Those deciding which independent school to accept - check if it is still in Teacher Pension

[WombatChocolate]

I’ve been following a number if the threads where people have been trying to decide which offer to accept and grappling with journeys, scholarships, extra curriculars, etc etc.

One further thing to consider in the mix - do you know if the independent school you’re considering remains in the Teacher Pension Scheme?

A number of schools (significantly less than half still) have withdrawn from the pension so they can reduce the longer term commitment to have much the school needs to fund their staff pensions.

On one level, parents might think that looks good because it means fees will be a bit lower. That is probably true. However, also consider staff recruitment into the future. We all know there is a teacher recruitment and retention crisis. Even the top independents are finding they have fewer applicants and sometimes none or no quality ones for vacancies. Schools that have left the Teacher Pension Scheme will find it harder and harder to recruit quality staff, because they will simply have the option to go elsewhere - to a state school or an alternative independent. The vast majority of top and larger independents still remain within the Teacher Pension scheme.

So, it’s just something you might want to ask at Offers Days and bear in mind. If your child wilL be going to a school for 7 years, you’d hope the good existing staff will stay and as people naturally leave, that the school will manage to recruit great replacements. Some schools might find that 7 years down the line, their staffing quality is quite different to today or even the last couple of years ago. Just something else to consider.

I think the issue is that 90%+ independent schools will have left inside 36 months. There is no rational reason for a school to remain in a scheme where contributions can be raised unilaterally with no ability to control that cost by the school. No business can operate with that unknown hanging over them along with the many other unknowns currently at play. There will be more and more changes (later and later retirement dates etc) to the TPS centrally as the government continuing to fund it for state schools will also become increasingly unviable and something they look to change. Recruitment is a valid reason to raise but the schools I have been involved with who have left have not suffered as a result of leaving and it is also notable that there has not been a big move from private to state by teachers employed by these schools which could perhaps be expected if pension was the main issue with regard to where people worked. In fact, ISC stats overall show an increase in state school teachers moving to private in the last few years and a decrease the other way around.

Teachers in independent schools have so many other perks than just pension. The 4 extra weeks paid holiday, the increased planning time, the free lunches, the amazing resources and small classes of generally well behaved children. I think going back to the state sector would be a massive shock for many of them. But that will likely be the only option to stay in TPS once VAT on fees kicks in.

I don’t think the government will change the teacher pension scheme it’s virtually the same as the civil service pension and the NHS pension! Recruitment of teachers is at a crisis level and they need to keep it attractive. There would be calls to change the pensions of all public servants and I can’t see that happening. Teachers in the state sector will soon be in a much better position.

Making education a business is part of the problem here. But that’s a whole new thread.

They won’t get rid of the TPS but continue to make small changes to the scheme rules (as they did to pensionable age etc) to make it cost it less money long term. The problem with it is that it’s an unfunded scheme that costs the govt £ms each year and contributions paid don’t bear any relation to money individuals get out.

Making education a business is absolutely the problem with independent schools but that’s what they are - businesses! Even those that are charities - their trustees need to make sensible financial decisions to keep the charity afloat and in most cases that will be to exit a scheme with ever increasing unknown costs often imposed at short notice that will severely restrict spending elsewhere or mean, for some schools, financial failure. The harsh reality of private schools is that if a parent can’t pay the fees, little Jonny is kicked out which probably is the worst thing for little Jonny’s welfare (and precisely what a school should be trying to protect) but is the reality when you don’t pay for the service you’ve received with a business.

I moved from independent back to state partly because of pensions and the active focus on managing behaviour and attendance has been a refreshing change tbh. The independent was putting up with far too much for fear of the parents.

I do miss the longer holidays and the lovely food but enjoy having sufficient teaching time.

Some independent schools may have amazing resources but I've worked in indy schools where there have been very few resources - no cover teachers, no TAs, no reprographics dept etc. Longer holidays yes but longer days. Fewer lessons (sometimes) but lots of extracurricular. It's swings and roundabouts. Agree that behaviour makes a huge difference.