Over half of Headteachers to retire within a decade

10.04.00am GMT Tue 6th Nov 2007

More than half of Headteachers in Stockport will retire with in ten years, according to figures uncovered by local MP, Andrew Stunell MP.

Commenting on the figures, Mr Stunell said:

"These shocking figures show that there's a leadership crisis in the making for schools in Stockport.

"Many teachers feel that the Government's incessant micro-managing and interference has meant that the job of a Headteacher has become increasingly unattractive and unrewarding.

"We need to end top-down targets and let teachers get on with teaching."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Andrew Stunell MP: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of headteachers in Stockport Metropolitan Borough are within (a) one year, (b) two years, (c) three years, (d) five years and (e) 10 years of standard pension age.

Jim Knight: The normal pension age (NPA) of teachers who entered service before 1 January 2007 is 60. Entrants to the profession from that date have a NPA of 65. NPA is the age at which members of the teachers' pension scheme can retire without any actuarial reduction to their pension benefits. The following table provides the percentage of full-time head teachers in service in the maintained schools sector in England within 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 5 years and 10 years of the NPA 60, in March 2006, the latest information available.

Teacher numbers and percentages1 of full time head teachers in services in maintained sector schools2 in Stockport3 and England, by number of years before the Normal Pension Age (60), March 2006.

Within X years----------Stockport3 (%)----------England (%)

1-----------------------4------------------------3

2-----------------------10-----------------------7

3-----------------------14-----------------------12

5-----------------------28-----------------------25

10----------------------56-----------------------58

Source: Database of Teacher Records (Age proportions) and 618g (Overall teacher numbers)

1 Percentages are cumulative.

2 Excludes Academies.

3 Local authority information is not normally reported from the Database of Teacher Records due to data quality concerns but data for Stockport is sufficiently complete.

Reforms of the Teachers' Pension Scheme that were introduced in January 2007 and which include a NPA of 65 for new entrants included new provisions that are specifically aimed at encouraging teachers to extend their working lives. These new provisions will provide a real and attractive alternative to teachers' traditional approach to retirement.