Let’s start with a well-known problem:
Recruitment and retention in primary education is at crisis point.
Thanks for reading Paul’s Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Teachers are leaving the profession in droves, applications for new posts are thinning, and experienced educators are eyeing the exits more than ever. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and multiple national bodies have produced research highlighting the same grim themes:
Excessive workload
Emotional burnout
Inadequate pay and recognition
Poor behaviour management support
Limited career progression
It’s a national problem — but it’s not our problem.
At St Stephen’s Primary in Bradford, we don’t struggle to recruit. We don’t struggle to retain. In fact, staff choose to work here — and they stay.
And this isn’t an easy school.
We’re in an area of high social need. We serve families experiencing poverty, migration, trauma, transience. The emotional demand is significant, and our expectations are sky-high.
So the question is: What’s going on here?
And could it challenge the national narrative?
First, Let’s Look at the National Picture
The EEF and wider literature paint a clear picture:
Workload: Administrative burdens and data demands continue to be one of the top reasons teachers cite for leaving.
Wellbeing: Stress, poor work-life balance, and lack of mental health support contribute to early burnout.
Behaviour: Lack of effective systems to support classroom behaviour is a major pressure point.
Leadership: A lack of supportive, values-driven leadership is repeatedly mentioned.
Purpose: Many leave because they feel they’ve lost sight of why they joined the profession in the first place.
The DfE’s own teacher workforce survey shows that around one in three teachers leaves the profession within five years of qualifying. For schools in areas of deprivation, the statistics are worse.
But at St Stephen’s?
That’s not our story.
The St Stephen’s Story
We’re a two-form entry Church of England school in West Bowling, Bradford. Our pupils come from a dazzling array of cultural, religious, and linguistic backgrounds. Many face barriers far beyond the classroom.
And yet, staff come here. And stay.
Why?
Because what the national research lists as problems, we treat as priorities.
Let’s look at the comparison.
Workload: Not Less Work, But Smarter Work
We’re under no illusion that teaching is easy. But our systems are designed to protect staff from burnout, not push them toward it.
No pointless data drops.
Marking that is meaningful, not performative.
Shared planning and team-teaching structures where possible.
Honest conversations about what’s urgent vs what’s important.
We know that the best teachers are present, energised, and inspired — not broken by spreadsheets.
Wellbeing: Not a Yoga Class, a Culture
The EEF recommends school leaders prioritise staff wellbeing, but what does that actually mean?
At St Stephen’s, it means:
A pastoral team that supports staff as well as children.
Leaders who notice when someone’s struggling and step in with support.
A chaplain who walks the building not to pray, but to listen.
A culture where asking for help is a strength, not a flaw.
There’s no “Wellbeing Wednesday” gimmick here. It’s every day, baked into everything.
Behaviour: Rooted in Relationships
Behaviour management is one of the most cited stressors for teachers nationally. And yes, our school deals with behaviour that can be challenging. But our response is restorative, not reactive.
We don’t have a wall of rules. We have values. We have consistency. And we have the deep belief that behaviour is communication.
Our staff are trained to understand before they respond. That takes emotional labour, yes—but it pays off in calm classrooms and emotionally intelligent children.
And that emotional safety? It applies to staff too.
Leadership: Present, Purposeful, Personal
The EEF emphasises the importance of “visible and supportive leadership” in retention. At St Stephen’s, leadership isn’t a job title — it’s a way of being.
We lead with:
Vision – Our Nurture, Grow, Flourish ethos is lived every day.
Trust – Teachers are professionals. We don’t micromanage.
Accountability with compassion – We expect the best, and help staff become it.
One teacher recently said to me:
“I’ve never worked anywhere where I felt so seen and valued.”
That’s the goal.
Purpose: The Real Retention Strategy
People stay when their work means something. At St Stephen’s, it means everything.
When a newly arrived child speaks in full sentences for the first time…
When a parent says “you helped me believe in my child again”…
When staff burst out laughing in the staffroom after a hard day, because we’re in this together…
That’s purpose.
That’s what makes the emotional demand worth it.
We don’t just say teaching is a moral vocation.
We structure school so that it feels like one.
High Expectations — With High Support
Let me be clear: this isn’t a “nicey-nice” school where anything goes.
We expect a lot from staff:
Professional rigour
Curriculum innovation
Deep relational engagement
A commitment to children, not just content
But we also give a lot.
And in return, we have a team who are all pulling in the same direction.
There’s pride here. And laughter. And resilience.
And it’s not just new staff who say it. Our long-serving teachers have decades between them. They’ve chosen to stay.
Questions Worth Asking
Let’s take a moment.
If your school is struggling with recruitment and retention, ask:
Do our staff feel seen and supported — or scrutinised and stretched?
Are our systems designed to make teaching easier, or harder?
Does our school have a soul — a shared belief in why we’re here?
When teachers leave, do we ask why? Really?
Are we brave enough to challenge what’s "normal" and do what’s needed?
What Do You Think?
If you’re a school leader, teacher, governor, or just someone who cares about education — I’d love to know:
What has kept you in a school — or made you leave?
Have you seen places that buck the national trend like St Stephen’s?
What one thing could transform staff experience in your setting?
Drop a comment. Share your story. Let’s build a better narrative — one school at a time.
✉️ Subscribe and Keep the Conversation Going
If you’ve found this thought-provoking, useful, or just a little bit hopeful — please consider subscribing.
I write weekly about:
Leadership with heart and clarity
Behaviour as curriculum
Equity in action
Literacy, learning and belonging
And yes — building schools where people want to work
Because retention isn’t about gimmicks.
It’s about culture.
And we need more schools where people don’t just survive — they stay.
Share this post