Songs of Travel

On 14 May 2018, the Council Of British International Schools presented the initial findings and interim report of a large-scale research project looking at Teacher Supply in British International Schools. The research provided data about why teachers go overseas, how long they stay, why they return, and the quality of their experience. In its introduction the report highlighted “a severe challenge to recruit and retain enough teachers at home and overseas”.

Then in June 2018, Schools Week reported that “international schools would have to snap up over half of all the UK trainee teachers over the next ten years to meet their targets.”

But what attracts teachers to leave the UK and live and work overseas? My work as part of the delivery team for Musical Futures International means that I get to meet and socialise with teachers working in many different parts of the world. From China to Munich, Bangkok to Dubai, each have their own story to tell about what brought them out from the UK and where their international teaching careers have taken them both professionally and personally.

Here, three teachers from the UK and one from Australia offer advice to anyone considering embarking on an adventure to teach in an international school!

Clare Sutlieff-Lambert is Head of Music at Nexus International School, Singapore.

Once I graduated, I really wanted to travel and see more of the world. Not having completed a gap year like many of my peers at university, working and travel seemed the perfect combination. It wasn’t until I started turning to the back pages of the TES in the staffroom that I realised how big the international teaching market is!

Sarah Curror is Music Specialist at ELC International Schools, Bangkok.

As a teenager I saw a poster of a tropical island – a typical view of a beach with clear blue water and a palm tree, and I knew that I wanted to live somewhere warm and tropical! I studied music at university and was then planning to do a PGCE but by chance I was offered the chance to move to Bermuda and teach Suzuki method piano and cello at the Bermuda School of Music. A tropical island for my first job - it was too good an opportunity to turn down!!

Hannah Casey is a Primary and Secondary Music Teacher at The British School in Tokyo.

After training as a secondary music teacher in Ireland I made the move to London in 2013 and spent three years teaching in a couple of very different secondary schools. After this time, I actually took a post as music coordinator in a primary school in Birmingham, which had had a complicated history with music. The new Head teacher wanted to revive music and I was tasked with this. After a couple of months, I happened to see a posting for a primary music teacher at The British School in Tokyo. I had always wanted to visit Japan and thought it would be a great opportunity to see more of the world and live in a country I had long been interested in. I moved to Japan in August 2017 intending to only stay for two years but I have now extended that to three and maybe more beyond!

Nicki Taylor is Head of Elementary School Music, St Joseph’s Institution International School, Malaysia

I left Australia at the very beginning of 2006 (the beginning of the Australian academic year) after working intensely as the founding Director of Music at a new school on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland for the past three years. It was a wonderful school, but I was feeling burnt out and ready for an adventure. My boyfriend at the time (now my husband!) was keen to go back overseas as he was recently returned from doing an internship in Turfgrass management at various exotic locations (think Barbados!).

What is the appeal of working internationally?

Clare: International schools put a strong focus on the arts and they are usually well supported and resourced, and the students want to learn! I have been so lucky to work in schools where budgets are plentiful and that they want to ensure the learning opportunities are broad. Having space and breakout areas such as studios, recital rooms, and outdoor areas is amazing!

Sarah: Financially life in South East Asia is cheaper than life in the UK so I can enjoy my holidays and my free time far more. I am also helping my son to become a 'global citizen' - growing up in another country, with 52 nationalities in his school and 13 nationalities in his class he truly understands how to respect the differences between different people, cultures and countries, but also understands that we are all part of the same world and are all the same.

Hannah: Working internationally generally allows for more freedom in your curriculum development as there is more budget to grow the aspects of the curriculum that are needed at your school. Teachers are given more ownership over what they want to do here without the constant loom of Ofsted. Even observations are much more relaxed and the experience is so much more positive.

Nicki: From a teaching perspective, class sizes are much smaller than I was used to, the children are generally very well behaved and their families are really invested in their success at school. A lot of our children are expats too, so their families become our families as we all face the same struggles of being foreigners!

What are the challenges of working internationally?

Clare: Being away from family, always working to short-term contracts, and the transient atmosphere we live in with constant changeover of friends and colleagues.

Sarah: Being far away from family and friends when events happen unexpectedly or during term time. You miss weddings and birthday parties unless they are in the holidays. Culture shock, Bangkok is ugly, dirty and HOT! Teaching is actually the easiest bit of the move, a school is a school the world over. But just getting to grips with life in a new country can be tricky to start with.

Hannah: Professionally, the expectation at an international school is extremely high. I found it tough to adapt and live up to the high expectations for performances and extra-curricular activities. I have always worked very hard but I knew that coming to work out here would be very different to what I was used to. Because I knew my workload would increase I felt slightly more prepared but it was still a huge leap.

Nicki: We have had to be flexible in day to day life - things don’t often move as fast as we might like them to. Organising contractors to repair things at home, paying bills that arrive that we can’t read (as they’re in a local language!), getting visas sorted, going to government departments to organise driving licenses, teaching licenses, post, etc. Often this takes a whole day! Banking is often a huge challenge! Grocery shopping takes most of the day as everything isn’t in one place! All of these things have become our ‘normal’, but are very challenging for new arrivals.

What would your advice be to anyone thinking about looking to work overseas?

Clare: Research schools carefully. There are a lot of dodgy ones! Check and compare packages as there can be a huge difference in what is offered.

Sarah: Do it! Do your research once you've been offered a position - ask to be put in touch with staff at the school in a similar situation (ie. married/single/family etc) so you can find out from them the realities of life. There are so many schools, and so many countries to choose from - there's a place for everyone!

Hannah: Do it! Find the right role and package for you in a country you could see yourself living happily in and go for it. Do your research. Don’t jump at the first offer you get. Make sure it’s right for you.

Nicki: It’s the most re-invigorating experience, but be careful, you might never go home........ _________________________________________________________________

Anna Gower was a secondary music teacher and head of music for 18 years. She now worksas a freelance consultant for Trinity College London, Musical Futures International and with various MEH and organisations in the UK and overseas. She is currently part of the Musical Futures International team, offering CPD for music teachers hosted by international schools across the world. @mufuinternat @tallgirlwgc