In our classrooms across the country, dedicated teachers are shaping the future of our nation. They deserve working conditions that recognise their professionalism and support their wellbeing.
That is why that I am extending our successful Flexible Working Ambassadors Programme for another year, backed by £500,000.
But this isn’t just about policy - it’s about people.
When we trust teachers as professionals to work flexibly, everyone benefits.
Evidence suggests that increasing flexible-working opportunities can support teachers’ wellbeing and job satisfaction, and this can lead to tangible recruitment and retention benefits.
The true meaning of flexible working
There has been some misinformation in the media about what flexible working actually means for teachers.
Let me be absolutely clear - teachers will always be at the front and centre of the classroom. But flexible working is about giving teachers the freedom to continue doing what they do best - inspiring and teaching the next generation, to the highest education standards.
It means teachers, like millions of other hard-working professionals, being supported to work in different ways such as part-time arrangements, compressed hours and opportunities for off-site lesson planning time.
Flexible working isn’t the only way we’re supporting teachers - we’re also leading the way in modernising the education sector and harnessing the power of AI to free up teachers’ time and unlock more pupil interactions.
Using AI can reduce time spent on admin by several hours a week, which is critical if we are to retain good teachers and bring more people into teaching, so that teaching can once again be a profession that sparks joy, not burnout.
A sustainable work-life balance for teachers
These modern approaches allow teachers to structure some of their time differently, which can make an enormous difference to their wellbeing and effectiveness.
This is vital to retaining experienced expert teachers in the classroom as a crucial part of raising standards.
Flexible working means supporting teachers to achieve a sustainable work-life balance so they can bring their best to our children’s education day after day, term after term, year after year.
The Flexible Working Ambassadors Programme we’re funding provides practical support through webinars, resources, case studies and peer-to-peer networks of ambassador schools and multi-academy trusts.
This creates a community of practice where schools can learn from each other about implementing working patterns that benefit everyone. We want every school to have a flexible-working policy, and we’re funding practical support to make that a reality. All of this is a crucial part of our Plan for Change.
And the tide is already turning. We’ve seen a 25 per cent increase in people accepting teacher training places in vital science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) subjects this year.
We’ve also already started work to recruit an additional 6,500 expert teachers by making £233 million available to encourage talented individuals into classrooms - including funding to encourage mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer science teachers.
Making wise use of public money
Great teachers are the foundation of high school standards and excellence for every child.
And supporting teacher wellbeing through flexible working is not just about being kind - it’s about being strategic and using the public purse wisely.
Teachers who feel valued and supported are more likely to stay in the profession, bringing stability and expertise that directly benefits pupils.
When we get this balance right, our children receive the consistent, high-quality education they deserve.
By encouraging flexible working for teachers, we’re creating the conditions where they can deliver their very best for the next generation.
Catherine McKinnell is minister for school standards
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