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Teacher retention has been an ongoing concern for a number of years. In fact, shows 42% of teachers have left the state sector within 10 years of qualifying. But what’s causing this and what can leaders do to retain top talent?

What’s the average teacher retention rate in the UK? 

According to the , at the end of the 2024/25 academic year, 89.7% of teachers were still teaching one year after qualification, 75.8% of teachers who qualified three years ago were still teaching and 67.4% of teachers who qualified five years ago were still teaching. 

While some of those leavers will have gone to work internationally or in independent schools, lots will have left teaching entirely. What’s causing this? Let’s take a look at some of the top factors affecting teacher retention.

The top 5 factors affecting teacher retention

1. Excessive workload and long hours 

It's common knowledge that teachers are expected to put in additional hours for tasks such as marking and planning, but they end up doing much more. Teachers are often asked to be social workers, mental health professionals and administrators – and many teachers are expected to do certain tasks for the sole purpose of generating evidence.

2. Stress and wellbeing

Our 2026 Wellbeing report found that the majority of UK teachers do not plan to stay in teaching long-term, with most citing stress as the reason.  57% of teachers reported neutral to negative wellbeing, and one respondent said that the job is “impossible to do well”. 

Similarly, had the lowest overall wellbeing score since the charity began recording it in 2019. They found that 76% of all staff are stressed and 77% experience symptoms of poor mental health due to work.

3. Pay and cost of living 

The government announced a 3.5% pay rise for teachers in England for the 2026-2027 academic year, bringing starting salaries to a minimum of £34,069. As of September 2026, the is over £52,800. 

However, schools are required to pay the first 1% of this, leading to concerns the pay rise will mean staff cuts and increased workload for teachers. 

Similarly, ����Vlog Magazine reports that according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, salary levels for most teachers will still be about 7 per cent lower in real terms in 2027-28 than they were in 2010-11.

4. Lack of support and flexibility  

Teachers often report a lack of support from leaders, leading to an increase in stress, burnout and a decline in job satisfaction, ultimately impacting retention. This lack of support comes in a range of forms including:  

• SEND support: many teachers report a lack of sufficient staff, training and resources to support SEND students  

• Behaviour management support: teachers often report feeling unsupported in managing challenging behaviour, with some lacking access to behaviour support teams  

• Mental health and wellbeing: many teachers lack access to adequate mental health support to help deal with stress and wellbeing concerns  

• Administrative support: increased administration and tasks beyond teaching are contributing to burnout 

• Parental support: many teachers report a lack of support from parents in managing behaviour, as well as experiencing a high level of parental complaints

5. Student behaviour 

A 2026 found that teachers who say behaviour is worse in their school are more likely to leave teaching, and that those who report good pupil behaviour and are well supported to deal with disruptive behaviour are less likely to leave. 

This is in line with the findings of our 2026 Wellbeing report, where the majority of teachers we surveyed identified student behaviour as a source of stress – and a large number pointed to it as a factor in them wanting to leave the profession. 

Similarly, from October 2025 shows 22% of teachers reported student behaviour as their biggest source of work-related stress.

How to improve teacher retention in your school  

You know what’s causing teacher retention problems, now learn how to resolve it: 

• Increased CPD offering: teachers who feel that they are growing professionally are more likely to stay. Therefore, offering high-quality CPD opportunities can significantly boost morale and retention 

• Encourage a healthy work-life balance: often, overworking can become part of the culture within a school. SLTs can offer practical support to reduce teachers’ workloads, helping to improve their jobs day to day, e.g.

  • Offering flexible hours where possible
  • Exploring the option of job sharing to allow for part-time work
  • Investing in technology that can reduce workload that can reduce workload
• Support teachers beyond reducing workload: it's important that to recognise that stress, mental health and overall wellbeing should also be a priority for leaders 

• Listen to staff voices: it is vital to give each member of staff a voice and show you care about their opinions and wellbeing, such as with regular short wellbeing surveys 

• Foster a positive work environment: Schools that prioritise wellbeing and open communication tend to build stronger communities, where teachers feel more supported, less isolated, and are therefore more likely to remain long-term 

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Learn more

Originally published 11 July 2025