There has been a sharp rise in sick days taken by teachers in the South West, with new figures showing the worst-affected schools in the Bristol region.
Teacher sickness led to the loss of 3.2 million working days across schools in England in the 2021/22 academic year, a rise of 61% over five years, with one union blaming “stress, overwork and burnout”.
The average teacher in England took 6.3 days off sick in 2021/22, up from 4.1 days five years before, Department for Education figures show. More than two thirds of teachers (68%) were off sick at some point in the academic year, up from 55% five years before.
In the South West, teachers took an average 6.5 days off sick in the last academic year, up from 4 in 2016/17.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT (the Teacher’s Union), said the figures were likely the “tip of the iceberg” as staffing pressures meant many teachers felt they had little choice but to come to work even when unwell.
The Department for Education was approached for comment. In a note accompanying the figures, it said the Office for National Statistics had observed a rise in sickness absence across the UK since 2020, which “broadly aligns” with the picture in the schools workforce.
Here we reveal which primary and secondary schools in the Bristol region had the greatest average number of days taken in sickness absence by teachers, including those who were not off sick. We have omitted schools where fewer than five teachers took sick leave.
13. Evergreen Primary School, Easton
At the school, a total of 216 days were lost to illness in 2021/22, an average of 18 days per teacher. 8 teachers took sick absence, representing 66.7% of the workforce | Google Maps
14. Headley Park Primary School
At the school, a total of 418.5 days were lost to illness in 2021/22, an average of 18.2 days per teacher. 18 teachers took sick absence, representing 78% of the workforce | Google Maps
15. Bromley Heath Infant School
At the school, a total of 205.5 days were lost to illness in 2021/22, an average of 18.7 days per teacher. 10 teachers took sick absence, representing 91% of the workforce | Google Maps
16. St Nicholas of Tolentine Catholic Primary School, St Jude’s
At the school, a total of 270.5 days were lost to illness in 2021/22, an average of 22.5 days per teacher. 9 teachers took sick absence, representing 75% of the workforce | Google Maps