Headteacher turnover has leapt by more than a third since before the pandemic, with one in ten schools welcoming a new head this September.
SchoolDash data shows there was 2,127 headteacher changes this September, when appointments peak, up from 1,584 in September 2019 – a 34 per cent rise.
Meanwhile, a separate analysis by TeachVac shows a 54 per cent rise in secondary school headteacher vacancies this September when compared to last year. In fact, two schools re-advertised for their vacant role three times in the space of five months.
Ian Hartwright, senior policy adviser at school leaders’ union NAHT, said “we’re seeing the resumption of a downward trend in leadership retention – that’s what we’d expected but hoped might not be the case.”
