Private schools rise or fall on people, not buildings. Parents see grades and safety. Staff see pay that lands on time, fair timetables, real training, and leaders who listen. Here’s what laws require, what staff say in public reviews, and where schools can tighten up.
1) Pay and basic benefits
Nigeria’s new ₦70,000 monthly minimum wage passed in July 2024 after talks with unions; eligible private schools are expected to comply. Employers must also remit pensions within seven working days of payday—PenCom can penalise late remitters.
2) Workload and timetables
Reviews often praise teamwork and a learning culture, but many mention long days and peak-season pressure. Good practice is simple: cap weekly contact hours, protect planning time, and publish rotas early so staff can plan their lives.
3) Training, status and real progression
Teachers should be registered with the TRCN. Schools that pay for TRCN registration and tie CPD to clear pay steps keep people longer. Some Lagos schools show strong growth cultures; others need clearer promotion paths and faster conversion from temp/contract to permanent where performance warrants it.
4) Safeguarding that works every day
Lagos State requires every school to have a written safeguarding and child-protection policy with clear reporting lines and staff codes of conduct. Training should include teachers, drivers, cleaners—everyone.
Comparison snapshot (public review signals — indicators, not audits)
How to read this: short, public, Nigeria-based staff reviews and school pages. Signals can skew positive or negative and won’t cover every campus or year. Use them to ask better questions.
| School | Pay & benefits (signal) | Workload & balance | Training & growth | Safeguarding / policy signal | Overall staff signal |
| Greensprings (Lagos) | Strong recommend score; welfare noted (HMO, salaries info on page). ① | Mixed notes on pace, generally stable. | Growth culture mentioned in reviews. ① | Large Lagos schools typically publish policies; confirm at offer. | Positive (92% would recommend). ① |
| Grange (Lagos) | Free lunch, HMO, 13th-month; some say no overtime pay. ② | Busy stretches noted by staff. ② | Appraisals and development mentioned. ② | Lagos policy applies; check induction brief. ④ | Positive-mixed (good welfare; watch load). ② |
| Corona Schools Trust (Lagos) | “Average salary,” bonuses; supportive management. ③ | Weekends sometimes required. ③ | Strong self-development culture. ③ | Long-standing trust; policies typically formal. ④ | Positive on culture/CPD. ③ |
| Day Waterman (Ogun) | Pay competitiveness questioned by several posts (small sample). ⑤ | Workload manageable in most notes. | Good culture; want clearer progression. ⑤ | Independent boarding school—confirm safeguarding in induction pack. ④ | Mixed (warm culture; tighten pay clarity). ⑤ |
| The Regent School (Abuja) | On-time salaries highlighted. ⑥ | Some teams flagged “toxic” middle managers. ⑥ | Stable academics; line-manager coaching needed. ⑥ | Abuja independent; verify policy in offer docs. | Mixed (pay reliable; fix middle leadership). ⑥ |
| American International School of Lagos (AISL) | Strong benefits & CPD; several posts allege expat/local pay gap. ⑦⑧ | Demanding but well-resourced environment. ⑦ | Rich professional development noted. ⑦⑨ | International school with formal policies; extensive training. ⑨ | Positive-mixed (great CPD; explain pay philosophy). ⑦⑧ |
Five fixes that work
- Publish a pay calendar. Show review windows; track an on-time pay KPI and pension-remittance KPI monthly.
- Protect planning time. Cap teaching hours; ring-fence PPA; rota co-curricular fairly.
- Back the badge. Fund TRCN registration/renewal and link CPD to visible pay steps and titles.
- Train everyone on safeguarding. Termly refreshers for teaching and non-teaching staff; publish response SLAs.
- Mind the middle. Invest in head-of-department training—clear, fair supervisors keep staff and standards.
Bottom line: Parents see the brand. Staff see the system. Schools that pay on time, plan rosters well, fund real training, and live their safeguarding policy keep their best people—and their reputation.
About the Author
Dr Olufemi Ogunlowo is the Publisher of Anchor News and the CEO of Strategic Outsourcing Limited, a leading provider of personnel and business process outsourcing services in Nigeria.
