Reporting year 2024

School Leadership retention

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See all updates (1) for Reporting year 2024
  1. Corrected typo in Deputy head section

Release type

Introduction

This release is largely based on further analysis of the School Workforce Census, which collects information from schools and local authorities on the school workforce in state-funded schools in England. More information on the School Workforce Census can be found at this link.

This release shares data on the retention rates and headcount of senior leaders who were new to their leadership post in each census year. The release is based on a previous publication in 2022 (opens in new tab), with revised methodology and retention rates being included in this release. 

For the purposes of this analysis, “retention” is defined as the proportion of teachers who were employed in subsequent years in a post of the same leadership level or higher, and in the same school phase, as recorded by the School Workforce Census. As such, leaders moving between primary and secondary phases, or moving to special school leadership posts, would be reported as not being retained.

It is important to note that the School Workforce Census does not cover centrally employed staff in academy trusts (MATs), and may be more likely to have missing data for executive leaders working across multiple schools (academies or LA maintained), if no individual school reports them. The growth of MATs and executive leadership roles in recent years would cause fewer leaders to appear as being retained in the state-funded sector than is truly the case.

Exploratory analysis of Teacher Pension Scheme (TPS) data supports this and suggests that the number of Head teachers still in service but not being reported in the School Workforce Census has been increasing in recent years, substantially impacting the trends seen in this release.


Headline facts and figures - 2024

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Head teachers

Head teachers at the same post or higher

Primary schools

Head teacher retention rates at the same post or higher in state-funded primary schools have declined since 2010. 

It is important to note, however, that the School Workforce Census does not cover centrally employed staff in academy trusts (MATs), and may be more likely to have missing data for executive leaders working across multiple schools (academies or LA maintained), if no individual school reports them. The growth of MATs and executive leadership roles in recent years would cause fewer leaders to appear as being retained in the state-funded sector than is truly the case.

For example, if a head teacher in a state-funded primary school moves to become a centrally employed executive head or CEO of an academy trust, they would be appear to not be retained.

Exploratory analysis of Teacher Pension Scheme (TPS) data supports this and suggests that the number of head teachers still in service but not being reported in the School Workforce Census has been increasing in recent years, substantially impacting the trends seen in this release.

In the latest year of data:

  • 9 in 10 (89.7%) primary school head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 1 year
  • 8 in 10 (79.3%) primary school head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 3 years
  • 7 in 10 (70.0%) primary school head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 5 years

Secondary schools

Head teacher retention rates at the same post or higher in state-funded secondary schools have declined since 2010. 

It is important to note, however, that the School Workforce Census does not cover centrally employed staff in academy trusts (MATs), and may be more likely to have missing data for executive leaders working across multiple schools (academies or LA maintained), if no individual school reports them. The growth of MATs and executive leadership roles in recent years would cause fewer leaders to appear as being retained in the state-funded sector than is truly the case.

For example, if a head teacher in a state-funded secondary school moves to become a centrally employed executive head or CEO of an academy trust, they would be appear to not be retained.

Exploratory analysis of Teacher Pension Scheme (TPS) data supports this and suggests that the number of head teachers still in service but not being reported in the School Workforce Census has been increasing in recent years, substantially impacting the trends seen in this release.

In the latest year of data:

  • Over 8 in 10 (85.6%) secondary school head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 1 year
  • Almost two thirds (64.7%) of secondary school head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 3 years
  • Over 6 in 10 (62.5%) secondary school head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 5 years

Head teacher retention at any teaching post within the same phase

Primary schools

Head teacher retention rates at any teaching post within state-funded primary schools have declined since 2010, though this is more apparent for head teachers between 3 and 5 years since being new to post. 

It is important to note, however, that the School Workforce Census does not cover centrally employed staff in academy trusts (MATs), and may be more likely to have missing data for executive leaders working across multiple schools (academies or LA maintained), if no individual school reports them. The growth of MATs and executive leadership roles in recent years would cause fewer leaders to appear as being retained in the state-funded sector than is truly the case.

For example, if a head teacher in a state-funded primary school moves to become a centrally employed executive head or CEO of an academy trust, they would be appear to not be retained.

Exploratory analysis of Teacher Pension Scheme (TPS) data supports this and suggests that the number of head teachers still in service but not being reported in the School Workforce Census has been increasing in recent years, substantially impacting the trends seen in this release.

In the latest year of data:

  • Over 9 in 10 (95.6%) primary school head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 1 year
  • Over 8 in 10 (86.9%) primary school head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 3 years
  • Almost 8 in 10 (78.7%) primary school head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 5 years

Secondary schools

Head teacher retention rates at any post within state-funded secondary schools have slightly declined since 2010.

It is important to note, however, that the School Workforce Census does not cover centrally employed staff in academy trusts (MATs), and may be more likely to have missing data for executive leaders working across multiple schools (academies or LA maintained), if no individual school reports them. The growth of MATs and executive leadership roles in recent years would cause fewer leaders to appear as being retained in the state-funded sector than is truly the case.

For example, if a head teacher in a state-funded secondary school moves to become a centrally employed executive head or CEO of an academy trust, they would be appear to not be retained.

Exploratory analysis of Teacher Pension Scheme (TPS) data supports this and suggests that the number of head teachers still in service but not being reported in the School Workforce Census has been increasing in recent years, substantially impacting the trends seen in this release.

In the latest year of data:

  • Over 9 in 10 (93.5%) secondary school head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 1 year
  • Almost 8 in 10 (78.1%) secondary school head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 3 years
  • Almost 7 in 10 (69.8%) secondary school head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 5 years

Deputy head teachers

Deputy head retention at the same post or higher

Primary schools

Retention of deputy head teachers at the same post or higher in primary schools has remained relatively stable over time.

In the latest year of data:

  • Almost 9 in 10 (89.4%) primary school deputy head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 1 year
  • 8 in 10 (80.3%) primary school deputy head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 3 years
  • Over 7 in 10 (73.7%) primary school head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 5 years

Secondary schools

Retention of deputy head teachers in the same post or higher in secondary schools has remained relatively stable over time. 

In the latest year of data:

  • Almost 9 in 10 (88.1%) secondary school deputy head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 1 year
  • Three quarters (74.8%) secondary school deputy head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 3 years
  • Two thirds (66.7%) of secondary school head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 5 years

Deputy head retention at any teaching post within the same phase

Primary schools

Retention of deputy head teachers at any teaching post in primary schools has remained relatively high over time. 

In the latest year of data:

  • Over 9 in 10 (95.4%) primary school deputy head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 1 year
  • Almost 9 in 10 (88.8%) primary school deputy head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 3 years
  • Over 8 in 10 (82.0%) primary school deputy head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 5 years

Secondary schools

In the latest year of data:

  • Over 9 in 10 (94.8%) secondary school deputy head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 1 year
  • Over 8 in 10 (85.3%) secondary school deputy head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 3 years
  • Almost 8 in 10 (78.8%) secondary school deputy head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 5 years

Assistant head teachers

Assistant head teacher retention at the same post or higher

Primary schools

In the latest year of data:

  • Almost 9 in 10 (88.0%) primary school assistant head teachers remained at the same post or higher after 1 year
  • Over three quarters (76.0%) of primary school assistant head teachers remained at the same post or higher after 3 years
  • Almost 7 in 10 (69.0%) primary school assistant head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 5 years

Secondary schools

In the latest year of data:

  • Over 8 in 10 (86.0%) secondary school assistant head teachers remained at the same post or higher after 1 year
  • Over 7 in 10 (71.6%) secondary school assistant head teachers remained at the same post or higher after 3 years
  • Almost two thirds (64.8%) secondary school assistant head teachers remained in the same post or higher after 5 years

Assistant head teacher retention at any teaching post within the same phase

Primary schools

In the latest year of data:

  • Over 9 in 10 (94.0%) primary school assistant head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 1 year
  • Over 8 in 10 (85.6%) primary school assistant head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 3 years
  • Over 8 in 10 (80.9%) primary school assistant head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 5 years

Secondary schools

In the latest year of data:

  • Over 9 in 10 (93.6%) secondary school assistant head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 1 year
  • Over 8 in 10 (84.4%) secondary school assistant head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 3 years
  • 8 in 10 (80.1%) secondary school assistant head teachers remained in the same school phase at any teaching post after 5 years

Help and support

Methodology

Find out how and why we collect, process and publish these statistics.

Ad hoc official statistics

Ad hoc official statistics are one off publications that have been produced as far as possible in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

This can be broadly interpreted to mean that these statistics are:

  • managed impartially and objectively in the public interest
  • meet identified user needs
  • produced according to sound methods
  • well explained and readily accessible

Find out more about the standards we follow to produce these statistics through our Standards for official statistics published by DfE guidance (opens in new tab).

Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about School Leadership retention statistics and data:

Characteristics of Teachers and Leaders Team

Email: Daniel.KNOWLES@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Daniel Knowles

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If you have a media enquiry:

Telephone: 020 7783 8300

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If you have a general enquiry about the Department for Education (DfE) or education:

Telephone: 037 0000 2288

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