Dr Joshua Fullard, Associate Professor in Behavioural Science, Warwick Business School at the University of Warwick said: “Teachers’ pay has been persistently eroded. Since 2010 teachers’ pay has fallen by around 13 percent in real terms. During the same period average earnings have increased by 2 percent. It is no surprise that the government has persistently failed to recruit and retain the number of teachers required to keep schools appropriately staffed.

“Using data from 2019 my researchLink opens in a new window found that 3 in 10 teachers would be financially better off if they quit the profession. That number has almost certainly risen since then. We are very fortunate that many teachers are willing to incur a financial loss to do this critically important job. We might not be so lucky in the future.

“School leaders play a vitally important role in our education system. My latest research shows that schools' leadership is one of the most important factors that influence a teachers’ decision to remain in the profession. Ensuring that schools retain excellent senior leaders is vital for our schools future success.”