Meet the Nottingham teacher looking to re-ignite passion in the sector amid retention crisis

Rachel Lee, who has progressed to Associate Assistant Principal at Bluecoat Wollaton Academy, part of Archway Learning Trust by the age of 27, says more needs to be done to promote teaching as a “vocation” and ensure every child has equal opportunities in the classroom.

It comes after the former English teacher attended an exclusive roundtable discussion at Downing Street, where she shared her thoughts with Prime Minister Kier Starmer.

Keeping teachers in the profession has become one of the key challenges facing the education sector. According to the School Workforce Census released in June, nearly as many teachers left the profession in England as entered it in 2023, with 44,002 teachers joining in the year to November 2023, but 43,522 leaving.[1]

According to Rachel, the key is ensuring the sector is attracting and retaining high quality teachers to give students the best experience possible. She said: “All children deserve to have a teacher in front of them who is an expert and who is passionate and knowledgeable about their subject.

“After I graduated from university, I considered a career in law, but teaching is what I truly wanted to do because I believe it’s a vocation. Some people questioned my decision, which ultimately reflects one of the key issues in the sector. Young graduates don’t see teaching as a viable career option, they only see the negative headlines on pupil behaviour and retention.

“It’s about reminding people why teaching is so important, as well as the benefits of the career.”

The roundtable discussion, which was also attended by the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson at Downing Street brought together approximately 30 teachers from across the country to celebrate teachers and acknowledge their invaluable contributions to society.

The group discussed the major issues facing the industry and what the government can do to support schools, teachers and pupils across the country.

Bluecoat Wollaton is part of Archway Learning Trust, a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) with 10 academies across Nottingham, Derby and Derbyshire. It is Nottingham’s biggest MAT, educating one third of Nottingham’s children.

The academy recently celebrated maintaining its Outstanding Ofsted rating, recognising its dedication to creating an environment where every student, regardless of background or ability, can thrive academically and personally.