Why teacher turnover is inevitable and how to plan for it
Turnover is a normal part of school life. Teachers leave for new roles, move, retire, go on parental leave, or take breaks for personal reasons. As the end of May approaches, many teachers have made decisions about their next steps. Although teacher resignation dates mean schools often find out in advance when a teacher is moving on, that doesn't make the disruption any easier to manage.
While change is inevitable, disruption doesn’t have to be. With forward planning and the right support and recruitment, schools can manage staff transitions and ensure continuity for students.
Plan ahead for a smooth summer term
If you’re expecting staff changes in the months ahead, planning now can help ensure a smoother transition. Studies show that continuity in teaching staff can improve pupils' academic performance and behaviour. Research from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) indicates that schools with lower staff turnover tend to have higher student achievement rates. By succession planning and having contingency plans in place, you can:
Reduce disruption for students
Maintain learning momentum
Support your remaining team
Recruit now and stay ahead of the competition
The demand for qualified teachers is high, and recent statistics from the Department for Education highlight a growing teacher shortage. Today's teacher shortages are most acute in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and foreign languages.
Recruiting permanent staff early benefits your school and students, ensuring an effective start to the next academic year. It also means you can enjoy the rest of the term and the summer holidays without worrying about September’s staffing levels.
How flexible support can help fill the gaps
Implementing flexible teaching models, such as part-time or remote teaching opportunities, enables teachers to balance their commitments. This approach helps attract a diverse pool of talent and accommodate the evolving needs of teachers in a dynamic work environment.
Supply teachers can also be beneficial, they are more than short-term cover, they’re an essential part of the school workforce. Supply teachers bring energy, new ideas, and valuable experience from different settings.
Many are experienced teachers who have chosen supply work for its flexibility and variety. This means they’re ready to step into your classrooms and make a positive impact.
Consider what your school can do to reduce pressure
Excessive workload is driving talented teachers away. A recent workforce survey by the Department for Education (DfE) found that 40,000 teachers resigned from state schools in 2021/22, 9% of the teaching workforce. There are many reasons for resignations, with workload pressures and lack of flexibility as major factors. Schools can ease this pressure by:
Streamlining admin: Review data requests and reporting cycles. Cut any “empty” tasks that don’t benefit teaching and learning.
Sharing the load: Use supply teachers or in-house cover teams to step in for planning and marking peaks, this frees permanent staff to focus on core teaching time.
Protecting teacher wellbeing: Build in clear guidelines on working hours and extra duties. Encourage regular check-ins and encourage teachers to switch off after school.
By enhancing staff mental health and wellbeing, schools invest in their future by increasing staff retention rates. Schools that have strategies to promote mental health, and wellbeing will enjoy better candidate attraction.
Market your school
Although recruiting quality teaching staff is challenging, it’s not impossible. There are steps your school can take to sharpen up its processes and attract teaching staff. It starts with keeping your website and social media channels up-to-date. Websites are ‘shop windows,’ and it is easy to cater the content only to prospective parents. Ensure there is information for potential teaching candidates too.
Streamline recruitment processes
Write a clear job description and be transparent about job requirements. For the ‘required skills’ section, include those essential to the role. Avoid listing too many ‘requirements’ that can deter candidates. Aim to give candidates an understanding of what a day in the life of a teacher at your school would be like.
A specialist education recruiter can help. Holden Knight Education partners with schools to streamline the recruitment process. We work with early years, primary, secondary, SEND and alternative provision schools to provide short-term supply, long-term cover or permanent staff.
Onboarding: What happens next, matters
When a good teacher leaves your school, the whole school feels the impact, from pupils to staff. Teacher onboarding gives new teachers the support they need to become part of the school community. Successful onboarding forms the foundations for a long and fulfilling career for teachers.
By taking these steps, you’ll support your permanent team, reduce burnout risk, and create a healthier, more sustainable working environment for everyone. And while it’s always a shame to see valued teachers move on, with the right planning, your school can turn a period of change into an opportunity.
By starting your recruitment process today, you position your school ahead of the competition, attracting the best teachers before other schools in your area recruit them. Contact us today.