Private Versus State

[bernice]

Any help welcome - what are the implications for moving from being employed by a local authority to going into the Independent Sector. Have applied for a vacancy in an Independent School but just want some clarification as to what effect this will have on areas outside the actual job e.g. pensions etc. Anyone else made the move? Who actually employs you? Do they have governors or not? I know these are simplistic questions and I am prepared to ask them at interview but would like to be a little better prepared - or to ask more sensible questions!!

[Steve]

Hi Bernice -

Long time no hear - good to have you back!

 

Just as a point of clarification - what is your current employment status? Are you a qualified teacher?

 

You will certainly be entitled to some form of pension - any employer with more than five (I think - someone might want to correct me on this) employees has to offer the option of some sort of pension. But the quality of pensions varies hugely - whether, for example, they offer life insurance; whether the pension is index or final salary linked - and so on.

 

You'll probably need to ask specific questions of your potential employers, but as you say, it's good to be armed with some sensible questions.

 

Regards, Steve.

[Susan]

If you are a teacher and they are paying on the teacher pay scales, I think the pension may be tied into it in some way although that may be wishful thinking? Sometimes you get an option to pay into it or not, I think.

Can you check terms and conditions on your existing pension through the teachers pension scheme?

 

May be I should delete all that and not post at all?!

 

Susan