How Schools Can Improve Teacher Retention & Wellbeing
Teacher retention is a growing challenge in the UK, with thousands of teachers leaving the profession each year due to burnout, workload pressures, and lack of support.
As a school leader or hiring manager, ensuring teacher wellbeing is crucial to maintaining a motivated, engaged, and high-performing workforce.
In this guide, we’ll explore:
✅ Why teachers leave their jobs.
✅ How schools can improve teacher wellbeing and mental health.
✅ Effective strategies for reducing workload and burnout.
✅ How reliable recruitment agencies can help schools find and retain the right staff.
Why Do Teachers Leave Their Jobs?
According to research, over 40% of teachers leave within their first five years in the profession. Common reasons include:
📌 Excessive workload & administrative tasks – Marking, lesson planning, and paperwork leave little time for actual teaching.
📌 Poor work-life balance – Long hours, weekend marking, and stress impact personal wellbeing.
📌 Lack of professional development – Teachers feel stagnant without opportunities to grow.
📌 Behavioural challenges in the classroom – Managing difficult student behaviour can be overwhelming.
📌 Insufficient leadership support – Schools that don’t prioritise staff wellbeing see higher turnover.
📌 Low salaries & financial pressure – Many teachers feel underpaid compared to the workload they carry.
📊 Did You Know? The UK teacher shortage is worsening, with vacancies rising each year. Retaining staff is now a top priority for school leaders.
How Schools Can Improve Teacher Wellbeing & Mental Health
- Foster a Positive & Supportive School Culture
✅ Encourage open communication – Create a school environment where teachers feel valued and heard.
✅ Recognise teacher achievements – Regular appreciation, awards, and thank-you notes make a big difference.
✅ Provide access to mental health resources – Offer counselling, wellbeing workshops, and stress management training.
Example: Schools that implement teacher wellbeing programmes report higher retention rates and lower absenteeism.
- Reduce Teacher Workload & Administrative Burdens
Key strategies to cut down unnecessary workload:
📌 Reduce excessive marking – Move towards verbal feedback, peer assessment, and self-marking activities.
📌 Streamline lesson planning – Encourage collaborative lesson sharing to cut down on time-consuming prep work.
📌 Use technology effectively – Digital tools like Google Classroom, automated grading, and AI-assisted planning save time.
📊 Case Study: A school in London cut teacher workload by 20% by introducing team lesson planning and reduced marking requirements.
Effective Strategies for Reducing Teacher Burnout
- Provide Meaningful Professional Development Opportunities
✅ Offer CPD (Continuing Professional Development) courses to keep teachers engaged.
✅ Provide mentoring and coaching programmes for career growth.
✅ Support teachers who want to progress into leadership roles.
📌 Tip: Investing in teacher career growth increases motivation and loyalty to the school.
- Encourage Work-Life Balance
✅ Limit after-hours emails and work expectations – Teachers should not be expected to work weekends.
✅ Introduce wellbeing days – Some schools provide extra non-teaching days for lesson planning and professional development.
✅ Implement job-sharing & flexible contracts for teachers with family responsibilities.
📌 Fact: Schools with better work-life balance policies see a drop in staff absenteeism and stress-related resignations.
How Reliable Recruitment Agencies Help Schools Find & Retain Teachers
Struggling with teacher shortages? Education recruitment agencies can:
✅ Provide qualified and pre-vetted candidates for immediate roles.
✅ Offer long-term staffing solutions to ensure continuity.
✅ Match the right teachers with the right schools, improving retention rates.
✅ Reduce hiring stress for headteachers and HR teams.
📌 Reliant Education specialises in helping schools find dedicated, high-quality teachers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Teacher Retention & Wellbeing
- How can schools support teachers with mental health?
Schools can offer access to mental health professionals, implement peer support groups, and provide stress-reduction strategies.
- What are the best ways to reduce teacher workload?
📌 Reducing marking policies, allowing team planning, and using ed-tech solutions can cut workload significantly.
- How can recruitment agencies help with teacher retention?
A specialist education agency ensures schools hire teachers who fit their ethos, reducing staff turnover.
- What incentives improve teacher retention?
📌 Better pay, professional growth opportunities, reduced workload, and flexible contracts all improve retention rates.
