Non-teaching staff in private schools…

[Constancecola]

…are they eligible for discounted fees if their kids are at the school?

At my DCs highly sought after London indie pupils with teacher parents get a significant discount on fees. The Headmaster’s kids go free, and possibly also the bursar’s children.

But I’m wondering about other roles - librarians, receptionists, HR team etc? Anyone know?

Surely that would be a question for the school.

I would expect a business to make their own decisions, and I would also guess it varies from school to school.

Well at the independent I work at, yes, I would get reduced fees if I sent my child. I am support staff.

I choose to send them to a different independent school which is better suited for them.

Why would it matter to you? You are choosing to send your DC to a highly sought after school, and have presumably accepted what the fees are.

It's not really relevant to you what people who work there have written in their contracts.

It's up to the school. Not all will have the same rules. At ours, it's any staff once employed there for 2+ years.

But I know other schools where it is only teaching staff.

Are you hoping for a job there?

Every member of staff at DS's school (from groundsmen to the Head) are entitled to the same discount.

They do at ours but I am not sure who it extends to.
I know the admin staff get 50% off

At ours, it’s everyone from the computer technician to the groundsman to the dinner ladies. It’s a super selective, though, so they’ve got to get in first!

Hi - thanks all. Yes a job has come up that I qualify for and hopefully would have the added benefit of making it feasible for kids to remain there for longer when VAT is added to fees. (my current salary and DH’s can’t cover fees once VAT comes in - it’s literally that simple!)

@Constancecola

That would be wonderful for you then, tho I suspect the job may receive several applications.

and it may be a sliding scale of % depending on the school hierarchy i.e. Headteacher 50% Librarian 30%

At my school all staff qualify for the same discount.

the job may not be that sought after - we advertised a TA role and only had 4 applicants, one of whom openly told us she only wants the job for a term, one of who wasn’t appropriately qualified, and 2 we interviewed. Most schools are struggling to recruit support staff as it’s so badly paid.

Apologies, OP, I assumed it was yet another thread where wealthy parents were complaining that they were subsidising staff DC and how dreadfully unfair it was. I didn't realise you were wondering about applying for a job there.

Competition is fierce at DC's school for places but I think that it is even fiercer for TA positions. And that was before VAT. I believe that part time staff receive pro-rata discounts.

At the school I'm aware of, the discount is available to all staff not just teaching staff. But I'm sure it varies from school to school (just like the amount of the discount also varies).

In my school it used to be all staff but now it is just teaching staff and pro rata for part time teachers.

I used to work in independent school as support staff and yes would have had a discount (and pro-rata if you are part-time/term time etc). I found a lot of teaching staff with children in the school left as soon as their children were done. It is a tie and personally I wouldn't want my employer to be my child's school. I wouldn't want the lines blurred. I would want to be able to speak freely as a parent etc.

Yes. Discount is based on hours worked not grade. So a full time teacher or support staff gets a discount of 60% per child which is massive.
Pro - rated for part time or term time contracts.

Something to be aware of - there's talk of these reduced fees being liable to a benefit-in-kind tax, i.e. the staff that derive that discount will have to pay a portion of the tax they would have otherwise earned.

Frankly, if they're going to add VAT to fees and question the charitable status of the schools then IMO it makes sense.