Is there a future in teaching in the independent sector?

[Fruttidelbosco]

For teachers in the independent sector, how do you rate your job security?

I always felt that it was a job for life—as it has been for many of my colleagues, but there is an article in The Times today—about significant increases in fees and the further prospect of 20% VAT—which I found quite alarming (especially where pay rises and pensions are cited as the reason for raising fees).

What do you think? Can you teach in the independent sector up until retirement age? Or are those days over (and so then what do you do?).

I wouldn't worry about it. There will always be an independent sector. Some small schools will fold and those that don't evolve their offering quickly enough will suffer. Most of the indies are already proceeding on the basis that the VAT rise is a done deal and managing staffing and the financing of projects accordingly.

But I don't think anyone can teach up to retirement age nowadays, regardless of what sector they teach in. It has not been a job for life for quite some time.

Thanks @MasterGland You are no doubt right that there will always be an independent sector, but it is the ‘managing staffing’ accordingly, bit that worries me!

Also, this is no longer confined to the small schools inevitably folding. It is the whole sector shifting (where the maintained sector has been reluctant to appoint experienced staff for some time).

At my school, and others I have heard about, there does seem to be some desire for natural wastage with staffing. The timetable is being run that bit tighter each year. We recently interviewed for a teacher and the HOD's choice was rejected by the Deputy Head Academic as "too expensive".

I am moving in September and I envisage that I will then have to sit tight for a few years as the sector readjusts to higher fees.
I do also think that the withdrawal of schools from TPS will pick up pace. This is inevitable. In fact, it might even become something legally enforced by Labour after they put VAT on fees. Even Gove was, I am told, opposed to the idea of independent school teachers having access to a state backed scheme.

I think it depends on what age/stage you teach and which subject? If you teach a subject that is a shortage subject in the state sector, I wouldn't see you have much difficulty finding a new role if your school does get into difficulty.

However, bar very big names, I don't necessarily think each individual school is financially secure. I know in my area, there are only a few private secondary schools. On the one hand, if one folded, then it would probably help the others as they would gain more students- but I wouldn't assume as a teacher I'd find a new job in a private school easily!

In bigger cities, there tends to be more work available. So I think it depends on a lot of factors. I do think it's very likely some smaller private schools will become non-viable over the next few years, even if there's no VAT change.

Normal to work up to ( or past) retirement age in the private school I worked in for 25 years, and in others locally. These schools are only just beginning to move towards leaving the TPS. There is talk about the effect on recruitment of staff .

Yes! It has been pretty common where I am for staff to stay on past retirement. In all those cases, they have been great teachers doing a great job for the students.

I can’t see it for my generation, though. It isn’t just the TPS. It seems as though being at the top of the pay scale marks you out as undesirable (I have twenty years to go until retirement).

Huge variation between working for a large, over-subscribed and academically successful indeoendnet day school in an affluent area, to working in a small, proprietor owned tiny Prep, especaially if outside SE.

The market is polarising. Cost of living rises and limited numbers if parents who can afford fees in some areas, mean lots of smaller schools are struggling and some close each year. At the same time, some bigger schools are doing really well for numbers and have their own Preps to secure senior numbers. The two types of schools are different worlds.

Increasingly, private education is a luxury commodity. Typically it’s not for middle class families with moderate jobs, but for those on City salaries or running their own businesses. With day fees over £20k in the SE, lots of people decide the difference isn’t worth it and move to good catchments for state schools so schools have to keep offering more and more for people to consider fees worth it. Lots of schools will close, but the bigger ones are likely to be more secure.

The two schools near(ish) me that have folded - one was about 2.5 years ago and one was only last term - were less than 100 pupils, one had about 65. These were primary.

I think (at prep level) the ones “in danger” so to speak are the ones that probably have been for a while - likely the one form entry. My prep has about 300 so I hope we are ok, plus income from renting out the facilities.

I’ve never had the TPS as the school withdrew just as I qualified. I think most indie schools will be out of the pension scheme in a few short years.

I guess like any private sector job there is risk that isn’t part of the deal in the public sector. I’m happy to stick with it for now - I can definitely see elements of my school “tightening up” appearing but o can also see investment. Competition is stiff round here. There’s no prep that’s full and if you want independent secondary (I’m SE but not London) you’ll certainly get one - some still tough to reach but several where most will get in.

What I can see is change in pupil dynamic. I think once upon a time when it was more affordable to the middle classes, schools could “Cherry pick” pupils a bit more. I think in reality in most areas it’s not such a race to sign up anymore and certainly from colleagues across other schools where I live, the pupils are becoming more “mainstream” - in which I mean, a smaller yet standard range of all abilities and a fair share of SEN which wouldn’t have been the case - can’t be denied that many preps once had the power to “work out” and “suggest alternative schooling” to certain pupils (ie SEN, way below average, behavioural difficulties etc) because they had a nice waiting list ready to fill whereas now schools need bums on seats. The nearby 3 form entry school to me has remained 3 form but ultimately at reception level the classes are 10-12 instead of what was once 16 or 18 of demand was extra high.

I think what will happen is classic staff “perks will gradually reduce like in many sectors (so reduced staff fee discounts for example) and private school will become more and more for the Uber rich - and parents will expect even more for their money!

Do you think that the independent sector is getting more homogenous?

I think there are laws against it, but fee rises, pay awards, raising class sizes - they all seem informed by what the others are doing. / can get away with. A race to the bottom rather than working independently.