News

Deep concern at falling leadership retention rates after FoI revelations

A Freedom of Information request has revealed the concerning extent to which middle and senior leaders are quitting our schools.
Image: Adobe Stock

The revelations have increased pressure on the Department for Education (DfE) to update its leadership retention figures, which were last published in 2018.

The FoI request shows that more than one in four primary school leaders and more than one in three secondary school leaders, aged under-50, are quitting within five years of appointment.

And getting on for half of all middle leaders across both phases also quit within five years.

The data is collected by the DfE annually and the FoI request reveals that five-year retention rates have worsened across every category since figures were last officially published in 2018 (DfE, 2018).

 

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