Teacher retention and staff wellbeing raised in Parliament following national campaign

Our latest Teacher Wellbeing Index found that 1 in 4 teachers and education staff actively sought to leave their job last year due to pressures on their mental health and wellbeing.

That's why, earlier this year, we launched our teacher retention letter-writing campaign, calling for Government to introduce a dedicated teacher retention strategy in England, grounded in the mental health and wellbeing evidence base.

What did we achieve together?

Thanks to our incredible supporters:

• 338 letters were sent from constituents
• our call to action reached 234 MPs

Teachers, support staff, school leaders and supporters wrote to their local representatives about the impact of the teacher retention crisis in their school communities, with many sharing their own personal lived experience of challenges they have faced working in education.

What has happened since the campaign?

As a result of the campaign, teacher retention and mental health have been raised with the Government through eight parliamentary written questions. This is a clear signal that MPs recognise that their constituents care strongly about the issue and that it must be taken seriously by government.

Improving teacher retention was a clear theme in the recent Schools White Paper, which set out the Government’s proposals to reform the education and SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) system in England, as well as its 6,500 additional teachers delivery plan.

Education Support also recently visited Parliament to meet with the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Schools to share our insights on teacher retention.

What comes next?

The letter-writing campaign may have ended, but our work is far from over!

While we welcome recent government initiatives to tackle teacher retention, Education Support will continue to push for a more strategic approach to teacher retention, grounded in evidence on workplace wellbeing, culture and leadership. This is something Education Support has long championed - and something that the education sector urgently needs.

To learn more about our recommendations to Government, school leaders and employers, take a look at our latest policy paper on teacher retention.

We'll continue to engage with parliamentarians, contribute to government consultations and make sure that evidence from our Teacher Wellbeing Index and from the voices gathered through this campaign are heard by those in power to deliver lasting change for the education workforce.