Working lives of teachers and leaders: wave 2 summary report
Updated 27 September 2024
Applies to England
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Introduction
The working lives of teachers and leaders is an annual survey of teachers and leaders in state schools in England. The survey explores teachers and leaders’:
- workload, wellbeing and flexible working arrangements
- attitudes to pay
- experiences of professional development
- future career intentions
This summary presents headline findings from wave 2 of the survey, carried out between 2 February and 11 May 2023. This was during a period of industrial action and wider cost of living pressures. The 2023 pay award for teachers was agreed in July.
Findings from working lives of teachers and leaders – wave 1 are available.
The full wave 2 report will be published in spring 2024. This will include detailed reporting of all survey questions and additional analysis by school and teacher characteristics.
Methodology
Working lives of teachers and leaders uses a longitudinal design, so all those participating at wave 1 in 2022 were approached to participate at wave 2 in 2023. They had the option of completing the survey online or by telephone.
Wave 2 participants
Of the wave 1 participants, 7,019 (63%) participated in 2023.
Additionally, 3,392 new participants were recruited. The total sample was 10,411.
The new participants for wave 2 were sampled from:
- the school workforce in England, 2021 reporting year
- DfE’s continuing professional development portal for early career teachers (ECTs)
In addition, 442 leavers (those who no longer teach in an English state school) completed a section of the survey, taking the total number of responses to 10,853.
Questionnaire
The questionnaire was split into a core questionnaire and 3 shorter modules. All participating teachers and leaders were asked questions from the core questionnaire. Teachers and leaders who took part online were also asked questions from one of the randomly assigned modules:
- work life and wellbeing (2,461)
- continuing professional development (2,462 )
- pay (2,471 )
Weighting and margin of error
Survey data was weighted back to the school workforce in England, 2022 reporting year to ensure that findings represent the population of teachers and leaders in England. Data presented from a sample of teachers and leaders, rather than the total population, is subject to sampling error.
The sample of 10,411 teachers and leaders currently working in an English state school means that statistically, we can be 95% confident that the true value of a survey finding of 50% lies within a +/- 1.1% range, that is 48.9% to 51.1%. Results based on a sub-set of teachers and leaders surveyed are subject to a wider margin of error.
In this report we have:
- made comparisons to wave 1 where possible
- drawn out statistically significant differences between the 2 years
Comparisons between groups such as teachers and leaders or school phase are drawn out when statistically significant. The working lives of teachers and leaders – wave 1: technical report has more detail on the methodology. An updated technical report will be available when the full wave 2 report is published.
Groups used in the analysis
An explanation of the groups of participants used in the analysis and the number in each group.
Teachers
Includes all who specified they were:
- leading practitioners
- middle leaders
- classroom teachers (not early career teachers)
- classroom teachers (early career teachers)
- unqualified teachers
There were 8,557 participants in this group.
Classroom teacher
Includes all who specified they were:
- a classroom teacher (not early career teacher)
- a classroom teacher (early career teacher)
There were 8,186 participants in this group.
Middle leaders
Includes all who specified they were a middle leader such as a:
- head of faculty
- head of subject or subject leader
- head of key stage
- head of phase
- head of year group
There were 2,497 participants in this group.
Senior leaders
Includes all who specified that they were:
- an executive headteacher
- a headteacher
- deputy headteacher
- assistant headteacher
- leading practitioner
There were 1,929 participants in this group.
Leaders
Includes all who specified that they were:
- an executive headteacher
- a headteacher
- deputy headteacher
- an assistant headteacher
There were 1,637 participants in this group.
Those with teaching responsibilities
Includes all who reported that they were a classroom teacher, or who indicated that their responsibilities included classroom teaching. This includes those who specified they were leaders, but undertook classroom teaching. 92% of teachers and leaders in the survey reported having teaching responsibilities.
There were 9,620 participants in this group.
Teacher and leader workload
Overall workload
The survey asked teachers and leaders to estimate their total working hours in their most recent working week, which was during term time.
Leaders’ average reported working hours were 57.4 (56.8 in 2022) per week. Average working hours for those working full-time were 58.2 (57.5 in 2022) hours. For those working part-time, working hours were an average of 48.7 (48.8 in 2022).
While teachers reported working fewer hours on average than leaders, there was an increase since 2022 (from 48.7 to 49.4). Average hours worked per week increased for full-time teachers (from 51.9 to 52.4). Hours reported by part-time teachers remained consistent (38.0 vs 37.3 in 2022).
Average working hours per week
Full time teachers and leaders were most likely to report working between 50 to 59 hours per week. See figure 1.
Figure 1: distribution of working hours 2023 - full-time leaders and teachers
| Hours worked | <20 | 20 to 29 | 30 to 39 | 40 to 49 | 50 to 59 | 60 to 69 | 70 to 79 | 80 or more | Don’t know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teachers | 1%* | <1% | 3%* | 26%* | 42% | 21% | 4% | 1% | 1%* |
| Leaders | <1% | <1% | <1% | 9% | 41% | 38%* | 9%* | 2%* | <1% |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders survey. D1. In your most recent full working week, approximately how many hours did you work? Single response. All full-time teachers (N=6,945) and full-time leaders (N=1,497). * Indicates a significant difference between responses of leaders v teachers.
Average working hours reported by teachers and leaders by phase
In line with findings from 2022, full-time leaders working in secondary schools reported higher average working hours than those in primary schools. For full-time teachers, the highest average reported hours were for those working in primary schools. See figure 2.
Figure 2: mean working hours reported by teachers and leaders by phase
| Mean working hours | Primary (a) | Secondary (b) | Special AP PRU (c) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaders 2023 | 57.9c | 59.1ac | 55.5 |
| Leaders 2022 | 57.2c | 58.6ac | 54.7 |
| Teachers 2023 | 53.9bc | 51.4c | 49.3 |
| Teachers 2022 | 53.2bc | 51.2c | 48.2 |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders survey. D1. In your most recent full working week, approximately how many hours did you work? Single response. All full-time teachers in primary (2023 N=3,339) (2022 N=3,431), secondary (2023 N=3,312) (2022 N=3,340) and special/PRUs (2023 N=294) (2022, N=342) schools. All full-time leaders primary (2023 N=837) (2022 N=967), secondary (2023 N=546) (2022 N=610) and special/PRUs (2023 N=114) (2022 N=118) schools. Letters denote significant differences between school phases.
Hours spent teaching in 2023 compared to 2022
Both teachers and leaders with teaching responsibilities reported spending a similar number of hours teaching in 2023 compared to 2022.
Full-time leaders with teaching responsibilities reported spending an average of 12.8 hours per week teaching, compared to 13.3 hours in 2022.
38% of leaders with teaching responsibilities in 2023 were teaching between 1 to 9 hours in the reference week, compared to 35% reported in 2022.
Among full-time teachers with teaching responsibilities, an average of 24.0 hours per week were spent teaching, up from 23.7 hours in 2022. As in 2022, teachers were most commonly spending between 20 to 24 hours per week teaching: 37% in 2023 and 38% in 2022.
Figure 3: distribution of teaching hours 2023 - full-time teachers and leaders
| Hours spent teaching | 0 | 1 to 9 | 10 to 14 | 15 to 19 | 20 to 24 | 25 to 29 | 30 to 34 | 35 or more | Don’t know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teachers | <1% | 4% | 2% | 11% | 37%* | 24%* | 15%* | 6%* | 2% |
| Leaders | 1%* | 38%* | 25%* | 16%* | 10% | 4% | 5% | 2% | 1% |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders 2023 survey. D2. In your most recent full working week, approximately how many hours did you spend on teaching in the classroom (including online classes)? Single response. All full-time teachers (N=6,924) and full-time leaders (N=939) with teaching responsibilities. * Indicates a significant difference between responses of leaders v teachers.
Primary and secondary teaching hours
When looking at school phase, primary teachers reported more teaching hours on average in 2023 with 24.2 compared to 23.7 in 2022. Teaching hours in secondary schools remained consistent at 20.8 in 2023 and 20.9 in 2022.
As in 2022, a minority of teachers and leaders (17% in both years) agreed that ‘I have an acceptable workload’, with a similar proportion disagreeing that they did in 2023 (73% v 72% in 2022).
There was, however, an increase in those that reported they have ‘sufficient control’ over their own workload. Three in ten (30%) agreed that in 2023 compared with 26% in 2022.
In total, over half (54%) of teachers and leaders thought their workload was both unacceptable and that they did not have sufficient control over it. This was a lower proportion than 2022 (57%).
Time spent on tasks other than teaching
As in 2022, classroom teachers and middle leaders reported that they spent too much time on tasks other than teaching, particularly general admin (unchanged at 75% in both 2023 and 2022). General admin includes tasks such as communication, paperwork, work emails, and other clerical duties they undertake in their job as a teacher.
Compared to 2022 however, classroom teachers and middle leaders in 2023, were more likely to report spending too much time on data recording, input and analysis (56% v 53%) and behaviour incident follow-up (57% v 50%).
In line with this, teachers reported more negative views on pupil behaviour in 2023. 49% of teachers rated pupil behaviour as ‘very good’ or ‘good’ compared to 58% in 2022.
Of teachers with teaching responsibilities, 52% reported feeling ‘always’ or ‘mostly’ supported with dealing with disruptive behaviour, compared to 58% in 2022.
Figure 4: classroom teachers and middle leaders’ views on the time they spent on specific tasks in 2023
| Time spent on tasks | Too Much | About right | Too Little | Not applicable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General administrative work | 75% | 20% | 4% | 1% |
| Following up on behaviour incidents | 57% | 36% | 6% | 2% |
| Recording, monitoring and analysing data relating to pupil performance and other purposes | 56% | 38% | 5% | 1% |
| Planning or preparation of lessons either at school or out of school | 48% | 35% | 16% | 1% |
| Marking pupils’ work | 46% | 43% | 8% | 3% |
| Pupil counselling, supervision and tuition | 35% | 48% | 10% | 7% |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders 2023 survey. D3_1-6 Across the whole school year, is the amount of time you spend outside lessons on the following too little (sum of far too little and too little), about right, too much (sum of too much and far too much), or is the statement not applicable to you? Single response. D3: All classroom teachers and middle leaders (N=8,476).
Senior leaders’ views on time spent on tasks other than teaching
In 2023, while a majority of senior leaders still felt they spent too much time responding to government policy changes, this fell compared with 2022 (62% v 67%). A higher proportion reported spending too much time on:
- administration within the school in 2023 (61% v 50% in 2022)
- administration and management with external bodies (48% v 45% in 2022)
- recruitment (30% in 2023 and 21% in 2022).
Figure 5: senior leaders’ views on time on specific tasks 2023 only
| Time spent on specific tasks | Too Much | About right | Too Little | Not applicable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Responding to changes in latest government policy including, for example, centrally required policy | 62% | 31% | 3% | 4% |
| Administration within the school | 61% | 34% | 3% | 2% |
| Administrative and management with external bodies | 48% | 46% | 3% | 3% |
| Recruitment for teaching and support staff | 30% | 51% | 7% | 11% |
| Data analysis | 30% | 63% | 6% | 1% |
| Performance management of staff | 21% | 64% | 15% | 1% |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders 2023 survey. D3_1-6. Across the whole school year, is the amount of time you spend outside lessons on the following: too little (sum of far too little and too little), about right, too much (sum of too much and far too much) or is the statement not applicable to you? Single response. D3: All senior leaders answering D3 (N=1,892).
Continuing professional development
Almost all teachers and leaders (98%) had taken part in some form of continuous professional development (CPD) in the 12 months prior to taking part in the survey (or, if an early career teacher (ECT), since the start of their teaching career if they completed their initial teacher training within this period). This was consistent with 2022 (also 98%).
The most common CPD activities teachers and leaders had undertaken were:
- training designed and delivered by staff in your own school, MAT, local authority (76%)
- lesson observation and feedback (74%)
- self-directed professional reading (57%)
- training designed and delivered by external providers (56%)
Flexible working
In 2023 the proportion of teachers and leaders with flexible working arrangements in place had increased since 2022 (46% v 40%). Part-time working remained the most common type of flexible working and was consistent with the previous year’s survey (20% v 21% in 2022). The most notable increases included:
- time offsite for planning, preparation and assessment (15% in 2023 v 12% in 2022)
- ad-hoc days – at manager’s discretion – to start late or finish early to accommodate ad-hoc requests (this does not include statutory entitlements such as sick days or bereavement leave) (14% v 7%)
- ad-hoc personal days off at manager’s discretion, for ad-hoc requests (this does not include statutory entitlements such as sick days or bereavement leave) (12% v 6%)
Although the proportion of teachers and leaders with access to some form of flexible working had increased, views on the compatibility and acceptability of flexible working were more negative compared with 2022. See figure 6.
More than half (56%) of teachers and leaders disagreed that flexible working is compatible with a career in teaching (51% in 2022). Over 6 in 10 (64%) of those not currently working flexibly or whose only flexible working is occasional days off or leaving early, disagreed that they would be confident requesting flexible working arrangements (comparable with 62% in 2022).
Figure 6: teacher and leader views on flexible working
| Views on flexible working | Strongly agree | Agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Tend to disagree | Strongly disagreed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I would feel confident requesting either formalised or ad-hoc flexible working arrangements 2023 | 4% | 16% | 12% | 29% | 35%* |
| I would feel confident requesting either formalised or ad-hoc flexible working arrangements 2022 | 4% | 16% | 14%* | 30% | 32% |
| Choosing to work flexibly would not affect my opportunities for career progression 2023 | 5% | 12% | 14% | 33% | 29%* |
| Choosing to work flexibly would not affect my opportunities for career progression 2022 | 5% | 14%* | 16%* | 32% | 25% |
| Flexible working is compatible with a career in teaching 2023 | 9% | 21% | 11% | 28% | 28%* |
| Flexible working is compatible with a career in teaching 2022 | 10%* | 23%* | 13%* | 29% | 22% |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders survey. K2_1. Agreement that ‘flexible working is compatible with a career in teaching’. K2_2. Agreement that ‘choosing to work flexibly would not affect my opportunities for career progression’. K2_3. Agreement that ‘I would feel confident requesting either formalised or ad-hoc flexible working arrangements’. Single response. K2_1 and K2_2: All teachers and leaders (wave 1, 2022, n=11,177) (wave 2, 2023, n=10,411). K2_3: All teachers and leaders not working flexibly or whose only flexible working is occasional days off or leaving early (wave 1, 2022, n=7,256) (wave 2, 2023, n=6,677). * Indicates a significant difference between the 2023 and 2022 responses.
Teacher and leader pay
Views on salary and salary prospects
Fieldwork took place during a period of industrial action and wider cost of living pressures. The 2023 pay award for teachers was agreed in July.
Teachers and leaders expressed greater levels of dissatisfaction with their pay and pay prospects in 2023 compared with 2022[footnote 1].
Figure 7: teachers’ and leaders’ views on their pay and career progression compared to 2022
| Views on pay and career progression | Agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Disagree |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am satisfied with the salary I receive for the work 2023 | 20% | 10% | 69%* |
| I am satisfied with the salary I receive for the work 2022 | 26%* | 13%* | 61% |
| I am satisfied overall with national-level changes to teachers’ pay in the last year 2023 | 7% | 7% | 85%* |
| I am satisfied overall with national-level changes to teachers’ pay in the last year 2022 | 9%* | 12%* | 76% |
| At this stage in my career, teaching offers me a good salary compared to other careers I could follow if I leave 2023 | 19% | 13% | 66%* |
| At this stage in my career, teaching offers me a good salary compared to other careers I could follow if I leave 2022 | 24%* | 17%* | 57% |
| I am satisfied with my longer-term salary prospects compared with other career paths I could follow if I leave 2023 | 15% | 15% | 69%* |
| I am satisfied with my longer-term salary prospects compared with other career paths I could follow if I leave 2022 | 20%* | 20%* | 58% |
| Teacher pay structure allows my pay to increase at a rate that fairly reflects my growing expertise regardless of whether I take on additional duties 2023 | 14% | 11% | 74%* |
| Teacher pay structure allows my pay to increase at a rate that fairly reflects my growing expertise regardless of whether I take on additional duties 2022 | 18%* | 15%* | 66% |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders survey. J1 How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements about pay and your job? Single response. All teachers and leaders (wave 1, 2022, n=11,177) (wave 2, 2023, n=10,411). * indicates a significant difference between the 2023 and 2022 responses.
View on pay: teachers compared to leaders
Leaders were more satisfied with their pay than teachers.
Figure 8: teachers’ views on pay
| Teachers’ views on pay | Agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Disagree |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am satisfied with the salary I receive for the work | 17% | 10% | 73%* |
| I am satisfied overall with national-level changes to teachers’ pay in the last year | 7% | 8%* | 85% |
| At this stage in my career, teaching offers me a good salary compared to other careers I could follow if I leave | 17% | 13% | 68%* |
| I am satisfied with my longer-term salary prospects compared with other career paths I could follow if I leave | 13% | 15% | 71%* |
| Teacher pay structure allows my pay to increase at a rate that fairly reflects my growing expertise regardless of whether I take on additional duties | 13% | 12% | 74%* |
Figure 9: leaders’ views on pay
| Leaders’ views on pay | Agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Disagree |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am satisfied with the salary I receive for the work - leaders | 41%* | 12% | 47% |
| I am satisfied overall with national-level changes to teachers’ pay in the last year | 10%* | 6% | 84% |
| At this stage in my career, teaching offers me a good salary compared to other careers I could follow if I leave - leaders | 32%* | 14% | 53% |
| I am satisfied with my longer-term salary prospects compared with other career paths I could follow if I leave | 27%* | 17%* | 55% |
| Teacher pay structure allows my pay to increase at a rate that fairly reflects my growing expertise regardless of whether I take on additional duties | 19%* | 12% | 68% |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders survey. J1 How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements about pay and your job? Single response. All teachers (N=8,557) and leaders (N=1,637). * Indicates a significant difference between responses of leaders v teachers.
Satisfaction with school decisions around pay
Teachers and leaders not classified as headteachers or executive headteachers, were more positive about the decisions their school made regarding pay, compared with 2022. Almost 6 in 10 (57%) agreed that the decisions their school took about their pay were fair, compared with 51% in 2022.
Around 6 in 10 (58%) of teachers and leaders not classified as headteachers or executive headteachers, also agreed they were satisfied with how their school communicated decisions about their pay to them. 1 in 6 (17%) disagreed.
Again, the proportion agreeing was higher than in 2022, when 53% agreed. Fewer than half (46%) agreed that their school followed its own pay policy when making decisions about their pay, although this was higher than in 2022 (43%).
Headteachers and executive headteachers’ views about decisions taken on their pay remained consistent with 2022:
- 72% agreed that decisions taken about their pay were fair (74% in 2022)
- 79% agreed that they were satisfied with how decisions about their pay were communicated (78% in 2022)
Job and career reflections
Satisfaction with current job
Most teachers and leaders reported enjoying classroom teaching most or all of the time (79%). Almost half (46%) also said they were satisfied with their job most or all of the time. These ratings, however, are lower than in 2022. See figure 10.
Figure 10: teachers and leader satisfaction with current job and enjoyment of classroom teaching
| Satisfaction with job and enjoyment of teaching | Most/all of the time | Some of the time | Rarely/not at all |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satisfaction with current job 2023 | 46%* | 35%* | 19%* |
| Satisfaction with current job 2022 | 58% | 29% | 13% |
| Enjoyment of classroom teaching 2023 | 79% | 16%* | 4%* |
| Enjoyment of classroom teaching 2022 | 84%* | 13% | 3% |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders survey. M1_1. To what extent would you say that you are satisfied with your current job? Single response. All teachers and leaders (wave 1, 2022, n=11,177) (wave 2, 2023, n=10,411); M1_2. To what extent would you say that you enjoy classroom teaching? Single response. All with teaching responsibilities (wave 1, 2022, n=10,244) (wave 2, 2023, n=9620). * Indicates a significant difference between the 2023 and 2022 responses.
Confidence in professional knowledge
The majority of teachers and leaders in primary schools with teaching responsibilities were confident (confidence rating of 4 or 5 out of 5) in the core subjects of English, maths and science. These figures were similar to those in 2022:
- 2023: English (89%), maths (89%), science (74%)
- 2022: English (90%), maths (90%), science (76%)
As with 2022, a smaller proportion of primary school teachers reported being confident in languages (23%), music (31%) and computing (39%) than the core subjects.
Secondary teachers and leaders had high confidence (97%) in the main subject they taught (confidence rating of 4 or 5 out of 5). However, only 66% felt confident in all the subjects they taught (down from 70% in 2022) and 32% were not confident in at least one subject.
Teachers and leaders with teaching responsibilities reported high confidence in other aspects of teaching. Around 9 in 10 reported being confident in:
- providing opportunities for all pupils to learn essentials of the subject (92%)
- assessing pupils’ progress (92%)
- applying rules on behaviour appropriately and fairly to all pupils (89%)
Views on being valued
Teachers and leaders overall reported positive views of being valued by their school but their views on accountability measures, perceived value by society and policy makers were more negative. See figure 11.
Figure 11: teacher and leaders views on being valued and recognised 2023
| Views on being valued | Agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Disagree |
|---|---|---|---|
| I feel valued by my school | 65% | 13% | 21% |
| My school recognises and rewards high performance from the teaching / leadership staff | 34% | 29% | 35% |
| School accountability measures provide important information about school performance | 26% | 20% | 52% |
| The school inspection regime provides a fair assessment of school performance | 15% | 13% | 71% |
| I think the teaching profession is valued by society* | 12% | 11% | 76% |
| Teachers’ views are valued by policymakers, for example the government | 4% | 5% | 90% |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders survey. E1_1; E4_1-3. Agreement scale. Single response. All teachers and leaders (N=10,411). * Smaller sample - all teachers and leaders taking Module 2. Q1_4,7; Agreement; Single response. All teachers and leaders taking Module 2 (N=2,462).
Teacher and leader wellbeing
Overall wellbeing
Figures 12 and 13 show that the measures of overall teacher and leader wellbeing were broadly consistent with 2022.
Figure 12: teachers’ and leaders’ views on personal wellbeing
| Views on personal wellbeing | Low (0 to 4) | Medium (5 to 6) | High (7 to 8) | Very High (9 to 10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays? 2023 | 20% | 26% | 42% | 11% |
| Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays? 2022 | 21% | 26% | 42% | 10% |
| Overall, to what extent do you feel that the things you do in your life are worthwhile? 2023 | 13% | 21% | 44% | 21%* |
| Overall, to what extent do you feel that the things you do in your life are worthwhile? 2022 | 14% | 21% | 43% | 20% |
| Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday? 2023 | 24%* | 23% | 35% | 17% |
| Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday? 2022 | 22% | 24% | 35% | 17% |
Figure 13: teachers’ and leaders’ views on feeling anxious
| Views on feeling anxious | Very low (0 to 1) | Low (2 to 3) | Medium (4 to 5) | High (6 to 10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday? 2023 | 18% | 19% | 18% | 44% |
| Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday? 2022 | 19% | 20% | 18% | 43% |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders survey. N1. For each of the following questions, please give an answer on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is “not at all” and 10 is “completely”. N2. On a scale where 0 is “not at all anxious” and 10 is “completely anxious”, overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday? Single response. All teachers and leaders (wave 1, N=11,177) (wave 2, N=10,411). * Indicates a significant difference between the 2023 and 2022 responses.
Impact of working life on wellbeing
A higher proportion of teachers and leaders reported more negative impacts of their job on personal life and wellbeing than in 2022. See figure 14.
Figure 14: teachers’ and leaders’ level of agreement that their job negatively impacts their personal wellbeing
Job negatively impacts personal wellbeing 2023
| Job negatively impacts personal wellbeing 2023 | Agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Disagree |
|---|---|---|---|
| I experience stress in my work | 88%* | 7% | 5% |
| My job does not leave me enough time for my personal life | 73%* | 14% | 13% |
| My job negatively affects my mental health | 63%* | 20% | 16% |
| My job negatively affects my physical health | 52%* | 21% | 27% |
Job negatively impacts personal wellbeing 2022
| Job negatively impacts personal wellbeing 2022 | Agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Disagree |
|---|---|---|---|
| I experience stress in my work | 86% | 8% | 6% |
| My job does not leave me enough time for my personal life | 65% | 19%* | 16%* |
| My job negatively affects my mental health | 56% | 22%* | 21%* |
| My job negatively affects my physical health | 45% | 24%* | 31%* |
Source: P3. Agreement that: ‘I experience stress in my work’; ‘my job does not leave me enough time for my personal life’; ‘my job negatively affects my mental health’; my job negatively affects my physical health’. Single response. All teachers and leaders in module 1 (wave 1, N=3,495) (wave 2, N=2,461). * Indicates a significant difference between the 2023 and 2022 responses.
Support for staff wellbeing
Overall, a majority of teachers and leaders agreed that their manager and school support their wellbeing. See figure 15.
Figure 15: teachers and leaders views on wellbeing support
| Views on wellbeing support | Summary: Agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Summary: Disagree | Don’t know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your school provides access to teacher support schemes or wellbeing programmes for staff | 52% | 17% | 20% | 11% |
| Your manager is considerate of your work-life balance | 61% | 16% | 22% | <1% |
| Your manager supports your wellbeing | 63% | 16% | 21% | <1% |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders survey. E2_2-3: Agreement that ‘your manager is considerate of your work life balance’; ‘your manager supports your wellbeing’. Single response. All teachers and leaders (n=10,411). P3_5 Agreement that ‘my school provides access to teacher support schemes or wellbeing programmes for staff’. Single response. All teachers and leaders in module 1 (n=2,461).
Future plans, including intentions to leave
Career intentions
Just over one-third of teachers and leaders (36%) indicated that they were considering leaving the state school sector in the next 12 months, excluding for retirement. This represents an increase from 25% in 2022.
Teachers’ and leaders were also more likely to be considering moving to another school at the same level than they were last year (25% v 22% in 2022) or for a promotion (24% v 22% in 2022). They were less likely to be applying for a promotion at their current school (26% v 28% in 2022).
For teachers and leaders not considering promotion in the next 12 months, the most common reason was concern about the potential impact on work-life balance, cited by 3 in 10 (31%). This is consistent with 2022.
2 in 10 (21%) felt happy at their current level and just over 1 in 10 (11%) felt the increase in pay would not compensate for the increase in responsibility.
In terms of future plans, almost two thirds (64%) of teachers and leaders said they knew what they needed to do in order to progress to the next level in their career which was slightly more than 2022 (62%).
Reasons for considering leaving
For teachers and leaders considering leaving the state sector, high workload was the most commonly reported factor in their considerations, with 94% saying it was an important factor.
The answer options presented in the survey changed between 2022 and 2023 so direct comparisons are not possible.
However, of those asked in both surveys, the following were rated important by more teachers and leaders in 2023 than 2022:
- dissatisfaction with pay: 63% in 2023, compared to 57% in 2022
- dealing with parents or carers: 41% in 2023 compared to 35% in 2022
- personal reasons: 25% in 2023 compared to 19% in 2022
Figure 16: teachers and leaders’ reasons for considering leaving the state education sector
| Reasons for considering leaving education | Important |
|---|---|
| High workload | 94% |
| Stress or poor wellbeing | 84% |
| Teachers’ views not being valued by policymakers like the government | 83% |
| Government initiatives or policy changes | 77% |
| Other pressure relating to pupil outcomes or inspection | 70% |
| Dissatisfaction with pay | 63% |
| Poor mental or physical health | 63% |
| Pupil behaviour | 41% |
| Dealing with pupils’ parents and carers | 41% |
| Lack of support from my superiors | 34% |
| Lack of flexible working opportunities | 34% |
| Lack of opportunities for progression or promotion | 32% |
| Personal reasons (for example ill health) | 25% |
| Having to teach subjects I do not feel qualified or have enough knowledge of to teach | 17% |
| Experiences of bullying or harassment | 15% |
| Poor relationship with peers | 7% |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders survey. M5. How important have the following factors been in making you consider leaving the state education sector? Single response. All teachers and leaders considering leaving the state school sector (excluding retirement). (n=3,628). The figures shown are those rating each factor a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale where 1 is not at all important and 5 is very important.
Reasons for remaining in the profession
Of those respondents who indicated in 2022 that they were considering leaving the profession, nearly 9 in 10 (88%) had not gone on to do so by wave 2 of the study. When asked why they remained in the sector, over half said because they:
- enjoy teaching or working with children (53%)
- wanted or needed the stability of the role (51%)
- had not decided what they wanted to do next (51%)
Leaving teaching in the state school sector
The survey included 442 participants who reported they had left a teacher or school leadership role in an English state school between the 2022 and 2023 surveys.
Among teachers and leaders that responded to the 2022 and 2023 surveys, 6%[footnote 2]had left a teaching role in the English state education by 2023. Comparison to the SWC indicates that this is likely to be an underestimate and that the response rate for leavers may have been lower than for those who continued teaching.
Looking at those who stated that they were considering leaving in wave 1 and also took part in wave 2, 12% confirmed by wave 2 that they had left. Of those who were not considering leaving in wave 1 or were not sure, 4% and 5% respectively had gone on to do so.
Conversely, among those who left the state education sector by the time of fieldwork in 2023, 48% stated in 2022 that they were considering leaving, 43% said they were not considering leaving and 9% did not know.
Of those who left, 40% were still working in education, 28% were working outside of education and 31% were no longer working.
Reasons for leaving
The most important reasons for leaving teaching in the state education sector were similar to those seen among those considering leaving (figure 16). High workload (80%) and stress or poor wellbeing (74%) were again the 2 most commonly cited most important factors.
Figure 17: proportions of leavers’ citing different reasons for leaving teaching in the state education sector
| Reasons for leaving teaching | Important |
|---|---|
| High workload | 80% |
| Stress or poor wellbeing | 74% |
| Teachers’ views not being valued by policymakers (for example the government) | 70% |
| Other pressure relating to pupil outcomes or inspection | 69% |
| Poor mental or physical health | 60% |
| Government initiatives or policy changes | 55% |
| Lack of support from my superiors | 49% |
| Personal reasons (for example ill health) | 41% |
| Dissatisfaction with pay | 39% |
| Lack of flexible working opportunities | 37% |
| Pupil behaviour | 32% |
| Lack of opportunities for progression/promotion | 29% |
| Dealing with pupils’ parents and carers | 24% |
| Experiences of bullying or harassment | 23% |
| Having to teach subjects I do not feel qualified or have enough knowledge in to teach | 23% |
| Poor relationship with peers | 9% |
Source: Working lives of teachers and leaders survey. M6. How important have the following factors been in making you consider leaving the state school education sector? Single response. All who left teaching roles in the state school sector (wave 2, 2023, n=442). The figures shown are those rating each factor a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale where 1 is not at all important and 5 is very important.
Comparison to state school sector
Of the leavers, 71% (313) were still in employment. Half of leavers still in work in 2023 reported having a lower salary in their new role (50%) and 29% had a higher salary compared to their role in the state school sector.
Of the leavers working full-time in both surveys, over half (67%) reported working at least 5 fewer hours in the new role compared to their education role and 11% reported working at least 5 more hours[footnote 3].
Over a third (34%) were working flexibly, including part-time working, in their new role outside of state school, where they previously were not.
A further third (35%) worked flexibly in both roles, while a minority (9%) no longer utilised any flexible working arrangements. Two in ten (20%) did not work flexibly in either role.
Leavers gave more positive ratings of their jobs than current teachers and leaders. See figure 18.
Figure 18: leavers in work ratings of job satisfaction and workload compared to current teachers and leaders
| Ratings of job satisfaction and workload | All leavers in work | All teachers and leaders in 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Agree: I have an acceptable workload | 68% | 17% |
| Agree: I have sufficient control over my own workload | 72% | 30% |
| Agree: satisfied with pay received for the work done | 45% | 20% |
| Agree: I experience stress in my work | 49% | 88% |
| Satisfied with your job all or most of the time | 74% | 46% |
Source: L14_1-2; L16_1; L16_5. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Agreement - Single response. L15 - To what extent would you say that you are satisfied with your current job? Single response. Those that left teaching or leadership roles. All who left teaching in the state school sector. Those that left and are still in work (n=313). D4;J1; M1_1 - Single response. Those teaching and leading in a state school in England (N = 10,411). P3_1 Single response. Those teaching and leading in a state school in England and Module 1 (N = 2,461).
Likelihood of returning
When asked how likely they were to return to the English state school sector in a teaching or leadership role, the majority of leavers (67%) indicated they were not likely to return.
A substantial minority (16%) said they were likely to return and 14% felt neutrally about it.
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The annual pay award is informed by the recommendations of the Teachers’ Review Body. In 2021 there was a pay freeze meaning no annual pay award was made. The 2022 pay award was 5.4%. Following the closure of 2023 fieldwork, the annual pay award was agreed at 6.5%. ↩
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This may be an underestimate as comparison between the 2022 and 2021 SWC data, collected in November each year, indicates the leaver rate was 9.7%. ↩
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All leavers working full-time in both survey years N=185. ↩