Headteacher turnover is still 14 per cent higher than before the pandemic, suggesting departures are no longer associated with a Covid backlog but with the increased demands of the job. shows 1,709 headteacher changes at state schools this September, when appointments usually peak, up from 1,502 in September 2019. While turnover has dropped by 11 per cent from last year鈥檚 1,927 changes, sector leaders have suggested the uptick reflects heads are leaving for reasons other than retirement. 鈥淸During Covid] hiring was curtailed, you couldn鈥檛 do in-person interviews, it was very difficult to move house. Things were depressed,鈥 said Timo Hannay, thefounder of SchoolDash. Those who had put off departures until last year 鈥渨ere planning to do so already鈥, which meant the previous rise was 鈥渘ot necessarily an increase, it鈥檚 just catch-up鈥. Turnover rates dipped in 2020 (to 942) and 2021 (to 1,286) as schools dealt with Covid, SchoolDash data shows, before rising last year. But Hannay said this year鈥檚 lift was more likely because of 鈥渁ll the stuff that鈥檚 happened since then鈥he economic stress, the industrial action, the general lack of [contentment]鈥. ‘At the end of their tether’ The analysis was based on tracking DfE data updates and covered state primaries and secondaries. It did not track where heads moved on to. Latest school workforce census figures shows 1,615 headteachers left the profession in 2021-22 for reasons other than retirement or death. In 2018-19, the last academic year before the pandemic, 976 heads left; 438 In 2010-11 , the earliest year for which data is available. Ros McMullen, the co-founder of wellbeing organisation Headrest, said leaders were 鈥渁t the end of their tether鈥 over issues that included increased frontline duties. McMullen Ian Hartwright, head of policy at the leaders鈥 union NAHT, said members were 鈥渓eaving earlier鈥 in their careers, aided by a 鈥渓arge number鈥 of transferable skills. Pay was one reason. Between 2010 and 2021, the salary of a school leader had declined by an 鈥渆xtraordinary鈥 15 per cent against CPI inflation, NAHT evidence to the School Teachers鈥 Review Body showed. However, OECD data shows England鈥檚 heads are still among the best-paid in the world. NAHT members voted to strike over pay and conditions earlier this year, although the action was after they voted to accept the government鈥檚 6.5 per cent pay rise. The leaders鈥 union ASCL also halted a ballot for strike action after its members also accepted the offer. But Sara Tanton, ASCL鈥檚 deputy director of policy, and a member of the government鈥檚 new workload taskforce, said heads鈥 responsibilities had grown. 鈥淚f you look at the compensation for what you鈥檙e expected to do for that鈥t鈥檚 not really adding up.鈥 Workload was an 鈥渁bsolutely key鈥 part of this. ‘Lack of recognition’ A government survey published in March found more than two in five leaders (43 per cent) reported working at least 60 hours in a week. 鈥淕ood terms and conditions that make [leaders] want to stay鈥 would help to retain heads, she said. 鈥淭hat includes really reducing workload.鈥 鈥淚f you鈥檙e working ridiculous hours, that鈥檚 going to be something that isn鈥檛 sustainable.鈥 But barriers to lower hours could also be compounding retention. A recent report from wellbeing service Education Support showed that providing additional support to pupils was adding between four to six hours to an average working week. Meanwhile, a Schools Week investigation this year revealed the widespread collapse in external support services, with schools plugging gaps in mental health and social care provision. 鈥淗eads are living with a huge amount of additional work around safeguarding,鈥 McMullen said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e the one this really all lands on. Heads just think 鈥業 can鈥檛 take it anymore鈥.鈥 Hartwright claimed there was a 鈥渓ack of recognition鈥 of the difficulties facing leaders, adding that it was 鈥渟urprising鈥 the education secretary thought the 鈥渕ost pressing issue to solve in schools鈥 was mobile phone use. Tanton said more leadership changes created 鈥渢urbulence鈥 and 鈥渁 lack of stability鈥 for schools, while Hartwright said assistant and deputy heads were already 鈥渃oncluding that [headship] is a really tricky job鈥. The DfE was contacted for comment.