Private School Teacher's Discount on school fees

[PJUK]

There is an old thread on this but years old so starting anew.

My kids are in an independent school and just found out the discount on fees for teachers kids is around 75%.

I am sure there’s mixed feelings on this but I’m sick about it. Why should I be subsiding others when I pay in full just because they work there?

Bursaries are another matter and justified.

I can’t think of another industry or business where the ‘employee discount’ is so substantial.

Anticipate other’s views.

@MusicMum80s
I said selection and money are bound to make a school do better. The selection does not have to be academic. A school that selected by parental ability to juggle would have better results than one with no entry criteria at all. And bursaries are a red herring. Private schools offer very few full bursaries. Most bursaries are for relatively small amounts, and often go to kids from the same socio economic group as the school population but who have less available cash at the time.

Selection and money. Works every time.

It’s a perk of the job. My neighbour pays £16k pa for two children combined, where the actually fees are c£50k.

I specifically said in my post that I was obviously not saying all private school teachers were rubbish. Just that the perks such as smaller classes, theoretically less behaviour issues and benefits like discounted places enticed teachers rather than it being a case of the best teachers going there because they could earn more. This is why the big discounts mentioned in the op are offered. Salaries and pensions are often lower than in the state sector. This means really successful teachers would not be attracted to the private sector, were it not for these other perks. Why would you take a lower paying job if you were successful and happy elsewhere if they didn't entice you in some other way?

In terms of who decided the teachers I mentioned were struggling - they did. I was talking about colleagues I worked alongside and close friends who said they could no longer cope in the state sector.

Any idea where the various football academies are on academic outcomes? I truly don't know.

Having your kids AT the school can also help make the teacher’s life easier in terms of commute, after hours commitments etc.
And help retain them.
And help them be less stressed, have more time. Which = a happier teacher, a better teacher
Why in earth ANYONE would resent their school’s teachers having perks that makes them happier in their roles is beyond me.

Judging by the ones that go into a local college to sit BTECs and their English and maths in order to meet ESFA rules on funding and spend their time pissing around instead of doing the tests (and then have to repeatedly resit), it's not brilliant.

Warlingham School does it. Probably other schools in the area too
https://www.warlinghamtlt.co.uk/page/?title=Admissions&pid=77

Some people have odd problems

Get a job as a teacher at the school and enjoy the same perk?

What a weird thing to be upset about.

As if teachers are grossly overpaid already so "why should they get any other job benefits".

🤪

It’s an interesting point and I agree it raises questions.
The bottom line is that’s the way the system works in these institutions and you have to make your choices based on that.
I’d like to look behind the scenes at all the “back scratching” that goes on in especially in the upmarket prep and senior schools.
I totally agree that the parents paying full fees are subsidising the staff member’s kids and those on bursaries. Effectively the kids of staff members and teachers are on bursaries. Some schools also have “arrangements” with other schools.
If you are a very wealthy parent then you probably don’t give a stuff, but if you are busting a gut to fund a a private education for your kids and see the lovely life you are funding for a quarter of your child’s class and their family then it can make you think you are a total sucker.
The £50k plus you are shelling out a year means that the staff at boarding schools can have free accommodation and heavily discounted education for their kids.
This is a very valuable package and quite commonly both parents work at the same school.
If the staff members have 2 kids plus you are looking at serious sums of money over the course of 16 years. Salary and benefits equating to millions of pounds.
This means these families have a lot at stake. The staff members will be working hard, but can have a lovely lifestyle funded by those paying the fees.
The private schools are aggressively marketing, signing up kids and their families.
With VAT on fees coming some schools will go
under and a lot of independent schools will be fighting to survive and the staff fighting for their very way of life and their kid’s education.
It’s ok if things are going well at the school, but if things go wrong with the staff member or their child then that is where problems arise.
Don’t expect these members of staff to put your child’s best interests ahead of their own children, their livelihood and very existence.
When things go wrong in some cases the school will protect its own and its reputation ahead of your child.
A lot of people have an awful lot at stake, so
it can get very nasty, very quickly.
It is something to be aware of, especially when you are entrusting the safety and wellbeing of your kids to a close knit institution.
When it goes wrong it can have a devastating impact on families.
So does spending half a million pounds plus on your child’s education's represent good value for money? Or would you be better investing the money for them or buying them a house.
I guess if it goes well your child has can have an amazing experience, get a great education and become part of the elite. It can open up a very nice way of life and hopefully they won’t be too stuck up.
If you do introduce your child to this world, then changing your mind and moving them to a state education starts to look crueller as time progresses.
Fees are the lifeblood of the school so don’t be scared to ask for your money’s worth, but be wary of sticking your head above the parapet.
And if things go wrong and you end up taking the school on prepare for a bumpy ride.
I do feel fortunate to be discussing this at all having gone to a mediocre comp school.

I don’t know what it’s like in Uk but in australia private school teachers are paid less than state school teachers.

it’s a way to retain staff too.

I think it's a really effective way to attract and retain great staff (at most schools, it's all staff - not just teachers). It also builds the school community, with teachers even more committed to the success of the school. And making logistics work better is good for both parties too, given the amount of extra-curricular work private school teachers do. It all works better if their family is fully part of the school community!

I'm all for it, and certainly don't resent them getting that benefit. If anything it reassures me that they value the school.

The only concern I have is where it's a very selective school, it may not suit the child and they may not thrive. I imagine it must be even harder to make the choice to pull your child out of a school which is objectively amazing but doesn't suit them when you know it's an opportunity they have through your job, and you can't easily move them to another comparable school (you have to either change job or pay much more). I do know of teachers who have taken their DC out though: and in the end you have to trust that parents try to do the best for their DC.

Does anyone have any idea what happens with fee discounts for part-time teachers? Is it just a pro-rata percentage of the full-time discount, if that makes sense?

It's normally pro rata.

Yes, pro rata for PT. I would also add that it’s heavily linked to a School’s co-curricular provision. If staff have their own children in wraparound care on site, they are able to run sports/interest clubs until the end of the school’s provision time, rather than leaving to collect their own children.

Why shouldn’t teachers get any perks of the job? Also, teachers are poorly paid for their commitment/hours of work so schools have to attract staff. I can’t understand why it would be annoying for you? Just jealousy? I would rather that my kids went to state school, learned to get on with everyone and learn a little generosity of spirit. People in private industry get bonuses and teachers don’t. Why shouldn’t teachers have the occasional perk too? They are skilled professionals.

Most (not all) private schools pay their staff less than the state sector- for example, I was offered £41,000 for an Assistant head role at a private school when a local state was offered £54-£67,000 (experience dependent ). In addition, private schools are not usually on the Teacher Pension Scheme so they need to have something that attracts the best staff. I also find private school days to be much longer (I’ve worked in both) and I suspect a staff member who is able to stay on site because their children are there is easier to manage. Also, in some schools having staff children actually helps with marketing- if staff WANT their children there, then it suggests they believe in the school.

The school I work at offers a significant staff discount too. Put simply, I wouldn't work there is it didn't. It's one of the best perks of the job. Do you want the best staff teaching your children or not? Without a perk like that, you're going to get fewer applicants.

Also, OP, if you think it's that amazing a deal, why don't you apply next time there is a teaching vacancy at the school...?

Why not use the funds to pay all the teachers at the school more? Do all the best teachers have children at the right ages for the schools they're working at? Wouldn't you attract more applicants if you raised pay across the board instead of providing perks for a subset of the staff for a limited number of years?

It’s also a way to retain staff too. I work in a private school that is from prep to year 12. So 5 years to 18 pretty much. My youngest daughter is currently there in year 5 so I’m going to be working there for the next 8 years.

i think it makes is much easier to be full time. Especially when kids are younger. There is so much less juggling required - my kids all come to school with me. If they have a special event or something I can usually arrange to be able to attend. If they forget their lunch they can just come up and see me. My school offers supervision until 6 so when I have a meeting or need to work late they can hang round and wait for me. I don’t have to go to parent teacher nights cause I know all their teachers - they will just let me know in passing if there is a problem.

As far as only a small subset of staff who benefit - well in my department there are 8 people. 5 currently have children at the school, 1 is planning to move them next year to the school. The other 2, one doesn’t have children and the others children are grown up.

No, it's not that simple. The pay increase would be small by comparison when taking into account tax etc. A discount on school fees is far less costly than pay increases (plus it's policy not contractual so cabln be changed if necessary). My school is age 3 to 18, so anyone who has children can take advantage or this - loads of teachers have kids in the school. In some areas of the school, we're not at full capacity anyway, so these children are adding financially to school rather than taking away from it!

@PJUK no different than many companies offering discounts part and parcel of captialism

It's usually a discount in the UK, and often between 25-50%

Other children will be there whose parents don't pay full fees.

In some international schools, for example in Singapore, teacher's children receive 100% fee remission