Written by Laura Douglas
Laura is a Freelance 1:1 Study Skills Tutor and Specialist Mentor, working both locally and nationally to support neurodivergent students in receipt of Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) in higher education. Through her Education Consultancy, she supports curriculum development and neuro-inclusive practices, in both school and ITT settings. She is passionate about developing neuro-inclusive practice and in October 2026, she began the PhD (Prof) at The University of Lincoln, research focussing on the support given to neurodivergent teachers if this is linked to teacher retention.
Is there a relationship between the number of teachers who leave the profession and neurodivergence? How well supported are neurodivergent colleagues in school? How do we know?
These questions are of interest to me due to my experience of working in initial teacher training (ITT), supporting Early Career Teachers (ECTs), and when working with experienced class teachers and leaders in school. I have found that neurodivergent colleagues, whether formally diagnosed or self-diagnosed, face a range of barriers which impact greatly on their confidence, self-esteem and classroom or leadership practice. I have had many conversations with colleagues about the barriers they face, including a current lack of support and understanding in neuro-inclusive practice. I begin my PhD (Prof) at the University of Lincoln in October 2026 and am looking forward to undertaking research in this important area.
Disabled Student Allowance (DSA)
Since October 2025, I have worked part-time as a freelance 1:1 Study Skills Tutor and Specialist Mentor, supporting neurodivergent students in HEI in receipt of Disabled Student Allowance (DSA). I have supported students during the 2025-6 academic year on ITT programmes and have seen first-hand the difference such mentoring has made to these individuals. In my research I aim to raise the profile of specialist mentoring which is fully funded through DSA, which is available for, but not limited to, undergraduate, postgraduate, ITT and PGCE courses.
Workplace Support
Access to Work is a grant that funds practical support in the workplace for people with a disability or health condition; this grant seems very little known in the education sector. In order to be eligible for an Access to Work grant, there is no requirement to have a formal diagnosis with a condition to apply, with individuals having a disability, illness or health condition that means you need support to do your job. According to GOV.UK (2012), this includes, for example:
- a physical disability, for example if you’re hard of hearing or use a wheelchair
- a learning disability or related condition, for example if you have Down’s syndrome
- a developmental condition, like autism spectrum disorder
- having ADHD or dyslexia
- an illness such as diabetes or epilepsy
- a temporary condition, like a broken leg
- a mental health condition, for example anxiety or depression
Upon finding the grant and reflecting on the enormous number of colleagues in school that this could help, I contacted highly regarded and experienced educators via LinkedIn, including keynote speakers of neurodiversity and an Education Policy Government Advisor – none of these individuals had heard of the grant. This raised many questions, which again has supported my decision to undertake vital research.
Teacher Retention
According to the Department for Education (2024) and recent workforce analyses by City and Guilds (2023 and 2024) approximately 200,000 to 215,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers left the state-funded sector in total over the last five years.
Teachers Leaving the Profession in England
| Academic Year | FTE Leavers (Approx.) | % of Workforce |
| 2023/24 | 40,813 | 9.0% |
| 2022/23 | 43,500 | 9.5% |
| 2021/22 | 43,900 | 9.3% |
| 2020/21 | 36,000 | 8.1% (Pandemic low) |
| 2019/20 | 33,000 | 7.4% (Initial lockdown period) |
| Total (Est.) | ~197,213 | — |
Over 90% of leavers in recent years have cited “non-retirement” reasons for leaving teaching. The most common factors reported in DfE surveys include high workload (84%) and stress/wellbeing (75%) (Maisuria, A., Roberts, N., Long, R. and Danechi, S: 2023).
Approximately 31% to 33% of teachers leave the state-funded sector within five years of qualifying, with an average size of recent qualifying cohorts (which typically range from 23,000 to 28,000 new entrants per year) with roughly 8000 to 9000 teachers from each annual cohort leaving before they reach their sixth year in the classroom. According the most recent studies, this has a cumulative impact, with 40,000 to 45,000 ECTs leaving teaching in the first five years:
| Years After Qualifying | Retention Rate | Estimated % Leaving in that Period |
| 1 Year | ~89.7% | ~10% leave immediately |
| 3 Years | ~76% – 80% | An additional 10-14% leave |
| 5 Years | ~67% – 69% | Another 7-10% leave |
I aim for my research to support an update in national policy to develop clear, systematic training across the education sectors in accessibility for neurodivergent teachers. I aim to develop knowledge and understanding for leaders in schools to understand the difference between reasonable adjustments and adaptations in the workplace, in addition to understanding the support available to neurodivergent teachers. This will, in turn, support teacher retention and support the inclusivity and representation of neurodivergence across the sector.
Bibliography
City & Guilds (2023) Neurodiversity Index Report 2023. [online] Available at: https://77f20764.flowpaper.com/CityandGuildsNeurodiversityIndexReport2023/#page=1 [Accessed 20 June 2026].
City & Guilds (2024). City & Guilds Neurodiversity Index Report 2024. [online] Available at: https://77f20764.flowpaper.com/CityandGuildsNeurodiversityIndexReport2024/#page=1 [Accessed 20 June 2026].
Department for Education (2024). School Workforce in England: report. [online] Available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024 [Accessed 22 June 2026].
GOV.UK (2012). Get Support in Work If You Have a Disability or Health Condition (Access to Work). [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work [Accessed 23 June 2026].
Maisuria, A., Roberts, N., Long, R. and Danechi, S. (2023). Teacher recruitment and retention in England. commonslibrary.parliament.uk. [online] Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7222/ [Accessed 21 June 2026]