Auryn80

Hello everone
My husband got an offer through his work to move to Canada. We haven't decided yet but we have got few concerns. I'm not sure about schooling in Canada, our children are 6,5 and 2 year old. Obviously the 6 year old will go to full education in Canada but what about 5 year old? She is at the reception at the moment and can read and count very well. Would she go to full education in Canada at her age as well or would we need to pay? I don't want to lover her level.
The other question I've got is what salary expectations are like in Canada? Is salary $185 a year for family of 5 would be ok? We were thinking of moving to Oakvile but are there any better/word areas to leave? As an expats what would you ask your employer for?
Thank you so much for all your advice

Aviator

I would say that was a bit tight!

UPSY

Hi,
I have a 5 year old he's in full time kindy, ( in the same school as my older child) it's goes the year they are born in Canada so if it's 2010 then SK until June then in September grade 1 ect.
We are in Toronto with 2 kids house prices are crazy but as we are renting we are saving loads and still having 2/3 holidays a year on a similar salary with only 1 parent working.
Just a note if your coming intra coming transfer you will not get 600 points for a job offer if you decide to get PR.
Good Luck

Auryn80

Thank you so much for your reply. do you know if the companies usually cover the cost of the kindy if they are relocating you?

UPSY

Companies will normally cover moving costs but every company is different to how and what they cover depends on the persons role ect?
Jk and SK are part of the normal schooling so it's free and runs the full school day.

BristolUK

Funny thing...I was thinking that even if the OP meant $185k there might be some here who'd say it was a bit tight.

Geordie Lass

Our son was 6 when we brought him over and I was told to expect him to be way ahead of his peers at school. He was the youngest in his year in UK so he'd done 2.5 years of full time school before we landed.

He was way way ahead when he arrived. His first 18 months here were way too easy but we knew that before we landed.

Now he's stretched all the time at school so it catches up eventually.

It was worth it tho. Our life is better here.

HTH.

Auryn80

Lovely, thank you. It's a big decision for us.

Geordie Lass

You're welcome

And rightly so. It was definitely on our cons side of the page for moving.

If you want to PM me you can do so we can talk offline. I don't like comparing Canada to UK on the forum. It can get people's backs up lol

laddo73

If you were to live in Renfrew, Ontario on 185k you could live like a king! Early year education is slightly behind the UK, your kids will find it easier to start with. My wife is a teacher who taught in the UK for 10 years. School is more fun here, kids are not pushed as hard but then look at Finland! Thats another debate. My kids found school easy when they first came here. They're 8 & 5

Engineer_abroad

185K would be a good wage anywhere in Canada I think. On that sort of salary your spouse must be a critical business asset and I would defiantly be expecting a relocation package to go along with it. Look for:

1) Flights for family to Canada
2) Temp accommodation for 1 month in a furnished apartment in Canada;
3) Temp health insurance before MSP kicks in (depends on province but up to 3 months)
4) Help filling first Canadian tax return and final tax return in UK;
5) Costs to cover either shipping of possessions or buying new.
6) help with finding a home and schooling

dbd33

Yes but I expect it's less than the typical household income in the nice parts of Oakville.

BristolUK

I thought all of it was nice. Isn't Oakville the nice part of the Greater Toronto Area?

wheatsheaf

At one point in time the average Oakville household income was $250K plus. Recently, with the rapid growth of lower end high density housing that average will have dropped. With it has come higher pollution, much more noise (including aircraft) and although there doesnt seem to be more crime there is a huge police presence which can be disconcerting to anyone who is from the UK. Vistors notice it. If you have kids who have respiratory problems such as allergies, asthma etc, it may be wise that you research this specifically vis a vis Oakville.

dbd33

It's a nice suburb. It's not the only nice suburb and there are nice parts of Toronto proper. The older part of Oakville, south of the QEW is, AFAIK, all very nice, if a bit snobbish, north of there is a lot of standard tract housing, griege siding structures packed close together. Up there it's less affluent and not markedly different from anywhere else that shitty boxes have been thrown up on farmland (or new communities have been lovingly crafted, depending on whether you have to live there or just write the brochures).