Chasing that job in the sun

If the recent arctic conditions have started you thinking about teaching abroad in the sun, then you’re not alone: ice or no ice, our recent survey found that more than a third of the UK's teachers are actively looking for work overseas.

If a job in another country is your new year’s resolution, now’s the time to start looking. And the best place to start? With Eteach of course!

Your teaching qualification can become your passport to a world of travel opportunities, and working overseas is an invitation to experience first-hand the sights, sounds, people and cultures of another country.

The recent Eteach poll, which questioned almost 800 UK teachers, suggested that more than a third (34.6%) are actively looking for work overseas, while a similar proportion (31.8%) said they are "open" to the idea.

If you’re one of the many teachers thinking about taking the plunge, then a really useful place to start is the International Zone at eteach.com.

As you would expect, the site lists quality international teaching jobs at reputable schools around the world. Not only can you browse opportunities, but you can sign up to receive email alerts whenever a new post comes up that fits the criteria you set.

And because picking up sticks to work in another country can seem rather daunting, we’ve packed the International Zone with really helpful tips and practical advice about how to make the big move.

You’ll find quality information about the opportunities that exist, the rewards and benefits on offer, the skills and qualifications you’ll need, how to choose where to go, information on work permits and visas, FAQs and much much more.

So to start your international teaching journey, head on over to the Eteach International Zone. And don’t forget register with eteach.com if you haven’t done so already, to take full advantage of our suite of digital job-hunting tools.

What would prompt you to work overseas? Why not leave a comment and let us know!

Coming soon: Eteach International seminars in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Cardiff. We’ll keep you posted…

NASBM Awards Night

And the winner was…

Last week we attended the National Association of School Business Management (NASBM) Awards for School Support Staff in Northamptonshire, as sponsor of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

We joined 300 guests for a tremendous evening, with fine food and fantastic company. Most importantly, all nominated staff received a distinction, and it was really marvellous to see everyone’s hard work being recognised and rewarded.

Eteach was proud to sponsor and be a part of this worthwhile event, and while everyone was a winner, we particularly congratulate Wendy, the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award. We’d also like to applaud the NASBM, which shines light on often-undervalued support staff - a critical part of the workforce that ensures schools run smoothly.

Eteach plans to continue to work with the NASBM to raise the profile of support staff in schools, and to help them gain further recognition at awards in the future. .

Did you attend the awards or know someone who was involved? Let us know what you thought about the night, and more importantly, the winners!

Stop wasting your schools’ money!

How to save £80m a year

Large schools, and particularly academies, are burning their budgets due to a lack of training, understanding and control - particularly in the area of staff recruitment advertising.

Schools should boycott expensive newspapers like TES, The Guardian and even the local press, and to use more competitive online alternatives.

For example Eteach.com offers a fixed-price unlimited advertising service that will save money especially for larger schools who advertise regularly enough money to employ more teachers, or avoid impending cut backs.

UK schools spend around £68m a year on National Press with the bill for recruitment advertising in the local press coming in at around £20m. Then there are the additional costs of paper-based admin and postage bringing total expenditure to at least £90m a year. (DCSF said it was £120m in 2008).

Just take a look at the figures!

The following comparison takes 100 job postings across 10 schools as an example:

* Eteach Premium: unlimited adverts = 20,000 fixed cost
* Schools Recruitment Service (SRS): Local press @ £500 +250 SRS = 52,500 + TES
* TES Gold: = min 90,000 + newspaper ads

The above is based on Eteach's unlimited ad package, priced at £2,000 per school.

The Schools Recruitment Service (SRS) would cost £250 per school - plus the cost of media. This flawed DCSF-backed system is incapable of bringing the savings schools need.

The TES Gold service is based upon £900 per advert, with newspaper advertising costs still to be added - typically £1600 per combined advert.

The worrying thing is, by using SRS or just TES/Guardian or Local papers schools have no control over their expenditure.

Eteach is a proven medium, with excellent traffic and responses delivered at a fixed price.

The total cost if all secondary schools in England and Wales used Eteach (e.g.5,000 schools x £2,000) would be just £10m – and primary schools could receive a FREE service.

Now that’s a saving at least £80m per annum immediately!

This is an equation I have discussed many times with various MPs, and yet none has had the power or inclination to drive home the obvious savings that we now need.

It’s time to act...

JPH

Summer wishes and updates Blog

We would like to wish you all a fantastic summer holiday, full of fun and adventure!

Meanwhile we have lots planned here at Eteach. Our new improved website will be completed and launched in September where you will find:

· Better navigation and search functionality
· More information on schools, such as, images, videos and podcasts
· Fresh new advice tips from, finding a job to first days FAQs
· UK, International, Independent and Temporary Zones, all to cater for your individual needs
· A new personal profile, where you can create your own CV online
· Track all your jobs and join Talent Pools
· And much much more….

So keep your eye out in September for the new Eteach website, with a fresher, sleeker look, and more importantly a better revised website to help you find your next job the smarter way!

Going the extra mile

When you are applying for a vacancy how much of your CV covers all the additional things that you do? Do you give sufficient space in your CV or letter of application to mention all the clubs you run or help with? Do you list the musical instruments you play and the orchestras/ bands you play in or teach? In sport have you listed your own achievements as well as the teams you coach? Are you involved with community groups?

I have recently had the pleasure to visit two wonderful schools, Box Hill near Dorking and Licensed Victuallers near Ascot. At both I was overwhelmed by the extra mile that their staff went to both for their pupils and the school in general. At Licensed Victuallers it was lunchtime and as I toured the school there were staff and pupils participating in charity fund raising activities, tutorials, clubs and drama and music practises. Not just in certain departments, but right across the board. At Box Hill there were displays of a Fashion show that had been organised for an evening, which obviously had huge staff input. At both schools what also came across was the fun everyone was having too.

It’s these things that will make you stand out from the crowd. Take time to highlight them and remember ‘the more you put in the more you get out!’ Take time to get involved or support these extra curricular activities. Not only does it help the students, but will develop you and enhance your CV ready for your next move.

Tell me what activities you do that make you different! Don’t forget to contact us or update your details if you are looking for roles in Independent or International Schools for September ghm@eteach.com

Eteach at the ISC Conference

Last week I was at the ISC conference in The Brewery in the City of London. I had the wonderful experience of catching up with many of our client schools and meeting their Heads in person and getting their feedback.

One of the things that constantly comes up is how can eteach.com reach more Independent Teachers directly to let them know of our vacancies? Unlike the state sector where we are able to contact teachers directly through the unions and targeting conferences where teachers are, in the Independent sector it is more difficult.

I would like to hear from you with your ideas of how we as a company can reach out to those who work in Independent Schools. Did you know we have an Independent School’s Bulletin that goes out each weekend with the latest school adverts that have been placed. If you would like to sign up for this please email ghm@eteach.com and will sign you up for it. Similarly we have vacancies for Independent Schools abroad. If you or a colleague would like to teach in these schools abroad let us know and we will let our client schools know.

International Schools - Community Cohesion

As you all know schools enjoy being at the heart of the community linking generations and often driving community cohesion activities... International Schools also share this core value... today I met Mr Nick Kendell, Head of Primary at the New Cairo British International School http://www.ncbis.org/index.htm (NCBIS) Egypt, Mr Kendell shared with me an amazing story of how NCBIS teachers, parents and pupils engaged with the local community to celebrate cultural diversity and the school's 30th anniversary.

Over 1,200 members of the school community formed a Circle of Peace at the Giza Pyramids making for an extraordinary day marking a special occasion for the school the local area and the region as a whole...

The event was covered by CNN, check it out on You Tube... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbmYW81v-9k

NCBIS proudly enjoys the reputation of being one of the best international schools in Egypt...

Would you like to work in this region? or in other facsinating countries across the world? contact international@eteach.com

How does your school engage with the community? share your examples with the Eteach community...

Are we investing enough in Education?

Are we investing enough in Education?

ECIS Conference, Cascais, Portugal

Over 500 senior school leaders from across the world attended the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) Conference in Cascais, Portugal. The conference held over April 16 - 19 focused on 'Leading for Educational Excellence through the Economic Crisis'

Throughout the conference, Eteach International contributed to this vibrant discussion and extended it's network with Directors, Headteachers and Business Managers representing International Schools from every continent.

With the world undergoing tremendous changes in finances and leadership, with birth rates falling and life expectancy increasing on a global scale the planning and development of future International Education are clearly hot topics...

What do you think? How do schools and professionals prepare students for...

• higher old age dependency rations and long life societies
• developing life course arrangements of working and learning
• an increased diversity of populations
• modern and future labour markets

As you know Eteach International leads recruitment innovation and we believe in the delivery of cost effective ways to connect schools, teachers, leaders and support staff. This is even more important during this current economic period...

The provision of quality education provision is essential for long term economic recovery and the stimulus of industry and political leaders of the future... what do you think?

Is Education in the UK and overseas investing enough in the education of children and young people? Add a comment in the post below.

It’s just got better for job seekers in education...

It’s just got better for job seekers in education... There was a time when teachers had to wait for the weekly education supplement to land on the staffroom coffee table, then we spent Fridays fighting for a copy and browsing jobs "just to see what’s about".

Those days have long gone, today teachers and support staff browse the internet 24/7, with unlimited access to a wider range of vacancies than ever before across a growing number of websites on a global scale. As a teacher and job hunter and more recently a recruiter I am constantly amazed at how the internet has enhanced the ability for people to manage their careers.

I hear about schools interviewing via YouTube, teachers promoting themselves on social networking sites, talking CVs, e-bulletins containing specific vacancies tailored to the reader, in one generation the whole process has changed for teachers and recruiters of teachers. Today there is no reason why a British school shouldn't’t recruit a teacher directly from China as easily and cheaply as recruiting a British teacher and just as easily a Brit teacher can go online and find a job teaching anywhere in the world e.g. Singapore Key Stage One Teachers.

Eteach were the first jobsite for teaching jobs in the UK and we are about to launch our next generation website, which will provide teachers and support staff an even better job seeker experience with brand new features, even if you’ve already found a job its worth a look, you'll find enhanced information hubs so you can keep in touch through the blogs, Facebook and Twitter.

What’s more we think we offer the widest range of jobs and consistently carry more overseas jobs than any other UK website or newspaper. Oh yes, it is always FREE to teachers and it definitely is worth a look http://www.eteach.com/

More next week on how we are helping you to find your perfect role

Do psychometric tests help select your staff in schools?

Recently you may have read in our weekly newsletter or seen on our website that we've teamed up with Alpha Plus to support them in their recruitment. Their motto is ‘the gold standard in education’ and they strive for the very best standards across all their schools.


Recently, whilst at one of their meetings , the discussion turned to how to recruit a good Deputy Head and whether Psychometric tests should be used in education the same way they are in business? Are psychometric tests relevant for managerial roles within schools or can Heads and Governors spot a good candidate anyway? Is the best Deputy for a school one who is similar to the Heads in their aspirations and personality or should they be different so that the school have different management styles to offer their staff?


From my experience a good Deputy has to be one that can act as the ‘jam in the sandwich’. This is one of the hardest roles in a school. You have to straddle both the Senior Management Team and the rest of the staff with ease. Your role is to make the staff understand why they have to undertake the things they are asked to do and keep them gelled together. Even when you disagree with what the senior management team decide you must not let your personal opinions get in the way and you have to deliver. For this reason alone I think a Deputy and a Head have to think in the same way and have the same goals for a school. Otherwise it is a ‘marriage that will end in divorce!’


Tell me what you think makes a good Deputy? What are the highs of the post? Should schools use Psychometric tests to help select staff?

Don’t be the last to get organised...

Hi I'm Graham and I work for Eteach Agency. We work with schools and manage the permanent, long-term contract and daily supply staffing needs. This is my first blog for the Eteach site and I was wondering what suitable topic to discuss.... so whilst we are on the subject of first times, I thought it would be best to kick off with about first time jobs for prospective teachers and what we're up to.

One area where we are currently seeing are large amounts of activity is with final year students and PGCE students starting to send us their CVs. Schools and local authorities are looking to build their talent pools in preparation for the next academic year. We are organising an open day focused on NQT’s during the Easter holidays...dedicated to all course leavers from this year and last year.

We also work with 1000’s of schools throughout the UK and Internationally and manage the supply pools on behalf of a number of local authorities. All of whom are looking to attract the best talent of 2008 and 2009 including those looking for their first role in teaching.

There maybe hundreds of student teachers throughout the UK looking to embark into their first teaching role. Previously there has been fierce competition amongst those looking and this year promises to be no exception. Hundreds of students are completing dissertations, undertaking their last few lectures and preparing for their last round of placements in schools. So....

Don’t be the last to get organised. Act now and spend time looking at getting your CV and references in order.

To put yourself in with a good chance, for this forthcoming September, get in touch now and get involved with our Easter Open day. We will give you free advice on how to apply for roles, how to write your CV and overall provide a helping hand for you to find that crucial first teaching role. We can link you up with roles throughout the UK and Internationally.

It would be interesting to hear how you will be using Eteach in finding your first role, either in person at the open day or by sending me your comments.

Take care, work hard and get in touch!

Graham

Who doesn’t recruit online?

Recently, Employment Review revealed that making better use of online recruitment is the best way to save money when attracting new recruits.

“The findings show that altering one or two aspects of online recruitment often yielded the most effective outcomes for candidate attraction. These included making greater and better use of corporate websites, general job boards and specialist job boards (56%), improving their use of intranets to advertise jobs on them more effectively (60%), and encouraging readers of printed job ads to go onto a nominated website to find out more information about the job and the employer (47%).”

The benefits of e-recruitment may seem too good to be true. But research shows that teachers from all sectors and at all levels search for jobs online. Employers will have difficulty attracting high quality jobseekers if they do not take steps to engage with people online as well. Unless they have a prominent brand, employers must drive jobseekers to their corporate websites through the use of jobs boards or search engines. Once they have done this, they must present themselves in a way that will attract the jobseeker, and build a relationship with them so that they want to apply for a role. At Eteach we offer a range of job advertising and communication solutions to suit all in the education sector.

Will e-recruitment be the only solution to complete recruitment?

Dan @ Eteach

Did you spot Eteach at the Everton v Liverpool FA 4th Round fixture?

Did any of you watch the Everton vs. Liverpool FA 4th Round Fixture. Click on the short video below.

Eteach International attend the COBIS Conference

Last week eTI attended the COBIS conference, which was hosted by the Prague British School, Czech Republic.

The conference was attended by delegates from COBIS schools across Europe and as far a field as Mumbai, India. Dr Fiona Rogers, the COBIS General Secretary welcomed delegates in the key note address by highlighting the changing world of global Education and the many positive features why teaching in International Schools is so rewarding.

The conference was an opportunity for COBIS schools to network, share good practice and work with internationally renowned experts to respond to needs of pupils in an ever changing world… A big thank you to John Bagust, the Head of Primary Schools at the Prague British School and all his team who coordinated a fantastic conference including a delegate dinner at the beautiful Obecni Dum (one of the many historic tourist attractions Prague has to offer…) John’s school is currently looking for a Yr 3 teacher for after Easter…do you know any suitable candidates? for these and other exciting opportunities go to the Eteach International Zone….

Educational professionals sharing good practice

Last week Eteach International received a very warm welcome at the 27th British Schools of the Middle East (BSME) Conference which was held in the beautiful Aphrodite Hills on the wonderful Island of Cyprus. The conference was opened by Dr Zena Poulli, Director of Secondary Education, Ministry of Education and Culture and over 50 BSME schools attended representing the majority of countries in the Middle Eastern region. It was fascinating to learn about the amazing BSME school resources, professional development opportunities for teachers and support staff and the rich cultural diversity which visitors and residents can enjoy in the region...

The conference was a great opportunity for Educational Professionals to share good practice and to debate current issues. For example the proposed UK government inspections for overseas British Schools and the impact this will have on BSME members and the existing high quality BSME accreditation system. I really enjoyed finding out more about the rapid development of BSME sports and other extracurricular activities... in fact I must find out which school won last weeks coveted BSME Boys and Girls football tournament held in Rashid School for Boys, Dubai. ( I know that Mr Jones from Dhrahran British Grammar School, Saudi was hoping his school would return victorious!)

It was clear throughout the conference that BSME is a very strong and committed organisation which promotes positive outcomes for children and young people and also the development of all staff working in member schools... a commitment which Eteach International also shares...

Finally, as you know Eteach International connects teachers and educational professionals with schools across the world...what are your experiences teaching in the Middle East? We'd love to hear your views.... Colin

Eteach changes the culture .......

There is a culture of job browsing in teaching. Teachers are passive job seekers most of the time, merely browsing to see what’s out there.

Whether you’re happy in your job or you’re looking to move on, it’s important to keep your options open and to progress.

When we launched Eteach we changed the whole behaviour of teacher job seekers ....Until then everyone waited until Friday to see what jobs were available the whole sector was held to ransom by newspaper deadlines and extortionate advertising rates. Now we all benefit from jobs on demand at any time of day making job seeking and advertising more accessible.These days its made ever more easy because by setting up your searches and job alerts you dont even have to go to a website or buy a newspaper the jobs come to your inbox via email. Most good recruitment websites provide jobs and career advice tools to support your development at any stage of your career. Most importantly like Eteach, they’ve probably established strong partnerships with a number of schools and authorities who load their jobs when they like and the site updates them immediately.

Some simple things you might want to do are visit Eteach register FREE online and upload your most recent CV, subscribe to personalised job alerts, newsletters and newsfeeds, career advice- keep yourself in the loop, you never know what’s out there.

You could say we 've changed the landscape forever and we will continue to do so when it benefits teachers and schools...............................

Recruiting staff for schools through Eteach

Hello, I’m David McGahey and I’m the Managing Director of Eteach.

I’m responsible for the future development of our company and its services, for relationships with our many friends and partners in the Education world, and for the bids we make from time to time for recruitment contracts with local and national government.

I have long believed that if only the process of recruiting staff to schools could be improved to secure the best possible match of candidates to vacancies, then that would have an enormously beneficial impact on the quality of teaching and learning.

I have come increasingly to the conclusion that recruiting online is the way to achieve this. Education is behind the curve in this regard – in other sectors, including within the public sector, recruitment takes place almost exclusively via the web. The facility and efficiency of so doing is obvious. Less so, but more powerful, is the ability of online recruitment to secure the best match of job seeker and job vacancy – through sophisticated techniques of profiling and screening, and through the interconnection of social and professional networks. All of this is very exciting and seems set to keep us at Eteach very busy now and into the future.

So, what am I looking to get out of this blog. I will from time to time post my views and thoughts about the latest developments in Education recruitment. Next week, for instance, I will write about the DCSF’s proposed national Shared Recruitment Service for Schools. Moreso, however, I look forward to reading your thoughts and suggestions about how together we might improve recruitment to schools and colleges for the ultimate benefit of learners.

NQT’s- looking for your first teaching post? Find your first job with Eteach.com

NQT’s- looking for your first teaching post? Find your first job with Eteach.com. It can be daunting as well as being an exciting time when searching for your first teaching post. When you become an NQT and you’ve completed your studies, the world is your oyster.... Many of you will go into teaching straightaway, some of you may further your experience by travelling overseas. At some stage you’ll be job hunting. Here is some advice from a fellow teacher job hunter. If you have any more tips you’d like to share with your fellow colleagues let us know! The research....

• Do your homework! Explore teaching opportunities online. Register online with eteach and use our education job search tool to find your ideal job and location and to find out more about the prospective employer online e.g. about the school, inspection report, area information and location

• You’ve worked this hard to become a teacher however it's a competitive market out there... Be flexible when job hunting- don’t narrow your options by sticking to a specific geographical location.... be prepared to commute and potentially move house, choosing the right job could benefit your career in the long term. Be realistic and don’t put all your eggs in one basket- apply for several roles and widen your options.

• Your CV - Your Brand – what are your unique selling points? Your education, experience, skills and any relevant extracurricular activities which will contribute to the school community... ability to play a musical instrument, swimming coaching certificate, foreign language skills etc . Your NQT application...

• Select suitable referees e.g. your college tutor and your head teacher from one of your school placements

• Relate your supporting statement directly to person specification for each individual job, don't send generic supporting statements. Highlight your skills, experience and abilities...but most important sell yourself!

• Check if the school or Local Authority you plan to work with operates an NQT primary/secondary pool application system. Did you know Eteach manages a number of NQT application pools... using online systems, Eteach streamlines the application process for recruiters and candidates. Preparing for your Interview

• Planning and preparation is the key to being offered the teaching job of your dreams. Prepare model answers to likely questions connected to planning and assessment, target setting and communicating with parents. Prepare a few questions of your own to ask at the end of the interview. For example, find out more about school policies including equal opportunities, behaviour policies, gifted and talented, inclusive education and find out how the school delivers the Every Child Matters agenda..

• Find out what continual professional development is on offer... as an NQT you will be entitled to full induction support to enable you to gain QTS. Find out how a prospective school or Local Authority will deliver an NQT Induction programme. Achieving your teaching qualification is just the beginning of your professional development. Like any member of the school workforce, it's important to keep learning to develop your career.....

Most importantly, sign up to http://www.eteach.com/ job alerts. Let the jobs come and find you. You can manage the number your recieve. Simply register with eteach and let eteach job alerts do the work for you. It will save you time, increase your efficency in your search and target your search more specifically.

Good luck

Collin

New Year, new job? Getting a teaching job online the “social networking way”

Hi, I’m Peter and I’m the Commercial Director for Eteach. I’ll introduce myself at a later stage. I know this is a popular time when a number of us are looking for a new job. There are a number of ways how we find that perfect role. Have you ever thought using social networks online when looking for a job in education?

Here are my tip top tips on job hunting from Eteach through the “social network way.”

- Social networking continues to increasingly becoming the preferred tool for recruitment. If you’re on a social network platform like Facebook, market yourself online, promote your profile and make your career history visible for everyone to see. Why not join our Eteach Facebook Group? Alternatively, Eteach have a Facebook Application to find jobs, so you’ll never need to leave the site!

-You can never have too many friends…LinkedIn is probably one of the most popular social networks for recruiters. Get your profile online and let recruiters come to you. Or why not get in contact with them directly. Any forward thinking educational recruitment agency is bound to have an online social media platform where they can be found easily

- Get involved in the debate- there are a number of well-known blogs, forums and news opinions in the world of education. Your opinion is a pro-active way of demonstrating your views in the education sector. It may also become part of the interview process. Why not start debating on our Eteach blog. Or why not provide advice to your fellow teachers online

- Socialise online and build relationships with people who have similar interests- these are not always necessarily people who work in education. Again, social networks are a great way of networking with fellow peers. You immediately become part of a passive pool of candidates. You could be closer to finding your perfect role in teaching than you thought

-Think outside the box. Don’t be scared to try new ways of finding a job online. Social Networks have been around forever. They are simple tools for anyone and everyone to use... so go on and take advantage of them. Take a look at how fellow educational gurus promote themselves online…it’s now becoming the norm

-Social media platforms allow you to promote yourself on a global and local level. If you didn’t know, Eteach have job vacancies in the UK and Internationally

-Most importantly be honest when self-promoting yourself. Increasing your prospects is key in the world of teaching but most importantly being a trustworthy candidate with integrity increases your chances, through the grape vine online.

Most importantly register with http://www.eteach.com/ and apply for perfect job. Good Luck!

Raising pupil achievement in challenging schools…

Safeguarding pupil welfare, raising pupil achievement and promoting positive activities are all key drivers of teaching professionals in the UK and across the world…

Commitment to these key drivers is practiced by all sectors of the school workforce ranging from teaching assistants, teachers, senior leaders and site managers – you will all see this amongst your colleagues at your school. This week the UK Government has announced plans to incentivise teachers in challenging schools with recruitment packages of up to £10,000. Also, last night I watched a BBC Newsnight feature highlighting a ‘ raising aspiration’ project engaging excluded pupils from Burnley with Wellington College, Buckinghamshire, which is one of the UKs most exclusive Independent schools…

At Eteach we continue to work with schools and teachers representing a range of social demographics areas, we’d love to hear your views about these two strategies and more…