Local Schools Face Major Staffing Crisis
Schools in Hastings and St Leonards are facing a major staffing crisis as new figures reveal exceptionally high teacher turnover rates in the town. Data from the Department for Education reveal that more teachers left their jobs in this area than in almost all other parts of the country last year, sparking fears among parents about stability in the classroom.
Justin Wynne
Smaller primary schools have been particularly affected, with some losing more than half of their teaching staff in just one year. St Leonard’s CofE Primary Academy and Churchwood Primary Academy were ranked among the top 10% of schools nationally for teacher turnover.
Local secondary schools experienced similar challenges. The Ark Alexandra Academy lost nearly one in four of its teachers. The Hastings Academy was more stable and managed to keep more of their team but, like most schools across the country, struggled to retain staff in key subjects like Maths and Science.
Justin Wynne, the Chair of Hastings and Rother National Education Union (NEU) said the high teacher turnover rates in the town will make recruitment in these core subjects even harder and will have a detrimental effect on pupils.
The impact of high staff turnover is even more pronounced in special schools, which support children with additional learning needs. The Flagship School on the Ridge recorded three out of four teachers leaving or moving roles, while the New Horizons School in St Leonards, part of the SABDEN Multi Academy Trust, also experienced big staffing changes. Mr Wynne said that, for students who rely on consistency and tailored support, such instability can have serious consequences.
The NEU has warned that high staff turnover disrupts learning, strains remaining teachers, and negatively impacts pupils, especially those with special educational needs. When teachers leave suddenly or frequently, it creates uncertainty, weakens student-teacher relationships, and increases workloads for those who remain.
Mr Wynne said this issue is more than just a staffing concern: it affects the quality of education and the wellbeing of children across Hastings and St Leonards. He said local educators and unions are calling for urgent action to address the factors driving teachers away, including workload pressures, funding challenges, and recruitment difficulties.
The staff retention figures are based on the School Workforce Census which collects information from schools and local authorities on the school workforce in state-funded schools in England each autumn. The census day for the latest figures was 7 November 2024.
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Surely the issue is not the high staff turnover and the disruption that ensues, but the question of WHY there is such a high turnover. Address this and you will make a great journalist.