UK government launches headteacher retention payments

The scheme will include a trial of a place-based headteacher retention incentive, aimed at attracting and keeping newly appointed headteachers in schools that most need them, according to Schools Week. Officials have not yet clarified how payments will be allocated or who will qualify.

However, education leaders have expressed skepticism, warning that financial incentives alone may not tackle the underlying reasons school leaders leave their roles. Experts cite heavy workloads, high-stakes accountability, and real-terms pay cuts since 2010 as the main factors driving headteachers out of the profession.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said the scheme “might be welcome” in some areas but risked creating pay inequalities. “It does not address the fundamental issues which are driving leaders to quit,” he added. Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, echoed concerns, noting that leading schools in disadvantaged communities would remain challenging.

The proposed scheme shares similarities with a 2016 Conservative government pilot, the National Teaching Service, which aimed to deploy teachers to struggling schools with incentives of up to £10,000. The initiative was scrapped after placing just 24 teachers, raising concerns about repeating past mistakes.

Research from the Education Endowment Foundation shows that targeted incentives can help retain teachers and headteachers, but evidence is limited regarding the effectiveness for school leaders in difficult circumstances. According to the government’s latest report on the working lives of teachers, only 25% of leavers cited pay as a primary reason for leaving, while workload and pressure over pupil outcomes were much higher.

Alongside the retention payments, the government will invest an extra £1 million annually in wellbeing support, providing up to 2,500 headteachers with professional supervision and resilience strategies. An additional £500,000 will expand early headship coaching for around 500 more leaders, particularly in disadvantaged areas. Mentoring and peer support networks are also planned, though details remain limited.

Education leaders have welcomed the focus on wellbeing but stressed that support must be consistent, start early in headteachers’ careers, and be accompanied by broader reforms to workload, accountability, and funding.

“The key test is whether these initiatives meet the challenges of the current system,” said Gareth Conyard, chief executive of the Teacher Development Trust. “Without further detail, it is hard to see how the excellence in leadership programme will achieve this,”.