Latest news with #Teachers'PensionScheme
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
‘I earn £70k as a private school teacher. My state school experience was horrific'
'The secret life of…' pulls back the curtain on professions you've always wanted to know more about. If you want to anonymously reveal all about your job, email money@ Working at an elite boarding school can be a dream: the beautiful grounds, the excellent students, the traditions. But for the eight months that you're in term time, it's boom or bust. There is no life; no time for personal development. It's a Monday-to-Saturday role, and occasionally Sundays too. You start lessons around 8.30am, and then the days can go on until 11pm if you're on evening duties at the boarding houses. Yes, you get four months off across the year. But by the time summer holidays come around, you need it – you're so mentally gaunt. Then, as the end of the holidays approaches, you think: 'I don't want to go back into captivity!' That said, we're definitely better off than teachers in state schools. They can easily put in 60 to 70 hours a week, including marking and lesson prep. To think they start on around £30,000 – it's horrendous. It's no surprise many teachers end up thinking 'the juice isn't worth the squeeze'. Relative to that, it's definitely more comfortable at a private school; it's just intense in a different way. My salary is now around £70,000, and then on top of that there's cheaper (or, for some, free) accommodation, plus meals. You can work your way up the pay scale fairly quickly with extracurricular duties, or heading up a department. The pension traditionally has also been very generous. With the Teachers' Pension Scheme, the employer contribution is more than 20pc, which is unheard of. That's gold plated, so it's no surprise why private schools are withdrawing – they simply can't afford it. I don't have a lot of sympathy for (private school) peers who are complaining that their pensions will be reduced. I think: 'Take a hike, I know you work hard, but you have no idea what's going on in the working world if you think you're hard done by.' I knew pretty early on that I wanted to be in education. I had an exceptional teacher who I'd see reading on breaks, and that had a big influence on me. I got a job at my current school straight out of university, so it's the only place I've ever taught full time. But I did have a brief placement at a failing state school as part of my training. That was horrific. They talk about classroom control, but all you do there is riot control. I got spat on. A Year 7 once squared up to me and said 'come and fight me'. I was tempted to throw in the towel right then. I don't think I could teach in the state sector. I'm just not cut out for what I saw. Some teachers are – and they probably have far more impact than I do, teaching spoon-fed kids. That experience did give me confidence around controlling the classroom. While private schools tend to have less acute behavioural issues, students can misbehave in other ways. They're very smart, and they can immediately sense weakness if you're junior. It's a form of bullying. Especially with young female teachers, an all-boys class can be cruel. You have to avoid getting pulled in. I once got in an open confrontation with a slightly difficult character, and it was a public showdown, which is never a good idea. He took me on, and I lost all authority. It can take a few years to really get that institutional knowledge and show them you know what you're doing. Generally, the students at schools like mine have a lot of natural talent. When they're good, they're stratospheric. But truthfully, you'd expect to see more, given the access they have to this insane level of education. Basic smarts will normally only get you so far. We really have to push students to do the legwork. They often fall down when they go to Oxbridge interviews. State school students will have put 10 times more work in, and they'll shine. Whereas some of our boys have this air of entitlement that can be hard to shake. As for the parents, overall they're very respectful. I only had one parent who blamed me after her son did poorly on his GCSE mocks. I tried to explain his track record across the board, and she pushed back by referring to herself as a 'customer', and told me I should do more. That's rare in my experience, although perhaps I'd be the same if I were paying what they are. The fees are north of £10,000, and that's gone up since the VAT rule changes by the Government. The changes to the VAT rules on private schools have been challenging for many institutions, particularly because it was introduced mid-year. That was a disaster for financial planning, and many schools had to absorb the cost rather than pass it on to parents. It's a difficult political debate; should you charge tax on private schools? Personally, I think the answer is probably yes. That said, I think the Government has gone about it the wrong way and with the wrong motivation. The Chancellor shackled herself by saying she would not increase working people's taxes, so then they had to target employers' National Insurance and VAT instead. That meant private schools got a double hit, which was pretty steep. I'm not worried about my school because it has a very good reputation. But there's been a climate of fear around what the VAT changes will mean for private boarding schools which rely on domestic appetite. You're hitting the middle to high-income earners. It might hurt some schools, which don't have much of an international reputation. It's also why there are reports of bursaries at lots of schools getting cut. My school currently has a pretty generous charitable arm, and I'm sure that will be affected in the future. I just hope this isn't in vain and they actually invest in the state schools with the extra money they're generating. I'd like to see them pay the teachers more and reduce class sizes. You'd see immediate benefits from that. Over the years, I have seriously considered changing careers. The hardest thing is that teaching is widely undervalued, especially given its potential to change lives. But schools like mine are a hard place to leave, and we do get a lot of lifers. It's also not easy to pivot out of the sector. You'd need to retrain, because your main skill is … well, teaching. It's quite scary. So many end up staying in education in one form or another – even if it's just tutoring. Ultimately, though, this job is hugely fulfilling. It never repeats; it just rhymes. It's a very sociable job and it keeps you in touch with the young generation. When you have a really good lesson, you'll just walk away with this strange glow. That's what you hold on to – and if you get that once a month, you're doing well. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
‘I earn £70k as a private school teacher. My state school experience was horrific'
'The secret life of…' pulls back the curtain on professions you've always wanted to know more about. If you want to anonymously reveal all about your job, email money@ Working at an elite boarding school can be a dream: the beautiful grounds, the excellent students, the traditions. But for the eight months that you're in term time, it's boom or bust. There is no life; no time for personal development. It's a Monday-to-Saturday role, and occasionally Sundays too. You start lessons around 8.30am, and then the days can go on until11pm if you're on evening duties at the boarding houses. Yes, you get four months off across the year. But by the time summer holidays come around, you need it – you're so mentally gaunt. Then, as the end of the holidays approaches, you think: 'I don't want to go back into captivity!' That said, we're definitely better off than teachers in state schools. They can easily put in 60 to 70 hours a week, including marking and lesson prep. To think they start on around £30,000 – it's horrendous. It's no surprise many teachers end up thinking 'the juice isn't worth the squeeze'. Relative to that, it's definitely more comfortable at a private school; it's just intense in a different way. My salary is now around £70,000, and then on top of that there's cheaper (or, for some, free) accommodation, plus meals. You can work your way up the pay scale fairly quickly with extracurricular duties, or heading up a department. The pension traditionally has also been very generous. With the Teachers' Pension Scheme, the employer contribution is more than 20pc, which is unheard of. That's gold plated, so it's no surprise why private schools are withdrawing – they simply can't afford it. I don't have a lot of sympathy for (private school) peers who are complaining that their pensions will be reduced. I think: 'Take a hike, I know you work hard, but you have no idea what's going on in the working world if you think you're hard done by.' I knew pretty early on that I wanted to be in education. I had an exceptional teacher who I'd see reading on breaks, and that had a big influence on me. I got a job at my current school straight out of university, so it's the only place I've ever taught full time. But I did have a brief placement at a failing state school as part of my training. That was horrific. They talk about classroom control, but all you do there is riot control. I got spat on. A Year 7 once squared up to me and said 'come and fight me'. I was tempted to throw in the towel right then. I don't think I could teach in the state sector. I'm just not cut out for what I saw. Some teachers are – and they probably have far more impact than I do, teaching spoon-fed kids. That experience did give me confidence around controlling the classroom. While private schools tend to have less acute behavioural issues, students can misbehave in other ways. They're very smart, and they can immediately sense weakness if you're junior. It's a form of bullying. Especially with young female teachers, an all-boys class can be cruel. You have to avoid getting pulled in. I once got in an open confrontation with a slightly difficult character, and it was a public showdown, which is never a good idea. He took me on, and I lost all authority. It can take a few years to really get that institutional knowledge and show them you know what you're doing. Generally, the students at schools like mine have a lot of natural talent. When they're good, they're stratospheric. But truthfully, you'd expect to see more, given the access they have to this insane level of education. Basic smarts will normally only get you so far. We really have to push students to do the legwork. They often fall down when they go to Oxbridge interviews. State school students will have put 10 times more work in, and they'll shine. Whereas some of our boys have this air of entitlement that can be hard to shake. As for the parents, overall they're very respectful. I only had one parent who blamed me after her son did poorly on his GCSE mocks. I tried to explain his track record across the board, and she pushed back by referring to herself as a 'customer', and told me I should do more. That's rare in my experience, although perhaps I'd be the same if I were paying what they are. The fees are north of £10,000, and that's gone up since the VAT rule changes by the Government. The changes to the VAT rules on private schools have been challenging for many institutions, particularly because it was introduced mid-year. That was a disaster for financial planning, and many schools had to absorb the cost rather than pass it on to parents. It's a difficult political debate; should you charge tax on private schools? Personally, I think the answer is probably yes. That said, I think the Government has gone about it the wrong way and with the wrong motivation. The Chancellor shackled herself by saying she would not increase working people's taxes, so then they had to target employers' National Insurance and VAT instead. That meant private schools got a double hit, which was pretty steep. I'm not worried about my school because it has a very good reputation. But there's been a climate of fear around what the VAT changes will mean for private boarding schools which rely on domestic appetite. You're hitting the middle to high-income earners. It might hurt some schools, which don't have much of an international reputation. It's also why there are reports of bursaries at lots of schools getting cut. My school currently has a pretty generous charitable arm, and I'm sure that will be affected in the future. I just hope this isn't in vain and they actually invest in the state schools with the extra money they're generating. I'd like to see them pay the teachers more and reduce class sizes. You'd see immediate benefits from that. Over the years, I have seriously considered changing careers. The hardest thing is that teaching is widely undervalued, especially given its potential to change lives. But schools like mine are a hard place to leave, and we do get a lot of lifers. It's also not easy to pivot out of the sector. You'd need to retrain, because your main skill is … well, teaching. It's quite scary. So many end up staying in education in one form or another – even if it's just tutoring. Ultimately, though, this job is hugely fulfilling. It never repeats; it just rhymes. It's a very sociable job and it keeps you in touch with the young generation. When you have a really good lesson, you'll just walk away with this strange glow. That's what you hold on to – and if you get that once a month, you're doing well. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Brighton school staff to strike over job and pension cuts
Staff at a Brighton school are set to go on strike over proposed job and pension cuts, the National Education Union (NEU) staff and teachers at Roedean School are due to strike over a proposal of 28 redundancies as well as pay cuts following a NEU said the school trustees also recommended a cap on the school's contributions to Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) at 22% and to incorporate the "fire and rehire" procedure in contracts. Roedean School has been approached for comment. Phil Clarke, regional secretary of the NEU, said they are calling for both the "fire and rehire" idea and compulsory redundancies to be withdrawn. Mr Clarke said: "NEU members do not engage in strike action lightly, but it is clear industrial action is their only option in this situation."The current TPS contribution the school pays is 28.68%. Should the revised pension contribution cap be approved, the NEU says teachers either have to fund the difference via reduced take-home pay or move to a "proposed inferior private contribution scheme"."With the cost-of-living crisis, more support staff are finding it increasingly difficult to afford to live close to the school, and so the changes proposed by the employer are simply unacceptable," Mr Clarke added. Roedean School was founded in 1885 and it is an independent school for girls aged 11 to strikes are due to take place on 30 April and 6, 7, 13, 14 and 15 May.
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Surrey teachers strike for first time in Ewell school's history
Teachers at a school in Surrey are going on strike for the first time in its 99-year history, a union has of the National Education Union (NEU) who work at Ewell Castle School have planned walkouts on Thursday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then on 7-9 strike action at the co-educational day school comes following a dispute about teacher pension arrangements, according to the Edmonds, Ewell Castle School's principal, said: "The school has made good progress in its discussions with the NEU and we hope matters will be quickly resolved." Picket lines will be formed between 08:00 BST and 09:00 in front of the school entrance in Church Street and in the staff car union said teachers at the school are members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS), a government-run scheme which guarantees benefits based on career length and salary. The school's governors have proposed leaving the defined benefit scheme and replacing this with an "inferior, privately-operated defined contribution scheme", the NEU Childs, the NEU's senior regional officer, said: "We are calling for the governors to withdraw the current proposals and to suspend further consideration of changes to teachers' pension provision." Mr Childs added: "The governors' current proposal represents a materially adverse change to existing staff contracts. "NEU members do not engage in this action lightly, but it is clear to them that industrial action is their only resort in this situation."
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Teachers blocked from swapping gold-plated pensions for higher salaries
A radical plan to offer teachers higher pay for giving up their gold-plated pensions has been blocked by the Government, reports suggest. United Learning, England's largest academy trust, wrote to teachers last summer offering pay rises of up to 15pc to leave the Teachers' Pension Scheme. However, the Department for Education has now opposed the move, according to reports in the i newspaper. It comes as current and former teachers launch legal action against the Teachers' Pension Scheme over severe pension valuations delays. Teaching staff are automatically enrolled in the generous pension scheme and pay between 7.4pc and 11.7pc of their salary in contributions, with a further 28.7pc added by their employer. Contributions are boosted by inflation each year, plus another 1.6pc for those still teaching. Upon retirement, the final pot provides retirees with inflation-linked pensions for life that already cost the taxpayer £1bn a month. Although state schools must legally offer the scheme, teachers can opt out and United Learning planned to induce this by offering increased pay and a less generous pension from April. Starting salaries would have jumped from £32,850 to almost £38,000 outside London and from £39,000 to £45,000 inside London. However, teaching unions said the move was 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' and asked Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, to intervene. Civil servants have now reportedly written to United Learning – which contains nearly 100 academies – and opposed the plan. It is understood that the Government suggested that part of the trust's funding could be ring-fenced unless it was used to pay pension contributions, before warning of a financial notice to improve from the Education and Skills Funding Agency. When approached by The Telegraph, the Department for Education declined to comment but did not deny the reports. It comes after law firm Leigh Day and teachers union NASUWT on Monday launched a legal claim against the Government over long-running pension delays. Pension valuations, known as Cash Equivalent Transfer Values, are usually requested in instances of divorce as a pension needs to be valued when assets are split. Official guidelines state that they should usually be completed within three months, or six months in exceptional cases, but the process has since October been wracked with delays. A Freedom of Information request by The Telegraph revealed that 1,053 were outstanding at the end of January. Almost 400 teachers had experienced delays of more than six months and 160 had waited over a year, while the oldest overdue case was first lodged in April 2023. One teacher told The Telegraph she had waited more than nine months, which had affected her health and left her trapped. According to the latest figures available, 621 are still outstanding, and the two organisations claimed the delays were causing financial losses and emotional stress Patrick Roach, the general secretary of NASUWT, said the time for excuses was over. He said: 'The unacceptable delays in processing CETV requests are placing intolerable financial and emotional burdens on teachers, many of whom are already dealing with significant personal challenges such as divorce or separation. Teachers who have dedicated their careers to public service deserve better than to be left in limbo.' Ryan Bradshaw, of Leigh Day said: 'This backlog must be cleared immediately, and those affected deserve compensation for their financial losses and the stress endured. Without proper accountability and reform, this situation sets a dangerous precedent for how we value and treat our public servants.' The Department for Education was contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
