Jessica O'ConnorEducation Support’s annual Teacher Wellbeing Index revealed that wellbeing among teachers and education staff has reached its lowest point since the organisation began tracking it in 2019, with widespread stress, burnout and declining mental health across the workforce.
The 2025 findings showed that 76% of staff feel stressed, 36% are at risk of probable clinical depression and 77% have experienced symptoms of poor mental health due to work.
Education Support warned that deteriorating wellbeing among teachers directly affects the quality of education delivered to children and young people.
One teacher quoted in the report said: “I’ve never seen a teacher leave because of pay. They leave because of stress, because they don’t feel supported, or because the job feels too much.
“The government often asks why teachers are leaving. I think the better question is, why do some teachers stay?”
Stress was especially prevalent among senior leaders, with 86% reporting high stress levels and 81% saying they have too much work and not enough time.
45% said their organisation’s culture negatively affects their mental health, while 40% of all education staff did not feel employees with mental health issues are well supported.
Nearly half (49%) of the workforce said workplace culture has a negative impact on their wellbeing, with Education Support noting that while many leaders are attempting to improve this, initiatives often lack consistency and long-term support.
Senior leaders continued to experience the highest burnout and exhaustion levels.
The charity said the findings reflect systemic issues rather than isolated cases and has called for the Government to publish national teacher retention strategies centred on workplace wellbeing.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Teachers and school leaders are overworked, under-supported, and increasingly exposed to stress, anxiety, and burnout. No wonder there is a significant retention issue in the education workforce.
“This is a system in crisis. 78 per cent of education staff are stressed, and more than one in three have experienced a mental health issue in the past academic year.
“84 per cent of senior leaders reported high stress, and 77 per cent of staff experienced symptoms of poor mental health caused by their work.
“Teacher wellbeing must be a workforce priority. Union representatives should be involved in monitoring workload and wellbeing, and schools need adequate funding and staffing. It’s time to redefine teacher support, ensure proper funding, and protect teachers from stress and burnout.”
