It costs many thousands of pounds to train a teacher; money that is wasted if qualified staff leave after only a few years in the job. The programme contains the testimony of teachers who have left the profession: we hear why they took such a big decision. On the other hand, some schools are very successful at retaining staff. How do they do it? Senior staff at three different schools explain how they keep hold of good teachers. At Robert Clack School in Dagenham the head has maintained a consistently strong line on discipline and given early opportunities for promotion. At Corsham Primary School in Wiltshire, teachers are backed by a strong support network, given the chance to take gap years and offered a range of work/life balance perks. In the maths department at Sidney Stringer School in Coventry, teachers stay because are enthused by their subject, by the collegiate ethos of which they are a part, and by the resources available to them.

Video Series: School Matters
Release Date 2007