Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Sadly, these findings sound very familiar, and reflect what we are hearing from our members. Crushing workload and high-stakes accountability, burnout following the additional pressures during the pandemic, and salaries worth 24% less than they were a decade ago, have left many school leaders at breaking point. We know that more school leaders than ever before are considering leaving the profession – and fewer and fewer middle leaders are aspiring to headship. The people in front of our children have the biggest impact on learner outcomes. Strong leaders and skilled teachers make all the difference. But unless the government acts urgently to restore pay and make school leadership an attractive proposition for teaching professionals, the school leadership supply pipeline is going to run dry. The fact that leaders in particular are reporting high levels of stress and burnout should come as a real wake-up call to government.”