The School Support Staff Workforce in England Annual Report 2026
05 March 2026
Support staff make up more than half of the school workforce in England, yet compared to teachers relatively little research has been done into the labour force dynamics of this diverse group. NFER is seeking to address that gap with a series of annual workforce reports looking at school support staff.
This report is funded by the Nuffield Foundation as part of an expanded series of annual labour market reports.
The aim of this report is to provide an overview of the support staff workforce in England and identify risks and challenges for recruitment and retention.
The report summarises the key trends in recruitment, retention, pay, working conditions and wellbeing within the support staff workforce, and points towards actions that are likely to have the greatest impact on addressing the workforce challenges identified.
Key Findings
- Support staff make up more than half of the school workforce and this workforce continues to grow year-on-year.
- Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) appear to be a driver of demand for TAs, but are far from the only factor.
- Despite some improvement since 2023, three in four school leaders surveyed said they found it difficult to recruit TAs in 2025.
- Experimental data suggests support staff exit rates are trending upwards. Among support staff who are considering leaving their jobs, the most common reason is that they do not feel valued.
- Support staff are less likely to agree that their employer offers good opportunities for career progression compared to workers with similar characteristics, such as qualification levels.
- Support staff tend to work less hours per week than similar workers in England. A significant minority (15 per cent) of support staff say they would like to work more than they currently do.
- Support staff are generally low paid compared to similar workers. Support staff pay has grown significantly in recent years, both in real terms and relative to average UK earnings
