: What do teachers really want and how do we make them stay? The Essential School Leadership Characteristics that Foster Teacher Retention

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, one constant remains: the pivotal role of effective school leadership. At the heart of every successful school you will find a host of talented, committed and passionate teachers that strive relentlessly to support their children to achieve to the very best of their abilities. Teachers are able to do this when leaders prioritise the well-being of their staff. Teacher retention is more than just a statistic; it is a reflection of a supportive and thriving educational environment. Retaining teachers prevents high turnover rates which in turn prevents children’s learning from being disrupted, maintains high staff morale, and protects strained budgets. Effective leaders inspire and motivate their staff, creating a culture where teachers feel valued, supported and committed. In this blog, we delve into the essential leadership qualities that contribute to teacher retention.

The EEF’s recent rapid evidence assessment ​‘Reviewing the evidence base on school leadership, culture, climate and structure for teacher retention’ makes 3 key recommendations to improve teaching retention:

• Prioritising teacher development
• Building relational trust
• Improving working conditions

Ask most teachers why they got into teaching and they’ll tell you the same thing; they wanted to make a difference. As teachers, we all want to feel that our roles matter and that what we do every day in the classroom is what’s best for our pupils. The EEF’s evidence assessment recommends providing effective professional development opportunities and cultivating leadership potential in teachers. At Front Lawn we ensure that every member of staff has the opportunity to prioritise and drive their own professional development. Additionally, we seek out coaching and mentoring opportunities across the school and our trust so that staff keep progressing and feel success beyond their own classrooms. This builds relational trust, another recommendation in the evidence.

At our school, this also means allowing flexible work hours to accommodate personal commitments and offering a plethora of resources for staff well-being. These practices create a supportive environment that values each teacher’s unique contributions and growth.

The EEF highlights the importance of developing a recognition system as a way to improve conditions. At Front Lawn, that can take the form of staff shout outs in our Friday briefings, postcards from SLT that often arrive on your doorstep after a hard week and chocolate bars with encouraging post-its attached just when you really need it. These small gestures go a long way to making staff feel valued and to make it clear that SLT know how tough it can be in the classroom.

Not only does the EEF highlight the importance of recognising hard work, but they make clear that it is vital for leadership to support staff with disciplinary matters. Knowing that your values align and if you need support leadership have ​‘got your back’ is hugely beneficial.

So, if we want to retain our best teachers, we need to make room for development, treat them as individuals and ensure they know just how talented we think they are.