Retention, Retention, Retention

Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions, but it can also be incredibly challenging. Heavy workloads, poor pupil behaviour, stress, the strains of assessment and inspection, low pay, and the lack of a work-life balance can all take their toll.

As a result, there is now an acute retention crisis in the sector across the UK.

• 1 in 12 full-time teachers in England have left the workforce since 2024/2025, and a third of all teachers leave English schools within the first five years of qualifying
• Between 2500 and 3000 teachers leave the profession in Scotland each year, which is around 5% of the total workforce
• Whilst the rate of attrition is lower in Wales than in England or Scotland, some 1500 teachers leave schools in Wales each year
• Studies suggest that almost 80% of Newly Qualified Teachers leave teaching in Northern Ireland within five years
• The rate of teachers leaving the sector in the UK is significantly higher than the OECD average, and in some instances 3 times higher than the equivalent figure in France or Ireland.
• The high rate of attrition in the sector is costly, damaging to pupils and has already deterred many from considering a career in the teaching profession. Something needs to be done.

Here at Community, we are calling for the UK and devolved governments to take action to end the teacher and support staff retention crisis across our four nations. This can be achieved by reducing the unacceptable workload and working hours teachers face; tackling the scourge of poor behaviour in classrooms and cracking down on violence and intimidation in schools; re-evaluating the current burden of inspections and assessments; and supporting staff to remain in the profession.

When it comes to education, the priority of governments across the UK should be simple: Retention, Retention, Retention.

Our asks of the UK, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments:

Workload

• Work with unions to develop a comprehensive workload reduction plan.
• Increase protected planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time
• Work to improve funding for and transparency of SEND provision, ensuring that greater support is provided from and for parents
• Harness the benefits of ed-tech, using AI tools to support teachers with general administrative tasks
• Work with unions to ensure that participation by teachers & support staff in residential outdoor education remains voluntary

Behaviour

• Aim to introduce national ‘respect’ campaigns aimed at improving pupil and parent behaviour and ensure greater collaboration between parents and teachers.
• Work with teaching unions to develop comprehensive strategies to tackle poor behaviour. This should include behaviour management training for early-career teachers; investment in support roles (such as counsellors, family support workers and psychologists); and the provision of specialist behaviour support teams for schools

Assessments and inspections

• Plan to remove KS2 SATs which place an unnecessary burden on teachers, parents and pupils
• Work to reduce the frequency of inspections for schools where there are no safeguarding or performance concerns; increase the emphasis on workload and wellbeing in inspections; reduce the preparation required for inspections; and shift the focus away from intensive one-off inspections
• Work to ensure that inspections do not take place during examination times – this only doubles pressure on teachers at a time when they should be supporting pupils through their exams

Wellbeing and reward

• Promote health and safety reps and occupational health support in schools
• Work with unions and school leaders to develop flexible working strategies within education
• Work to increase non front-loaded financial incentives for teacher retention across the UK, encouraging experienced educators to stay in the profession
• Support Community’s campaigning work on student loans, and evaluate the potential benefits of teachers with over 5 years’ experience in the profession having the interest on their student loan wiped off