Any teachers out there in prep schools who have their own children in school with them?

[tryingtobemarypoppins2]

Would you mind telling me any pros/cons?? How did you come to be in this situation?

Many thanks for your time.

bumping

Have done in the past.

I can't really think of any downsides.

You give your kids and yourself ground rules and stick by them.

Were you in post before the children started?

I have worked at a prep school for ten years or so, and my 4 year old goes to Kindergarten there, and my one year old is due to start when he's old enough. I only work part time at the moment, but used to work full time before kids. My 4 yr old starts Reception in September...and it's been a long hard decision about whether she should go to a local state school and save our money!!

What kind of thing do you want to know Tryingtobemarypoppins?

Do you get reduced fees??!!

Er, yes. I get a certain percentage off the fees, and this is a sliding scale dependent on how much I work: so at the moment I only get a small discount but when I eventually return full time I will get the full quota of discount. But I do know that the school has changed its rules so that more recently employed staff don't receive so much discount. The discount I receive enables us to afford to send our child there, otherwise it'd be a pipe dream. And actually it's still a bit of a pinch financially - teachers salaries don't go far! There are other staff with children at the school too.
Tryingtobe, do you work in a prep school...and do you have children, do they go there?

I teach in a state school but my DS is in a Prep. I am torn between moving into the catchment area and having him attend my school. It is a very good school and would be so convenient, however the more I see of his Prep school the more I like it and the ethos! I am starting to see what is being advertised but really want my children in school with me and not sure how to best go about it. Any ideas?

One of ours did (we paid 15% of the fees for 9 years = about £80k in money saving I think. SO that's a pretty good reason. They did it very well. His father treated him like any other pupil and we always ensured he knew nothing more about school and other parents than any other boy - you need very very secure Chinese walls.

There wer eno disadvantages. I'm sure the child would say he was treated slightly less well than other children in consequence but if so that did him no harm - it's very important that there is no bias in favour nor is there any hint of it so it's best to go the other way.

As we had 4 others to pay fees for getting one on reduced fees was very helpful.

Was your DH in post before your child started?

Yes, quite a few years and he was mostly in the upper school so he didn't even come anywhere near him in terms of teaching for 5 or 6 years. It all worked out fine.

Xenia that's going to be the problem. I can't go for an interview and ask if they give a fee reduction and have places for my children can I?!!

You can definitely ask about provision for your children at interview - they will expect you to. At least about a place being available anyway, which would hopefully lead them on to telling you about the reduction.

My children get 85% off school fees. That's the major pro obviously. The other main pro being that I can rarely leave school before 5.30pm and often need to be there till 9pm or later so I need to able to have the kids with me. Another school wouldn't be an option. Also, having identical holidays is great.

Cons - none really. They're too young for me to come across them much at present. I suppose teaching them will be a downside I'll probably have to deal with eventually but there are so many staff children at the school that it will be fine, I'm sure.

Any jobs going!?? ;)

Many thanks manicinsomniac

And in some schools the teacher's child just may not pass the entrance test so they cannot just promise places I suppose.

85% is because of a tax case which said 15% was the marginal cost of a place and as long as you charge that then it is not a benefit to be taxed on in addition. if the place were free you'd pay 20% or 40% tax on its value.

I teach at the same school as my 3 boys. I love it and the boys love it. It was hard at first, because my sons needed to get use to seeing me as a teacher as opposed to mum at school, and you have to be a little harder on your own children so that others do not think you are favouring them in any way.

BUt apart from that , it is a great situation to be in
Good Luck!

Does anyone know if support staff receive the same discount?

My brother chose not to send his daughter to his prep - concern was - if he moved on from the school his child would be stuck at that school away from where they live & more importantly lose the fee reduction too.
He will be looking for promotions etc so couldn't commit to being at the school indefinitely.
Something worth considering...

I had this conversation with a friend recently who recently moved from state to private sector. Her take was that she was going to work there for at least one full year, possibly two before moving them from their local state school because once she'd moved them in she didn't want to have to move them out again. So for her, the big decision was "Am I sure I will be working at this school for the next xx no of years?" - until her youngest left the school. She couldn't afford for them to be educated there without the fee reduction, so had to be sure she would be confident to see it through to the end.

I don't have kids so can't teach in the same school as them, but for mos tof my own school I was in the same school as my parents, if not taught by them. I compartmentalised it all and between the ages of 4-6 I used to get out fo the gate and tell Mummy what happened at school and what the teacher did - she was my teacher!!!!! It was embarassing when I was older (16-18) though!

Lots of staff have children where I currently teach who attend the school - works well as they are not bad kids. It would be harder if we had issues with them! It's far easier for the parents to slip out and see them in a school activity when they are younger and don't have clashes when it comes to speech days and end of term events as they are at them anyway.