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Original poster

Independant school teachers. Can you help?!

53 replies

abitwobbly · 30/03/2011 21:25

I am a state school AST, top of my scale and fed up of paper, paper PAPER!
DS is at a lovely prep and I would love a job there. Am I mad to give them my CV?? It would be BlushBlushBlush if they didn't want me :(
Friends say I'm mad, end of my career etc... but I want to teach in the ethos I believe in for my DS IYSWIM?
Would there be a fee reduction for DS if I did teach at his school?
Would you wait to see if they ever advertise or go for the CV now??

Any advice???

OP posts:
SandStorm · 02/04/2011 17:16

I agree with empire. If I were in charge of recruitment at your son's school my first thought would be that you only want to work there for the fee reduction. Which was my initial thought anyway.

amerryscot · 02/04/2011 17:42

I agree - job first.

As with any teaching job, don't disclose that you have children at the interview phase unless you really have to.

MikeRotch · 02/04/2011 17:43

am scannning all posts for spelling now Grin

NanaNina · 02/04/2011 19:50

Surprised MikeRotch that someone as educated as you and so aware of grammar and spelling etc., uses lol!

MikeRotch · 02/04/2011 21:00

Grr. rumbled

Original poster
abitwobbly · 02/04/2011 22:31

empirestateofmind thanks for the advice. It would be a bit of a gamble though to except a job and then find out there were no available places and no fee reduction.

SandStorm most teachers can only afford to send their children to private schools if they get a reduction in fees!

OP posts:
MikeRotch · 02/04/2011 22:32

ACCept a job.

Lolol.

MikeRotch · 02/04/2011 22:32

Who the HELL gave you ast?

SandStorm · 02/04/2011 23:19

abitwobbly - I'm not disputing that. I'm just saying you need to be aware that those thoughts will be running through their minds when they look at your CV.

manicinsomniac · 03/04/2011 03:03

Your pension scheme won't be affected. You might need to look into any plans for free schools in your area.

The fee reduction is obviously a huge perk and employers know that but I think the reason for the reduction is that having your child at the school is the only way you could work there. The school day is too long and the holidays too different to have children in a state school. There's a lovely rural primary opposite my house which I would love to use for my children (yeah, so I only pay 5% fees but it's still not peanuts) but it finishes at 3.15 and has no after school club. My daughter in nursery finishes at 3.30 but the after school club runs till 5.30. I and my older daughter finish at 4.45 earliest, often up to 7.30/8pm. I can also have my children wih me at school whenever and wherever I need to. I couldn't manage without that flexibility.

Original poster
abitwobbly · 03/04/2011 18:27

manicinsomniac Many thanks, a really helpful post. It would be impossible to work there without my child/children being there too. The upper school day finishes at 4:30pm but then all staff run clubs etc.
manicinsomniac Any negatives?? Are you and the children happy? Would you ever go back to state school teaching?

OP posts:
wook · 03/04/2011 18:39

abitwobbly I certainly hope that you are not an AST in English!
I think it's a pity that an outstanding teacher would want to leave the state system. I know that it's hard, but I personally (I'm also an AST) would prefer to stay in the state system and play my part in creating the ethos I would hope for for every child, not just the children of those able/willing to pay fees.
That aside, in answer to your question, I think you should send in a CV, having first put it through a spelling and grammar check.

wook · 03/04/2011 18:39

argh, comma overuse!!

wook · 03/04/2011 18:47

Why do you think teaching in the independent sector would involve less paperwork? What paperwork are you fed up WITH?

JoBettany · 03/04/2011 18:47

Seriously, you cannot be a teacher. You used 'except' instead of 'accept' and can't spell independent.

I thought the stories on MN about illiterate teachers were a bit of a myth. Now I see they are true. Sad

Longtalljosie · 03/04/2011 18:47

Sort out your spelling before you send your CV to anyone. I would recommend "English for Journalists" by Wynford Hicks.

wook · 03/04/2011 18:54

Is it lesson planning you are fed up with? Because if the ethos of an independent school is to have teachers who don't plan their lessons, I don't think it's much of an ethos tbh. It's disrespectful to the pupils not to do at least a basic plan.
Is it the data analysis? Surely in an independent school they check pupil performance?

amerryscot · 03/04/2011 19:46

Huh?

easterbunnyhopsback · 03/04/2011 20:04

Don't you do outreach as an AST two days a week?
Surely you jobshare?
I can't see how you think that independent school staff have less work. On mn we learn about children who have personal reports every week, and certainly every term. (I talk as a state school teacher - I think we ironed out the fact that private/state school teachers have a similar, but different, workload on a very long thread the other week! Smile)

manicinsomniac · 03/04/2011 20:39

negatives - well, the hours are long and you are expected by the school to put in a lot of extra time. But I and the children both love being there and we get such long holidays that I think they outweigh the negatives.

Only real downside I can think of - Saturday morning school! But you can find plenty of independent schools that don't have that.

Also, to all the people griping about spelling and grammar - seriously, just because someone makes a few mistakes on a forum doesn't mean they don't carefully edit and spell check important stuff! Perfect s+g skills don't = intelligence, one of the best teachers I know is dyslexic and when children ask her how to spell something she says she has a spelling disability and they look it up together. She's very well respected and never makes mistakes on official stuff. But if she posts on an internet forum I highly doubt she'd bother.

Original poster
abitwobbly · 03/04/2011 20:57

manicinsomniac thank you. JoBettany doesn't know I am speed typing and breastfeeding whilst sleep deprived and full of head cold.....but I am sure if she did she would still say I am a chap teacher. I just love teacher bashers!

OP posts:
MikeRotch · 03/04/2011 22:06

A chap teacher.
#restscase

Longtalljosie · 04/04/2011 08:01

I'm not a teacher basher. I'm being quite serious, you need to sort your spelling out. English for Journalists will be very useful for you because it is aimed squarely at adults who need to have perfect spelling / grammar but don't.

There is absolute zero tolerance in journalism for what you're calling "typos" but which are actually spelling mistakes. A typo is typing "pubic" instead of "public". Except instead of accept is not a typo. I don't understand why it's not the same in teaching, I really don't.

wook · 04/04/2011 19:03

You haven't answered my qus about what 'paper' it is that as a well paid AST you object to. Is it reports? lesson plans? data analysis? curriculum guidelines? marking? assessment? I am at a loss....

Except and accept are two different words with different meanings, chap is a typo.

Eric123 · 20/08/2011 20:46

BreastmilkDoes....

You certainly could get a job! My daughter did. The school was very welcoming. Very demanding of both staff and pupils, but couldn't care less what accent they have or what their parents do. Staff selection is very rigorous, and they simply won't appoint staff who are second class.