Thank you for the reply. In your experience, do healthcare packages tend to be an indication of how well a school treats its staff? It's just such an incredibly basic package that I'm worried that they'll be cutting corners elsewhere.

As a STUDENT I used to take out better health insurance policies for trips to different continents. I can't imagine moving to a different country and having to cover so much by myself, even the things that they do cover require you to pay a significant percentage of the cost.

When it's provided by the school, what should it cover?

Is it just emergency treatment? Should it also cover routine check ups? Monthly prescriptions?

How common is it to get full coverage? Or do schools pick very basic packages?

Ah I see, thank you for the second opinion :D

I've already told the school that I'm not interested. The lack of accommodation when the pay is so average put me off. If I can have a similar standard of living in the UK, I'll stay in the UK.

Thanks for the extra information, especially about the lack of black list! I honestly believed that something along those lines existed...

Good new on the recruitment cycle front then, after some thought i've decided that starting in a lower tier school is probably better in terms of pressure.

Ah shame about the housing costs. If I can find a school to cover accommodation, I'm going to seriously consider staying in the UK. A vacancy has come up near my partner in London (zone 3) and they pay well enough for me to afford a one bedroom place nearby. A large part of wanting to move abroad was based on wanting a better quality of life. Only problem is I'd be stuck at the new place for at least 2 years in order to avoid looking like I jump ship easily. (I thought 2 years was quite a short amount of time, but since speaking to recruiters in the UK I've found out that it's actually considered quite a long stint in England XD) I was also pretty keen to move this year as I don't have a family yet and figured that it would be easier.

@PsyGuy - that is the OSH package, it includes insurance + flights + 8% gratuity but no housing. I've decided not to take it, the no housing thing really did put me off, but wouldn't flaking on them give me a bad name or something? I'd heard that the whole international teaching thing was very close knit. Fair enough Re: Russell group having no real influence, I just don't want to give too many details incase someone I eventually apply to is reading this! By Russell group I meant universities which are internationally recognised, you did name them (none of them are Nottingham). Glad to hear that the recruitment cycle isn't over. I can get a terribly paid ESOL job in HK as long as I let a friend know by April so I won't be stuck in the UK. Though 2 years at a British independent won't kill me as long as it's London based.

IGCSEs may be easier for international kids, but GCSEs are certainly easier for UK ones, mostly because they include lots of coursework enabling kids to 'bank' a grade well before the exam.

Everyone saying that Bangkok isn't cheap to live in anymore is right, I flew out there this summer to take a look and a studio flat (without bills) that my friend is renting costs her $600 USD per month...it's nice, but it isn't THAT nice and it isn't particularly central either. She's local Thai (albeit quite well off) so I doubt she was being scammed. Food and transport are cheaper, but thats about it.

I don't know, a lot of British independent schools do it now, apparently it looks better? I prefer the IGCSE course so I was happy with the decision.

Yeah, thats why I think I may hold out for a school that lets me do 6th Form, IB or A level.

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your advice, I'm pretty sure that I've come to a decision now.

I think I'll ask for more time but say no to the Bangkok offer if they push, as the other school's interviews aren't until mid feb (it's the face to face ones so they're coming to London.) It's a school/city that I saw myself working in after a few years on the international circuit so if I could jump straight to there then I feel as though it would be a few years saved.

I know that I probably won't get it, but having read what you guys have written I'm hoping that I could manage another 2nd tier school in BKK later in the year (thank you for the confidence boost!). If I don't get that, another year in the UK won't kill me.

Also I forgot to mention this and it's actually a pretty big reason for me not wanting to take the job: the Bangkok school position is only teaching IGCSE. They do IB but I guess another teacher has that wrapped up as when I asked at interview they said there was the 'possibility' of doing some...I don't really want to risk them not letting me teach it only for other schools to be wary about hiring me as I won't have any recent 6th form experience.

The 93k THB would be taxed at 20% and they only give an 8% gratuity at the end of the 2 years so I'll have to be saving for my pension etc. as I go along. Rent in BKK is NOWHERE near as cheap as I thought it would be, you can easily spend £500 on a studio without utilities. The baht is also pretty strong against the pound at the moment. Ultimately, I think I'd actually save less out there than I do here.

Thank you again for all your advice, it has been extremely useful and has helped me come to a decision. I'm pleased to hear that 2 hits/3 isn't bad as in the UK I'd never really had a no (says FAR more about teaching conditions in British schools than it does about me) and the application to the place I have an offer from was actually a knee jerk reaction to getting a rejection...

P.S. shadowjack, it was IGCSE! My school did IGCSE for sciences, I also taught A level alongside IB, only 2 of us in the dept had a degree in the subject so ended up having to do most of the 6th form stuff.

So here's a 'quick' rundown of my current situation: I have an offer from a 2nd tier IS but the package seems questionable, 93K THB in Bangkok with no housing allowance. Having looked up salaries online, it seems that this was the norm about 5 years ago? Has it really not improved since then?

I'm currently waiting on a 3rd round interview for a top tier school in my first choice city. Unfortunately, the interview is after I would have to accept/decline the first (only) offer...

I would take the interview job in a heartbeat, the package is infinitely better, the location is one that is seen as competitive BUT I don't think that I have the necessary experience for the job, to be honest, I'm surprised that I got the first interview.

The reason I'm so unsure about taking the offer of the 1st one, even if I didn't have any other potential jobs coming up, is that I'm worried that working at a 2nd (or possibly 3rd) tier school would look bad when I try to apply for top tier schools. Additionally, would being on such a small package impact upon the package I'd receive if I were to move to different school? Also, the school is part of a for profit chain which I'm wary of anyways.

What do you guys think? Should I hold out or just take the current offer? Is 93k THB without any housing allowance enough to save on?

I've also read that it is now 'late' in the recruitment cycle but I remember seeing quite a few nice IS jobs around easter last year...but a bird in the hand and all that...

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give!

P.S. a little background on me may (or may not) help: this would be my first IS job and I only have 2 years experience, that said I have taught both IGCSE and IB at a UK independent, I teach a shortage subject and I did my degree + masters + PGCE at Russel group unis. Thus far I have applied to 3 schools and have:1 rejection, 1 ongoing and 1 offer.