Top 5 of things to do/not do?!
 

Hello,

I have been lurking here for sometime, posting on and off. Eventually after much talking and deliberating we have decided to move back!

We have two children and we are trying to work our way around the whole non EU spouse visa thing, which is proving hard! I am dual Aus/UK citizen he is an Aussie with no UK heritage.

I am also a teacher and have noticed that jobs for teachers in UK (we are moving back to NW) are hard to get. Does anyone have any experience with this?

It is a daunting time and I am not sure what we will return to after all I expect my friends to have got on with their lives, so I am not sure where we will fit. I have close family and I am sure they will help us but...I would like to know what other people would have liked to have known before they went. Say a top 5 of things to do/not do?!

I am moving primarily becuase I would like to be closer to family I like Australia mostly (bar 45 degree days). I hate the tyranny of distance and the loss of some of the support (for me and vice versa). I have some good friends here, but my job is not too great and house prices are astronomical. I have spent an age weighing it all up, if only I could tow Australia about 10,000kms nearer Europe I would be happy!

Thanks!

Re: Top 5 of things to do/not do?!
 

5 Don'ts:
Don't expect life in the UK to be similar to what it was before you left.
Don't put too much expectation on old friends and family
Don't rush to buy a house (unless you are absolutely 100% sure where you want to live)
Don't bang on about your wonderful life in Australia
Don't panic if things take a while to fall into place

5 Do's:
Do make a list of all the reasons why you want to come back, and pull it out any time you are feeling whingy about whether you did the right thing
Do look at the move as a big adventure to a new situation, rather than as "moving back to where you were before"
Do get out of the house and into your new commuity
Do spend time on things for you - your every waking act doesn't have to be in order to keep the kids happy
Do get into the UK "water cooler" conversation - even if you prefer to talk about Australia, find out what your new friends are interested in and take an interest in it.

Re: Top 5 of things to do/not do?!
 

Great list!

Re: Top 5 of things to do/not do?!
 

-Recollect why you left the UK in the first place
-Recollect what it was like when you first arrived on OZ & settling in
-Totally forget that you know anything about the UK - the UK doesn't owe you anything
-Return to the UK as though you are emigrating to a new country
-Do not whinge about anything (people, places or things) just get on with it - full steam ahead

Re: Top 5 of things to do/not do?!
 

Hi Beatle

What age are your children?
What age group do you teach??
There is a 'new' push to bring people into teaching, so the area you want to live will make a huge difference...
Due to resent UK weather, check any area you might want to move to for flooding!
Lots of flood plane has been built on and sadly the homeowners are paying the price..(literally as some cannot get insurance!)

Re: Top 5 of things to do/not do?!
 

Wonderful lists! I would just add that when you return, give yourselves time to adjust. It can take several months to feel you are home again! When I first returned in 1998, I panicked but after a few months, I settled in and really enjoyed my time there. All the best!

Re: Top 5 of things to do/not do?!
 

Thanks all for the lists! Some sage advice.

Greenfreelander what do you mean about new push? I am looking to move to SW corner of Manchester. I have asked around and some experts seem to think there is little work and not good prospects. I teach and am qualified to teach from 0-12 have both primary and early years qualifications, although I dont think you need the later in UK. I have mainly experience with special needs teaching, which I thought would help, but some people seem pretty pessimistic! My kids will be 7 and 3 when we return.

Thanks!!

Re: Top 5 of things to do/not do?!
 

Have you done a job search to get an idea of how many teaching jobs there are in the area you want to move? Might be worth signing up on a few job sites and putting in your specific requirements just to see if their is a demand right now in your field.

Re: Top 5 of things to do/not do?!
 

Its a bit harder when you don't mind your new country (I know it was for me as I did not mind Aus) but if family and travel are important to you then maybe Aus is not for you. If being in the UK is not really floating your boat have you not thought about teaching at an International School in Europe? our friends have just done that and they love it and you do not really have to return to the area you left in the UK if you would like a change, do not forget we are a small Island compared to Aus and easy enough to travel around. I don't really do "do's and don'ts....just what I like and don't like....ie I would not go somewhere were I felt to isolated or the Winters to cold or somewhere that is VERY new as I do like the Olde Worlde types of Countries. Good luck with your decision.

Re: Top 5 of things to do/not do?!
 

Hi beatle, here are a couple of websites my DH used when he was looking for work:

http://www.tes.co.uk/jobs/

http://www.eteach.com/JobSeekers/JobSearch.aspx

Re: Top 5 of things to do/not do?!
 

:goodpost:

Re: Top 5 of things to do/not do?!
 

I'm a teacher returning to the UK (as I can't get a job here) and was reassured to see that Secondary Maths, Physics and Chemistry teachers are listed on the UK government in demand occupations list.