Id give up my job tomorrow if I could afford to, and look for something else in my new location once I got there, and Ive felt my way around.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, sometimes there arent easy answers, and you just have to choose what suits your needs.

[Susan]

Hi Clare, Mundia has pretty much summed up the perils of supply! I have recently started a temp contract in a school where I was very happy on Supply, having been supply teaching for 7 terms. I made the decision to leave my permanent position for personal reasons and while the supply has been excellent experience and enabled me to teach different age groups and see different schools I missed the continuity and satisfaction of having my own class. Financially though it has not been a viable option although in my experience work is usually beginning to pick up this term and into the summer term.

You need to explore the supply situation in the area you will be in, is there an LEA pool, which will pay to scale and enable you to keep up your pension contributions or will you need to sign with an agency that pays flat rates and no TPS. All these factors may be relevant to you in making your decision.

Good luck.

[Elfy]

hi clare

 

My partner and I relocated to Suffolk in September due to his work commitments. I've taken up my first post in a nursery class here, so have never worked as a supply teacher, just wanted to wish you lots of luck, as someone who has made the same step. What I would say is... I moved from the South West where teaching jobs can be few and far between, often with over 100 applicants for jobs, where as in Suffolk I sat at interviews talking to people who were surpirised 20 people had applied!

 

Lots of luck - let us know how you get on

 

Elfy

x

[Guest]

Hi Clare, I am in suffolk or slow suffolk, or silly suffolk what ever it gets called! It is peaceful here and we love it, we live near a small town and we are surrounded by fields and common greens great for chilling out, walking, children playing, village life at its best!! Please let me know if i can be of any help to you.

[Running Bunny]

No advice on the teaching front (for those that do teach in Suffolk, do you still have to apply to be accepted into the 'pool' before you can actually teach?)

 

Just wanted to add that Suffolk is very different from other places in the country (I'm from Ipswich originally, but moved up to Yorkshire five years ago) It's very picturesque, the big towns (Ipswich and Bury) have lots of good shops but Ipswich especially is get de-personalised due to the number of the 'London-set' moving in and commuting to work. The smaller towns (Woodbridge Stowmarket etc) are a lot nicer and get a better sense of community, but having lived on the doorstep of the Pennines, the flatness is very depressing when I go home to visit.

[Tigger]

Hi,

 

First you can apply to go on the Pool if you are an NQT, you don't have to though and applications need to be in the end of this month!

 

There are jobs in suffolk, although it has been quiet so far this year. The Suffolk County Council website's jobs section is updated on a Wednesday and the local papers ( East Anglian and Evening Star) also publish jobs on a Wednesday.

 

There are possibly great changes to the way children are educated ib Suffolk at the moment as most of the area is a three tier system ( primary, middle and high schools) there is a consultation review meeting being held to night to decide if we are going to change to a two tier system. So depending on your background it could be a very exciting time to be arriving??!!

 

I live in Stowmarket which was fortunatly on the okay list!! Let me know if you need any other information, I am quite happy for you tp PM me if you want details about particular areas ( I wouldn't want to upset anyone!!!)

 

Sharon

[Guest]

Thank you for all the great replies!

 

We have friends who live in Earl Soham (Woodbridge) and so would probably want to live near them.

 

Thank you so much to those of you who have had experiences of Suffolk - it seems a lovely place to settle down and be surounding by countryside.

 

On a rather funny note my partner pointed out how many stars he could see compared to our current orangey haze that we see here.

 

I am sending my CV next week to the 'pool'

 

will keep you posted

[Guest]

Hi don't want to pinch any ones page here!!! but a message to Sharon I'm in Stowmaket area too!!!