This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Aoife Condron Rigney, known on Instagram as @teacha_efa, a dedicated primary school teacher from County Offaly, Ireland, whose teaching career has taken her across continents. With 14 years of experience, Aoife has worked in a variety of roles, from multi-grade classrooms in Ireland to leadership and teaching positions in Brisbane, Australia. In our conversation, Aoife shares her experiences of teaching in Australia, navigating the challenges of moving abroad, and the rewarding aspects of embracing a new culture and education system. For anyone considering a teaching adventure Down Under, this one is for you!
Firstly, can you introduce yourself and provide some background about your teaching experience?
My name is Aoife Condron Rigney. I am a Mammy of two beautiful children and a primary school teacher, living in Co.Offaly. I completed my B.Ed in St.Patrick’s College. I have been teaching for 14 years. I’m currently working as a Special Education Teacher and have been doing so for the past 3 years. Before this, I was living and working as a primary school teacher in Brisbane, Australia for 5 years. I have taught all the mainstream classes throughout my career to date and often in a multi-grade situation. When I was Australia, I worked for a time as a Kindergarten Teacher (Early Education), a Teacher Aide, Inclusion Support Teacher, Enrichment Support Teacher and a Mainstream Class Teacher for mainly upper primary. I was very fortunate that I also had opportunities to work in Leadership positions too, such as deputising for my school principal or assistant principals and leading CPD with staff in areas of Behaviour Management, Student Engagement and Technology.
What inspired you to teach in Australia, and how did you come across this opportunity?
I took a career break and went traveling with my now husband for approximately four months, with our final destination being Australia. I was on a Working Holiday Visa (WHV) for the year and the plan was to stay for the remainder of the year and take the opportunity to try some different jobs and return home for the next academic year. However, I soon realised that I missed teaching a lot and there was a great opportunity to earn good money too, so I looked into teaching over there and got all my necessary paperwork sorted to do so. In the process of doing this, I fell in love with Australia…and so a one year career break turned into 5!
What steps did you take to secure a teaching position in Australia?
Below are some of the steps I took to help me find work in a very competitive industry. It’s important to note that I was job hunting in Brisbane, Queensland. Each State and Territory will have their own systems and requirements for teacher registration and also for employment opportunities. I found it helped that I had five years’ worth of experience behind me.
Create a cracking CV
Include your written references, as attempting to contact people overseas with a ten-hour time difference is a nightmare!
Explore Opportunities on ‘Seek.com.au’
Make a profile and see what’s available in terms of private schools. Most private schools will advertise on this site or their own school site. I started off doing some teacher aide/school officer/special needs assistant roles while I waited for my qualifications to be assessed and it was such a great way to get an insight into teaching in Australia, without the stress of it all being on your shoulders.
Register with the Catholic School system, ‘Brisbane Catholic Education’. https://bcejobs.nga.net.au/cp/
I set up a profile to alert me to contracted vacancies and to register for relief/substitute work. It’s a very similar set up to ‘Education Posts’ at home e.g. there is a generic standard application form.
Use the ‘Class Cover’ App
There is an app for Catholic schools too, it is called ‘Class Cover’. It is super easy to set up and nearly all schools book through this now.
Apply for Public/State School Roles
Register with Education Queensland and familiarise yourself with their requirements.
Their relief teacher booking system, TRACER, is essential for securing substitute roles.
Join Recruitment Agencies
I also joined some recruitment agencies, such as ANZUK Education, Randstad Education, Hays Education and Smart Teachers.
I found job hunting very similar to home. Once you got ‘your foot in the door’, you were sorted. It’s hugely helpful to have recognised Australian schools on your CV and then word of mouth and personal recommendations from one principal to another can massively help you to secure your next contract(s).
What was the visa process like for you?
The visa situation can make things tricky. On the Working Holiday Visa I could only work with a school/one employer for up to six months. Luckily, my partner then got sponsored by his company and I went on his new visa too. It was significantly easier to secure work with no work rights limitations, as you can imagine.
Can you describe your first impressions of Australia when you arrived?
Breathtakingly beautiful and idyllic. Literally like a postcard. It was a dream come true.
What is the typical school day like for a teacher in Australia?
Here’s an overview of a typical school day for me, when I was working there:
Teachers arrive at school: 8.00-8.25am
School starts at 8.30am
Children leave at: 3.00 pm (Year Prep-Y6)
Big lunch: 40 mins (20 mins play, 20 mins eating) Little lunch: 30 mins (20 mins play, 10 mins eating)
On a weekly basis, you will teach:
English
Mathematics
Science
HASS (Geography, History, Civics/Citizenship and Economics and Business)
Religion (in a Catholic school setting)
Digital Technologies
Arts (art and drama)
Health
Your children will also attend specialist lessons:
PE
Music
Art
LOTE (Language Other Than English)
Library
While children attend their specialist classes, the expectation is you will use this non-contact time to do your planning, preparation and corrections (PPC) for the week ahead. I taught Year 6 i.e. 6th Class. It was a three streamed cohort. My school timetabled our specialist lessons so that all grade level teachers have non-contact time at the same time, for at least two hours per week. This allowed us a chance to plan collaboratively and have a team meeting. Our non-contact time fell on a Friday, which I loved as I could get myself sorted and organised for the week ahead and caught up on all my marking. It made an incredible difference to your workload and created a sense of work life balance which is so needed in this profession. I remember being told about this time and being in complete wonder and awe! It was amazing and I had never experienced anything like it before.
How do the classroom sizes and resources in Australia compare to your experiences elsewhere?
Classroom sizes were generally smaller and I also had a Teacher Aide to support my class for all/almost all of the day too, which was invaluable to both me and the students. All of the schools I worked in were huge in comparison to anything I would have experienced before in Ireland. The resources and investment in education blew me away to be honest. Technology was massive, with almost all upper primary students having their own 1:1 device, microphones in each classroom for the teacher, school library, tuck shop, library and ovals/sport areas. These were the norm in some of the most ‘basic’ schools I taught in. Private schools were next level, having all this and more! I often had to pick my jaw up off the floor when I went subbing at some of these schools.
Some of the private schools I taught in had:
Landscaped gardens
Wireless networked contemporary buildings, purpose-built to meet the needs of students and the wider school community
Ovals with world-class playing surfaces and training facilities
A gymnasium with weights room, a performance stage and a mezzanine overlooking the courts and pool area
A ten-lane, 25-metre heated swimming pool, change-room facilities, a marshalling area, and a 50-seat function room.
A concert auditorium
A dance studio
Private rehearsal rooms for group and individual instrumental and vocal lessons, drama studios and classrooms for academic music lessons
A theatre that seats around 250 people and is an acoustically sound performance space that is used for dance, drama, concerts, classes and chapel services
A health centre that was committed to providing personal and quality holistic health care with Registered Nurses on staff daily to care for the physical, psychological and emotional health and wellbeing of each student and staff member.
What kind of curriculum do schools in Australia follow, and how does it differ from Ireland?
They follow the Australian Curriculum. I found there to be a lot of overlap, particularly with English, Maths, Technology and Health subjects. Therefore, it wasn’t too difficult to adapt too. However, HASS was a challenge for me at the start as I had to teach myself/research what I was teaching about first, before delivering it to the class, as I was not familiar with Australian history, geography and politics etc. I found this really interesting though. You can check out more about the curriculum here: https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
What is the cost of living like in Australia compared to Ireland?
Australia is a very expensive place to live in, there is no doubt about it. Rent costs seem to have skyrocketed since I have left.
Can you describe your housing situation and the types of accommodations typically available to teachers?
I lived in a house share with some house mates at the start of our time there and in the latter years, I lived in an apartment with my now husband. These were separate arrangements that I made myself and not linked with school at all. In my experience, schools would not cover your accommodation costs. Perhaps, you might get some rent allowance if you were willing to work ‘out bush’ in very rural communities.
What can you do for leisure and entertainment day to day in Australia?
The Aussie lifestyle was fantastic and I still miss is to this day. The weather, natural attractions, laidback lifestyle and rich multicultural society make Australia one of the most welcoming and relaxed nations in the world. I loved early morning walks/run in the sunshine, beach days, pool days, gym/exercise, BBQ, coffee, shopping, theatre, concerts, dinner and drinks, travel within Australia and beyond. The list is endless!
How does the salary and benefits package for teachers in Australia compare to other places you’ve worked?
I received no benefit package or bonus of any kind. I did however get paid very well. I requested a Statement of Service from the Department of Education in Ireland and I used this evidence, coupled with my Statements of Service from substitute work in Australia and my time spent as a Kindergarten Teacher to prove my years of experience to Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE). This helped me advance up the ranks in terms of pay scale. Every year of teaching, you go up an increment level in terms of pay too, very similar to Ireland in that respect.
Have you found opportunities to network with other expat teachers or local educators?
Yes, many of the schools I worked in had a huge variety of teachers from all over the world. All the schools I taught in were great for putting on events/activities for staff. Many of them had a Social Committee and there was a great opportunity to get involved in things. CPD is strongly encouraged and that was always a great time to meet other local educators too, not just those in your school community/circle. Setting up my teacher Instagram page over there helped me forge bonds and connections with teachers in the online space too.
What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced while living and teaching in Australia?
The distance. Australia is just so incredibly far away and that can be tough when you are missing home. Navigating the visa process can be tricky and stressful at times too.
What have been the most rewarding aspects of your teaching experience in Australia?
Making a difference in students’ lives. I thought upper primary, mainly Year 6’s and with the age group there can often be some behavioural issues. I really enjoyed the challenge of getting them interested in their learning again and encouraging them to be the best version of themselves. Relationship building is such an integral part of teaching and in my opinion, no meaningful learning can take place until that’s been done. I feel really proud of the turn around that some of my students/classes experienced in terms of their behaviour, attitude and academic success. They are such memorable moments for me and one of the highlights of my teaching career to date. None of that would have been possible without the incredible support system of amazing colleagues, who firmly cemented themselves as forever friends.
What essential items should teachers bring with them when moving to Australia?
Teacher items:
college transcripts
teaching practice records
copy of your degrees
police clearance certificate
written references
Personal items:
Don’t stress, they have everything you could possibly need here, including a decent selection of Irish food/goods in many supermarkets/shops.
What advice would you give to someone considering teaching in Australia?
Feel the fear and do it anyway! I could not recommend Australia enough for people to explore, travel or work in. I absolutely adored it and feel I have become a better teacher because of it. Teaching overseas has allowed me to develop and enhance my teaching pedagogy and methods. It has also helped me realign my thinking in term of work-life balance and helped me to slow down and practice self-care meaningfully. I met amazing colleagues who I learned so much from and who have become lifelong friends. Australia will hold a special place in my heart forever more and will always feel like my second home.
Where can readers find out more information about teaching in Australia that you would recommend?
I would recommend linking in with ANZUK for some further information. This link provides a good overview of what’s required in each state. Registration to teach and working with children clearances are managed independently from state to state as follows:
If there is anything I can help you with, as always feel free to drop me a DM on Instagram @teacha_efa and I’ll see if I can help.
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