keenybeany76

Hi - I'm new so apologies if this is ground that has been covered .... I've had a good look but can't see anything that answers my queries.
I'm an Assistant Head in a state secondary in the UK seeking promotion to Deputy, and I am attracted to working in the Middle East (Dubai) for the following reasons:
Nicer students (!)
Nicer climate and community feel (parental support?)
Tax free salary (is it equivalent to UK?)
Current economic / political issues in UK mean few opportunities opening up here.
Accommodation, annual flights back to UK and health insurance.

Questions - my husband is self employed in the UK - would he be able to work / get a visa - would he even be able to come with me?!!
As a woman in her thirties (no children) is it realistic to look for a leadership position in a secondary school (might be completely out of line - but Islamic attitidues to women - could it be tricky?)
Also - what happens to my Teachers Pension if I get a fixed term contract overseas? Can I continue to make my own contributions? Does this time count as years continuous service??

Basically - it all sounds great but I've never been to Dubai and need some facts before I look more in depth.
Thanks in advance!

hilasbat

Can't help with regards to Dubai personally, but with regards to this:
a) no you can't make TP contributions unless employed by an LA school in the UK (so if you were doing agency supply in the UK you can't either)
b) No, it won't count as continuous service.

You can continue to make NI contributions to the UK for your state pension etc though.

keenybeany76

Thanks for that. I had suspected that to be the case. Do you know if your Teachers Pensions stays 'live' and can be resurrected if I were to return to a state sector job in the UK subsequently - or is does it get frozen?
All very confusing given the current proposed changes to pensions anyway! No idea how a few years out of the UK might effect my career average salary for the new proposals ....

keenybeany76

I suppose there is the possibility that I might enjoy it so much that I may never come back

hilasbat

Yes it stays live, you just pick it up from where you left, but obviously there will be implications to your final pension - as you say given the changes I'm not sure what exactly those will be due to us not knowing what they will be at the moment, although you can roughly work it out by taking away the years you forsee being away and putting that into the current pension reckoner and then take away 50% (yes that is me being churlish :P ).

If you don't want to return you can transfer your pension out of TP into an overseas pension, but don't know about that in Dubai at all, only Oz personally.