Under a month now....

So now just a month away - 28 days to be precise. Wow! Only 9 days left in our academic year, so that's just a handful of long drives now.

This week has been all about giving notice on boring things like utilities, to be honest! For anyone embarking on this type of activity, moving from Leeds abroad, here's some relevant and hopefully useful info:

• Leeds City Council for Council tax - you download a form, complete it and post it back snail-mail
• Sky (for TV and broadband and phone line) - you need to ring up and to give 31 days' notice for the TV contract, 14 days' notice for the broadband and phone line. It takes a while to get all of the cancellation done, but it's all confirmed by email afterwards. You need to leave the direct debit in place just in case there's anything to come back to you.
• TV licence - you have to ring up... and then they won't take the information unless it's 14 days before you are leaving... so I'll have to ring again!
• Unions  - ASCL and NASUWT - you can cancel by email and then close down your direct debits from your bank.
• Yorkshire Water - need you to book a call-back from them, so they can speak to you in person about moving. They were very efficient, did it all over the phone and will organise any refund through direct debit.

Oh, and I ought to add - I always use the app, WeQ4u to dial these types of numbers. It is way cheaper than using traditional mobile calls and I think I've saved about £10 per month since I got the app.

An update on applications for leadership posts - three more knock-back emails this week, so again I've asked for feedback, so I can see what the main issues are. One piece of feedback said that I needed to put in applications how I'd used the Australian Curriculum, Literacy strategy and data-driven inquiry cycles - it makes me think that the shortlisting process must be very precise, with the successful candidates being able to tick all these boxes. I've paused the process of applying for things now - having applied for so many posts and having been rejected for so many, I'm going to wait and see once I'm actually there, with an Australian mobile number and address. I'm not feeling particularly positive about a leadership post in the QLD system - maybe it's time for a complete career change.

Cats are due at the vets tomorrow for their final vaccinations before their flight on 2 January. I've confirmed their flights (they're going Qantas) and their travel crates, so all systems go for them. I feel guilty every time I see their little faces!