Why are so many teachers leaving England’s classrooms? Part 1: Points of View

Why are teachers in England resigning at a much higher rate than the international average and what would persuade them to stay? According to the OECD figures reported by Tes, 7.2% of fully qualified teachers in England resigned from the profession in 2024–25, compared with an OECD average of 4.2%. Teachers in England also reported longer working weeks than similarly qualified workers in other occupations. JP, Ollie Bayliss and Tony Harwood join the Points of View panel to debate what is driving teachers to leave. Is workload the biggest problem, or do pupil behaviour, pay, leadership and accountability play an equally important role? We’ll explore what these international comparisons reveal, whether England’s expectations of teachers are sustainable, and what schools and government could do to keep experienced staff in classrooms.