When teacher Dan Woodrow moved from state to private education, he found that most of his preconceptions were wrong. Better salaries, longer holidays, and smaller classes were among the myths he encountered, but the reality was quite different.
Woodrow, who became head of maths at an independent school after three years in state teaching, was shocked by the hostility he faced from a supermarket assistant who criticised him for working at a private school. He noted that class sizes were not significantly smaller; he had 28 children in all his classes, as independent schools need as many fee-paying students as possible.
Contrary to popular belief, Woodrow's salary was only a pay scale point ahead of state school equivalents, not the six-figure sum his friends imagined. However, perks like longer holidays and discounted fees for his own children helped compensate. He also found that teaching quality was not universally superior; some teachers had been there for years and showed apathy or over-familiarity with the curriculum.
Parents were not overbearing or pushy, and many made significant sacrifices to afford the fees. Woodrow concluded that while some myths persist, the reality of independent school teaching is far more nuanced than commonly assumed.
