Opposing withdrawal from TPS

Mr/Ms Z

Chair of Governors

Y School

Address

Date 2021

Dear X,

Success of the school and membership of Teachers’ Pension Scheme [TPS]

I am writing to you on behalf of the members of the National Education Union [NEU] to express the deeply felt view of the teaching staff that is imperative for the school’s continuing success for the school to remain in the TPS.

We of course appreciate the current dilemma is not of the school’s making and that the proposed rise in employer contributions to the TPS is a significant additional cost to the employer. As the leading trade union for independent school staff, including approximately 28,000 teachers, the NEU lobbied government and worked in liaison with the ISC.

However, we believe that this is a critical issue to the success of the school. The TPS is a fundamental part of a teacher’s overall remuneration package and a key consideration when joining a school. It is a deal-breaker for many teachers.

Most independent schools remain in the TPS. The NEU are confident that they will continue in the scheme to remain competitive in respect of other independent schools but also state and academy schools who all offer the TPS.

A decision to leave the scheme would leave the school on the wrong side of the divide between those schools that provide the best pension provision for their teachers and those that don’t.

Staff may feel that they would have to leave the school’s employment to protect their pensions. It may also potentially be difficult to recruit new staff, especially from the state sector, when offering only a defined contribution, not a defined benefit, pension scheme.

Staff have the best interests of the pupils and school at heart. We believe that the TPS is critical for the continued success of the school.

Please can you share this letter with all the governors, so that they are fully aware of the strength of feeling amongst the teaching staff.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely