Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the proportion of independent school teachers who are in the teachers' pension scheme as of (i) the most recent date for which data are available and (ii) October 2021.

The scheme administrator maintains a record of the number of independent schools participating in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS), as well as those that have elected for phased withdrawal. However, as participation is voluntary for this sector, the scheme administrator does not have a figure of the total number that could participate. Eligibility is only considered at the time that an independent school applies to join the TPS.

Data from September 2024 shows that there are 601 independent schools that are fully participating in the TPS and a further 247 that have opted for phased withdrawal. A bespoke report would need to be obtained from the scheme administrator for the position in October 2021.

The department does not have an estimate of the proportion of independent school teachers who are in the TPS. As not all independent schools participate in the TPS, the scheme administrator does not hold this information.

The department maintains financial records via the Annual Report and Accounts, in addition to the scheme valuation, which is scheduled to take place every four years. However, the specific data on the revenue to the teachers’ pension scheme from independent schools’ employers’ contributions is not available as the TPS does not require it for the purposes of the administration of the scheme.

The department does not hold projected revenue figures for the TPS specifically from independent school employer contributions for 2024/25 or 2025/26.