A major new report has exposed a deepening crisis in UK schools, with widespread staffing shortages directly harming children's education and putting their safety at risk.
Alarming Survey Findings
The comprehensive study conducted by Unison surveyed nearly 3,000 school support staff across the country. The results paint a troubling picture of the state of education staffing, with three in five respondents reporting fewer colleagues than just one year ago.
Even more concerning, over three-quarters of staff stated there were insufficient workers to properly meet pupils' educational needs. A similar proportion warned that reduced staffing levels were making it increasingly difficult to ensure pupils' safety within school environments.
The Root Causes and Consequences
The primary driver behind these critical shortages has been identified as schools' inability to replace staff who leave their positions. This failure to maintain adequate staffing levels has created a domino effect of problems throughout the education system.
Remaining employees are facing significantly increased workloads and are regularly working unpaid overtime just to keep schools functioning. This unsustainable situation is taking a toll on both staff wellbeing and the quality of education children receive.
Calls for Government Action
In response to these alarming findings, both Unison and the NAHT union are demanding immediate government intervention. The unions are calling for increased government funding for schools to address multiple critical issues.
The additional funding would allow schools to maintain adequate staffing levels, provide fair pay for support staff, and improve working conditions to retain existing employees. Without this essential investment, education professionals warn that children's learning and welfare will continue to suffer.
The report, released on Friday 28 November 2025, comes at a time when schools are already facing numerous challenges, making the staffing crisis particularly urgent to address.
