5 Retention Mistakes School Leaders Can Avoid
(Even If You've Run Exit Interviews
And Reviewed Every Policy)
You want teachers to thrive, develop, and want to stayYou've invested in CPD.
You've reviewed workload.
You've gathered staff feedback.
You've looked at what people say when they leave.But retention is shaped much earlier than the exit interview.It develops through teachers' everyday experiences of autonomy, competence, and relationships.
Across five short, research-informed emails we'll look at the assumptions that can unintentionally get in the way, some different questions leaders can ask instead, and the importance of leadership and belonging.Because understanding why teachers stay matters just as much as understanding why they leave.
“It’s lovely to feel that we’re not alone, knowing somebody has got your back.”
Alice, from Kate's doctoral research "Becoming and Being a Teacher"
More Effort Won't Fix This
When senior leaders feel like...
...they've reviewed every policy - but nothing changes
...good teachers seem settled - until the resignation letter arrives
...staff nod along in the surveys - but the same people keep leaving
It's not personal. It's the conditions around them.
Spot what's missing - and understand what's really driving retention in your school
What's inside:
5 research-informed emails
Reflection questions for your context
Learn the three conditions determining if a teacher stays, grows, or leaves
"I get quite a lot of nice feedback from my learning walks… it makes you feel noticed for the hard work...it's being appreciated."
Mandy, from Kate's doctoral research "Becoming and Being a Teacher"
What if you knew ...
...which condition was missing - autonomy, competence, or relationship...
...before you spent another training day, another policy rewrite, or another away day on culture?
Still wondering if it's worth five minutes a day?Here's exactly what you'll receive:
Day #1. Why retention is not simply a workload problem (and what leaders may miss when workload becomes the main explanation).Day #2. When consistency becomes control (and how schools can create coherence without removing professional judgement).Day #3. Why more CPD does not automatically produce greater confidence (and the conditions that help professional learning make a difference).Day #4. Why belonging isn't 'socials' or 'cake in the staff room' (and the one question that tells you whether it is really there).Day #5. Why understanding why teachers stay may tell as much as understanding why they leave (and what leaders can start noticing earlier).
"Even a bad policy enacted consistently is better than a good policy enacted inconsistently."
Isaac, from Kate's doctoral research "Becoming and Being a Teacher"
Created by Kate Sida-Nicholls, PhD, FCCT.
An education and workforce professional learning leader with...
...more than 25 years' experience across schools, teacher education and further education.
...doctoral research exploring teachers' professional identities, and what shapes teaching experiences.
...application drawing on autonomy, competence and relationships to help leaders think differently about why teachers stay.
Teacher Retention Starts Long Before The Exit Interview
You’re in.
A Welcome Email is on its way to your inbox now.
If you don't receive it in the next few minutes, have a quick check of your spam or promotions folder - and adding my email to your contacts will keep Days 1 to 5 from getting lost along the way.Best wishes,Kate