teaching in the south island.
 

Hi guys
Has anyone on the forum Managed to move to the south island and get a job in teaching. We have been applying for jobs but have been told that nz experience is needed . The agent we are using wants us to move to auckland but we really want to be in the south island close to family. Also as a farmer there will be more work for myself. My wife is getting more and more worried about finding a job the closer it gets to the end of the nz academic year as the job market will shut. any advice in job hunting in nz would be appeciated.
thanks gozzy

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Hi gozzy, does your wife have to have a full time permanent job straight off? If not have you tried contacting the Principal in charge of the Relieving List - think its normally one of the Principals in the area. It is frustrating but kind of understandable. Hopefully she can get some Long Term Relieving experience and then get picked up full time from the list. Good luck and let us know how it goes - I'm a teacher wanting a job on the North Island!:thumbup:

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

The agents tell us we need a permanent contract to get residency. so i don't think working on a temporary basis is enough.:confused: Good luck with your job hunt in the north island we are looking up there too . But will only stay for the minimum time " If we have too" before moving south.:thumbup:

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Can you not get in as a farmer Gozzy?

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Its not on the skills shortage list. having worked on th efamily farm for the last 20 years i have no references and i messed around when i was at college:lol: Wiser now i hind sight.:rofl: hopeing the agents will pull some thing out of the bag. How are you trying to get ajob. Have you had any feed back?
Gozzy

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Just got back from a 10 day visit to Cambridge, Waikato area. Met with nearly all the Principals in the area. They all said the same thing. 'Get on the Relieving List and then if you're any good you'll be lifted off it by one of the schools for a permanent job'. I have applied for one job (took the forms with me) but more as an exercise than anything else, hoping for feedback as not yet in a position to move as need to go through Court for permission to take my children.

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Don't forget you can take the work visa to residency route too. Depending on your circumstances it might be slightly riskier, but might also avoid the need to work in Auckland and the extra costs that would require.


As a matter of interest have the agents explained why exactly NZ experience is needed? Is it the curriculum?

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Hi Southerner, do you know if you have to have a permanent job to get a work to residency visa?

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Its not a WTR visa as such, but rather you get a standard working visa, enter the country, get employment (of any sort) and once you have got the offer that gives you enough points, put in your residency application.

Everyone's circumstances (points) are different obviously - but for some it is also possible to get residency without a job offer.

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Thank you :thumbup:

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Hey just a thougth and it may be totally useless info for you but on trademe theres a community forum with different sections one of them is farming it might be handy if you wanted to ask questions re farming and some on there are also sometimes looking for skilled workers (theres also a jobs section on trademe) Its like your ebay....As i said might be totally useless information I used to be a dairy farmer by the way (well me and my ex hubby owned a dairy farm) ANd hey who didnt muck around at school lol i was exactly the same.............
www.trademe.co.nz
All the best
Cheers
Cally

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Hi Gozzy,

Is your partner looking for primary or secondary teaching? If secondary then it shouldn't be too tricky, but from our experience primary is another matter - especially in the highly populated areas. Away from the cities life is a little easier, but perm jobs are still like hens teeth.

We were in exactly the same situation as you guys. Wife a primary teacher, and using an agency to help get us here. Turned out the best bet in their view was for wife to get a perm job, and we apply for residency on that. Of course, we thought that would be easy but it has not been. We came out on working hol visas ,and started applying. Over 60 applications later, she got her first short-term contract through who she knew - not what she knew. On the back of that she has slowly gained a network and the all important 'kiwi-experience' but it has been hard graft. Now, coming up to 2 years in, my missus is still on temp contracts and is close to giving up on it and going back to supply teaching whilst starting her own business.

In the end, we gave up on the agency (who were pretty useless by the way) and I went to immigration myself who told me the job I had got (a recruitment consultant) was enough to get us in on. The agency never even thought of that! Caused us months of stress that did! 6 months on, we have PR all off our own bat.

Good luck, and if we can help in any way or offer more info on finding primary work then drop us a PM.

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Eh?

Farming is on the shortages lists. Both lists.
What type of farmer are you? It it not necessarily the case that one has a formal qualification . Experience may well hold good. I'm very surprised your 'agent' hasn't told you this.

Do you wish to remain in farming? what type?

What I do feel is that full-time , contracted jobs for primary teachers are few and far between.

Don't settle for Auckland if your heart is not in it. I cannot understand why your agent would try and shoehorn you there.

Without looking back over your posts, what is it you are both hoping for?

i.e. jobs and location

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Thanks everyone for your advice. I am looking for primary, teaching experience with ages 4 - 9. Agent told us no probs now seems only ok really if we go to Auckland. Want south island. Had a bit of feedback via agent stating want nz experience, want nz teacher. Getting really stressful as am in limbo. Work in school in UK in an area with v challenging children so drained. More annoyed with employment agents than anything, have started emailing schools myself. Actually had 1 good and 1 negative feedback on own, so fingers crossed.

If not got job by Xmas will have to do a major rethink. Wish visa agents could be more helpful, I agree have seen farming on skills shortage list too, but we are not paying them to get us a farming job just a teaching job hence no advice/help in that direction.

Ta Linda

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Hey Linda,

So if it's primary then I will say right now: Don't wait for Xmas, start your rethink right now.

*In my opinion* the odds of getting a perm teaching job anywhere in the S Island whilst still in the UK, are minimal. Like >5% chance minimal. In our experience the agency will not be able to help you in any real way in finding a perm teaching job. Have you had your teaching qualifications ratified by NZQA, and do you have a teaching number, as in our experience without either of these no school will employ you on a perm basis?

Depending on your answer to the above, you can go one of 2 ways:

1) If you have been NZQA approved, and hold a teaching number, then get over here for a few weeks and start door knocking the schools. Arrange appointments with the head of target area schools in advance whilst in the UK, and whilst on the phone ask them if they know of anywhere you could apply to or if they could reccommend you on. Personal networks and reccommendations are absolutely key here, as adverts don't tell the whole story. As all teaching roles must be advertised by law, even if a school has an internal candidate they know they will put in the role, an advertised vacancy isn't necessarily a 'real' vacancy. To give you an idea - during our 18 months here in ChCh my wife has applied to well over 60 positions and recieved a whole 4 interviews!

2) If you are awaiting the NZQA decision, and have yet to get a teaching number then I would strongly suggest you chase the farming/ dairy route to get over here and get settled, all the while establishing yourself as a strong & talented relief/ supply teacher within the local schools. You can then manoevre yourself to be next in line for a perm job as and when it comes along. The benefit you have is that the schools most in need are rural schools which fits well with the farming side of things.

Sorry to be so negative, but we came out here expecting to get a teaching job within 2 weeks or so - it took over 8 months. We were relying on that job to get us residency - it never happened. In the end we used my job to do that. Looking back I would do things differently, and I would have spoken directly to NZ immigration a LOT more. In my experience agents - whilst handy for busy people - sometimes agents are too fixed in their outlook on the 'best' way into NZ and may not consider all the options.

Feel free to PM us if you want advice on putting together a teaching CV etc. They are SO different here it's untrue!

All the best of luck :)

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Unfortunately, because of the attractive nature of the South Island (landscape, house prices etc), the only way a person leaves a teaching job down south is in a coffin.

Why not look for and take a job in AKl or Welly and then move down a couple of years later. With the experience, you would be in a better situation.

I would love to live and teach in the South but AKL is fine for the mo, as it pays the bills and gets me closer to PR.

good luck.

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Some immigration consultants are absolutely first rate. With some it is money for old rope.

:ohmy: You should not be paying anyone to find you a job ! Any recruitment agent worth it's salt will collect commission from the prospective employer not fleece the hopeful migrant.

Further, it's well known that full-time permanently contracted primary school teaching jobs are generally available. There are home-grown primary school teachers here queuing up to try and get these jobs.

If there are primary school jobs there , then that may be where you should aim for.


If you were concerned about doing the immigration forms yourself then I could quite understand employing an immigration consultant to do that, or perhaps if you have unusual circumstance. You should only pick one from the NZAMI site & one that knows his stuff.

With regard to farming. I found this site called FRENZ which may or may not be helpful. If you could find work in the farming industry, perhaps as a manager, you could come on temp work visas and then, once settled into the farm work apply for PR with your husband as principle applicant. Farming is skilled so you would apply under the Skilled Migrant Category.

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Thanks guys,

Have got NZQA and teach no. Had been thinking may have to do a recce myself. Rich has started looking more into the farming line so he may get a job first. fingers crossed. I agree in life it is who you know that makes the difference. Thanks so much for all of your advice and support, bit hellish this side. Credit crunch really worrying as both in secure jobs here. Still want to move but v nervous.
Ta

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

My mum is out in NZ as an Assistant Herd Manager having run a farm with my dad right up to the foot and mouth outbreak. All the farm business was in my dad's name and he had sadly passed away. Mum got references from the Vet and Estate manager (they were tenant farmers) to state she ran the farm with dad and has had no problems with work permits at all. As she is over 55 she's struggling with PR but that's another story. My sister's a farmer on the South Is and I know her and the local farms really struggle to get good workers of any sort. I would seriously try that route as a start, even my brother got a work permit for farming in April for 3 years and he has no qualifications whatsoever being dyslexic and anti establishment :D

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

I agree with everything said. Newly qualified NZ teachers often have to serve as relievers for a while before a job comes up. The NZ experience may not be an issue, although you will notice differences in the curriculum and the way it's taught. Kids can't start school in NZ until their 5th birthday by the way.

If it all doesn't work out on the farming side would you consider a teacher exchange? Years ago my son had a British teacher who came out on an exchange programme. The NZ and British teachers swapped houses, cars and jobs for a year. No idea if this is still an option, but it seems a good way to get a feel for the country with a guaranteed job and then possibly a permanent job offer to follow.

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Really like the idea of a teacher swap, just don't think it would work here as live on the farm. Also my job is now on a temp/cover contract as handed my notice in in July. Thanks for advice though. Think Rich may get in on his farming from the sounds of it.

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

My mother works for a school in porirua and they often have problems finding teachers who want to teach in the area or (flip side) want to teach in a poor (decile 1A) area but have no experience with challenging behaviours and the concerns faced by children in those areas.

They can and do hire overseas staff.

I suppose the benefit of teaching in Wellington is that you can find work in schools such as that but you aren't 'forced' to live in the area. By that i mean, you can still live in a nicer area or an area you like but do not need to face a one hour commute to school.

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

I have loads of experience working in a school with children with very challenging behaviour. Wouldn't mind a break from it to be honest as very draining. Hey if it gets me a job then I would be willing to do it for at least another year. Love the teaching, hate the behaviour issues and lack of funds/support to deal with it.
L

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Kp - Would that be for a primary school teacher then. Would the EA give a full time permanent contract. If they would, then they have a dove-tail with the experience Mrs Gozzy has.

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Hi yes I am a primary school teacher. Had a kid stab another with a sharp pencil today, third time this academeic year, different child each time and can do nothing about it. Very frustrating. Would be willing to work in a low decile school in NZ just to get in. Once experienced with NZ curriculum could transfer to another. As you say do not have to live in area as I don't here.
Ta L

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Yep she's at a primary school. Actually the school is really lovely - they recently had to remove their roses they had growing around the staff room but up until then the grounds had pretty flowers all around it. Actually the removed them because the maintenance was pretty high apparently.

I can only speak about the schools that I know of through her, but they appear to be very well run little schools. Ok they can also have principals running feifdoms, but that can happen anywhere.

They can and do hire teachers with no teaching experience in New Zealand - but they need to be good teachers who have faced similar experiences. For instance, children from homes where English is a second - or third - language; a high number of refugees - Burma in Porirua; high rates of children going to a large number of schools (rented property vs ownership).

They also need to be the right kind of teacher for the job. These kids do not appreciate yelling teachers. Nor teachers that let them walk all over them. And to be honest, not prissy teachers.

Go to Redwood in Tawa if you want nice kids who keep quiet when ya play piano. Go to Porirua if you want them to get up and dance.

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

Thanks for that advice. The area I come from has a lot of children with English as a second language. Not always easy to manage but with help translating it can be fine. Like you said the best way is to not yell at them and try to understand them and where they come from. Mind you do have to shout sometimes. Hope today is a better day.

Re: teaching in the south island.
 

I just stumbled across this advertising farming jobs. May be something of interest for you.

http://www.ruralnews.co.nz/apps/jobs/