Flexible working scheme extended

The government’s Flexible working ambassadors programme has been extended for a further year to support more schools across the country, enabling teachers to plan lessons from home, job-share or work flexible hours.

The latest figures show that 46%of teachers had a flexible working arrangement in place in 2024, up by 6 percentage points since 2022, however 47% of teaching staff who said they were considering leaving state education cited a lack of flexible working opportunities as one of the reasons.

Research also found 82% of school leaders offering flexible working agreed that it had helped to retain teachers who might otherwise leave. 62% of parents said children being taught by 2 teachers in a job-share arrangement had no impact, or a positive impact, on their child.

The programme is free to all schools and helps to drive the culture change needed, by offering a range of practical support and resources for schools and teachers. The extension means more schools can get involved in every region of the country, with a focus on supporting schools in disadvantaged areas, as well as special and alternative provision schools where there can be additional challenges.