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Teacher retention has been an ongoing concern for a number of years. In fact, over 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? 

Between 2010 and 2022, 40,438 teachers left the state sector within a year of starting. In the same period, a total of 63,977 teachers left within three years of qualifying. Looking more long-term, 42.2% left the state sector within ten years of qualifying.  

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

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Excessive workload and long hours��

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

For many, the issue is not the number of hours worked but the tasks they were asked to do during those hours.��

Stress and wellbeing 

A recent survey conducted by the found that almost two thirds of teachers feel stressed more than 60% of the time. Meanwhile, 75% of respondents said that they are ‘unable’ to switch off from work-related thoughts when at home. Only 1.5% said they are unaffected by stress.  

One respondent added that in terms of work-life balance, “You feel exhausted all the time and guilty for sacrificing your own family time. It is not a profession which allows you to have a life outside of work and it is mentally draining and detrimental to your mental and physical health.” 

Pay and cost of living 

The government announced a 4% pay rise for teachers in England for the 2025-2025 academic year, bringing starting salaries to a minimum of £32,196 and around £40,317 in London. The average teacher salary is now £51,000.  

However, this equates to a 1% pay rise above 2010 level in real terms. Most teacher salaries will actually be about 8% lower than 2010 levels in real terms.  

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, says “Poor retention rates are chiefly the result of excessive workloads and uncompetitive pay compared with other professions,” 

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.  

Student behaviour 

81% of respondents in a recent report said that their top priority is to reduce the workload associated with behaviour management. This is especially true of primary schools where poor pupil behaviour is now a bigger concern than workload. More than three-quarters of teachers said poor behaviour has stopped or interrupted teaching in the last year, whilst exclusion and suspension rates have increased by a third since 2023-2024.  

According to an , poor student behaviour negatively impacted the mental health and wellbeing of 82% of respondents and 71% said that it negatively impacts their job satisfaction.  

How to improve teacher retention in your school 

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

1. Increased CPD offering - teachers who feel that they are growing professionally are more likely to stay. Therefore, offering high-quality CPD (Continuing Professional Development) opportunities can significantly boost morale and retention 

2. 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 

3. 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 

4. Listen to staff voices - With teachers being less likely to leave their school when they feel engaged, it is vital to give each member of staff a voice. Show that you care about their opinions and wellbeing with regular short wellbeing surveys 

5. 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 

Recruit and retain top talent with Tes Staff Management 

With Tes Staff Management, schools gain access to four times more teachers than the next best alternative, as well as a number of great features to help retain existing staff. Benefit from: 

• Unlimited job adverts, accessing over 550,000 UK teachers 

• ATS tracking 

• Candidate Search - find your ideal candidates 

• CPD courses 

• Safeguarding training 

• Wellbeing surveys 

Learn more