Working in an Independent School vs Mainstream School

[booksandchocolate1992]

Hi,

I'm looking to get a job for my NQT year and have visited a lovely independent school recently - great atmosphere, decent pay, and would mentor me through my NQT.

The only thing is I'm not sure what it would mean for me to work in an independent school. Are there any major drawbacks? Is it really less hours/paperwork?

I know I'd have to do an extra-curricular activity once or twice a week. But what are your experiences of working hours in the two sectors?

Also, will I find it very difficult to move back into the mainstream sector if I ever wished to do so in the future?

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

If you like it, go for it! All schools are different whether independent or state and it would be impossible to generalise. If you have a good feeling about it, you might as well apply and take it from there.

I have an interview at an independent school next week ,after 18 years in states schools. I expect it to be equal pressure and working hours, possibly more, but a different type of pressure. At this stage, I see it as different. I don't think working in independent schools for. A few years will pigeon hole you into private education. Go with your gut feeling!

Moved into independent last year after 13 years in state. Best move I ever made! I love teaching but the behaviour management was taking over my life - not necessarily my own but as a HoD I had to support all the weaker teachers, plus behavioural issues arising from my tutor group. It was a tough school, not one where my subject (languages) was particularly valued.
Roll forward 8 months and I am like a pig in clover in my new school. The hours are just as long, but the pressures are different. More pressure to get the top grades. More expectation that you will drop everything to support borderline or weaker students. More 'opportunities' to stay after school and meet parents or run clubs. An absolute expectation that you will contribute to extra curricular. However, classes are smaller, the students are much better behaved ( even the ones that think they're hard!) and there's more opportunity for thinking outside the box in terms of teaching content.
If you are a good enough teacher, moving between the 2 will not be a problem. Plenty of good state schools have the same expectations as many private schools.

MAINTSTREAM? do you mean state?

Yes sorry, state run schools. Thanks for your replies so far everyone.

I agree with all of Sauvignon's post, plus others who have said the 2 sectors are different: one is not less work than the other.

My experience is that hours are FAR more in independent, but holidays better.

The independent school you've found sounds perfect. Go for it! If you like the vibe when you enter a school then that's the one to work at.

I've worked in several state schools and one independent. The difference was just huge. In the independent one... poor behaviour didn't really happen, pay was better, much better facilities, free lunches, longer holidays, much more relaxed management style, much less paperwork, much better relationships between staff, and between staff and pupils, more positive atmosphere, almost all parents were lovely and supportive.

I have pretty much decided I want to quit teaching because of the state of the education system atm, but I might change my mind if a job came up in a local independent school. Unfortunately there are hardly any round here.

It’s 2023 and I’m still wondering which is better, mainstream or independent schools.

Ask the independent school about pensions. Some independents opt out of the teachers' pension scheme because it's too expensive to maintain.

I currently teach in an independent but previously state sector for many years in a very deprived area. There are different pressures. If you are a primary age teacher, parents can be very difficult in the independents and I see colleagues bending over backwards to accommodate their demands on a daily basis. But behaviour is better (and when it isn’t, ultimately they are asked to leave) and overall,it’s more doing the job you signed up to do. You will have to do clubs and other activities but I personally find that I can be far more creative in how I approach things which makes the co-curricula stuff far more worthwhile than anything I was able to do in the state sector. You will be expected to add something extra - which might mean sports on Saturdays, late evenings putting together productions and concerts etc etc etc. Depends what you teach and what your interests are. If you are selected for interview, they will want to k ow what your value-added is so give it some thought. I also do at least a week’s holiday club in the summer, not as an outright expectation but a ‘please do this as parents want it again so you can’t say no’ kind of way! In secondary (I teach across the whole school), behaviour is good, it’s cool to do well, and kids are excelling in sports, music and drama alongside 10 grade 9s at GCSE. Kids expect to work hard but they expect you to work hard with them too. Parents can be weirdly demanding but easier to bat them off than in the prep.

Do consider the pension situation. Not all independents are in the TPS.

Check the TPS status first.

I prefer the freedom, smaller class size, being fed 2 hot meals every day and longer holidays. BUT independent schools are very strange places.

There is a lot of emphasis on how things look rather than the actual academic outcomes.

There is a lot of cost cutting in terms of resources because these schools are struggling.

I have found that the bullying is worse and behaviour isn’t dealt with properly because, at the end of the day, independent schools are businesses and the customer is always right. This causes toxicity to grow ime.

For me, this ^^ is at odds with my values and the impeccable practice that I witnessed when working in state schools, so I can’t see myself staying in the independent sector forever. Because there is not much CPD, I have had to self-fund courses to keep my CV up to date.

Be careful you don’t become de-skilled.

I would also add that the current 2y ECT training package is quite intensive in state schools (it used to be 1 yr) but the quality of training is possibly better than for someone starting out in an independent .You'll get experience of handling a wide variety of situations and really learn your craft. You'll also hopefully get real pleasure out of bringing kids on to meet their potential which is rewarding. The behaviour can be atrocious - time consuming, wearing and you can begin to doubt yourself. I have worked in both. I'm glad I got a lot of state experience first as I learnt lots of skills. Good luck.