Flexible working is much more than a concession for individuals; it is a strategic lever for building inclusive, resilient organisations. This is something we need for tackling recruitment and retention challenges.
As a flexible working ambassador for the Department for Education, and leader of a trust where it’s key to our people strategy, I know getting flexible working right isn’t just about having the right intentions.
Doing so requires two things: a clear, strategic vision that aligns with your school’s culture and values, and robust, thoughtful implementation that makes it live and breathe every day.
Nobel prize-winning economist Claudia Goldin’s work has shown that inflexible work structures are key drivers of the gender pay gap. But lack of flexibility in schools is not just a gender issue; it presents a much broader challenge to diversity and inclusion.
If we are serious about equity, wellbeing and future-proofing our schools, flexible working must become part of how we think about people, culture and strategy — not an afterthought. Here’s how.
Understand where you are
Start with a discovery exercise:
What flexible working already happens in your school or trust, formally or informally? What barriers — real or perceived — are staff facing? And how do current attitudes align with your mission and values?
This process frames flexible working as part of broader organisational health, not a standalone issue.
Get staff involved so you know your policies are making a difference in your setting. Ask them: what can we do in line with our values and culture? And what are we currently doing that doesn’t align?
Then think about implications, for example on directed time and funding.
Make flexibility a strategic priority
At Pioneer, we presume flexible working can work unless there’s a genuine operational reason. Staff don’t need to justify their request. Whether it’s related to a disability, caring, study, religious observance, hobbies or work/life balance, there is no hierarchy of reasons.
Embedding flexibility properly helps tackle systemic inequalities and ensures protected characteristics are in fact protected. Research from NFER, CIPD and Timewise all points to normalising flexibility as an important lever to close gaps in progression, improve retention and strengthen staff wellbeing.
Flexible working isn’t a perk for a few; it’s a foundation for fairness.
Culture, systems and strategy
A policy on paper is not enough. Flexible working must live in your school’s leadership behaviours, communication and daily practices.
At Pioneer, we go beyond statutory flexible working rights. We have built a flexible job design process, where staff can propose tailored arrangements annually. This helps ensure flexibility fits within operational needs while fostering innovation.
Systems matter to this process: clear cycles for staff conversations, transparent communications and fair decision-making all build the trust flexibility relies on.
Address barriers head-on
Flexible working faces both structural and cultural barriers, from concerns about timetabling and cover to myths that flexible staff are less committed.
To overcome these barriers, school leaders need to be creative and strategic in their workforce planning and to be explicit about reframing cultural assumptions. Equity doesn’t mean identical treatment; it means fair opportunity.
On a practical level, it’s also key to ensure staff have the IT equipment they need to make flexible arrangements work.
Ambition and sustainability
Flexibility opens doors to smarter ways of working, not lower expectations. Schools that embrace it strategically — for instance through creative staffing models — find new ways to meet student needs and organisational goals.
At Pioneer, we rigorously monitor the impact of flexibility annually: surveying staff, tracking outcomes and adapting our approach.
Ultimately, sustainable flexible working boosts staff retention, supports wellbeing, strengthens diversity and drives improvement.
The real risk isn’t offering too much flexibility; it’s failing to offer enough.
Flexible working is a core lever for schools serious about being great places to work and delivering ambitious outcomes for all students.
As Claudia Goldin’s work reminds us, the future belongs to organisations that design work around people’s lives, not the other way around.
In schools, the real question isn’t whether we can afford flexibility. It’s whether we can afford the opposite.
It’s not just staff who benefit from more flexible schedules. I run an online school, Highgrove Education, and our students have far fewer fixed classes than in a traditional school, with up to 70% of their time spent on flexible independent learning lessons which can be completed at a time of their choice. We support with weekly 121 coaching and lessons on learning to work independently. Attendance and results are both incredibly strong: 50% A* at A level through our flipped learning courses. Offering more flexibility to both students and staff promotes happier peoples and better outcomes.