State school teachers leaving the profession hit the highest rate in four years last year, new government data reveals.
One in 10 (9.7 per cent) of all qualified teachers - equal to 43,997 - left the state-funded sector in the academic year 2021-22, a rise of 7,818 from the previous year when 36,179 left.
Data released today by the Department for Education also shows an increase in the number of new teachers leaving the sector after one year - from 12.4 per cent in 2020 to 12.8 per cent in 2021.
The number of headteachers leaving the profession rose to 2,341 in 2021-22, the highest number since the Conservatives came into power in 2010, the data reveals.
And the number of classroom teachers leaving teaching in state-funded schools rose to 38,109, the highest number since 2016-17.
The leaving rate for primary teachers remained above secondary teachers in 2021 to 2022 at 10 compared to 9.7 per cent.
The data records the number of qualified teachers who quit the profession including deceased, out of service and retired.
It covers a period when schools were still subject to some restrictions due to the Covid pandemic, such as the requirement for secondary pupils to be tested and wear masks in classrooms.
Commenting on the data, Jack Worth, school workforce lead at the National Foundation for Educational Research, said: “It is hugely concerning that 40,000 working-age teachers left the profession last year, the highest level since records began in 2010.
“While fewer teachers retired, the overall picture is that teacher leaving rates rose in 2022 to just above the pre-pandemic level amid a competitive wider labour market.
“Addressing teacher retention should be at the heart of dealing with the teacher supply challenge, with further policy action needed to reduce teacher workload and increase the competitiveness of teacher pay.”
There was a 28.5 per cent fall in the number of retirees last year compared to the previous year.
James Zuccollo, director for school workforce at the Education Policy Institute, said the data “exposes a concerning increase in the number of classroom teachers and headteachers quitting their roles ahead of retirement”.
He added: “Policymakers must consider the impact the loss of experience may have on the quality of teaching in the years ahead. Particularly so as both vacancies and temporary posts have increased dramatically, indicating that recruitment remains difficult.
“Our research shows that many pupils are still experiencing lost learning as a result of the pandemic and so a healthy pipeline of quality teachers entering and remaining in the profession is critical for the years ahead.”
Teacher vacancies continue to rise
Teacher vacancies have more than doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels, from 1,001 in November 2019 to 2,120 in November 2022, according to data published by the DfE this morning.
And the total number of leader vacancies recorded rose to 214 from 196 last year.
Meanwhile, teacher sickness absences remained far above pre-pandemic levels in 2021-22 at 67.5 per cent compared to 54.1 per cent in 2018-19.
As a result, the number of classroom teacher posts covered by temporary staff rose by more than a third compared to last year, with 3,025 supply teachers covering posts in November 2022, compared to 1,983 in 2021.
The figures come in the same week that the Commission on Teacher Retention published its final report, which concluded: “There is no single driver of teacher retention, nor one silver bullet to fix it.”
The research revealed that a quarter of secondary teachers working in the government’s Education Improvement Areas (24 per cent) say they are unlikely to be in the profession in five years.
The School Workforce Census published today (8 June) shows that nearly 48,000 teachers entered classrooms in the 2022-23 academic year.
Education secretary Gillian Keegan said: “A great education does not happen by chance, and brilliant teachers shape children’s lives every day.
“In today’s competitive job market, it is fantastic to see so many people choosing a rewarding teaching career, with a record number of teachers now working in our schools.
“We know there is more to do, which is why we have generous bursaries to attract new trainees to teach priority subjects and focusing on supporting new teachers from the very start of their journey with free, high-quality, ongoing professional development.”
