Are happy staff the secret to better outcomes at your school or trust?

What if there was a secret formula for schools and trusts – one that helps secure the best outcomes for pupils?

And what if this same secret formula solved many of the recruitment pains the sector was suffering?

The work we have done, looking into staff happiness, suggests strategically creating better conditions for workers will achieve all of this.

We have found that better staff morale correlates with happy pupils and improved progress. Furthermore, these favourable conditions make staff more likely to recommend where they work to their professional peers.

Revealing a powerful dynamic behind school-wide success

Our whitepaper Happy staff, happy pupils: the new tools and rules to help staff and pupils thrive sets out the data behind this dynamic. It establishes a powerful link between happy staff, happy pupils and better academic outcomes.

We worked with Edurio, which has a dataset of responses from 73,795 staff members across 1,453 schools and trusts, as well as 131,950 pupils from 344 schools and trusts, all of which were collected throughout the 2023/2024 academic year.

Meanwhile, as part of our research, IRIS also surveyed teachers in English state schools using Teacher Tapp, a daily polling app that surveys over 10,000 teachers daily. 

But our whitepaper doesn’t stop at the numbers.

It was created to help leaders formulate an effective plan of action, shining a light on what specific areas they might want to focus on to make a difference to staff and pupils as soon as possible.

Important research at a critical time

In February 2024, research from the Department for Education (DfE) revealed a worrying trend: more than one-third (36%) of UK state school teachers are considering leaving the profession within the next 12 months due to high workloads and stress. This is a notable shift from 25% in 2022.

This will be no shock to staff on the frontline of our schools and trusts – the sector has been losing brilliant staff for a long time.

The question is: what can we do about it?

Thankfully, our whitepaper has some answers.

Turning the tables on poor morale, improving the outlook for pupils

The data in our whitepaper suggests a way to turn the tables on attrition and do so in a way that is measurably good for pupil progress.

The IRIS-sponsored Edurio analysis featured in our whitepaper reveals:

• Academic progress was higher among pupils in schools where staff reported greater job satisfaction.
• School staff who felt that their senior leadership teams understood and actively addressed their needs were far more likely to recommend their workplace (78%), while factors such as career advancement opportunities (86%) and effective performance management processes (85%) were also identified as strong drivers of staff satisfaction.

Meanwhile, the IRIS-sponsored Teacher Tapp poll of 7,743 UK state teachers revealed:

• 96% of survey respondents believe that their job satisfaction directly leads to improved pupil outcomes.
• Among surveyed teachers who had access to an online HR management system for performance management, career progression, and training, 77% agreed that this has improved staff morale and performance. This said, only one-in-two staff had access to such a system.
• Findings indicated that strong performance management, leadership that addresses day-to-day challenges, clear career progression paths, reduced administrative burdens, and flexible working options are essential to fostering teacher satisfaction.

Learn from industry experts

Packed with details about what makes staff happy and how this can help your staff provide tangible results for pupils, the whitepaper also has details about how leaders themselves have found effective ways to boost staff happiness.

John Murphy is a former Chief Executive of Oasis Community Learning and mentors and supports CEOs in trusts throughout the UK. In our whitepaper, he discusses the best ways to create a great working environment for staff in education.

This is followed by an insightful Q&A with Garry Ratcliffe, CEO of The Golden Thread Alliance.

Essential data for school and MAT leaders, all in one place

Simon Freeman, Managing Director for Education at IRIS, said: “It’s a challenging time for school leaders, teachers and staff – and we stand at a critical inflection point. In order to provide the high-quality education children need, and nurture our next generation of thinkers, leaders, and citizens, we must invest in staff and teacher well-being. If we fail to act now, we risk falling behind on the global stage, leaving our younger generations unprepared in a world that is rapidly advancing.”

He added: “Our latest white paper analyses today’s research findings and outlines actionable strategies to help retain and invest in school staff, such as investing in streamlined HR systems that support teacher development, reduce administrative burdens, and offer clear paths for career progression.”

Download the whitepaper today

It’s time to look at the revealing data for yourself and understand how it can help your school or trust make a difference in morale, staff retention, pupil happiness and progress.

Click here to find out more.