Pension rise may be too much for some independent schools, warns ISC CEO
Chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Julie Robinson has written in Tes on the financial pressures facing the education sector and, in particular, the recent rise in employer contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS).
In an article for Tes, published on 2 November 2023, Ms Robinson warned that, while the rise (to 28.6 per cent) is funded for state schools, independent schools will have to fund it themselves. Acknowledging that the majority of independent schools are "very small, community schools" already running on tight budgets, Ms Robinson said: "The fact remains that many - if not most - of our schools will have to start looking at what they value and making difficult decisions about what they can afford to keep, including TPS contributions." She concluded: "The hard fact is a school that does not exist can contribute precisely zero to anyone’s pension."