From London to Sydney: Sid’s Journey with anzuk!

My Journey- From London to Sydney, New South Wales
How are you going? My name’s Sid, a born and raised Londoner, now happily living in Sunny Sydney, out here in Aus! Before joining anzuk in Sydney two years ago, I worked within the Education sector in London both as a History Teacher and a Special Education Needs Teaching Assistant.

My transition from the classroom now sees me assisting Aussie Teachers with their journey to the UK, for the experience of a lifetime!! As a keen traveller myself, I love my job. As a daily occurrence, I get to hear about and assist with the incredible plans of handfuls of Educators about to embark on an incredible adventure J.

What was your experience working as a Teacher and Teaching Assistant in the UK?

Simply put, it was one of the most influential experiences of my life. Working within a Secondary School setting across two schools in Inner London taught me empathy, the ability to multi-task, and how to learn from mistakes. Most importantly it truly highlighted to me how pivotal Teachers and Teaching Assistants are to the well-being and development of our young people.

I still remember watching my Schools Direct Mentor teach in my first term of Teacher Training at a school in Hackney and how engaged the students were in what they were learning. A great teacher has such an impact. Funnily enough, that same school also used anzuk for their Casual Relief Teachers and it always struck me from chatting to a few of them, how much they were enjoying their Teaching Experience in London (as well as noting about 94% of them had Aussie accents..) and I’d regularly see them a few times over an academic term.

Teaching in the UK was also my first exposure to the modern-day phenomena of Microsoft Teams, due to part of my Teaching Experience occurring during the COVID Pandemic. No Teams meeting in my working life going forward will be more nerve wracking than trying to engage 27 Year 9 students online about the ‘significance of the Wall Street Crash to the German Economic Policy’ on a Friday Afternoon haha…

When did you move to Sydney and why?

I moved to Sydney full-time in February 2021 with my Partner, after being lucky enough to gain Permanent Residency. It was always our long-term plan to set ourselves up in Australia, due primarily to the outdoors lifestyle and family connections. After spending the first 27 years of my life in London, I’ve enjoyed every minute of living in New South Wales. The incredible beaches, stunning bush walks and the rooftop bars with views of the Sydney Opera House, what’s not to love??!

As a Teacher from the UK headed to Australia, whether your plan is to work casually or to find a longer-term position, anzuk will have you covered. With one of the best Education systems in the world, as well as one of the better standards of wages for Teachers, you will grow both personally and professionally if you choose to make the journey over here!

Why did you choose to leave the classroom?

After spending four fantastic years in the classroom in the UK, it felt the right time to transition into something different when making the move out to Aus. Having heard great things about anzuk education, both through Educators and Consultants I know who have worked through them in Australia and the UK, it felt like the ideal transition for me. Two years later I certainly haven’t felt disappointed with that decision!

Working within anzuk has allowed me to remain within the Education sector, which I am incredibly passionate about. It has allowed me to assist Educators with finding a school setting that they can thrive in, and where they can continue to provide exceptional educational experiences.

I also get to work with a number of Trainee Teachers throughout the year, due to anzuk education’s ongoing partnerships with several Australian Universities. Getting to run professional development workshops and chat with the Educators of tomorrow gives me such a buzz. It allows me to still feel so connected to this wonderful profession and I am thankful that anzuk has given me that opportunity!

Sid’s do’s and don’ts for New South Wales working and living.

Do – Try as many new educational settings as possible

Whilst not a completely dissimilar education system to the UK, New South Wales and in particular Sydney has a plethora of different types of schools for you to make a tangible impact in. Whether it’s Government (public) schools, non-government (private) schools, alternative schools such as Montessori, or Faith-based schools such as Catholic or Islamic, anzuk education will be able to assist you in finding work in each of these settings upon your arrival.

Don’t – rule out a longer-term position

A lot of arriving Educators to Sydney feel that to truly get the most out of their travels Casual Relief Teaching (CRT) is the best course of action in terms of working options. Now, whilst CRT does offer that degree of flexibility around planning your diary of activities, some of the greatest feedback I have heard whilst working in our Sydney office, has come from those Educators who have undertaken longer-term positions and just fallen in love with the school and their NSW Teaching experience as a whole.

Do- Get out amongst nature

With over 100 Beaches in Sydney alone, 200 registered National Parks in Sydney and New South Wales and a climate that remains pleasant all year round, fill any spare time you have checking out the spectacular natural landscapes this place has to offer! P.s. Remember your sunscreen.

Don’t- turn down new experiences

Whether it’s an anzuk Educator event, where you get to meet likeminded travelling educators or the chance to take surfing lessons at the Manly Surf School, your trip down under will be all the more enriched by the experiences you gather. Saying yes to what Sydney and New South Wales has to offer will mean you’ll head home at the end of your trip with a Plethora of amazing memories.

Sid’s do’s and don’ts for UK working and living.

Do – Try as many new educational settings as possible

Déjà vu? Feel like you’ve read this before? Well, the principle is similar. If you are arriving from Australia into London, Cardiff, Bristol or any other UK destination, you will be sure to find opportunities within Education that offer incredible professional development, whilst giving enough similarities that will ensure you don’t feel overwhelmed. Long-term or CRT? Mainstream School or Special Educational Unit? Whatever you choose, you will 100% gain opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Don’t – rule out a longer-term position

Déjà vu? Feel like you’ve also read this before? Well, I can speak from personal experience that my longer-term teaching/support staff experiences within the UK shaped me as an Educator, as well as a person. If given the opportunity and you find a School/Unit/Centre that you feel a connection with, try a longer-term position with them… You won’t regret it.

Do- Travel as much as possible during your weekends and holidays

’24 countries within 3 hours of the UK’. That is the statement that draws so many Aussies and Kiwis to London, Surrey, Cardiff and Bristol each year through anzuk education. Whether it’s seeing the Northern Lights in Reykjavik, Iceland, Skiing in the Alps of Northern Italy or sunning yourself on one of the many gorgeous beaches of Southern Spain, all 3 of these locations are accessible within that 3-hour window.. Exciting times!!

Don’t- Miss out on the extensive Cultural/Musical/Historical opportunities

The United Kingdom is a melting pot of sites to see, cultures to enjoy and music experiences to savour!! Below are 10 sites/experiences as a snapshot of the 4 areas that anzuk education are based in the UK:

• Notting Hill Carnival, London
• Camden Market, London
• Tower of London, London
• Newport Castle, Newport
• Caerleon Ampitheatre, Newport
• Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol
• St. Nicholas Market, Bristol
• Principality Stadium, Cardiff
• Castell Coch, Cardiff
• Glastonbury Festival, Somerset

Make the most of every weekend and look to vary it up as much as possible.

That musical artist you have always wanted to see? They will be playing at the Roundhouse or Brixton Academy over the next couple of months!

That Historical landmark you were always keen to check out? There will be a 2 for 1 coupon on a Kelloggs Cereal Box!

That UK City that was high on the Bucket list? Megabus are running a 50% off deal for the weekend!

Lastly, and most importantly ensure you have a smile on your face throughout it all. Your experience will truly be one to remember 🙂