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Why register with Aquinas?

Aquinas Education have hundreds of vacancies for teaching jobs across the UK, and we pride ourselves on being able to match your ideal role with a school that can recognise your talents and ambition. We can help you with all aspects of your relocation from Australia or New Zealand to the United Kingdom.

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What do we provide?

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    Organise virtual interviews with schools.

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    Relocation Flights.

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    Assistance with accommodation.

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    Continued Professional Development.

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    Personalised journey.

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    Provide a dedicated consultant to support you.

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    International socials each term to meet new people.

Register with Aquinas Education Email the team

The UK School system

There are two sectors of education – state and independent within that there are three types of schools.

Maintained State Schools

The school is maintained by local authorities. These include community schools, voluntary aided and controlled schools.

Academies and Free Schools

An academy is an independent school, and a ‘free’ school is just a type of academy.

Independent Schools

Privately run schools that do not follow the national curriculum. They focus on the personal development of individual students.

Academic Year

The academic year in the UK runs from September to July and is divided into three terms with 6 holiday breaks.

Class sizes

Class sizes are usually capped at 30. Almost every class in the UK will have a teaching assistant who is able to support the teacher.

Terminology

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    Early Years Foundation Stage – includes nursery and reception (kindergarten)

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    Key Stage 2 – Year 3 to year 6

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    Key Stage 4 – Year 10 to year 11

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    Deputy Head Teacher – assistant principal

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    PPA Teacher – release teacher (for class teachers to plan)

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    Key Stage 1 – year 1 to year 2

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    Key Stage 3 – Year 7 to year 9

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    Head Teacher – principal

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    Supply Teacher – Casual Relief Teacher

Visa Information

As an Australian or New Zealand resident you have a few options regarding visas and work permits. You can apply for the Tier 5 – Youth Mobility Scheme, Ancestry Visa, or a Skilled Worker Visa.

The Youth Mobility Scheme (Tier 5) is a visa agreement between eight countries. It provides a 24-month working visa for applicants between these countries. It is the most common way for teachers to enter the UK.

There are three main criteria to be granted this visa

  • You must be aged between 18 and 30 years old at the time of application.
  • You must have a certain type of British Nationality or are from certain countries or territories.
  • You will need to prove you have access to £2530 in savings.

Documents Required

  • A valid passport or other documents that show your identity and nationality.
  • A bank statement showing you have at least £2530 in savings.
  • You will need a blank page in your passport.
  • NB: You may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances.

Fees

  • Application fee £259
  • Healthcare surcharge £470 per year
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The Ancestry Visa is open to Commonwealth citizens with a grandparent born in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man. With a UK Ancestry Visa, you can come to the UK to work or study on a temporary basis. After 5 years you can become eligible for settlement and after a further 12 months you can apply to naturalise as a British citizen.

There are 3 main criteria to meet to be granted this visa

  • You must be 17 or over.
  • Be a commonwealth citizen, British overseas citizen, British Overseas Territories citizen, British national, Citizen of Zimbabwe.
  • Prove one of your grandparents was born in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man.

Documents Required

  • A current passport (with a blank page) or another valid travel document
  • Full birth certificate
  • Full birth certificate of the parent and grandparent your ancestry claim is based on
  • Evidence that you’re planning to work in the UK (job offer)
  • Evidence such as bank statements that prove you can support yourself.

Fees

  • Application fee £531
  • Healthcare surcharge for each year of the visa.
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A skilled worker visa allows you to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with an approved employer. This visa has replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa.

There are 4 main criteria to meet to be granted this visa

  • Work for a UK employer that has been approved by the Home Office.
  • Have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information on the role.
  • Do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations. (teaching is considered a skilled role).
  • Be paid a minimum salary.

Documents Required

  • Certificate of sponsorship reference number
  • Proof of your knowledge of English
  • A valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality
  • Your job title and annual salary
  • Your job’s occupation code
  • The name of your employer and their sponsor licence number

Fees

  • Application fee
  • Healthcare surcharge for each year of your stay
  • Prove you have enough personal funds
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The Process

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Complete the online form

Complete the online form and let us know exactly what you’re looking for and how we can help.

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Follow up Phone Call

One of the consultants from our Australia/NZ Team will follow up with a phone to introduce themselves and discuss how we can help. Give you advice on different positions available and walk you through the visa process.

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Documents/Vetting

We will then start gathering documents from you to start getting you cleared for work. The documents that we need are:

  • - Up to date CV
  • - Proof of ID (ideally a photo of your passport)
  • - Australian or New Zealand Police Check (we help with this)
  • - Proof of qualifications (Degree certificate or transcript)
  • - Two professional references
  • - Proof of address (dated within the last three months)
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Preparation for UK classrooms

We will give you some information on various websites you can look at to help familiarise yourself with the UK education system, National Curriculum, and resources available to UK teachers.

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Arrange Interviews

If you are looking for a full-time role, we will arrange zoom interviews between yourself and the school. We can also give you some interview preparation and go over questions that you may be asked.

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Clearance

We will get a DBS in process for you and have it ready before you arrive. Once you arrive in the UK, we will provide you with a registration pack that includes information on resources to use in the classroom, sim card, oyster card and other useful information. You will be welcomed to the office to meet the team and ask any further questions.

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Qualifications and Career
Progression

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    An Australian or New Zealand teacher will need a Bachelor of
    Teaching, Bachelor of Education or equivalent.

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    You don’t need to have any teaching experience to be able to work
    as a supply teacher or a full-time classroom teacher.

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    If you’re a newly qualified teacher or hold a provisional/conditional
    registration within your state, you can still teach in the UK without
    QTS (qualified teaching status) for up to 4 years.

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    If you do, however, hold full registration you can apply for QTS and
    is a simple process, free of charge that we can walk you through.

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    To apply for QTS - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/qualified-teacher-status-qts#teachers-qualified-in-australia-canada-new-zealand-and-the-usa

Register with Aquinas Education
Email the team

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