Price Request Book a Demo
The-Changing-Picture-of-Flexible-Working-in-Schools

The Changing Picture of Flexible Working in Schools

Flexible working in education is no longer a fringe conversation. It is rapidly becoming a central part of workforce strategy across schools and trusts, reflecting shifts in staff expectations, national policy priorities, and evidence of its impact on wellbeing, retention and performance. As trust and school leaders grapple with how best to support and retain their staff, it is crucial to understand the pressures pushing people to consider leaving. 

According to Edurio‘s latest Staff Retention in Academies Report (2024), 44% of school staff reported considering resigning from their post constantly, often or sometimes during the 2023/24 academic year. This is the highest proportion recorded since Edurio began collecting this data.

Source: Staff Retention in Academies Report page 5

A national trend with growing momentum

What trust CEOs are saying

With staffing shortages and retention pressures at an all-time high, flexible working is no longer a luxury; it is increasingly seen as a lever for strategic resilience.

This shift is clearly captured in the 2024 National School Trust Report, developed by Edurio and the Confederation of School Trusts, drawing on responses from 417 trust accounting officers. The report provides a comprehensive snapshot of how trust leaders are adapting to a changing workforce landscape and where their priorities lie.

  • Flexible Working in Practice: Widespread but Not Universal

According to the report, most CEOs (67%) report that their trust offers flexible working options for teachers and support staff. These include remote working, term-time leave, flexible hours, or similar arrangements. However, 17% of CEOs report that their trust has no flexible working options. Many cite the operational demands of child-facing roles as a key barrier to implementation.

Flexible Working

Source: 2024 National School Trust Report page 35

Source: 2024 National School Trust Report page 36

2. Workforce focus areas are shifting: flexibility climbs the agenda

In response to the question, “In which areas does your trust intend to focus its efforts regarding workforce resilience and wellbeing?” a significant insight stood out: 42% of trust CEOs identified “creating more opportunities for flexible working” as a key area of focus.

While it came sixth overall, its sharp rise from just 22% in 2023 shows that flexible working is rapidly gaining traction. This reflects a broader change in mindset. Flexibility is now being viewed as a strategic tool to address ongoing recruitment and retention challenges.

Although other areas, such as staff wellbeing, retention, and organisational culture, still rank higher, the increased focus on flexibility indicates that trusts actively seek more adaptable and sustainable workforce models. It is part of a wider re-evaluation of how schools can support, empower, and retain staff.

workforce-resilience-and-wellbeing

Source: 2024 National School Trust Report page 33

3. What school staff are saying

This section explores how school staff across England experience and perceive flexible working, based on Edurio’s Staff Experience survey findings.

  1. Flexible working suitability over time

Staff perceptions of how flexible working opportunities meet their personal needs have remained relatively stable over the past four years. The proportion of staff rating them as very or quite suitable has hovered between 52% and 57% from 2020/21 to 2023/24, with a slight uptick in the 2023/24 academic year to 54%. Despite increasing attention on flexible working, this consistency suggests that the reality of flexible work for staff has not changed significantly.

(12,021 respondents answered this question.)

flexible-working-opportunities

Source: Data from Edurio’s Staff Experience Survey (unpublished)

  1. Satisfaction with flexible working options

A similar pattern appears in staff satisfaction with the types of flexible working arrangements available, such as part-time roles, job shares, or varied working hours. Around 40% of staff report being satisfied, a figure that has remained relatively steady over recent years. This indicates a baseline of approval but also highlights that the majority may feel current options do not fully meet their needs.

(30,126 respondents answered this question.)

flexible-working-currently-available-to-you-including-options-for-part-time-work

Source: Data from Edurio’s Staff Experience Survey (unpublished)

  1. Factors leading staff to consider resignation

When asked what had made them consider resigning, 30% of staff pointed to poor work- life balance, making it the sixth most commonly cited reason during the 2023/24 academic year. While the survey did not directly link this to flexible working, work-life balance is often closely connected to flexible arrangements. This underscores the importance of considering flexible working as part of broader strategies to support staff wellbeing and retention.

(20,955 respondents answered this question.)

What-has-made-you-consider-resigning

Source: Staff Retention in Academies Report page 15

Best practices from across the sector

Several trusts are leading the way in embedding flexible practices that benefit both staff and students.

All of these examples are drawn from Edurio’s Workload Guide, which is based on national data and interviews with 18 leaders from 8 high-performing trusts. It offers practical, evidence-informed strategies schools can adopt.

Engage, Enrich, Excel Academies Trust (EEEA)

  • All staff, including part-time workers, benefit from annual wellbeing days they can use when needed
  • Headteachers are encouraged to take dedicated, strategic off-site time—uncontactable—to reflect and plan
  • A connected curriculum and AI tools reduce workload and support plannin, further enhancing flexibility

Temple Learning Academy (Red Kite Learning Trust)

  • Offers flexible contracts and additional PPA time beyond statutory limits, with collaborative year-group planning
  • Employs a full-time cover supervisor to minimise internal cover demands.
  • Uses a centralised school calendar co-designed with staff to ensure manageable workloads and consensus
  • A termly “wellbeing hour,” onsite mental health practitioner, and wellbeing committee reinforce a culture of care

Marine Academy Primary (Ted Wragg Trust)

  • Enables offsite PPA, ad hoc early finishes, and enforces protected out-of-hours email practices
  • Teachers handle core subject planning, while other subjects are planned centrally, saving significant time
  • Staff also benefit from a “social contract” where flexibility is mutual and built on trust

These examples demonstrate that when thoughtfully implemented, flexible working can support staff retention, reduce stress, and build collaborative school cultures.

Looking ahead

With national support growing and clear evidence of its benefits, flexible working is set to become a defining feature of successful school trusts. As more schools and trusts adopt and share effective strategies, the sector can move beyond isolated initiatives towards a systemic approach that benefits staff, leaders, and ultimately, pupils.

Now is the time for trust leaders to view flexible working not as an optional perk but as a cornerstone of a strong, sustainable workforce strategy.