I’m an NQT and have found a reception job in a prep school for January 2003. If I do induction there the head says I’ll have to guarantee to stay for three years (which I can’t) to make the financial investment worthwhile - and if I leave before then I’ll have to reimburse the school about pound;500. Is this reasonable? He also said I don’t have to do induction. If I did go ahead with induction, he said I could start in January or September. He advised me to start in September because this is when all the courses begin.

This is tricky. The first thing you need to consider is whether or not you should go into the independent sector at all. There is still not much movement between the maintained and private sectors, so you need to be aware that you may find it difficult to get a job in a state school in the future. You should certainly check that the prep school teaches the foundation and national curriculum in the same way as a state school - and that it keeps up to date with national developments. Some prep schools can be rather traditional and conservative, and you don’t want that to hinder your development as a teacher.

Induction is optional in the independent sector, but you need to complete it to be able to teach in a state school in England in the future. More importantly, induction will help you through your first year and make you a better teacher, so it’s important to undergo it as soon as possible - for the sake of you and your pupils.

Independent schools don’t get the DfES funding of pound;3,000 a year per NQT, but still have to provide the 90 per cent timetable and all elements of support, monitoring and assessment if they are fulfilling the regulations. This can be expensive, but your school will be saving money on your salary, as you’ll be cheaper than an experienced teacher. Look at what pay it is offering: independent schools don’t have to stick to national pay scales. I think it’s unacceptable of the head to ask you to reimburse the school if you leave. Induction should not be an option but a professional responsibility - and it’ll make you a more effective teacher.

You should start induction as soon as you begin working. It would make no sense to wait until September 2003. NQT courses run by LEAs and universities normally start in the autumn, but plenty of people start induction after September and do well. You don’t have to attend courses for NQTs but it will help you stay in contact with mainstream schools - and give you people to talk to.

Are you a student or NQT? Email your questions to: susan.young@newsint.co.uk. Sara Bubb’s A Newly Qualified Teacher’s Manual:how to meet the induction standards is published by David Fulton, pound;16