Moving from state to private

[HMCTech]

I am interested in if anyone has made the step from working in a state school up to a full private school and their experiances. What were the major differences you could disitinguish? Were the staff more, or less IT able in a private school? What good and plus points would you give each catagory?

[e_g_r]

I actualy did it the other way. Moved from private to state school.

 

Things i noticed - state school was very much more noisy!!!! Pupil behaviour was worse. Staff were nicer, less up themselves. Staff on both sides were a mix of abilities, don't think it makes any difference, a teacher is a teacher.

 

On the state side the network infrastructure was better due to Ngfl funding. Internet was faster and better filtered. PC suites were better on the state side but i know for a fact that the school i left has done major upgrades to everything due to poor private sector ofsted report (6 1/2 years ago)

 

I left because the head of IT (a teacher who did it as a hobby) was a right t%%ser.

 

Don't regret leaving but due to BSF would always keep an eye out for a private school sector job.

[Netman]

Yeah, moved from 1600 pupil state secondary to 650 pupil private girls' school 6 years ago.

Found the staff much less knowledgeable and less interested generally in ICT as a resource - it's been a long hard struggle to get them interested, but it's slowly improving now.

Pluses include better pay, better staffing levels, much better budget - not necessarily more, but all under my control and arranged in advance. Nice atmosphere, grounds etc. Kids are much more polite and don't really break anything.

Downsides include more pressure to deliver, things have to look good to prospective and current parents as they are paying for it! Staff often don't appreciate the good kit they get, or use it to full advantage. Poor national financial outlook and falling rolls mean less cash to spend...

If I think of anything else I'll add it later...

[MK-2]

I'll add to this in a month or so when I make the switch. Moving from a state (right old state!) school to an all girls private next month.

The things Netman mentioned seem to be correct from what I could gauge on the tour though

[dhicks]

I am interested in if anyone has made the step from working in a state school up to a full private school and their experiances.

 

I get paid more (just got a pay rise today! Yay! - Hmm, I wonder if someone was checking the web logs and saw me visit the "emigrate to Canada" page?...).

 

There is way less money available to be spent on equipment, but then you don't have to waste any spending it on stuff that County think is a good idea.

 

No County. At all. Ever.

 

Nice children (although, this being an all-girls school, I find I miss the certain brand of enthusiasm that boys have around IT).

 

The staff are all very good teachers (and, hey, very nice people!) - that's the main thing a private school offers, small class sizes and good teachers. "Good" often means "experienced", which often means "quite old", so quite a few of the staff are having a bit of difficulty getting some of the concepts behind modern school IT systems. To be fair, most have been teaching very well for years without computers, so you can quite see their point!

 

--

David Hicks

[HMCTech]

I get paid more (just got a pay rise today! Yay! - Hmm, I wonder if someone was checking the web logs and saw me visit the "emigrate to Canada" page?...).

 

There is way less money available to be spent on equipment, but then you don't have to waste any spending it on stuff that County think is a good idea.

 

 

I assume you mean in a private school there is less money to spend? And do you think its the same in all private schools or something that is common in all?

[elsiegee40]

Try this thread:

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/educational-jobs/17016-different-independent-school.html

 

I've worked in both and my views expressed in this thread haven't changed

[dhicks]

I assume you mean in a private school there is less money to spend? And do you think its the same in all private schools or something that is common in all?

 

Yes, I mean that in a private school (well, our private school, anyway) we have less money to spend. It's amazing to think what you could do with the kind of money spent in a state school (seriously, when you add up all the various budgets, schemes and programmes it's thousands) plus the freedom of a private school ... In our private school (and, I would guess, the majority, although that's only a guess), pretty much all the money comes from fees. Of course, there are private schools that have been around for X hundreds of years and have enough land / investments / etc to provide a steady extra income on top of fees.

 

--

David Hicks

[john]

Im going the other way, spent 4 years in Private and fed up of it, remember if its boarding your needed 24x7 at times, the kids want the computers from 7am through till 11pm, pay was pants for me, fine we got lots of fancy things to play with but crap pay isn't fun Too many staff up themselves and have worse attitudes than state staff from what I remember of them, they get blocks off for PPA and don't do PPA they often bugger off home or to the supermarket etc then have the nerve to moan to us that they need X working now as they have only just realised they need to teach it 4 minutes ago when they decided to plan a lesson! They also moan at doing a little bit more than normal etc, I know we all get fed up of covering for others, but its part of the job surely that you have to do a little bit of give and take at times!!! You get some staff that have there fingers in too many pies as it were that people are scared to upset and tell off when they need it resulting in bad issues, also bad management seem to never go for some reason they seem to stick, and often as ive found you have a very split staff with three or more "groups" as it were which makes for bad feelings around the place. I'm sure that all places are not like mine but thats how ive found it.

[HMCTech]

they get blocks off for PPA and don't do PPA they often bugger off home or to the supermarket etc then have the nerve to moan to us that they need X working now as they have only just realised they need to teach it 4 minutes ago when they decided to plan a lesson! They also moan at doing a little bit more than normal etc, I know we all get fed up of covering for others, but its part of the job surely that you have to do a little bit of give and take at times!!! You get some staff that have there fingers in too many pies as it were that people are scared to upset and tell off when they need it resulting in bad issues, also bad management seem to never go for some reason they seem to stick, and often as ive found you have a very split staff with three or more "groups" as it were which makes for bad feelings around the place. I'm sure that all places are not like mine but thats how ive found it.

 

Thats interesting because you have also just described my middle state school.

Edited July 5, 2008 by HMCTech

[john]

Im sure its not just my place that has that and its both sides of the education world, but just to prove that private isnt a golden gem that it seems to be foreseen as, I thought it would be brilliant when i started but it soon tarnished and the last couple of years its gone right down hill, as some members on here know ive had it not so good these last couple of years but I hope things will be on the up with the new job.

[jcollings]

Im sure its not just my place that has that and its both sides of the education world, but just to prove that private isnt a golden gem that it seems to be foreseen as, I thought it would be brilliant when i started but it soon tarnished and the last couple of years its gone right down hill, as some members on here know ive had it not so good these last couple of years but I hope things will be on the up with the new job.

 

What's your spot planning to do with you upping sticks?

[john]

What's your spot planning to do with you upping sticks?

eer panic probably, they were given the letter later on in the week so I don't know, knowing what I do about the place and the role my replacment needs to fill i'd never want to recomend it to anyone as im sure people here can do what ive done but i know they won't give anyone the salary / rewards / opportunities to match it that they should.

 

I've had the few staff that know im going in panic's already! I suspect they will get some cheap labour in who will do a 1/10th of my work load and drag IT back into the depths they were in before I started, IE being a department that says no a lot rather than it may be possible / leave it with me and I'll have a look (or make a call etc) / yes which is what we are more happily known as now.

 

I've always been happy to turn my hand to most things to help out and ensure a happy place, fine it works both ways, but ive been very give give give but never received anything back (and i wasnt always thinking in terms of direct munitary reward either!) fine thank you's are nice and cards etc there always nice and well received as it gives you that nice warm feeling inside but appreciation from those higher above you rather than the person you did the extra mile for is also appreciated (points finger at bad management!).