From 1 August 2021, the participation rules have changed to allow for the phased withdrawal of independent schools from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

Phased withdrawal refers to freezing the membership in a "phased withdrawal school" at a particular point in time. No new entrants will be allowed to join the Teachers’ Pension Scheme except for a bulk TUPE transfer from another participating school.

If you’re an employee of such a school and currently paying contributions in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, you’ll remain an active member of the Scheme. There are no changes unless you opt out of the Scheme or leave employment. We’ve created guidelines to help you understand how these changes could impact you (PDF, 152 KB) (This link opens in a new window).

When an employer advises that they’re moving to phased withdrawal, we’ll contact members and provide the above guidelines to help them understand the changes. Please make sure that your contact details are up to do date – if they aren’t please log in or register for My Pension Online and update your details.

We’ll be providing more information on phased withdrawal schools with a specific section on our website so please keep in touch with our member news for more information. If you require further clarification, in the first instance you may wish to discuss this with your employer.