What helps to improve teacher retention? A pathway analysis of factors affecting retention
12 February 2026
This NFER research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, explores the factors associated with the leaving decisions of teachers, to understand in greater detail what actions policymakers might take to further improve teacher retention rates.
We use newly available survey data from the Department for Education’s (DfE) Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders (WLTL) survey linked to retention outcomes in the School Workforce Census (SWC). We use regression analysis to explore the relationship between a range of potential explanatory factors and retention, using a pathway approach that unpacks the complex relationship between explanatory factors, job satisfaction and wellbeing, and retention.
The findings reveal important insights about the factors that may be more or less influential for teacher retention. The analysis is based on cross-sectional correlations, so should be interpreted cautiously. The ‘effects’ identified could have causal implications, but only under strong assumptions.
Nonetheless, they reveal patterns and findings that are backed up by other evidence using complementary research methods and can therefore be a useful guide for informing policy development and future research priorities.
Key Findings
- School leadership support is an important factor for retention
- Teachers working in schools with good pupil behaviour and support to deal with disruptive behaviour are more likely to stay
- Teachers feeling they spend too much time on lesson planning, pupil behaviour and pastoral support are key factors associated with teacher retention
- Higher pay satisfaction and the impact of CPD on teachers’ practice are significant factors associated with improved retention
- Considering leaving, job satisfaction and, to a lesser extent, wellbeing are key factors associated with retention but likely mask the effect of other factors
- Leaving intentions are not a very reliable individual-level predictor of actual leaving behaviour and the trend in leaving intentions appears to be an unreliable leading indicator for actual leaving behaviour.