Teacher wellbeing is not a new concern for schools. From workload to student behaviour and a lack of support, teachers have been nearing burnout for years. However, in late 2025, we conducted a survey which indicated that teachers are reaching breaking point. 

According to our 2026 Wellbeing Report, the sector currently risks seeing 61% of teachers leave the profession before retirement (and over half of these leaving within the next five years).

We asked over 1,400 teachers where they thought their schools could improve in regard to wellbeing. Here are the top five areas we found leaders need to address to retain their talent long-term. 

5 ways to improve teacher wellbeing

The current teacher wellbeing crisis is a systemic problem. No leader can completely remove systemic pressures, but they do have influence over how work is designed, prioritised and justified.

Pressure from leadership and seemingly small decisions about meetings, administration, processes and communication can make a big difference to the daily working lives of teachers. 

Here are just a few areas where teachers told us their schools could improve: 

1. Work-life balance 

73% of respondents told us that their school could improve work-life balance. This figure, alongside the fact that 71% of teachers describe their workload as unmanageable and only 3% of teachers manage to complete their workload within their standard working hours, tells us that the system is broken.  

When more than 40% of teachers are regularly working an additional 9 hours per week to get their normal duties done, leaders need to review what is being asked of their staff – what can be abolished, optimised or automated to make work-life balance (and therefore staff wellbeing) better? 

2. Recognition and appreciation 

56% of respondents said that they want more recognition and appreciation. This doesn’t necessarily mean that teachers want a pat on the back for a job well done – more that they want leaders to recognise their sacrifices and take action.

Likewise, some respondents said that they want their leadership to recognise the need for and provide reasonable adjustments for teachers with conditions such as ADHD and autism. 

3. Supportive leadership 

The question of supportive leadership was divisive in our 2025 survey – 27% said that supportive leadership factored into positive wellbeing. However, in response to another question, 48% said that schools need to improve support from leadership.

Many respondents said they want more support in matters such as behaviour and inclusion, as well as support in managing or reducing workload. 

4. Flexible working arrangements

Almost three quarters of respondents said that flexible working options are important. However, only 27% currently has access to flexible or hybrid working. Additionally, 47% of respondents said that flexible working arrangements is a key area where schools can improve teacher wellbeing.  

While not all roles can be made flexible in the same way, leaders need to engage with flexibility and recognise that teachers have a life outside of work which is just as important as their roles. The key opportunity here is not to promise universal solutions, but to pilot, evaluate and learn.

5. Mental health support 

39% of teachers told us that they think schools should focus on providing mental health support for staff to improve overall wellbeing. This could be from a dedicated mental health support professional, or by leaders reviewing what they can do to support their staff.  

The question for leaders is not, 'what wellbeing activity could we add?' It is: ‘what pressure can we remove, what expectations can we clarify, and what signals are we sending about what good looks like?’ 

Other areas 

Alongside the above key areas for improvement, a few common themes were picked up in the open responses as to where respondents thought their schools could improve: 

• More support in the form of teaching assistants and dedicated SEND support staff 

• Cutting down on unnecessary pastoral and administrative demands 

• Respect, trust and a recognition that teachers are professionals 

• A whole-school approach to behaviour management with support from leadership as required 

Learn more about teacher wellbeing in 2026 

Our 2026 Wellbeing Report is based on insight from over 1,400 teachers across the UK. It explores teacher wellbeing around topics including workload, job satisfaction, behaviour, inclusion, and job progression. 

Read the report to understand the issues your teachers are facing and equip yourself with the knowledge to make impactful and meaningful decisions at your school.

Read the report

This blog article is based on data from a teacher wellbeing survey ÌÇÐÄVlog conducted in December 2025.