Almost half of teachers and senior school staff in England say they expect to leave the profession within the next five years, according to a survey published by the Liberal Democrats as the new term approaches. The party says the figures point to a workforce under strain that requires immediate government action on pay, workloads and working hours.
Burnout and plans to quit
The poll, conducted with participation from education organisations including the National Education Union (NEU) and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), surveyed more than 900 teachers, headteachers and Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in England. It found that:
- Nearly 50% of respondents said they were likely to leave teaching within five years;
- About 10% intended to remain in post for less than a year;
- More than 75% reported feeling “frequently or constantly burnt out” while working in the profession.
The Liberal Democrats have urged the Education Secretary, Lucy Powell, to ensure pay increases are fully funded from central government rather than being met from school budgets, and to introduce limits on overtime as measures to stem the exodus.
Political and sector responses
Caroline Voaden, the party’s schools spokesperson, said the survey results showed a government that was not listening to the profession and warned that schools risk losing experienced staff just as the new academic year starts.
"We rely on teachers to educate our children, the least we can do is make sure they want to come back after the summer," said Caroline Voaden.
The NEU’s general secretary, Daniel Kebede, framed the survey within a longer period of financial pressure on schools. He said the sector had suffered from more than a decade of austerity and chronic underfunding, and warned the system was approaching breaking point — comments echoed by unions and headteacher groups who have long campaigned on workload and funding.
The Department for Education pointed to a separate official measure showing that last year saw the lowest rate of teachers leaving the profession since 2010. However, the department also accepted that further work was needed to address retention, signalling an uneasy balance between improving headline statistics and the daily reality in schools described by the survey.
What teachers say and what could change
Respondents identified high workloads — particularly time spent on marking, lesson preparation and administrative tasks — as a major driver of stress and reduced classroom time. The Liberal Democrats propose two immediate remedies: fully funded pay rises that would not be paid for from existing school budgets, and statutory limits on overtime to improve work–life balance for teachers.
School leaders and unions will be watching for practical interventions that genuinely reduce non-teaching burdens. Measures that have been suggested in wider sector debates — and that could be prioritised by ministers if they act — include:
- Ring-fenced central funding for teacher pay awards to avoid cuts to resources or staff elsewhere;
- Clearer national limits or guidance on excess working hours and administrative demands;
- Targeted support for early-career teachers and SENCOs, who face distinctive pressures.
| Survey finding | Proportion |
|---|---|
| Planning to leave within five years | Nearly 50% |
| Planning to stay less than a year | 10% |
| Frequently/constantly burnt out | More than 75% |
Retention has been a chronic policy challenge across successive governments; high workload and accountability pressures were cited by the NEU in 2019 when it reported that four in ten teachers were considering leaving. The new Liberal Democrat findings suggest the issue remains acute and politically salient.
For parents and pupils, the loss of experienced staff can mean larger classes, more reliance on supply teachers and disruption to continuity of teaching. For schools, recruitment and retention difficulties increase costs and make long-term planning harder. Ministers will need to show how funding decisions and policy changes will alleviate the pressures teachers describe if they are to prevent further departures from the classroom.
