That's right - you might be born and bred in the UK; you might have a UK passport; you might have lived in the UK for almost all your life; but if you've been abroad for the last 3 years you're at risk of losing entitlement to funding and in danger of paying international student fees.
Find out why and how you can avoid this financially disastrous situation - see the tab 'Applying for a PGCE' above.
Daikichi
Hi,
ReplyDeleteA great blog with lots of great information. I was wondering if you were requested (by the training provider) to show some sort of Police clearance certificate from Japan?
Hi there. I wasn't asked for it. Just in case, before leaving Japan, I did get a police clearance certificate but no one has ever asked to see it. Presumably, because I was ordinarily resident in the UK, there was no requirement for it.
ReplyDeleteHi Daikichi. This blog is a fantastic resource for those of us living in Japan that are looking to return to the UK to do a PGCE. I have a wife and child and am thinking of leaving Japan in 3.5 years after my current school contract is up to go down the same avenue. I'll have been here around 12 years by then, and should hopefully have permanent residence status under my belt. In that case, I'm guessing it will be almost impossible to prove that I am an "ordinary resident" of the UK, regardless of still having bank accounts, savings and a UK credit card which is actively used?
ReplyDeleteIf you don't mind my asking, do you have any regrets about the move? Is your wife settled into UK life? I think it will be hard for my wife, but for our child I'd prefer him to have a British education and speak English as his primary language. As much as I love living in Japan, I think my time here is coming to an end.
Hi Malc. I think it all depends on your university and how you sell your home status to them. If you make regular visits back, this can also add weight to your argument. I don't see why you would need to tell your university of your permanent residence status in Japan. So, just assume you'll be paying home fees and if they question it then be ready to argue your case with as much evidence you can think of. If you have a UK bank account, you probably have a UK address, so that will help a lot.
ReplyDeleteDo I have any regrets? It's been pretty hard - working as a teacher in the UK is extremely draining. The workload is intense, especially for English teachers because of the amount of marking and planning. (Other non-core teachers might be able to trot the same lesson out a number of times for a number of classes, but, generally, you don't have more than one class per year group in English.) I've also burdened myself with continuing to study to become more and more qualified as a specialist: since returning, after my PGCE year and NQT year, I've done a MSc in education, then the National Award for SEN coordination, qualifying as a SENCO, and now am doing a higher education course in exam access arrangements. None of this extra study has really paid off, yet. But I'm hoping it will in the not too distant future. So, in many ways, my work life has taken over my life and this is something I know is a problem for my wife. Added to all of this, we've had a couple of kids since coming back, so the last 5 and a bit years have been unbelievably busy and life-changing.
But I think it has been worth it. I wouldn't like to say too much but we are hoping that we'll soon be moving on to a new phase in our journey as a family, and coming back to England, getting qualified and then doing more qualifications is, hopefully, going to pay off and open doors elsewhere.
My wife is 'settled' here, but doesn't like it much. She's finished her 5-year visa route now, which is a big relief. It's very arduous and expensive.
Personally, I feel a lot of English people in Japan have rose-tinted glasses in regards to the British education system. Yes - your child can be educated in English. But there is a lot wrong with the system.
You're going to leave in 3.5 years? Why wait?
BTW, the tories have pledged to start NQTs on £30,000 which is significantly higher than the current starting salary. So, that will help you out after your training year, if, of course, they are able to fulfil that pledge!