Calling all Headteachers! Begin interviewing now & advance your school’s teacher recruitment.

Calling all Headteachers! Begin interviewing now & advance your school’s teacher recruitment.

Now is the best time to begin interviewing teachers for the next academic year. The strongest candidates are available early, so don’t leave hiring to the last minute. Teachers are now beginning their job searches earlier and earlier. This is often due to resignation dates and wanting to allow as much time as possible to organise the move. 

Hiring teachers shouldn’t be a last-minute job. Rushing it does reduce the quality. 

The teachers presented by Point to Point Education have already made the decision to relocate and have researched your school, location, values and ethos and they WANT to work for you.

When a teacher decides to move to the other side of the world, they are wanting job security and to become part of your school community. 

The teachers presented by Point to Point are committed to their work and the decision to relocate is not last minute. They are paying up to £2000 just to relocate, this includes flights, visas, bonds on flats. This process has been planned over months, even years sometimes. So, if your school has a good induction program and you are committed to being patient while your teacher learns the ‘UK way’, you will achieve the long retention you are after. Just because a teacher is local to you, it doesn’t mean they will stick around for the long term.

Below are some tips of things to be mindful of which will really help teachers to make the move across and fill your vacancies:

• Recruit early so teachers can book flights as soon as possible – the more time that passes the more expensive flights cost.
• Many teachers will only book their visa appointment once they have a job offer – this is so they don’t lose time on a visa if a job doesn’t come through. They also want job security. It is important to give teachers plenty of time to get their paperwork and police checks sorted, so they can submit their applications.
• Finding accommodation is something the teachers probably find most stressful in the whole relocation exercise. They have no idea what to expect. They need some information on availability, costs, utilities and proximity to the school. We suggest an Airbnb or hostel is a good way to get started and not to sign any type of lease until they have seen the property in person and met the flatmates. Any support you can give to teachers around this gives them confidence in the process and a feeling they will be well looked after on arrival. 
• Before the teachers even get on the plane they have had to organise a multitude of things such as ending leases, finishing phone contracts, paying off loans, giving notice to their employers, saying goodbye to family and friends, and in many cases buying luggage and thick winter coats! It’s a lot of things to sort out, and it is important that teachers arriving feeling organised and like they haven’t forgotten anything. They need some time to adjust, it’s not only a new school they are being faced with, but they are also dealing with a change of climate, different systems, different cultures, different people. It’s a significant life event so the more time they have between a job offer and relocation the better.
• Once you have made an offer, it’s helpful to put the teacher in touch with other staff from the school. Connect your new teacher with someone like-minded. Where possible, put them in contact with another teacher who has also moved from abroad, as they will understand and can be supportive during the process. It also gives the teacher a familiar face on arrival.

These tips might sound like a lot of extra work but it’s really just a few quick things to consider and put into action that will make all the difference in the long run. 

An overseas teacher will bring new energy to your school. They have so much to offer and if they have made the decision to leave home and take up this experience, it means they have a level of resilience, confidence, and adventure. Having teachers with these traits can not only inspire your students, but also your current staff.