As a working teacher, you probably fill in your fair share of surveys and questionnaires each year. However, it can take a while for the results to be published, especially for government surveys.
So, if you participated in the “Working lives of teachers and leaders: wave 2” survey between February and May 2023, you may not have seen the results emerge in late September 2024.
The survey was completed by primary and secondary teachers and leaders, including those leaders with teaching responsibility. As the survey report introduction says:
“This was during a period of industrial action and wider cost of living pressures. The 2023 pay award for teachers was agreed in July.”
Work, work, work
Perhaps one of the most surprising findings for those who are not in the teaching profession was the average hours worked per week during term time. (For those of you in the profession, this probably comes as no surprise at all!)
- Leaders: 57.4 hrs per week
- Full-time teachers: 58.2
- Part-time teachers: 48.7
In addition:
“Full-time leaders working in secondary schools reported higher average working hours than those in primary schools. For full-time teachers, the highest average reported hours were for those working in primary schools.”
Classroom hours
Of those working hours, the average time spent actually teaching for those with teaching responsibilities were:
- Leaders: 12.8 hrs per week
- Full-time teachers: 24 hrs per week
No surprise then that a large majority of classroom teachers (75%) reported that they spent too much time on general admin, with other time-eating tasks being:
- Following up on behavioural incidents
- Recording data on pupil performance
- Preparing lessons
Leaders also thought they spent too much time on responding to the latest changes in government policy.
Dissatisfaction with pay
Not surprisingly given the survey was conducted during industrial action, every single question about pay satisfaction resulted in strong disagreement! Both leaders and teachers thought the same way too.
High anxiety
Whilst many teachers enjoyed teaching itself and felt reasonably satisfied with their life;
- 44% said they had felt highly anxious the day before completing the survey
- 88% experienced stress
- 73% said that their job did not leave them sufficient time for their personal life
- 56% said the job affected their mental health
The Education Support Teacher Wellbeing Index 2024 found similar results when surveying the mental health and wellbeing of UK teachers and education staff, especially around student and parent interactions.
- 82% said that increases in challenging behaviour by pupils and students had negatively affected their mental health and wellbeing
- 70% said a similar increase in challenging interactions by parents had the same effect
The Index also showed that issues in society reflect in their own workplace stress:
“Staff also report that a lack of support from wider public services is negatively affecting how well they can do their job, their ability to switch off after work as well as their job satisfaction.”
Ready to go
One of the most interesting findings of the “Working lives of teachers and leaders: wave 2” was around those who were considering leaving the profession (and were not retiring). 36% of teachers and leaders were considering leaving the state school sector altogether, an increase from 25% in 2022.
The key reasons given were :
- Stress or poor wellbeing – 84%
- Teachers’ views not being valued by policymakers – 83%
- Government initiatives or policy changes – 77%
- Other pressure relating to pupil outcomes or inspection – 70%
Interestingly, those who responded to the 2022 survey and said they were considering leaving, 88% had not actually done so by 2023. One of the main reasons cited was they “had not decided what they wanted to do next (51%)”.
Early retirement: leaving the classroom behind
Many teachers I talk to want to leave the teaching profession for all the reasons cited above and more. For many, their exit strategy could include early retirement. However, like the 88% cited above who were still working in education a year later, they don’t really know what to do instead, or how to thrive in a retirement of potentially 30 or more years.
A primary concern is funding any early retirement, and key to that is their Teacher’s Pension. They may have checked and know what they will receive (although many don’t). The real question is: how much will they actually need to lead the lifestyle they want? How much is enough?
This is where I can help. I can guide you through your Teacher’s Pension benefits, and discuss how it can work within your overall plans. However, it’s vital to look beyond the finances: far more important is what you plan to actually do in your retirement day to day, week to week, year to year. Without a retirement plan in place that offers you fulfilment, enjoyment and a sense of purpose, you may simply drift. And then maybe you’ll start wondering why you left teaching in the first place!
Discover your own Life after Teaching
Life beyond the classroom and the security of a wage can seem daunting. That’s why I created Life Beyond Teaching, a programme to help you plan for a great retirement with real purpose and backed by financial security and confidence.
You can read all about it here:
Or to discuss the whole idea, I offer a free 30-minute Discovery call. Just book your free session on my calendar now. There’s no obligation, just the opportunity to talk through your situation and see how I can help.
