FAQs

Finding suitable long-term accommodation is an important aspect to a settled working environment for any new international teacher. Quantum Scholars provide guidance to help you achieve this but ultimately it will be down to teachers to view and secure their own accommodation.

Whilst it would be fantastic to have accommodation set up before arriving in England, we advise against signing a lease or paying a deposit until you have actually seen a property in person!

Teachers should have pre-arranged accommodation for the first few days, usually a cheap hotel or bed and breakfast that is local to where you will be living long term. Airbnb has been a revelation in helping teachers get set up with an initial place to live over recent years. Please remember though that you will not have access to a car so make sure your initial accommodation allows you to get around easily and view other properties that are within a good travelling distance to your school where you’ll be commuting to every day.

With a short-term base viewings for longer-term accommodation can be arranged whilst getting a feel for the area you’re living in. Shared accommodation is the most common and recommended suggestion for overseas teachers arriving in England, especially if you’re travelling alone. It’s the best way to save money and it also provides excellent opportunities to meet new friends.

Rental contracts will typically be 6 months long but there are plenty of other options on websites such as www.spareroom.co.uk for house shares and more flexible contracts. Also try www.zoopla.co.uk for whole properties.

Have in mind a figure of paying somewhere between £600 – £800 per month (outside London) including bills as part of a house share and approximately £700 – £1000 per month living inside London. There are of course cheaper options that do come up as well but this is a good conservative figure to keep in mind. If you decide to live alone, it could mean paying somewhere between £800-£1400 per month and potentially even more in London!

We recommend that teachers only book their flight once their visa has been secured and is stamped in their passport! It might be tempting to book a cheap flights to England once you’ve secured a post but if you in the process of gaining your visa it really is best to wait, or at the very least ensure that buy a flexible option flight that will allow you to change dates if there are any delays in you gaining your passport and visa.

The most common international airports to arrive into will be Heathrow or Gatwick, both on the outskirts of London. Unless you secure a position in the north of England, always look to fly into either Heathrow or Gatwick.

In order to make every teacher fully compliant before they start teaching in England, a number of original documents will be required. We will need to have seen original versions of and taken copies of the following:

• Resume/CV (with no gaps including Months)
• 2 written references from most recent employers (teaching practice reports if graduating)
• Application form
• Teaching qualification
• Passport
• Copy of relevant visa (if required)
• 2 x proof of address dated within last three months of arrival in England

Police/FBI clearance from home country (must be dated within 6 months of arrival in England) – Must cover the last 10 years.

You will need criminal record certificates for any country you have resided in for 12 months or more over the last 10 years. These have to be the approved certificates from that country and applies to when a candidate was aged 18 and over.

Please note! It is of great importance that you ensure you have a police clearance from your home country dated within 6 months of arriving in England. Without this you will not be allowed to work!

If you are working as a permanent teacher employed directly through the school (most common with teachers requiring sponsorship) then you’ll receive a formal letter of employment from your school along with an application form and other relevant forms to fill out.  The actual contract of employment is only issued once all of this is done. But you can take the offer letter as legally binding provided you satisfy all of the terms set out in it. You may not see the physical contract until you are in England and start school. This is the same for any teacher securing a post in England.

There are a national set of guidelines with terms of conditions that can be found here:

www.assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/832634/School_teachers_pay_and_conditions_2019.pdf

For teachers working on a long-term supply contract in a school through Quantum Scholars, you will be provided with a contract prior to you starting in your role.

Health and dental care is largely free in England to those allowed to stay and work for over 6 months. The National Health Service (NHS) has been the UK’s provider of public healthcare for decades and includes hospitals, doctors (GPs), dentists and ambulance services. GPs provide specific medical prescriptions which cost a minimal amount and these can be collected at any nearby pharmacy.

It is important that you register with a local doctor’s surgery once you secure your long term accommodation. Click on this link to see the available practices near you
www.nhs.uk/service-search/GP/LocationSearch/4

Opening up a high street bank account is not always the easiest exercise for international teachers when they first arrive in England. Thankfully though there is a relatively new and fast growing alternative online bank called www.revolut.com/ which is extremely helpful in bypassing the issues teachers experience when opening an account with a high street bank.

When opening a high street bank account you generally have to provide evidence of having a long term address in England which is highly unlikely for teachers when they first arrive in England. With Revolut however you can open an account without having to provide a long term home address.  Revolut will also provide you with the same debit card as a high street bank meaning you’re able to always have access to cash through ATMs and make online/in-store purchases.

VISIT www.revolut.com for more information on how to start an account. Please note though that you can only open the account online once you arrive in England.

If you do still prefer and choose to go through a high street bank, there are plenty of them and this is what you will need to help set you up with an account when you arrive:

• Your passport
• Your visa
• A letter of employment from you school/employer (Quantum Scholars)
• A utility bill from your previous home address overseas (dated within last three months of arrival)
• Evidence of your long term residence in England (utility bill / tenancy agreement)

Banks to open an account with

The UK has a whole range of well-known high street banks so look out for any of the following when setting up an account:

• Natwest, HSBC, Halifax, Barclays, Lloyds, RBS, Nationwide, Santander

If you are on a Skilled Worker Visa you will find you NI number on your visa.

If for any other reason you need an NI number you must search for your local Job Centre Plus and book an appointment with them to start the process towards gaining a National Insurance number which is something every worker needs to have in England. You will be asked for a short fact to face interview and then provided with an NI number although the process can take several weeks. Until gaining an NI number you will be on an emergency tax code but the tax you pay will always be straightened out once you gain your NI number.

To learn more about National Insurance please visit www.gov.uk/national-insurance

Simply put in the salary you will be earning into the tax calculator!
www.moneysavingexpert.com/tax-calculator