Staff discount at independent schools

[roslet]

I'm about to move to a new area with several private schools.
My children (aged 6 and 7) have had a fantastic start in their state school, but I'm sad to think of how stressful the last years of primary school are due to SATs. I've taught in several "Outstanding" state schools during the past 20 years and I hate the way that older pupils are put under such stress. I'm confident that both my children will achieve well academically anyway, but I want them to enjoy a more carefree childhood with a full curriculum.
Ideally I'm hoping that if I teach 2 days a week without a wage, then my children could attend for free. Has anyone managed to negotiate something similar? Maybe I'm being wildly optimistic!

At my dcs school there is a 25 percent discount for staff. I suspect there are similar discounts at other schools.

You wouldn't be able to work for free and get a free place though, that would cause issues with minimum wage, tax etc. You'd have to be paid and then be given a discount.

Unless your school is very very cheap then 2 days teaching will in no way equate to full time fees for 2 children. especially as the price increases as they move through the school / inflation etc.

You might get a staff discount - when I worked at an independent school it was 10% off the fees.

Yes full time fees for two children is likely to be around £20k at primary level and more like £30k at secondary level.

"Maybe I'm being wildly optimistic!"

Yes, I think you are. I'd say a full time teacher (sometimes with a minimum time already teaching in that school, say 2 years) would get about 33-50% fee reduction. It would be pro-rata for part time staff.

You should expect to be paid for your teaching role, and then receive a fee discount in line with the school staff policy as and when you qualify for it.

Someone told me that Repton, and presumably Foremark its prep school, give staff a 80% discount. I don't know if this is true - and it may not be the same where you live. Worth a try though.

Ive just checked with my friend and the 25 percent discount they offer at my DS's school is subject to staff having two years' service.

Where I work staff get a 50% discount that is pro rated down if you are part-time. So a teacher working 13 hours per week (2 days) would be 0.40 of an FTE. If you apply the 50% discount to that you get a 20% discount in total.

If you go privately the chances are that all you do is to transfer the stress to year 5 and the first term if year 6 and believe me the stress of 11+ prep is way worse than SAT's which are a total walk in the park in comparison. Anyone fancy 3 comprehensions, 2 maths papers, a review of all last terms spellings and a verbal reasoning paper for February half term of year 5? That's in a 3-18 school!

I am reliably informed that the staff discount at Marlborough College is 80%.

Where I work it's 85% discount, but pro-rata for part time staff

Having seen kids go through both systems I'd second what a pp has said that the pressure of entrance exams at 11/13+ within the private system is far more pressure than SATS.

Also state schools vary in their focus on SATs. Some put very little pressure on kids, and kids vary in how they respond to pressure. My DS rather likes the chance to prove himself, so I wouldn't choose a school system on that basis.

For tax reasons the maximum discount they can give you is 85%. Each school is different, DH's last school gave us a 60%-it wasn't pro rata and applied to all staff, although many schools just offer it to teaching staff. You may be able to salary sacrifice the fees which also helps.

Thank you everyone, all opinions welcome and helpful! It seems clear that it would be more usual to receive a normal salary and then apply any discount to fees. We can afford to pay anyway, but my husband feels it is not a good use of cash right now. We will see how they settle in their new state school.

The discount at the Alleyn's schools is 33%.

It might be 33% at Alleyn's,but it goes to 66% if you teach at DC, and the discount can be applied to anyy of the three foundation schools. That's for full time, senior teaching staff.

I taught in two private schools. One gave a 50% discount for staff children the other gave nothing.

Even if you did manage to get a discount at primary level, how would you manage for the secondary years?