Teaching in private school

[mummynumnum]

If you teach in a private school, do your children get free or discounted places?

Discounted

Just wondering can you keep paying into your teachers pension as well

Yes you can - my pension gets paid to Teachers' Pension Agency.

Do you teach in a private school Science Teacher?

I teach in a secondary comprehensive and I am thinking of going for a SENCO job in a private school and have no idea what to expect.

How is it having your kids at the same school?

The same school that you teach at I mean.

My dd is not at school yet but I am tempted to go for a SENCO job in a private school, as could get her in for a discount from 3. I teach in a Catholic school at the mo and quite a few of the teachers have children in the school. Most of them find it to be fine, but when they want to complain about something they find it a bit awkward.

The not being able to complain is a very valid point. I taught two years ago at my children's current school for six months, before they even went there, and I still find it awkward to discuss problems with teachers I know quite well. On the flip side, you find out straight away if there are problems. I used to teach in a state sec school where I loved being able to tell various colleagues what (good) things their children had been up to that day. It was a school with a very positive atmosphere though, and I expect many staff in other schools would use the easy access only to report negatively about colleagues' children. It's a tough one.

On the other hand, there is the discounted fees...

Yes, I'm in a private school, mummy

ScienceTeacher, just out of interest is your pension on the same footing as a teacher in the state sector?

Not sure what you mean

Science teacher-what are the pros of working in a private school? Are there any cons?

So many pros - I feel as if I have died and gone to heaven.

I don't have any classes that I dread. I get to teach for 95% of any lesson. Classes are small so marking books is not overwhelming. Bureacracy is kept to a minimum. I have 19 weeks holidays a year. The pupils all have text books, so homework assignments are easy to set (and we can do all the fun stuff in lessons). I can get involved in the full life of the school, etc etc etc.

Downsides? We have a slightly longer teaching day and there are occasional prep duties. Parents can be very pushy. We don't have to stick to working conditions, therefore may have more than one cover a week, have lunchtime duties, and invigilate external examinations.

Sooo many pros!!

It's amazing, mummy - a completely different experience. I get to do what I am trained to do, and never have to engage in crowd control.

mummynumnum - not my experience, as I'm state, but I asked DH (he worked 15 years in state, has been in private for 7 years and has a promotion back into state for Sept). This is what he said (I can't persuade him to register on MN!!)
Pros of private:
-ridiculously long holidays

• better lunches!

-end of term drinks/meal paid for by school (or rather the parents through school fees rather than having to pay for self

• easier work load -smaller classes, less marking
• narrower range of ability so planning is easier
• school doesnt have to take pupils with specific needs (eg dyslexia, ADHD, ) so therefore planning and teaching easier
• classroom management is really easy
• children generally look smarter and need less reminders over uniform

cons:

• some really complacent teaching and standards eg some colleagues who are in private cos they can't cope elsewhere
• some vile parents (but I guess that's true in state, just different vile!!)
• some classes can be very 'pedestrian' because the kids are above average ability but not necessarily that bright, and want to be spoonfed through exams. He's an English teacher, and sometimes when he's gone off piste to educate rather than simply teach to the exam, the kids have told him to get back to giving them exam answers!!
• in terms of many initiatives, private sector can be way behind state. eg I am shocked by the lackadaisical approach to data and pupil tracking where he teaches. Again, it's complacency. They can get grades without necessarily having to provide inspiring teaching
• loss of credibility with state sector friends!!

Interesting point about going 'off piste' alfiesbabe: during my DH's first year at his current (private) school, some pupils actually complained about him to the HoD when he did stuff with them that wasn't on the exam syllabus. It's so sad because I would have hoped that one of the benefits of paying fees would be a broader education.

I was surprised too smugmumofboys. I suppose some of the kids are pressurised by parents and feel that it's all about exams exams exams. DH also said that you can tend to get a certain 'type' of pupil which is more predominant in private schools, whereby they are above average and reasonably bright but aren't 'risk takers' - ie they want to know the correct formuala for passing exams and getting good grades. DH maintains that the really brightest of the bright kids he's come across have been in the state sector (obviously you get the other end of the spectrum too). Which as you say is a shame, because you'd think private schools would provide breadth, whereas I think some of them are actually the opposite, and very narrow. Interestingly my ds (age 13) chose to move from private to state this year precisely for those reasons.

We paid 15% which I think is the lowest it can be without you having to pay tax on it as a benefit in kind. I remember a couple - my ex husband taught with one of them - 3 children at his prep school from age 3 and then on to the father's school three children free education at leading school to age 18. As the boarding places are £60k for 3 children that's quite a perk. Plus free housing too.

I think the off the syllabus thing must vary then. Private no national curriculum. I remmeber my brother doing university level physics at A level as the teacher thoughts A level was too easy for them and I certainly remember inspired teaching in my private school beyond the curriculum. I would have thought if you have brighter children in very academic schools one of the nicest bits of teaching there is working at that high level but perhaps it just depends on the private school.

My ex husband would say - having worked in both sectors - not having to be a policeman and being able to teach more easily was one bonus.

here we go again, about how private schools are all rubbish. Maybe if you say it enough it will become true.

Eh? I think you've been reading another thread

Scienceteacher, about the pension I meant is it operated on the same basis as a teacher in the state sector ie do you get the same pension income when you retire as though you had taught in the state sector?

Xenia- 15% of fees!!! That's a huge perk, I can see now how you managed to send all those children to private school!

My pension is with the Teachers' Pension Agency which is government run, and the main agency for state school teachers' pensions. There is no difference, afaik.