That is clear and helpful advice. Thank you.

They mugged you off, no question, mate. Not that sympathy from the internet is going to mean much in your situation.

I'm not a hiring manager. If I was, though, I would be impressed by someone who a year later, could show me the dishonoured contract, and a glowing reference.

Don't get bitter, get better.

TES is pretty decent. The closest I can think of for teachers across the pond is Share my Lesson. Something of a distant second, if truth be told...

Sounds like an eminently sensible approach @Cooldude. As I don't foresee any 1st tier compensation packages in my immediate future, I pretty sure I'll be teaching (while not being a sink of negativity and schmuck-like behavior) in my mid-sixties. Can I ask, which country employs people in their mid-sixties?

I always find it a good idea to couch my predictions in terms that reflect the degree of information I have, rather than making bald assertions of fact, helps me avoid looking like a disingenuous blowhard.

To address your point, by the same logic that Sturgeon is using that England is shooting itself in the foot by turning it's back on it's biggest trading partner (the EU), Scotland will do itself a disservice by introducing non-tariff barriers with its single biggest trading partner, England.

The EU is an amalgam of, often, fractious states. Offering favourable trade deals to countries such as Scotland would antagonise Spain (over the Catalan question), encourage more fractious member states to secede, and work against the EU's stated goal of "ever closer union".

Psyguy, whether or not Scotland secedes from the United Kingdom, it is a near certainty that Spain will veto any bid for EU membership so as not to embolden Catalan separatists.

@ Psyguy

"The Economist is just another magazine." One might as well argue that 'the golden rule' is just another axiom or that to live 'the good life' is just one of the many possible aspirations of a right thinking mind. De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum, is all well and good as far as it goes, but come on Dave; The Economist represents all that is right and proper in this world where the phrase "alternative fact" can be uttered with a straight face.

I can say from first-hand experience that caring for an infant on a long haul flight is doable with a mounted bassinet. As Sid mentioned you only have to physically hold the child during the take-off & landing.

That being said long-haul flights with small children increase the absolute sum of human suffering, in direct proportion to how unsettling the wee fella finds it to be suspended in a metal tube, hundreds of feet in the air, for a sustained period of time. Good luck

@Zors,

There are lots of (domestically) prestigious private schools that are part of Japan's escalator system, children of the well-heeled enter at say Kieo elementary graduate from Kieo University. While not international schools by any stretch of the imagination (more English immersion for certain academic subjects) it would get you into Japan and you'd be teaching math, science etc. in English. It's (extremely) late in the recruiting season for these kinds of gigs term starts from March. Going forward it might be worth periodically checking out < https://gaijinpot.com/ > it's predominately ELT jobs but escalator schools and even the odd (accredited) international school have been known to advertise on there.

Thanks, @grdwdgrrrl. With context, it's all so blindingly obvious. I saw Extra Curricular Activities then After School Activites clicked right into place. Cheers

What does ASA mean in the context of education? Thanks

Nice one I'll look into it. Cheers

@PsyGuy, artful dead cat metaphors notwithstanding, I believe Brexit is inevitable. I would love to be proved wrong. Unfortunately, come March, I am virtually certain, the UK will trigger article 50.

Why UCL? Honestly, I am swayed by the prestige. My thinking is that the high tuition costs are a badge of quality. Reading these forums, the intricacies of credentialling and the cost effectiveness of various routes seem to be your area of expertise. Do you know of any other, reasonably priced, Ed Tech/Education MA's that offer a decent RoI; in terms of a blend of intellectual rigour, improved pedagogy, and increased earning potential?

Aye, UCL is definitely my first choice for further study. The cost is far from insignificant, so 2018 will be my earliest start date.

Brexit is virtually inevitable, unfortunately. May has made unsubtle threats to turn the UK into a tax haven if the rest of the EU doesn't play ball and give the UK preferential access to the common market. The (UK) supreme court has ruled that Parliment must be consulted and that the executive can't trigger article 50 using the royal prerogative. Honestly, I can't see enough MPs voting against the "will of the people" to stop the government invoking article 50. There is a slim chance that enough MPs will back a referendum on the terms of Brexit giving us a second chance to step back from the brink.

@sliHSK I've also been mulling UCLs Education & Technology MA, the 'vanilla' MA in Education also looks as if it could be worth looking into. I am waiting for the depreciation of the pound once we officially trigger Brexit so I'll probably join the 2018 cohort.

@PysGuy, thanks for the incisive feedback. I don't have a Technology background so I would benefit from upskilling in IT and taking the financial plunge to do the MA via distance learning.