A programme aimed at boosting teacher retention by improving flexible working in schools has been delayed by a year, the Department for Education has announced. The programme, which was promised by the government in its schools white paper, was due to launch this autumn but is now expected in autumn 2027. The white paper said the “new teacher retention programme” would build on the government’s flexible working programme, to “share best practice across the sector and provide peer support, coaching and resources”. “This will help schools learn from each other on managing workloads and expanding flexible working, whilst protecting teaching time so that experienced teachers stay and thrive,” it added. But in an update to its “flexible working in schools” webpage this afternoon, the DfE confirmed the programme “has been delayed by a year”. It gave a new delivery date of autumn 2027. No further explanation was given. The DfE has been approached by Schools Week. Key plank of plan Retaining more teachers is a key part of the government’s plan to grow the teacher workforce by 6,500 during this parliament. Currently, around one in 10 teachers leave the profession within a year of joining it. Latest data shows just three-quarters of teachers who qualified three years ago are still teaching, while this drops to two-thirds among those who qualified five years ago. A 2025 DfE survey found around 51 per cent of teachers and leaders had a flexible working arrangement in place, up from 46 per cent in 2024. The most common (22 per cent) was working part-time. The same study found that 49 per cent of those considering leaving the state education sector cited a lack of flexible working opportunities as an important reason. In a 2024 survey by Teacher Tapp, 20 per cent of teachers, 23 per cent of middle leaders and 17 per cent of senior leaders said more flexible working would encourage them to stay at their school for at least an extra year.