New research investigating the extent to which teacher attrition (leaving) rates differ between England and Wales finds the retention rate among secondary school teachers is higher in Wales, but it is the reverse for primary school teachers.
According to the analysis, the leaving rate among secondary school classroom teachers is 0.6 percentage points higher in England compared to in Wales, while among primary school classroom teachers, there is a difference of 0.6 percentage points in leaving rates with a lower leaving rate in England. For context, the leaving rate in Wales in 2020 was 6.7 per cent among both primary and secondary teachers. Leaving rates were lower in 2020 compared to previous years in both countries, due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Twenty years of devolved education policymaking in Wales has led to a significant divergence in approaches to policy in England and Wales. This approach in Wales has been characterised by academics as being more supportive of the teaching profession, especially on curriculum development and the use of school accountability.
