How many hours do teachers really work, and is it getting any better? Two major surveys give the clearest picture: the DfE’s Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders survey, which collected responses from more than 10,800 teachers and leaders in England, and Education Support’s Teacher Wellbeing Index, based on over 3,000 education staff across the UK.
The latest results, both published in November 2025, show some genuine improvement alongside persistent pressure. Here are 17 things the data tells us about teacher workload and wellbeing, particularly for teachers, leaders, governors and anyone interested in retention.
1. Teachers’ hours have fallen slightly
Full-time teachers reported working 50.1 hours a week on average in 2025, down from 51.2 in 2024 and the lowest since the DfE survey began in 2022.
2. Primary teachers still work the longest hours
Full-time primary teachers averaged 51.4 hours a week, down from 52.5. Secondary teachers averaged 49.3 hours, down from 50.3.
3. Leaders work even longer
Full-time leaders averaged 56.5 hours a week, down from 57.6 in 2024. Secondary leaders averaged 57.3 hours.
4. More teachers say workload is acceptable
Twenty-six per cent of teachers and leaders said their workload was acceptable in 2025, up from 22 per cent in 2024 and 17 per cent in 2022 and 2023.
5. But most still do not
Forty-three per cent said their workload was unacceptable and that they lacked control over it. That is down from 57 per cent in 2022, but still a large share of the workforce.
6. Other surveys paint a tougher picture
In Tes’s 2026 survey of UK school staff, 71 per cent described their workload as unmanageable and only around 3 per cent said they could work within their contracted hours. Different surveys ask different questions, so it is worth looking at several together.
7. Stress at work is slightly down
In the DfE survey, 86 per cent of teachers and leaders said they experience stress at work, down from 89 per cent the year before.
8. Personal time is still squeezed
Sixty-four per cent said their job did not leave enough time for their personal life, down from 70 per cent in 2024.
9. Overall wellbeing improved in the DfE survey
Life satisfaction, happiness and the sense that life is worthwhile all rose and anxiety fell, compared with all previous waves. But wellbeing remained lower than in the general population.
10. Education Support found wellbeing at a record low
Education Support’s 2025 index recorded an average wellbeing score of 43.42 on the Warwick-Edinburgh scale, the lowest since it began measuring in 2019, with 36 per cent of staff scoring in the range indicating probable clinical depression. The two surveys use different measures and samples, which partly explains the contrast.
11. Three-quarters of staff are stressed
The index found 76 per cent of education staff were stressed, rising to 86 per cent of senior leaders.
12. Sleep is suffering
Half of education staff reported insomnia or difficulty sleeping, an increase on the previous year.
13. Fewer are considering leaving
Twenty-nine per cent of teachers and leaders were considering leaving the English state sector within a year, for reasons other than retirement. That is down from 34 per cent in 2024 and 36 per cent in 2023.
14. Workload is still the main reason people leave
Among staff who considered leaving because of pressure on their health and wellbeing, two-thirds cited the volume of workload as the main reason, according to Education Support.
15. Support makes a big difference
Seventy-five per cent of staff who did not feel well supported had considered leaving, compared with 37 per cent of those who did feel supported.
16. Pay satisfaction has improved
Thirty-eight per cent of teachers and leaders in the DfE survey were satisfied with their salary, up from 30 per cent in 2024.
17. Flexible working is growing
Fifty-one per cent of teachers and leaders had a flexible working arrangement in 2025, up from 40 per cent in 2022. Part-time working was most common at 22 per cent, while off-site PPA time rose to 19 per cent and home working to 6 per cent.
Find Out More
DfE: Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders, wave 4 summary report (PDF)
Education Support: Teacher Wellbeing Index 2025 (PDF)
Tes Teacher Wellbeing Report 2026
Does your workload match what the data says? Teach17 would love to hear from you. Get in touch.