School leaders quitting amid mental health toll, NAHT warns

Some 65% of school leaders say their mental health has been harmed in the previous 12 months, which has forced some to leave the profession, according to survey findings from the National Association of Head Teachers. 

NAHT’s findings come as the union prepares to debate the issue at its annual conference in Harrogate tomorrow and Saturday (2 and 3 May). 

While pressures of the job are damaging the mental health and wellbeing of leaders and teachers, it is further exacerbated by the sector’s struggle to recruit the staff it needs. 

Nearly nine in 10 (88%) of school leaders reported the role had affected their sleep, with 77% reporting increased worry and stress, 76% saying it negatively affected their family or personal life, and 59% that it had a negative impact on their physical health. 

According to the union, the number of senior school leaders aspiring to headship is now just 20%, down from 21% in 2023 – and a record low since the union’s wellbeing surveys began in 2016.   

When asked what would encourage them to stay in or aspire to other leadership roles, 60% cited greater professional recognition, 47% action to reduce workload, and 47% further above-inflation pay rises – after real term cuts of nearly 17% since 2010.

A third (33%) said scrapping Ofsted sub-judgements would help, with the conference also set to debate a motion urging delegates to agree to oppose the inspectorate’s proposals for reform, which increase the number of sub-grades.

The latest survey revealed that 45% of leaders needed mental health support in the previous 12 months, with 33% of them getting support and others saying it was unavailable (5%) or they didn’t know how to access help (7%). 

As a result, the union’s executive urges the government to “fully fund an ongoing entitlement to professional supervision for school leaders” as part of its mission to improve staff retention. 

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT, said: “It is deeply concerning that so many dedicated school leaders are struggling and that some are even quitting the profession they love due to the toll on their mental health. From crippling workload, fuelled by picking up the slack after years of under-investment in public services, to the pressure of inhumane, unreliable high-stakes inspections, it feels like school leadership increasingly comes with a health warning.

“With the best will in the world, school leaders feeling this way may struggle to bring their A-game to the job and there is clearly a risk that ultimately children’s education will suffer. To rub salt in the wounds, all this follows years of real-terms pay cuts under previous administrations which seemed intent on taking down the profession.”

He added: “It doesn’t have to be this way. The government demonstrated good intentions with this year’s above-inflation pay rise and its move to scrap single-word Ofsted judgements. These findings demonstrate that far more must be done to restore school leadership and teaching as an attractive proposition and show real ambition on pay, funding, inspection and workload to turn this ship around.”